The Latest Breaking News from Justin Rex

Your Halloween pumpkin probably came from this small Texas town

In the self-proclaimed “Pumpkin Capital of the U.S.,” Floydada farmers are exporting pumpkins across Texas and the nation.

The Texas Tribune · Oct 30, 2025

This West Texas town's proof is in the banana pudding

More than 10,000 people met over Labor Day weekend in Slaton to sample the banana pudding — a major boost to the rural town’s economy.

The Texas Tribune · Sep 4, 2025

2024: The year in photos

A look at some of the best photos from the stories we published over the last year.

The Texas Tribune · Dec 26, 2024

Wildfires ravage cattle country, threatening Texas’ agriculture economy

Texas wildfires have consumed acres of agricultural land, killing thousands of livestock, destroying crops and exacerbating challenges lingering from last year’s drought.

The Texas Tribune · Mar 1, 2024

How The Bar-B-Que Bandidas Challenge Texas BBQ Male-Dominated Scene

With menu items like birria brisket ramen, the Bar-B-Que Bandidas in Lubbock are challenging the norm of Texas barbecue

Latin Times · Feb 18, 2024

Residents in one of Texas’ most populous cities are working to decriminalize marijuana

Home to more than 260,000 people, the West Texas town of Lubbock is no stranger to passing local laws by petition. In 2021, residents overwhelmingly approved a local ban on abortion.

The Texas Tribune · Oct 3, 2023

Timeline for Texans OT Charlie Heck to come off PUP list

The Houston Texans don't have Charlie Heck available as he is on PUP list. Here are targets to get the tackle back.

USA Today Sports Media Group · Sep 1, 2023

The national debate over books has come to West Texas. And librarians are stuck in the middle.

West Texas residents are organizing over their love — or concern — for books. Meanwhile, from Lubbock to Midland and Odessa, librarians are trying to reaffirm libraries’ role as community hubs.

The Texas Tribune · Aug 18, 2023

Rural Texas — already starved for health care — faces a dearth of volunteer first responders

The number of volunteer firefighters has dropped sharply nationwide, a trend that appears to be gripping rural Texas communities.

The Texas Tribune · Jul 13, 2023

Teachers are losing hope that lawmakers will give them a big raise this session

The most ambitious proposals are all but dead, leaving teachers wondering why they’re looking at small raises when the state has a historic budget surplus at its disposal.

The Texas Tribune · May 10, 2023