Economy

Incomes and education attainment among Texans have increased, while poverty has declined.

Under the current system, producers must be the sole owner-operator of their farm or ranch to qualify for loans from the federal government. A bipartisan bill would expand the eligibility requirements for applicants.

From the Dakotas to Texas, wheat acres have been on the decline, due to higher temperatures, drought and farmers shifting to more profitable crops. New innovations could rejuvenate the state of wheat production.

A county oversight committee gave their approval to move forward with Lubbock’s hotly debated expo center. The next step goes to county commissioners, who will decide whether to borrow from the hotel occupancy tax. After a directive from TXDOT to remove nonstandard markings from municipal crosswalks, the City of San Antonio planned to replace its rainbow crosswalk with a rainbow sidewalk. Texas Public Radio's Joey Palacios reports those plans have been put on pause.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to send "bridge" payments to farmers who grow soybeans, cotton and other crops before March. Commodity groups and economists say the aid brings relief to farmers and their lenders, but they need long-term solutions.

Refineries in Texas and along its Gulf Coast could get a boost from Venezuela's heavy crude. But oil producers might hesitate to get involved in the country while its future remains uncertain.

Winter holiday festivals have become a regular way to grow revenue for America's smallest towns. And with more people shopping online, those events are key to pulling people away from their screens and into stores.

The announcement that Tyson would shutter a massive beef processing plant in Nebraska was the first such closure in more than a decade. Beef processors are running at lower capacity, as the U.S. cattle herd size is the smallest it's been since the 1950s.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing Xcel Energy for negligence, which he alleges caused the 2024 Panhandle Wildfires. Our Samantha Larned reports Xcel has maintained its stance of accepting responsibility, while denying negligence. Tyson Foods plans to scale back production at its plant in Amarillo, eliminating more than 1,700 jobs. Harvest Public Media’s Molly Ashford reports on what that means for ranchers and consumers.

Most of the package is earmarked for row-crop producers. It aims to help farmers – especially those who grow soybeans – balance out losses from high costs and a trade war with China.