Opinion

After a prolonged delay because of a lawsuit filed by about 100 school districts, the Texas Education Agency has released the 2023 A-F accountability ratings, indicating the share of campuses that received a passing ranking dropped by 14% from 2022.

Easter, 2025, was a time like none other! Before choirs proclaimed that He is risen, before church bells sounded around the world celebrating Jesus’ resurrection and before children skittered across lawns for multicolored eggs, I saw history’s greatest moment patterned in a quiet Fort Worth neighborhood. It’s a place where tattered lives are transformed by Christ, these parolees who earlier chose the craggy streets of ungodly pursuits, inevitably crashing into barriers, their lives splintered...

The Texas House on Thursday passed Gov. Greg Abbott’s school voucher bill after a yearslong campaign by the governor and his allies, the Austin American- Statesman reported.

Don’t ever mention falling through cracks in the presence of Rev. Jared Greer--unless you delight in seeing eyes roll, hair stand on end and bodily contortions with “rigors” followed shortly by “mortis.” With three appearances on NBC’s American Ninja Warrior television show and a fourth segment to run at 7 p.m.

Social Security M Dear Rusty: My wife was born in July 1959, and her recent SS benefit estimate is $3,337 at her full retirement age, or $4,397 at age 70. She is presently employed full-time and intends to continue working until she is aged 70.

Dear Rusty: I am going to be 67 in a few weeks & I plan on working for another year or two. According to Social Security, they count the best 35 years to come up with your benefit. I currently have 30 years, with 2024 and 2025 taxes yet to be filed. If I take my benefit now, will I get an upward adjustment after filing my taxes for those years, or do I need to wait to apply for SS until after filing my taxes to get credit for those years? Signed: Still Working Dear Still Working: Whenever you claim your Social Security benefit, SSA will look at your lifetime earnings record on file at the time (as received from the IRS) and calculate your “primary insurance amount” (PIA) using that record on file. They will use your highest earning 35 years to do that calculation and, if you do not yet have 35 years, they will use “zero $$” enough times to make it 35 years. In other words, your benefit will always be calculated using 35 years, whether you actually have 35 years of earnings on record, or not.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton made it official last week, announcing he will challenge U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in next March’s Republican primary. The fireworks already have begun, the Austin American-Statesman reported, with Cornyn calling his rival “a con man and a fraud.”

They’re as predictable as frantic taxpayers working until the hours are few on April 14 to meet income tax filing deadlines the following midnight. A nomadic bunch, they show up following hailstorms, cell phones in hand with promises to examine roofs. Yep, an unexpected call from an unknown number.

A judge with the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last week that the Texas Education Agency can release its 2023 A-F school accountability ratings, the Houston Chronicle reported. The ruling overturned a district judge’s injunction after more than 120 school districts sued to stop TEA from releasing the ratings.

Dear Rusty: I will be 66 ½ in June and would like to discuss when would be the best time for me to start taking my social security benefits. I am still employed full time and don’t want to be penalized because of that. Please let me know what I need to do to set up an appointment with you. I got your information from the AMAC website, and I look forward to hearing from you. Signed: Ready to Claim Dear Ready: You can certainly call us on 1.888.750.2622 during normal EST business hours for a personal conversation. But to facilitate that conversation, be aware that deciding when to claim your Social Security benefit normally depends on just a few factors, including your financial need, your health and expected longevity, and your marital status. A few things to be aware of: