The Texas Stock Exchange officially commenced trading on Monday morning. Based in Dallas, TXSE began its phased rollout in July. The firm’s launch comes as major financial institutions, including BlackRock and Citadel Securities, have invested over $120 million in the new exchange since 2024. The exchange gained federal approval last year and attracted investment from several other firms, bringing total investment to more than $275 million.  TXSE opened its doors at 8:30 a.m. on Monday morning to approved brokers, banks, and trading firms. For now, brokers are trading only test stocks. Thousands of symbols, such as TSLA (Tesla), will come online in July, with an announcement to precede it. That rollout will officially allow the public to trade stocks on the exchange.  TXSE officials also hope to have exchange-traded products, or ETPs, trading by the end of the third quarter. ETPs allow investors to gain exposure to a wide variety of investment products, such as oil or the S&P 500. view article

When Janah Rodriguez found herself without a job for the first time since she was a teenager, she didn’t initially worry. She had more than a decade of experience in medical office administration and had moved up the ladder going from working the front desk to becoming an office coordinator. But things changed when she reached the five-month mark of being unemployed. She started to feel like her options were shrinking, she said.  She was 45, with four grown children and grandchildren, and for the first time she felt like she wasn’t moving forward in her career.  She was 45, with four grown children and grandchildren, and for the first time she felt like she wasn’t moving forward in her career.  view article

Starting Tuesday, hikers at Enchanted Rock State Natural Area will be able to explore the park's Backcountry Area on their own for the first time, marking a major expansion of public access at the popular Central Texas destination. view article

The General Services Administration (GSA) announced Monday it has closed on the sale of a federal building at Hemisfair that is key to the city’s plans for a downtown arena district.   The City of San Antonio acquired the building for $30 million with funds from Spurs Sports & Entertainment, as outlined in a non-binding term sheet approved by city council nearly a year ago. Credit: Brenda Bazán / San Antonio Report • view article

Texas leads nation in proposed power plants for data centers, which would emit large amounts of greenhouse gases view article

San Marcos has become the first Texas city to ban data centers within city limits, banking on its local authority to stop the data center boom and setting a precedent for other municipalities to follow. San Marcos City Council voted 4-3 on June 16 to define data centers and make them ineligible for any part of the city in its zoning laws, citing concerns that these developments would funnel water and energy resources from the local community. view article

The woman relished the news of the young man's murder, then painted herself as the real victim.   In the immediate wake of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk's assassination on Sept. 10, 2025, depraved leftists celebrated in classrooms, in town squares, online, and elsewhere.   Some of those who publicly relished the news of the young father's murder were publicly shamed, received reprimands, or even lost their jobs. view article

Students at 20 campuses in Dallas ISD will be heading back to school in a little less than a month – two weeks early. Starting with the upcoming school year, Dallas ISD is extending the academic year at some of its campuses in hopes of giving students an early start. view article

The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) are tests given to public school students in grades 3-12 to measure what they are learning in each grade. The tests are based on the state's curriculum and are generally administered each spring. Mathematics and reading assessments are given in grades 3-8, and the Social Studies test is administered to eighth-grade students. High school students take End-of-Course (EOC) exams in Algebra I, Biology, English I, English II and U.S. History. view article

Austin Independent School District (AISD) is slowing plans to realign its school district boundaries that impact which schools students attend. Originally, AISD was aiming to implement districtwide changes for the 2027-28 school year. But now, according to an email to families, the plan will be shifted into a two-phase approach. The first phase will address “urgent” boundary issues the district said “cannot wait.” The second phase aims to be a comprehensive change to campuses’ boundaries across the district. view article

ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – Alana Jeter is one of the newest members of the Abilene ISD school board. She's the Executive Director of the Noah Project in Abilene, but she's also the mom of two children. She has a son already in college, and her daughter is headed to college in the fall. While they both will attend McMurry University in Abilene, it will still be a big transition for them. view article

Houston ISD's state-appointed board of managers greenlit Bible-infused curriculum for elementary school students at a special board meeting Thursday night, when the board also voted to adopt a $2 billion operating budget for 2026-27. The state-developed Bluebonnet Learning curriculum for students in kindergarten through fifth grade has been criticized for its inclusion of biblical teachings in reading and language arts lessons. Its implementation also comes with a per-student financial incentive – more than $3 million in additional revenue for HISD, the largest school district in Texas. view article

State data shows most grade levels in Texas saw reading scores for the annual STAAR exam increase past pre-pandemic levels, and educators are hoping to keep that momentum going this summer. Inside a Forney Independent School District cafeteria, 200 kids sit as still as they can. Their eyes are glued to a school principal reading a book. view article

Austin ISD is delaying its district-wide school boundary realignment by one year. The move comes after the district closed 10 campuses at the end of the 2025-26 school year, leaving it to navigate where those students will have classes in the upcoming fall semester. In a message to families on Friday, AISD Superintendent Matias Segura said the comprehensive plan will now take effect for the 2028-29 school year in order to give leaders more time to work through budgetary concerns, staffing, enrollment and long-term planning. view article

When the 2026-27 school year opens, Arlington ISD will see some new beginnings. The school district, which is facing declining enrollment and a budget shortfall, will introduce two virtual school options at the high school level. Sarah McMurrough, the school board president, said she is excited to see the new programs take shape and that they will help the district better serve its students. view article

Astory and photo posted on social media claiming a privately owned white Chevrolet Corvette was worked on in a Raymondville Independent School District maintenance shop posted on social media are a total fabrication, RISD Police Chief Oscar Gutierrez said last Friday. The photo of the car was apparently Photoshopped into a garage of some kind, but only part of the hydraulic lift shown in the photo can be seen, the rest is not visible, the police chief said. view article

Stay in the know with five Bastrop-Cedar Creek updates, including lower home prices, a summer reading challenge benefiting nonprofits, Bastrop ISD STAAR gains, a free caregiver support group and proposed industrial park upgrades.   1. Bastrop-Cedar Creek home sales increase, prices dip in May May housing figures for Bastrop-Cedar Creek showed more homes sold year over year while prices dipped, according to Unlock MLS data. During that time, homes remained on the market longer—with the average increasing from 72 days in May 2025 to 85 days in May 2026. view article

In the fall of 1997, Cesar Chavez Learning Center opened in East Dallas, roughly four years after the man it is named after died. This week, the Dallas ISD Board of Trustees will vote to change the school’s name and revise the processes for naming and renaming schools. The discussion on the former became necessary after a New York Times story in March detailed horrific allegations that the civil rights leader abused very young girls, and allegedly raped others in the farm union movement, including Latina activist Dolores Huerta, who ran the United Farm Workers union with Chavez. view article

Hudson High School teacher Christie Swan and seniors Mason Tran, Brayden Dunn, Channing Howatt and Jackson May recently traveled to Boston, Massachusetts. to compete in Junior Achievement's National Stock Market Challenge, where they placed third.  The competition ended at 11 a.m., and the boys sat all day nervously anticipating the results. At the gala that evening, Roaring Kitty found out they were third in the national contest, earning each team member a $1,000 cash prize. view article

Chevron has struck a 20-year agreement to sell electricity to Microsoft, which plans to build what could become one of the country's largest artificial-intelligence data centers in West Texas.  The oil company is working with Joulent, an energy company launched by investment firm Engine No. 1, to build a massive power-generation complex that will supply the data center using natural gas produced from the company's fields in the area. The 2.7-gigawatt campus would be on more than 2,000 acres in Reeves County in the heart of the Permian Basin oil-and-gas field, according to Joulent. view article

Attorneys and experts for both the state and for death row inmate Victor Saldaño agree that he should be allowed to present evidence of his disability to a state criminal appeals court. view article

The McAllen Independent School District is hoping a new partnership will open doors for their students. "The CTE Department is partnering with South Texas College," McAllen ISD Technical Education Coordinator David Lyons said. The district approved a two-year veterinary program during a recent school board meeting. "Everyday you will need to come and feed your animals, once in the morning and at night to feed them, and walk them every day," McAllen High School student Ella Hartzog said. view article

A crash report has confirmed a Longview ISD teacher had been driving while intoxicated in a wreck that killed her and a Longview nurse practitioner. The wreck happened on April 19 on Highway 259 in the Diana area at about 3 a.m. Hospitality Health Nurse Practitioner Joel Mack and LISD Foster Middle School Teacher Kimberly Law were both killed in the crash. view article

Texas public school enrollment has declined as the state expanded public education offerings beyond traditional school districts to charter campuses and private school vouchers. Families have more schooling choices than ever, and the state's five largest school districts aren't immune to the changes. view article

Students at Kathlyn Joy Gilliam Collegiate Academy mastered a life skill ahead of the summer, participating in a pilot program that teaches swimming basics while preparing them for future employment. Integrated into the Lifetime Recreation and Outdoor Pursuits curriculum, the eight-week pilot program met students at their skill level. In partnership with YMCA, beginners worked to overcome a fear of water, while advanced swimmers built leadership skills by mentoring their peers. view article

KGNS and its news director, Yocelin Gallardo, were recognized by Laredo ISD with a Community Partner Award. The honor highlights the impact of the annual KGNS Prom Dress Drive. Through the effort, hundreds of gently used dresses and formalwear items have been donated to Laredo ISD’s Belle of the Ball program, which helps students prepare for prom. Each year, community members drop off their donations at the KGNS studios, and staff members work with local school districts, including Laredo ISD, to get those items into the hands of students who need them. view article

Ashlea Pierce joined other Arlington ISD parents in voicing concern over the motives to transition sixth grade from the elementary to junior high level. “I’m not sure student experience is given the same priority in other educational decisions. Was there a movement of sixth graders who contacted the district and said they were unhappy?” Pierce told trustees. view article

Killeen ISD has earned national recognition for its efforts to strengthen partnerships between schools and families. The district recently received the Family Engagement Champion Award during the Family Leadership Summit in San Diego. Andrea Dykes, Killeen ISD's parenting specialist for federal and state programs, accepted the award on behalf of the district. view article

Shallowater ISD is inviting elementary-aged students to join the Mustang family for the first time in more than a decade. After losing more than 60 students last year, the district is opening applications for transfers to 1st-5th grades. “We want to make sure that if we’re providing opportunities to our kiddos, that we’re able to sustain them and make sure that they’re good opportunities for them,” Superintendent Aron Strickland said. view article

The president of the Boerne Independent School District board of trustees is speaking out after their unanimous vote to urge TxDOT to put Texas state Highway 46 improvements on a faster track. Rapid growth has overtaken Texas 46, as it no longer appears to be a country highway in some spots and is instead handling urban traffic. view article

The Center for Advanced Training and Apprenticeships (CATA) at South Texas College continues its partnership with McAllen Independent School District to prepare the next generation of veterinary professionals in the region. STC and McAllen ISD announce the second year of a unique apprenticeship program designed to connect students with hands-on training and career opportunities in the growing Veterinary Technology field. view article

Killeen ISD's commitment to strengthening family-school partnerships has earned national recognition. Andrea Dykes, Parenting Specialist for Federal and State Programs, recently accepted the Family Engagement Champion Award on behalf of Killeen ISD during the Family Leadership Summit in San Diego, California. The award recognizes leaders and organizations that create sustainable systems supporting meaningful parent engagement and family advocacy. view article

A fourth-grader in Round Rock ISD's Talented and Gifted program earned a perfect score on the STAAR math exam this spring, the district confirmed. Saahas Chakra Chidurala, a student at Purple Sage Elementary School, took the 5th-grade STAAR math assessment because of his advanced coursework. view article

Bastrop, Texas, was a small town until Elon Musk arrived.  BASTROP, Texas — Many of the tech bros who swing by Found Fine Art in Bastrop, Texas, are smitten with Schoolgirl Witchblade, a bronze statuette of a manga-style character with pigtails, a barely there bodice and a clawed hand ready for a supernatural brawl (price: $3,200).  The preference seems on-brand. These bros work for SpaceX, the reusable rocket and internet satellite megacorporation led by Elon Musk, who created a sexy, pigtailed, manga-style digital girlfriend for premium users of his Grok chatbot.  “They ask a lot about these,” said Alexandria Lagos, a gallery sales associate, pointing to Schoolgirl and similar works. “Though I haven’t seen anyone buy one.” view article

The plane carrying Joshua Baer, who was also the CEO of Austin-based startup accelerator Capital Factory, was on its way to Austin from San José del Cabo in Mexico.  Joshua Baer, founder and CEO of Austin-based startup accelerator Capital Factory, died Tuesday night in a plane crash on a Laredo highway. He was 50.  The business jet was carrying six people when it crashed onto Loop 20 and caught fire around 10 p.m., the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.   Baer, who was also a Texas Tribune board member from 2015 to 2017, was the only person who died. The other five passengers were taken to local hospitals with no serious injuries. Most of them were released shortly after, said Jose Baeza, an investigator with the Laredo Police Department.  view article