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Pinehurst residents say water bills have shot up recently with no valid explanation

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www.youtube.com – KPRC 2 Click2Houston – 2024-11-20 22:07:03

SUMMARY: Residents in Pinehurst are frustrated by skyrocketing water bills from their MUD district, leading many to feel they are being overcharged. Bills reportedly doubled, tripled, or quadrupled despite reduced water usage in cooler months. Locals, like Stephanie and Steve Mullens, have seen bills soar to $692 without any reasonable explanation, while others report sudden spikes in water usage. Neighbors have experienced frequent water outages and poor water quality, raising concerns about billing accuracy. Despite attempts to contact local authorities for clarification, residents feel ignored. Investigations into the charges are ongoing, with community members demanding answers.

People who live in Pinehurst say they feel like they’re being robbed and tell us the culprit is their MUD district.

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News from the South - Texas News Feed

Birthright citizenship, redistricting among 10 cases left at Supreme Court

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www.kxan.com – Zach Schonfeld – 2025-06-24 05:02:00

SUMMARY: The Supreme Court faces a crucial week as it nears its end-of-June deadline for issuing decisions on 10 remaining cases this term, many highly contentious. Key rulings expected Thursday include President Trump’s birthright citizenship executive order, LGBTQ-themed school books, and racial gerrymandering in Louisiana’s congressional map. The court also addresses emergency cases from the Trump administration, like efforts to dismantle the Education Department and block mass federal layoffs. Some justices criticize nationwide injunctions blocking administration policies. The court aims to conclude by June but may extend into early July, continuing its intensive decision-making phase amid political and legal tensions.

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The post Birthright citizenship, redistricting among 10 cases left at Supreme Court appeared first on www.kxan.com

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Iranian missile barrage strikes Israel after deadline Trump announced for ceasefire passes

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www.kxan.com – DAVID RISING, JON GAMBRELL and MELANIE LIDMAN, Associated Press – 2025-06-24 00:18:00

SUMMARY: U.S. President Donald Trump announced a tentative “complete and total ceasefire” between Israel and Iran following Iran’s limited missile attack on a U.S. base in Qatar, retaliating for U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. Despite Iran’s missile barrage killing at least four Israelis, Israel has not confirmed the ceasefire but paused strikes after early morning. Iran’s Foreign Minister emphasized no formal ceasefire exists unless Israel halts aggression. The conflict, dubbed the “12 Day War” by Trump, has killed hundreds on both sides. The U.S. helped broker talks, while tensions remain high amid continued missile exchanges and diplomatic uncertainty.

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The post Iranian missile barrage strikes Israel after deadline Trump announced for ceasefire passes appeared first on www.kxan.com

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Texas directs universities to ID undocumented students

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feeds.texastribune.org – By Sneha Dey – 2025-06-23 17:46:00


Texas is requiring public colleges to identify undocumented students so they can be charged out-of-state tuition, following a recent court ruling that struck down the Texas Dream Act. The ruling means these students lose eligibility for in-state tuition. However, schools face challenges because students don’t have to disclose immigration status when applying, and institutions lack clear guidance on identification processes. Privacy laws protect student data from federal immigration authorities, complicating enforcement. Advocates warn this leaves many students uncertain about paying higher tuition or continuing their education, as schools scramble to comply without clear procedures.

Texas directs public universities to identify undocumented students” was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.

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Texas is asking public colleges and universities to identify which of their students are living in the country illegally so they can start paying out-of-state tuition, as required by a court ruling earlier this month.

In a letter to college presidents last week, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Commissioner Wynn Rosser said undocumented students who have been paying in-state tuition will need to see tuition adjustments for the fall semester. A spokesperson for the agency said it has no plans to provide further guidance on how schools can go about identifying undocumented students.

“The real lack of legal clarity just leaves institutions again having to come up with their own process,” said Kasey Corpus, the southern policy and advocacy manager of Young Invincibles, a group that advocates for policies that benefit young adults in the state.

Undocumented students who have been living in Texas for some time lost their eligibility for in-state tuition soon after the U.S. Department of Justice sued the state over the Texas Dream Act, a 2001 state law that allowed those students to qualify for the lower tuition rates at public universities. The state quickly asked the court to side with the feds and find that the law was unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor did just that, blocking the law.

It’s unclear if any Texas university already knows which of its students are undocumented. Students do not have to provide proof of citizenship or disclose their Social Security number to apply for college. And colleges rarely track the citizenship status of students who are not here on a visa, said Melanie Gottlieb, the executive director of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers.

“There is not a simple way for an institution to determine if a person is undocumented,” said Gottlieb. “It’s a challenging question.”

The Texas Tribune asked several schools in the state earlier this month whether they collect this information. The University of Houston System said its applicants do not have to share their immigration status. Other schools — including Texas A&M University, Lone Star College, the University of Texas at Dallas and UT-Rio Grande Valley — did not respond to the question. Some said they were still trying to understand the ruling and what it means for their students.

The state already maintains some higher education databases that likely include undocumented students attending Texas schools. The Texas Dream Act required students who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents applying for in-state tuition to sign an affidavit saying they would seek lawful permanent residency as soon as they become eligible. Undocumented students have often applied for state financial aid since they do not qualify for federal financial aid.

Gottlieb said getting information from students about their immigration status will likely change the landscape of applying to college. It’s unclear what documentation schools might ask students to provide as proof of immigration status and who will have access to that information. The coordinating board did not respond to a request for comment about how this information will be protected.

Federal privacy law prohibits schools from sharing students’ data, including their immigration status, with federal immigration authorities, said Miriam Feldblum, the executive director of the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration. Those privacy protections cannot be waived on the basis of a students’ undocumented status alone.

Before schools take away a student’s in-state tuition eligibility over their immigration status, the student should also get a chance to appeal in a due process hearing with school officials and explain their circumstances, Feldblum said. For example, their immigration status may have changed without the school’s knowledge, she said.

As schools scramble to figure out what compliance looks like, thousands of students are still wondering what the directive will mean for them.

“That just leaves a lot of students in limbo,” Corpus said. “How are they going to come up with a way to find scholarships or grants or come up with that money to make up the difference if they are going to be held to those rule changes? Or for some students, they might be thinking, Am I going to have to totally just switch schools or drop out?”

Jessica Priest contributed to this report.

The Texas Tribune partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.

Disclosure: Lone Star College, Texas A&M University, University of Texas – Dallas and University of Houston have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.


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This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/23/texas-undocumented-students-in-state-tuition/.

The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org.

The post Texas directs universities to ID undocumented students appeared first on feeds.texastribune.org



Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

This article presents a factual and balanced report on the recent Texas policy requiring public colleges to identify undocumented students for tuition adjustments. It quotes multiple perspectives, including state officials enforcing a court ruling, advocates concerned about the impact on students, and education experts discussing privacy and procedural challenges. The language remains neutral, focusing on the legal and administrative aspects without advocating for a particular ideological stance. While it highlights the concerns of affected students, it does so through reporting rather than editorializing, maintaining an overall centrist tone.

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