After Ginsburg’s death, high stakes for Texas’ legal challenge to the Affordable Care Act

Latest News

• Texas reports more than 15,500 coronavirus deaths as cases, hospitalizations remain below July's record highs

  by Texas Tribune Staff Updated: 26 minutes ago

  The state also reported 1,292 new cases and 3,217 current hospitalizations due to the coronavirus. Full Story 

• Federal judge blocks Texas’ elimination of straight-ticket voting

  by Alex Samuels Updated: Sept. 26, 2020

  Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said his office has filed a motion to stop the judge’s order and will file an appeal of the district court’s ruling. Full Story 

• President Donald Trump nominates Amy Coney Barrett to U.S. Supreme Court

  by Kelsey Carolan Updated: Sept. 26, 2020

  Both of Texas' Republican U.S. senators have indicated they support moving forward with the Supreme Court confirmation process less than two months before the election. Full Story 

• Texas woman says she was fired by Whataburger for wearing a Black Lives Matter mask

  by Stacy Fernández Updated: Sept. 26, 2020

  Similar cases are popping up elsewhere in the state. Over the summer, two Texas teachers faced disciplinary action from their schools, one for wearing a mask and the other for displaying a Black Lives Matter sign, among others, in her virtual classroom. Full Story 

• Out of savings and without enough money for food, this North Texas woman is running out of options

  by Alana Rocha, Todd Wiseman and Faith Castle Sept. 26, 2020

  Carrie Mansfield says that while more relief from the government would be welcome, she really just wants to get back to work. Listen in the weekend edition of The Brief podcast. Full Story 

• Texas Department of State Health Services withdraws data on school infections, citing "issues"

  by Emma Platoff and Mandi Cai Updated: Sept. 25, 2020

  Data released this week showing reported coronavirus infection breakdowns by school district has been withdrawn by state health officials after "issues" were discovered. Full Story 

• Texas will spend $171 million in federal coronavirus relief funds to help renters avoid evictions

  by Juan Pablo Garnham Sept. 25, 2020

  The new program will provide rental assistance and legal aid for tenants who are behind on rent. Details on how Texans could apply or qualify weren't immediately released. Full Story 

• Native American tribes in Texas rally to increase voter turnout

  by Trinady Joslin Updated: Sept. 25, 2020

  Native American tribe members say mistrust of the government and a history of erasure of indigenous people contribute to a lack of voter participation. Full Story 

• Race for Texas House majority has kept the contest for speaker quiet

  by Cassandra Pollock Sept. 25, 2020

  No House members have declared their candidacy for speaker. Many say they have their sights set on November first as Democrats aim to flip the lower chamber. Full Story 

• How a local Texas politician helped a serial entrepreneur use COVID-19 to boost his business

  by Vianna Davila, Jeremy Schwartz and Lexi Churchill, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica Sept. 25, 2020

  In the early days of the coronavirus pandemic when testing supplies were limited, local politicians went to great lengths to help a businessman with a criminal past try to sell telehealth and COVID-19 services across Texas. Full Story 

• Federal judge blocks Trump administration from stopping census count next week

  by Tara Bahrampour, The Washington Post Sept. 25, 2020

  A federal judge in California late Thursday ordered that the census count should continue until Oct. 31, the date the Census Bureau had planned on before the administration abruptly shortened the count. Full Story 

• Immigration policies hang in the balance as U.S. Senate prepares for fight over Ginsburg's successor

  by Julián Aguilar, The Texas Tribune and Vianna Davila, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica Sept. 25, 2020

  President Trump hopes to quickly appoint a replacement for the liberal justice, and immigrant and civil rights groups are bracing for what could be years of losses in the high court. Full Story 

• Coronavirus restrictions and remote learning may hamper college student voter turnout

  by Karen Brooks Harper Sept. 25, 2020

  Campaigns, political organizations and students at schools across Texas say they’re worried and frustrated that pandemic health restrictions are stymying efforts to register and turn out students to vote. Full Story 

• Republican dissent over Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's pandemic response animates state Senate special election

  by Patrick Svitek Sept. 25, 2020

  As Dallas salon owner Shelley Luther and state Rep. Drew Springer, R-Muenster, continue to spar ahead of Tuesday's election, Luther directs some of her harshest criticism at Abbott. Full Story 

• Analysis: Coronavirus splits Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and his own party

  by Ross Ramsey Sept. 25, 2020

  Voting in the 2020 general election starts in Texas in less than three weeks. But the governor's responses to the coronavirus have strained Republican unity. Full Story 

• As part of revived federal death penalty, Christopher Vialva executed for Texas double murder

  by Jolie McCullough Updated: Sept. 24, 2020

  Vialva was the seventh man executed in the federal execution chamber this year after a 17-year hiatus of the federal death penalty. Texas, meanwhile, is expected to have a comparatively low number of state executions this year because of the pandemic. Full Story