Opinion

An unprecedented number of child care centers are expected to close across the state as pandemic relief funding ends, the Texas Standard reported. A survey conducted by the Texas Association for the Education of Young Children of about 1,600 child care programs indicated 44% were likely to close their doors without additional funding.

My intrepid Uncle Mort does much “huffing and puffing” about state and national politics. At the end of the day, though--when everything is said and done--always more is said than done.

The risk for wildfires across the state has risen along with the hot and dry conditions, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service. “With the recent uptick in wildfire activity, Texas A&M Forest Service has mobilized additional personnel and equipment to assist with response,” said Wes Moorehead, Texas A&M Forest Service fire chief.

EDITOR’S NOTE: As publicly traded oil and gas companies begin reporting their second quarter financials, the Energy Information Administration released this week its financial analysis of first quarter 2023 of 40 exploration and production companies, which produced 31% (4 million barrels per day) of the oil in the U.S. It does not include the smaller, privately held companies. Below is EIA’s analysis.

When one enjoys a musical comedy as much as we did recently on a trip to our hometown of Brownwood, mass laughter was a tonic. There’d been an almost sold-out crowd of some 300 at the Lyric Theatre, and the experience made the 140-mile drive commencing at 11 p.m. seems less daunting.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick last week issued a sweeping gag order ahead of the impeachment trial of suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Houston Chronicle reported, saying “out-of-court statements” by both sides threaten to jeopardize the trial.

It’s no secret that recent years have been tough on small businesses and on newspapers. A bipartisan bill, the Community News & Small Business Support Act, that has been introduced in Congress would offer relief to both newspapers and local businesses.

Proponents are calling it the “biggest property tax cut in Texas history.” Both chambers of the Texas Legislature passed an $18 billion package during the second special session, the Austin American-Statesman reported. If signed as expected by Gov.

As productivity lessens in later life, one is sometimes guilty of over-analysis, probing the depths of understanding too far. Been there lately? If not, maybe you’re not old enough, or perhaps you’ve learned to downplay interest in the “I-wonder-whys” of life.

Yes, if you think retail gasoline prices have been somewhat stable this year, you would be correct. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) at the U.S.