NTX Now

Bekah and Ron breakdown the day's top stories. Plus, after a record-breaking September for triple-digit temps, and the buzz around El Nino this year, we wanted to check in with our favorite weather professional, Jesse Hawila, senior meteorologist at WFAA.

Thousands of Texas families are waiting for help paying for childcare, but government payments don’t always cover the full cost. As KERA’s Sujata Dand reports, even families who get that help can struggle to find care they can afford. Also, after more than four decades at the helm, a North Texas musical era is coming to a close as Plano Symphony Orchestra music director Hector Guzman steps down at...

In Carrollton, a heated debate is expected tonight as the city council decides whether to renew its contract with Flock Safety. KERA's breaking news report Emmanuel Rivas Valenzuela joins us with the details. Also, a coalition of advocacy groups is suing to block the Trump administration from deploying ICE agents to polling sites in November. Plus, social media algorithms are great at using a pers...

Believe it or not, Texas high schools are already gearing up for homecoming season. With the formal attire, flowers, dinner and everything else associated with the event, it can be an expensive undertaking. But the Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District is working to help families cut down on costs. 

Julia and Ron breakdown the day's top headlines. Also, ocean temperatures in the Gulf are running about two degrees warmer than normal. Those warming temperatures can harm coral reefs, with ripple effects to sea life and the economy. Houston Public Media’s Julianna Washburn reports researchers are closely monitoring reefs as the Gulf endures some of its hottest weeks of the summer. 

Farmers across the country are losing access to federal workers that help them with soil and water conservation efforts. The Natural Resources Conservation Service has been hit hard by the Trump administration’s cuts to the federal workforce, and Texas lost 15 percent of its staff last year. Harvest Public Media’s Abigail Bottar reports on how that’s impacting farmers. Plus, If you've been conside...

According to a new investigation by ProPublica and The Texas Tribune, Ken Paxton appears to have violated federal ethics laws when filing disclosures about his assets and liabilities. We talked with reporter Zach Despart, who was one of the reporters involved in this project. And in the aftermath of a major fire in Sand Branch, residents say no one was hurt and property damage was minimal. But the...

Like so many brick and mortar shopping centers and malls across the country, The Shops At Willow Bend in Plano has permanently closed. D Magazine's senior editor Mike Piellucci joined us to talk about the mall's closure and how it hit especially close for his family.

When it finally gets here, the fall will bring cooler temperatures, as well as the usual seasonal illnesses: flu, COVID, strep throat, RSV and, of course, the common cold. In today’s Vital Signs, KERA’s Sam Baker talks with Dr. Donna Casey, an internist with Texas Health Dallas, about why this happens. Plus, Julia and Ron breakdown the day's top headlines. 

While many restaurants are facing challenges, a new pizza shop is thriving. Will and Julie Salisbury opened Salisbury's Pizza and joined us to discuss how they are finding success by focusing on affordability. Plus, Krys Boyd joins us for a look ahead at what's on Think this week. 

KERA's managing editor Paul Debenedetto joins us to recap what happened over the course of the two-day Republican midterm convention in Dallas. Also, Sep. 11, 2026 marks 25 years since the deadliest attack on the United States in living memory. The attacks cost the lives of several people with ties to Texas, and at least one Houston firefighter helped at Ground Zero in NYC after the attacks. 

25 years ago, tragedy struck the United States. Nearly 3,000 lives were lost, history was forever changed, and the America we know now continues to be shaped by the actions of government leaders following this attack. Jeffery Engle, the David Gergen Director of the Center for Presidential History at Southern Methodist University, joined us to discuss where the United States is at, 25 years after t...

Ron and Bekah run down the top stories this week. Plus, Cam Hazzard from Lewisville is a senior finishing up a triple major at Abilene Christian University. He's also a world champion dunker. KACU’s Josiah Wonnell talked with him about the 2026 Dunkman Championship. 

The Republican midterm convention kicked off in Dallas yesterday, with speeches from state representative Brandon Gill, Attorney General and U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton, and President Donald Trump. NPR's Tamara Keith & KERA's Caroline Love join us to talk through day one of the convention, and what to expect today.

According to the CDC, people experiencing homelessness are more likely to suffer from chronic illnesses like diabetes and heart disease, but getting help for those conditions is not easy when you’re also dealing with a lack of housing, money, and food. Doctors at Baylor University Medical Center have joined other physicians around the country to bring medical treatment directly to the forests and...

The ongoing debate over data center development in Texas could be a decisive factor in the upcoming governor’s race between Republican incumbent Greg Abbott and Democrat Gina Hinojosa. Some rural Texas voters who have voted Republican in the past are now “breaking rank” from the GOP because of the party’s response to rapid data center growth. KERA’s Pablo Arauz Peña lays out the issue for us. Plus...

Tomorrow marks 25 years since the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York City. An acclaimed musician will commemorate that day in Coppell this weekend through a live story, music, and theatre performance featuring a FDNY firefighter and army combat veteran.

The Dallas Symphony Orchestra has a new creative director -- a familiar name to fans of the DSO. Enrico Lopez-Yanez is also the principal conductor of pops and specials. Emilio Alvarez with our sister station WRR sat down with Lopez-Yanez to learn more about him and what's in store for the current season. Plus, 2026 has not been the year of the restaurant. The industry is facing rising real estate...

Ron and Miranda breakdown the day's top headlines. Plus, COVID-19 infections and emergency room visits are on the rise. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Texas is one of 47 states where COVID infections are growing. Dr. Trish Perl is a professor in the department of internal medicine at UT-Southwestern Medical Center who specializes in infectious diseases. She recently t...

If you go back 50 or 60 years, Texas was the wild west when it came to government officials working closed door backroom deals, which often included payoffs. Then a public outcry led to the Texas Public Information Act. The law guarantees citizens the right to request and read government records, ranging from investigation reports to e-mails between politicians. But as journalist Nicholas Gutterid...

The GOP's first-ever midterm convention gets underway in Dallas today. To many, the RNC choosing Texas for this convention makes sense. We’re home to one of the year’s most-watched U.S. Senate races. And, arguably as important, Texas is a top source for GOP campaign cash. The Texas Newsroom’s Blaise Gainey reports on what makes the state such a Republican fundraising powerhouse, and what motivates...

Republicans are gathering in Dallas tomorrow to hear from an influential and polarizing national leader -- and it’s not the first time that’s happened. But the city, and the political landscape, have changed. Executive editor Ed Timms and Collin County reporter Caroline Love join us for a conversation about the RNC coming to Dallas this week and a look back at the 1984 GOP convention.

Foreclosure starts in North Texas are outpacing the nation, but the headline doesn't tell the whole story.  Our housing market is stronger than you would think according to a real estate expert who puts the numbers into perspective. 

The Fourteenth Amendment grants U.S. citizenship to virtually anyone born in the United States, regardless of the legal status of the parents. The Supreme Court confirmed that earlier this year, striking down an effort by President Trump to limit birthright citizenship by executive order. Now, Trump and Texas Republican leaders are targeting businesses that they say encourage people to come to the...

The eastern monarch butterfly is flying south, through the central U.S., to spend the winter in Mexico. A decade ago, a federal task force laid out a plan to help monarchs along their journey by returning roadsides to native habitat. Harvest Public Media’s Rachel Cramer explores what happened to the “Monarch Highway.” Also, 60 years ago today "Star Trek" aired for the first time. North Texas fans...