Facing staggering losses from wildfires, Panhandle ranchers and farmers seek aid to rebuild
Ranchers have likely lost thousands of cattle in the wildfires, according to some preliminary estimates. Full Story
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Joshua Fechter is the Dallas-based urban affairs reporter for The Texas Tribune, covering policy — including housing affordability, housing and property taxes, evictions, policing and transportation — and politics in Texas' major metropolitan areas. Before joining the Tribune in August 2021, Joshua covered City Hall for the San Antonio Express-News. He holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin.
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![Christy Oats, left, talks to the farmers and ranchers attending a USDA informational meeting at the Hemphill County Exhibition center in Canadian on March 5, 2024.]()
Credit: Mark Rogers for The Texas Tribune -
Many homes burned in the Texas wildfires weren’t insured, creating a steep path to recovery
Rural Texans are more than twice as likely to go without homeowners insurance than their urban peers. Full Story
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![A burned truck sits on lot in Fritch where the fire went through while areas behind appear to be untouched Friday, March. 1, 2024.]()
Credit: Justin Rex for The Texas Tribune -
Dallas’ city manager resigns, leaving one more major Texas city without a chief executive
City Manager T.C. Broadnax resigned amid tensions with city leaders, including Mayor Eric Johnson. Three of Texas’ major cities — Dallas, Austin and El Paso — now have vacancies at the top of their local governments. Full Story
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![Dallas City Manager, T.C. Broadnax, right, during a city council meeting on Aug. 9, 2017.]()
Credit: Laura Buckman for The Texas Tribune -
Amid high rents, eviction filings in major Texas cities soar above pre-pandemic levels
Legal aid groups and housing advocates say there simply aren’t enough lawyers to keep up with the sheer volume of eviction filings. Full Story
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![A writ of possession is taped to the door of an apartment at the Life at Jackson Square apartments on Tuesday, April 11, 2023, in Houston, TX.]()
Credit: Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune -
In long-shot bid for GOP nomination, Nikki Haley turns to Texas
The former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations faces a steep climb in Texas — where she hopes that the state’s deep-pocketed GOP donor class and open primary can help her pick away at Donald Trump. Full Story
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![DALLAS, TX - FEBRUARY 15, 2024: Nikki Haley, GOP presidential candidate, speaks to supporters at a rally at Gilley’s Dallas South Side Music on Thursday, February 16, 2024 in Dallas, Texas. CREDIT: Desiree Rios for The Texas Tribune]()
Credit: Desiree Rios for The Texas Tribune -
Texas poised for slower job growth this year, Dallas Fed projects
Falling consumer activity and uncertainty around the 2024 presidential election could complicate the state’s job growth, a Dallas Fed economist said. Full Story
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![A view of Woodall Rodgers Freeway from The Tower Club on the 48th floor of the Santander Tower in downtown Dallas on Nov. 07, 2023.]()
Credit: Ben Torres for The Texas Tribune -
Texans face a bigger burden than ever to pay rent, study finds
More than half of the state’s 4.2 million renters spend at least 30% of their income on rent and utilities, according to a Harvard University report. Full Story
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![The Mueller neighborhood in East Austin on Oct. 7, 2023.]()
Credit: John Jordan/The Texas Tribune -
Homelessness in Texas on the rise amid high housing costs, federal estimates show
Homelessness rose last year across nearly every demographic group, but strides were made to connect people with new housing. Full Story
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![The sun sets over the tops of tents at a homeless encampment on state-owned land in Austin on Jan. 18, 2021.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
U.S. Department of Justice says it’ll sue if Texas enforces new law punishing illegal border crossing
The state has until Jan. 3 to say it won’t arrest people accused of unauthorized entry from Mexico. If not, the Biden administration will sue, saying immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility. Full Story
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![Texas National Guard and Texas DPS officers position themselves on the banks of the Rio Grande, Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2022, in El Paso. Over 400 personnel have been sent to this border sector by Governor Abbott after El Paso city officials declared a state of emergency.]()
Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre for The Texas Tribune -
After years of losing battles with GOP leaders, some big city Texas mayors strike friendlier tone
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson and incoming Houston Mayor John Whitmire, two veteran Democratic legislators, are trying to repair their cities’ fraught relationships with the state’s GOP leadership. Full Story
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![Left: Senator John Whitmire, D-Houston, speaks at a press confrence to announce legislation aimed at reforming the state’s bail system on Feb. 4, 2019. Right: Austin Mayor Kirk Watson speaks with the press to discuss the city's response to mass power outages after a ice storm, at the Combined Transportation, Emergency, and Communications Center in Austin on Feb. 3, 2023.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune, Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune
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