State Sen. Charles Schwertner arrested on suspicion of drunken driving
Schwertner, a Georgetown Republican, was booked into the Travis County jail at 2:12 a.m. Records show he is still in the Travis County sheriff’s custody.
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Texans brace for the end of nearly three years of pandemic Medicaid coverage
Millions of Texans — mostly children, young adults and new moms — stayed on Medicaid for the duration of the pandemic. The state will soon start reevaluating eligibility.
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Jill Biden invites Austin couple to State of the Union to highlight abortion access
Amanda Zurawski developed a life-threatening infection last year after her water broke when she was only 18 weeks pregnant. Citing the state’s abortion ban, her doctors refused to intervene to induce labor even though there was no way her baby would survive. Full Story
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![Amanda and Josh Zurawski at their home in Austin on Oct. 20, 2022. After undergoing fertility treatment for over a year, the couple had finally achieved their dream of becoming pregnant. Then, 18 weeks into Amanda's pregnancy, her doctor diagnosed her with an incompetent cervix and told her that the baby would not survive. The standard of care for this diagnosis is termination of the pregnancy, to prevent infection to the mother. But Texas post-Roe abortion ban did not allow doctors to perform the procedure until her medical condition became an emergency. Forced to wait, Amanda developed sepsis and spent three days in intensive care.]()
Credit: Ricardo Brazziell/Austin American-Statesman via USA TODAY Network/REUTERS -
Amarillo’s plan for broadband in El Barrio could be a playbook for other Texas communities without internet
Texas has had trouble getting a state of 30 million residents online for years — even before the pandemic put a spotlight on poor broadband development. Full Story
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![Teresa Kenedy, president of the Barrio Neighborhood Planning Committee, right, and Angela Garcia, treasurer of BMPC, stand in an unpaved alley in El Barrio, an Amarillo neighborhood, on Jan. 27, 2023. The pair hope to improve the condition of El Barrio.]()
Credit: Mark Rogers for The Texas Tribune
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Texas senators seem open to major change in state’s public education funding formula
Senators in the finance committee asked questions Monday about the pros and cons of basing the amount of money that schools get per student on enrollment instead of attendance. Districts say the change could mean millions in additional funding. Full Story
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![The sun sets over Lufkin High School in Lufkin on Jan. 29, 2023. Public school officials in rural areas like Lufkin face budget challenges because of proposed school choice legislation, which provides taxpayer-funded alternatives to sending a child to a local public school.]()
Credit: Callaghan O'Hare for The Texas Tribune -
Austin city manager’s job could be on the line after winter storm response
Austin City Council members will evaluate Spencer Cronk’s employment during their Thursday meeting. Cronk was hired in 2017. Full Story
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![Austin City Mangaer Spencer Cronk gives the opening remarks during the Swearing in Ceremony for police chief Joseph Chacon at the LifeAustin Muller Church in Austin on Oct. 29, 2021. Chacon will be Austin's 10th police chief.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy for The Texas Tribune
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Sports-betting advocates return to Capitol with narrower bill, new Republican author
The Texas Sports Betting Alliance threw its weight behind new legislation Monday to let voters decided whether to legalize online sports betting. Full Story
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![From left: Rep. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, and Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, discuss a property tax bill on the Senate floor on July 14, 2021.]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick calls for new election in Harris County after voting problems in November
A spokesperson for the secretary of state’s office said only a court order could force a redo of elections. Full Story
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![Ballots and scanning machines arrive at central counting after polls close in Houston, Tuesday Nov 8, 2022. (Michael Stravato for the Texas Tribune)]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
University of Texas at Austin students will hold referendum on “Eyes of Texas”
The nonbinding referendum is meant to gauge student opinion on the divisive alma mater but would not result in any changes to the song. Student leaders called for it in response to a 2021 university report on the song’s history that found it was “not overtly racist.” Full Story
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![A member of the UT Longhorn band on Sept. 24, 2021.]()
Credit: Michael Gonzalez/The Texas Tribune
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U.S. Rep. Troy Nehls’ campaign lost $150,000 in wire fraud theft
The Texas Republican’s campaign, which recouped most of the money, has reported the case to the FBI. The Federal Elections Commission is also looking into it. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Richmond, speaking during a press conference at the Houston Ship Channel on Feb. 2, 2021.]()
Credit: Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune -
Harry Whittington, longtime Texas GOP supporter shot by Dick Cheney in a hunting accident, dies
Whittington, who was 95, was shot in 2006 during a quail-hunting trip near Corpus Christi. He quickly forgave Cheney. Full Story
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![Harry Whittington, the man accidentally shot and wounded by a shotgun blast from the gun of U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney while quail hunting with Cheney in Texas, walks out of Christus Spohn Memorial Hospital to speak to the media in Corpus Christi Feb. 17, 2006.]()
Credit: REUTERS/Todd Yates -
In South Texas, opponents say planned natural gas export facility’s carbon capture promises are “greenwashing”
A company planning to build a massive liquefied natural gas export facility near Brownsville says carbon capture technology will reduce its pollution, but some locals say it’s a “Band-Aid on a bullet hole.” Full Story
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![NextDecade claims a gas export terminal near Port Isabel will be the ‘greenest in the world’, but opponents say its carbon capture plans will negate only a tiny fraction of its climate impact.]()
Credit: Gaige Davila/Floodlight
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Texas defense hawks urge Congress away from military funding cuts to raise the debt ceiling
Texas Republicans in the U.S. House are working with their divided party to eke out a path forward on raising the debt limit. Full Story
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![The U.S. Capitol on a cloudy evening in Washington D.C., on Jan. 22, 2023.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Texas veterans vow to protect the state’s hemp market as one state lawmaker hopes to crack down
The new delta-8 hemp products, which are widely available, can produce a high similar to marijuana’s. State Sen. Charles Perry said he and his peers never intended for such products to reach the market. Full Story
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![Dave Walden, wearing a Veterans of Foreign Wars cap demonstrates how the CBD vending machine works by purchasing a product, in Leander on Nov. 1, 2022.]()
Credit: Azul Sordo/The Texas Tribune -
Some Austin homes may not get electricity back for another week, city says
Nearly 95% of the city has electricity after last week’s winter storm. But Austin Energy says the remaining outages are the most complex and time-consuming. Full Story
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![Austin Energy crew leader Forrest Gifford communicates with line worker Brian Behrens during power line maintenance on Feb. 4, 2023.]()
Credit: Leila Saidane/The Texas Tribune
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Texas lawsuit that seeks to ban abortion drug nationwide sparks fear among advocates
A decision on the lawsuit could come as early as this week. Full Story
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![Thousands of people walk in a pro-abortion protest march around downtown San Antonio on June 24, 2022.]()
Credit: Kaylee Greenlee Beal for The Texas Tribune -
Austin makes progress restoring power, but tens of thousands still without
The city originally said it would restore all power by 6 p.m. Friday. But more than 57,000 customers are still without electricity Saturday night. Full Story
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![Icicles hang from telephone poles and power lines after an ice storm in north Austin on Feb. 1, 2023.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
“Hunting for warm places to go”: Austinites cope as outages linger
While families search for warmth, light and distractions, line workers race to restore normal life. Full Story
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![On day four without power, Justin Havird and Vernon, 2, build with Lego bricks at the Austin Central Library on Feb. 4, 2023.]()
Credit: Leila Saidane/The Texas Tribune
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Gov. Greg Abbott issues disaster declaration for Texas ice storm
Abbott declared disaster in seven Texas counties hard hit by this week’s winter storm. Austin has been the epicenter of a power crisis as tens of thousands wait for electricity to be restored. Full Story
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![Dora Portello, right, hands out boxes of free food to help people outside of their store, Brianna’s Home Decor Thrift Shop, during the winter weather that went through Dallas on Feb. 2, 2023.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
TribCast: Is Texas uniquely bad at disaster preparedness?
In this week’s episode, Matthew speaks with University of Texas at Austin professor Michael Webber and environment reporter Erin Douglas about the state’s widespread power outages. Full Story
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![A tree limb rests atop a car after an ice storm caused power outages across Austin on Feb. 2, 2023.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
Gambling proponents have a new plan to ask Texas voters to legalize casinos
If state lawmakers agree, Texas voters will have the final say on whether the state will expand gambling and casinos this November. Full Story
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![A woman is seen reflected wearing a protective face mask, amid the coronavirus disease outbreak, outside a closed poker room in a casino in New Orleans on Aug. 30, 2020.]()
Credit: REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton - More News