Texas

The first steps of freedom from the prison in Huntsville, Texas, lead to the nearby Greyhound bus station.

The rib-eye is the bestselling cut of beef in America both at the supermarket and the steakhouse. Once a year, breeders bring their stock into the barn to take a peek at the steak using ultrasound.

A riot at a private immigration prison in Willacy County, Texas, forced officials to close the facility and relocate 2,800 inmates. But it also left the county with a $2.3 million budget shortfall.

Robots are coming — in fact they're already here. One exhibit at the South by Southwest interactive festival lets visitors get up close and personal to our future overlords.

Administrators are trying new recruiting tactics and offering bonuses to make up for the shortfall. But for now, open shifts in some states have to be covered with mandatory overtime.

Cheaper gasoline has benefited millions of motorists around the U.S. But in Houston the downturn in prices has brought layoffs and could hurt other sectors, including finance and real estate.

Austin's Mueller neighborhood is a new-urbanist dream, designed to be convivial, walkable and energy-efficient. Every house has a porch or stoop, and all the cars are hidden away.

Though insurance agents say they initially felt sidelined by the Affordable Care Act, many are working hard this round to help uninsured Texans find a good plan through the federal website.