Rachel Osier Lindley

This week, thousands of people across Texas protested police killings of black Americans — sparked by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. While some violent confrontations broke out between police and demonstrators, the vast majority of Texans participated peacefully. 

Think of the last time you shopped for food. Those sliding glass doors open, and you're greeted by orderly rows of apples, pears and leafy green lettuce.

That's because the supermarket produce aisle is like a popular nightclub — not everyone gets in.

The Texas Senate race is one of the closest-watched midterm contests in the country.

The Democratic challenger, Beto O’ Rourke, has been skateboarding through Facebook Lives, dueting with Willie Nelson and collecting a record $38 million in the last quarter — more than three times the total of incumbent Republican Ted Cruz.

Still, polls show Cruz leading by as many as nine points.

It was more duel than debate Friday night in Dallas as Republican Sen. Ted Cruz and Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke went after each other from the start. Snappy and heavy on snark, Cruz and O’Rourke held nothing back in the first of three debates.

In the week since he was killed by a Dallas police officer, 26-year-old Botham Jean has been remembered as a hard worker, a good neighbor and an active churchgoer who stood out thanks to his smile and singing voice.

Thousands of Texas students — from Dallas to El Paso to Houston — walked out of class last week to protest gun violence. The National School Walkout was the latest anti-gun violence protest since February, when 17 people were killed in a school shooting in Parkland, Florida. 

Energized from "March For Our Lives" rallies across the nation, thousands of teens say they’re ready to stay active working for tougher gun laws.

In Texas, children and their parents, students and teachers gathered everywhere from Dallas and Fort Worth to Lubbock and Beaumont.

On Tuesday, Texas Republicans and Democrats will choose the candidates they want on the ballot in November. The primary election includes several races for statewide office, including commissioner of agriculture, land commissioner — and governor. 

St. Joseph Medical Center is downtown Houston’s only hospital, located just down the street from the George R. Brown Convention Center, where thousands of evacuees have been staying since Harvey hit.  

Some doctors and nurses have been on the clock for almost a full week.

The 85th Texas Legislature is over. And while the threat of a special session looms, most of us are still trying to figure out what actually made it across the finish line.

The 85th legislative session ends on May 29. Texas lawmakers have just over five weeks to figure out some of the state’s most pressing issues, plus hear and vote on dozens, possibly hundreds of bills. In all, legislators have filed more than 9,000 bills this session.

The top local stories this afternoon from KERA News:

State lawmakers face a tightening budget this Legislative Session – they have about $105 billion in state funds to spend. That’s almost three percent less than what they had two years ago. Ben Philpott follows the State Legislature for KUT, the public radio station in Austin.

The top local stories this afternoon from KERA News:

Immigrants in North Texas, and across the country, stayed home from work and school today. Several North Texas businesses closed in solidarity. The Day Without Immigrants protest was designed to highlight their role in America’s economy and way of life.

The top local stories this afternoon from KERA News:

Abortion legislation took center stage at the State Capitol today. As KERA's Eric Aasen reports, the State Senate committee began hearing three anti-abortion measures. 

The top local stories this afternoon from KERA News:

A new study finds that more than four-fifths of Texas school districts teach no sex education or offer curricula focusing solely on abstinence, despite Texas being among the nation's teen pregnancy leaders. 

The top local stories this afternoon from KERA News:

Transgender bathroom access is getting a lot of attention during the Texas Legislative Session, although it may not be an issue that affects most Texans. KERA’s Eric Aasen sat down with reporter Christopher Connelly to get a preview.

The top local stories this evening from KERA News: Governor Greg Abbott has made fixing Child Protective Services an emergency item this legislative session. Dozens of bills have been filed this session to make changes to CPS, including one that would create what a lawmaker calls "fostels." That's a combination of the words “hostel” and foster care.

The top local stories this evening from KERA News: The Catholic Diocese of Dallas welcomed its new bishop Thursday afternoon. Edward Burns has been installed as the eighth bishop of the Dallas Diocese, which has 1.3 million Catholics in nine counties. 

The top local stories this afternoon from KERA News:

A bond election won’t be on the ballot in Dallas until at least November. The Dallas City Council decided Wednesday to officially delay an election. A proposed $800 million package would pay for infrastructure, including flood control, bridges and streets. 

The top local stories this afternoon from KERA News:

Dallas County Commissioners today approved a resolution that welcomes immigrants to the county, including those who are undocumented. The resolution is not legally binding, and calls for law enforcement to stop what are considered nonessential collaborations with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.

The top local stories this afternoon from KERA News:

More Texas lawmakers are calling for the state to end straight-ticket voting. That’s when a person can vote for one political party down the ballot. Most states do not allow straight-ticket voting.

Election Day in Texas hasn't been without issues at the polls. At a high school in Richmond, near Houston, machine problems reportedly caused dozens of people to leave without voting. KERA has received reports of long lines, last-minute polling station changes and some voter ID confusion. 

After months of scandals and contentious rhetoric from Democrats and Republicans, how does a divided country come together again? Take a lesson in putting friendship over political differences from these next-door neighbors in Dallas.