At least 11 people have died in Texas, nearly half of them children, after Winter Storm Fern swept the state last week, the Texas Standard reported. Among those killed were three young brothers who fell through ice on a private pond near Bonham, about 60 miles northeast of Texas. In the Dallas suburb of Frisco, two teens died after a sledding accident. They were riding on a sled being pulled by a vehicle.
Several unhoused people died of exposure in Austin, Houston and Fort Worth, according to reports. Nationally, the storm has killed at least 50 people.
Nearly five years after Winter Storm Uri overwhelmed the state’s power grid and left millions without electricity, officials with the Electric Reliability Council of Texas noted the grid held, though localized outages were reported, especially in East Texas, where at one point more than 91,000 customers were without power. Those outages were largely due to ice accumulation and downed lines.
The storm forced nearly 2,400 flight cancellations at airports in Dallas, Houston and Austin.
No new H-1b visas for universities, agencies
Gov. Greg Abbott has ordered universities and state agencies to stop asking for new H-1B visas until next year, the Houston Chronicle reported. The visas are used to hire foreign workers who possess skills in a specialized field. The visas typically last for three years.
Abbott said the H-1B program has “too often been used to fill jobs that otherwise could — and should — have been filled by Texans.” The order says no state agency or public university or college can petition for new H-1B workers without the written permission of the Texas Workforce Commission. It does not apply to public schools in Texas, which rely on the visas to fill teacher vacancies.
The order is in effect at least until the Texas Legislature meets next January, when it is expected to consider “guardrails” for the program.
Charles Foster, a Houston immigration attorney, said the visas are used to recruit top talent in competitive technical and medical fields.
“You cut off the H-1B, you cut off the line by which the best and the brightest can immigrate,” he said. “We’re just hurting ourselves.”
State’s population grows at slower rate
Census data released last week shows the state’s population growth slowed significantly, though Texas still led the country in adding new residents, The Texas Tribune reported. The state added 391,243 residents in 2025, a 1.2% growth rate – the slowest clip since 2021.
Much of the slowdown comes from a steep reduction in the number of immigrants moving to Texas, driven in part by the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. The number of newcomers from other countries dropped by 48% from the previous year, with 167,475 moving to Texas.
“I think the implication is our economic growth isn’t probably going to be as hearty as what we’ve seen historically,” said Lloyd Potter, the state demographer.
Texas ranked fourth in pace of population growth in 2025, trailing South Carolina, Idaho and North Carolina.
HHSC announces $44 million for rural hospitals
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission has made $44 million in grant funding available to hospitals that serve rural communities.
The Rural Health Financial Stabilization Grant provides support for rural hospitals determined by HHSC to be at moderate or high risk of financial instability. Each award amount will depend on the hospital’s need. “Rural hospitals are an integral part of the Texas health care infrastructure,” HHSC Executive Commissioner Stephanie Muth said. “These grants will strengthen long-term stability while expanding access to care and improving health outcomes in rural communities statewide.”
SBOE takes up Bible-infused required reading list
The State Board of Education last week tabled a proposed reading list presented by the Texas Education Agency, deciding instead to seek public input, The Dallas Morning News reported. The TEA list includes passages from the Bible to be taught in public schools. Several teachers at the meeting said the reading list “was overloaded and doesn’t include enough contemporary works or a wide enough array of author perspectives.”
Board member Will Hickman of Houston proposed a pared-down version of the list, which the board will also consider after receiving public input. Hickman said his shorter list would give teachers and school districts more time to select their own books.The list would create a single required reading list for every public school in the state. TEA officials have said teachers would be free to add any texts they wish. If it is passed, it would go into effect at the beginning of the 2030-31 school year.
The matter will be taken up again at the board’s April meeting.
It’s getting more expensive to live in Texas
New census data indicates the state’s housing costs have outpaced income growth, resulting in Texas homeowners and renters spending a larger share of their income for housing, The Tribune reported. While the state’s housing costs are cheaper than New York and California, affordability has eroded despite the state’s economic growth.
“Texas is in no position to be taking a victory lap right now on housing affordability,” said Ben Martin, research director for Texas Housers, a research and advocacy group.
More than half of the state’s 4.1 million renters are considered “cost-burdened,” meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on rent. About 29% of homeowners with mortgages are in the same category.
Lawmakers last year passed a slate of laws aimed at easing the state’s housing shortage by making it easier to build new apartments and housing.
Police wrangle a runaway kangaroo
Police in Cleveland, north of Houston, were kept hopping last week trying to catch a kangaroo spotted hopping down a road, the Austin American-Statesman reported. With the help of animal control and “some good Samaritans,” the kangaroo was collared and eventually returned to its owner.
Texas is one of 13 states that allows people to own kangaroos.
Gary Borders is a veteran award-winning Texas journalist. He published a number of community newspapers in Texas during a 30-year span, including in Longview, Fort Stockton, Nacogdoches, Lufkin and Cedar Park. Email: [email protected].
