Texas Restaurant & Hospitality Sector Feels Strain Amid Economic Cooling
October 30, 2025 – Across Texas, restaurant and hospitality businesses are showing signs of economic stress, with lower foot traffic, shrinking margins and labor shortages increasingly squeezing operators. According to the Texas Restaurant Association, 85 percent of restaurant owners say their profit margins are now lower than before the COVID-19 pandemic. Part of the challenge stems from rising costs—ingredients, utilities,...
17 Propositions On The Ballot November 4, 2025
October 17, 2025 – On November 4, Texas voters will head to the polls to decide the fate of 17 constitutional amendments, appearing as statewide propositions at the top of the ballot. Among the most closely watched measures are proposals tied to billions of dollars in property tax cuts for both homeowners and businesses. Earlier this year, the Texas Legislature approved the package with a two-thirds majority, authorizing the...
HB 6 Passes; Increases Punishment Options For Teachers
June 1, 2025 – Texas schools will soon be able to impose harsher disciplinary measures on students after the Legislature passed House Bill 6, a broad package aimed at curbing campus violence and disruptions. The bill, passed Wednesday, is part of a post-pandemic effort by lawmakers to address growing concerns about student behavior and safety in schools. “Disruptions are impeding both the ability of teachers to teach and the...
Dallas to Houston High-speed Rail Project Finds New Support
April 23, 2025 – The long-delayed high-speed rail project connecting Dallas and Houston has found new leadership under Texas investor and Republican donor John Kleinheinz. His firm, Kleinheinz Capital Partners, recently acquired a controlling interest in Texas Central, the company spearheading the project. This transition follows the Trump administration’s decision to revoke a $64 million federal grant and terminate a...
Attorney General Ken Paxton Continues Lawsuit Against Pfizer’s COVID Vaccine
January 8, 2025 – Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a notice of appeal to continue his lawsuit against Pfizer, Inc., for its unlawful misrepresentations concerning the COVID-19 vaccine after a district court dismissed the case. In November 2023, Attorney General Paxton sued Pfizer for unlawfully misrepresenting the effectiveness and safety of the company’s COVID-19 vaccine. Further, Pfizer conspired with social...
Researchers Discover an Antibody Able to Neutralize all Known Variants of SARS-CoV-2
September 4, 2024 – As part of a new study on hybrid immunity to the virus, the large, multi-institution research team led by The University of Texas at Austin discovered and isolated a broadly neutralizing plasma antibody, called SC27, from a single patient. Using technology developed over several years of research into antibody response, the team led by UT engineers and scientists obtained the exact molecular sequence of the...
Paris Junior College Introduces new Vice President to Help Student Success
New PJC vice president pursues passion to help students succeed June 28, 2024 – For many years, Paris Junior College has been transitioning beyond being an “open door” college where everyone is welcome towards a primary focus of successful completion for every student. A major step on this path has been taken with the hiring of Dr. Lisa Elliott as Vice President of Student Access and Success. Her arrival at PJC on...
Texans face a bigger burden than ever to pay rent, study finds
By Joshua Fechter, The Texas Tribune Jan. 25, 2024 – Texas renters are under more pressure from the state’s high housing costs than ever, according to a Harvard University study released Thursday. More than half of the state’s 4.2 million renter households spend too much of their income on keeping a roof over their heads and the lights on, a report from Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies shows. Some 51% of Texas renters...
Sulphur Springs Leader Joe Bob Burgin Named As Chair Of Statewide Texas Healthcare Trustees Board
(Austin, Texas) – Joe Bob Burgin, board member of the Hopkins County District and CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Northeast Texas (TMFNT) Board of Directors, has been elected Board Chair of the Texas Healthcare Trustees (THT). A statewide non-profit organization, THT provides education, training, and resources to those serving on governing boards of hospitals and health care systems in Texas. “We are excited to have Joe Bob serve on...
Fallon: SAFER Act Introduced As A Policy Solution To Situation On Texas’ Southern Border
News Letter Release — Dec. 23, 2022 Texas District 4 Congressman Pat Fallon led 17 of his colleagues in the introduction of the American Safety and Fairness Through Expedited Removal Act, known as the SAFER Act. This legislation would provide Customs and Border Patrol another tool to counter border policy crisis by restoring expedited removal of illegal immigrants. Fallon, in a newsletter Friday evening, stated that the millions of...
