Since Senate Bill 8, also known as the Heartbeat Act, became law Sept. 1, abortion rights supporters across Texas and the nation have fought to nullify it in the courts and Congress. SB 8 bans abortion after fetal cardiac activity is detected, which is approximately six weeks. The enforcement mechanism relies on private citizens to file lawsuits against people who …

Philanthropists and individual donors from across the country and beyond again came out in force Thursday for North Texas Giving Day, which raised a record-breaking $66 million for nonprofits in Dallas-Fort Worth. Dave Scullin, CEO of the Communities Foundation of Texas, which hosted the event, said this year’s results were “stunning.” Since launching in 2009, the event has raised more …

Prominent Dallas lawyer and former DART board member Ray Jackson has agreed to plead guilty to a federal money laundering charge for trying to legitimize what he thought was drug money for narcotics traffickers, court records show. Jackson, 51, of The Jackson Law Firm, was arrested in April following a sting operation. The terms of his plea agreement call for …

For the first time in 705 days, a towering Big Tex welcomed guests to the exhibits, livestock, rides and artery-hardening food of the State Fair of Texas, as the staff contends with how to operate the event safely in the middle of a pandemic. The State Fair opened its gates for the first time since October 2019 on Friday. The …

Plano ISD’s decision to not extend the district’s temporary mask mandate has drawn strong reactions from parents on both sides of the issue, who say it boils down to personal freedom vs. safety. Parents flooded social media, including the board members’ Facebook pages, with comments in support of and against the trustees’ vote to end the mask requirement starting next week. …

The Texas Secretary of State will be conducting “forensic audits” of 2020 election results in Dallas, Tarrant, Collin and Harris counties. The state announced the plan late Thursday, hours after former President Donald Trump sent an open letter to Gov. Greg Abbott asking for the audits to be added to the current special session. Trump’s letter said Texans “want an …

A 12-year-old Tarrant County girl died in May from fentanyl toxicity, the Tarrant County medical examiner’s office ruled Friday. The girl, who has been identified as Ellianna Martinez, was from Richland Hills, according to records from the medical examiner’s office. The manner of death has not yet been released, according the medical examiner’s office. Fentanyl is a narcotic that is …

Diana Natalicio was a pioneer in higher education, praised for growing a small El Paso campus into a national research institution while expanding college access for Latinos. During her three decades overseeing the University of Texas at El Paso, she focused on getting more first-generation college students enrolled so that the school reflected the community. “If you’re a public institution, …

An Oklahoma man was arrested Friday evening in connection with a threat made to Texas lawmakers who supported Texas’ new abortion law, KTVT-TV (Channel 11) reported. Oklahoma law enforcement officials arrested Austin Wendell Lund of Sentinel, Okla., the news station reported. Further details about what led to the arrest weren’t available Friday. Abortions have been severely limited in Texas by the …

AUSTIN, Texas — Former President Donald Trump has asked Gov. Greg Abbott to add an election audit bill to this year’s third special session, continuing his push to cast doubts on the election results of the 2020 presidential election despite winning in Texas. In a letter published Thursday, Trump said, “Texans have big questions about the November 2020 Elections,” and …