The 5 biggest Texas news stories in 2025

As the year draws to an end, looking back on 2025 is automatically a reflection on the whirlwind of events that happened around the world in one short year.

Texas was no stranger to news — from a contentious legislative cycle, to ongoing immigration control efforts, to natural disasters, the Lone Star State was a leading location in the U.S. for headlines. 

Here's a look at some of the biggest topics in Texas news over the past year. 

Deadly flooding in Central Texas

The biggest story of the year for Texas was no doubt the natural disaster in "flash flood alley." The news broke on the morning of the Fourth of July, when the world found out that homes, businesses and children's summer camps had been swept away in a historic flash flood event in the Texas Hill Country. 

Thousands of first responders and volunteers flocked to the area for response, searching for survivors and clearing the widespread debris. In the end, at least 135 people were killed in the tragedy. Of those, 117 were in Kerr County. That number included 27 girls and staffers at Camp Mystic, a popular overnight camp on the Guadalupe River. In the aftermath, new laws and regulations were passed to better protect Texas campers in the event of another natural disaster. 

Texas congressional redistricting

Perhaps the largest news story on the political side, the redrawn congressional districts drew the eyes of the nation shortly after the end of Texas' regular legislative session. The issue garnered massive attention due to its rarity — all states change the shape of their maps at the start of a decade to reflect changes to the population, but doing so in the middle of a decade generally stirs up fears of racially biased gerrymandering. 

Texas' new map is no different. After being suggested by President Donald Trump to strengthen the GOP's hold on Congress; being championed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in support of Trump; and finally being passed by the legislature after two special sessions — the first having been nullified by a Democrat quorum break — the approved map was nearly immediately slapped with a lawsuit and stalled by court proceedings. 

In the end, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed a lower court's order that would have prevented the maps' short-term purpose, thereby allowing it to take effect for the 2026 election. That result has reshaped the electoral landscape for next year, causing some Democrats to set their sights on a new office or give up hope for their seats altogether. 

Effects of ICE in Texas

The latest development in the border crisis in Texas is the addition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to the law enforcement landscape. Thousands of undocumented immigrants have been arrested in Texas since the Trump Administration's push to increase ICE presence across the U.S., and their controversial methods of enforcement — including high-profile raids, apparent immigration court stakeouts and questionable arrests — have resulted in news stories of national interest. 

Perhaps the most notable events were two high-profile shootings at ICE facilities, both in North Texas. The first, described as an ambush-style attack on officers at the Prairieland Detention Facility in Alvarado, resulted in an officer being injured and over 20 people being charged in connection to the crime. The second shooting resulted in three detainees at a Dallas ICE facility being shot, as well as the death of the shooter, Joshua Jahn. 

Protests drew massive attention as well, including enormous turnouts at anti-ICE gatherings in Austin, Dallas and Houston. 

Texas THC controversy

Had a historic redistricting effort not taken center-stage, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's crusade against hemp-derived THC products would certainly have been the most memorable political story for Texas this year. Patrick's top priority for the legislative session, Senate Bill 3, drew the support of many legislators, rankled the ire of millions of residents, passed through both Texas chambers and ended with a sudden veto from Abbott at the last second. 

Abbott instead ordered increased regulation, delegating enforcement to Texas DPS. In the end, a last-minute addition to the U.S. spending plan applied a ban nearly identical to Patrick's vision to the entire nation. The ban is set to go into effect late next year if not stopped by the court system, potentially snuffing out a widespread industry that generates billions in annual revenue and supports thousands of jobs across the nation. 

Social policy issues in Texas

The final issue generating the most chatter in the Texas news cycle is one that can't be pinned to a single event. The Lone Star State saw several laws passed, orders given and landscapes reshaped that affected how LGBTQ+ issues will be handled and discussed in the state from now on. 

Beginning at the start of the year with an executive order from Trump that firmly defined "gender" as male and female, Texas wasted no time changing the state's stances on related issues. A "bathroom bill" aimed at transgender people was passed, a tip line for the enforcement of that law was established, federal and state funding was used as leverage to force the removal of pride flag coloring from road markings and faculty all the way up to president were either fired, demoted or resigned following an LGBTQ+ course content controversy at Texas A&M.