Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller says he has tested positive for coronavirus
Miller said he will quarantine at his ranch. He's the second Texas statewide elected official to confirm testing positive for the virus. Full Story
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![Helena Bottemiller Evich moderates the “Ag in the Modern World” panel with guests Sid Miller, Drew Springer and Tom Vilsack at The Texas Tribune Festival on Sept. 28, 2019.]()
Credit: Juan Figueroa for The Texas Tribune -
TribCast: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sues to undo the presidential election results
In this week's episode, Matthew talks to Emma, Cassi and Mitchell about Texas' lawsuit against swing states that went for Joe Biden, the upcoming legislative session and the future of gambling in Texas. Full Story
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![Attorney General Ken Paxton walked across the Supreme Court plaza to hold a press conference in 2016.]()
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GOP megadonor Sheldon Adelson readies 2021 lobbying blitz to bring casinos to Texas
Adelson's Las Vegas Sands has built a stable of high-powered lobbyists for the session, which starts in January, and the company acknowledged Tuesday that it is serious about bringing casinos to Texas. Full Story
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![Sheldon Adelson sits onstage before a speech by U.S. President Donald Trump at the Israeli American Council National Summit in Hollywood, Florida. Dec. 7, 2019.]()
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In the shadow of “Shingle Mountain,” southeast Dallas neighbors fight to dismantle a legacy of environmental racism
The residents of Choate Road in southeast Dallas have seen the rise of Shingle Mountain, a more than 70,000-ton toxic waste dump that was created by a recycling company. Now they hope the city of Dallas keeps its promise to tear the mountain down. Full Story
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![Cecilia Del Toro Garcia stands in her backyard, where Shingle Mountain is visible in the background. Her backyard, which was once a home for Garcia’s garden, is now barren due to the toxic waste dump.]()
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Trump, Republicans pin hopes on Texas lawsuit to overturn election results, but legal experts say it's a long shot
Donald Trump's legal team filed to intervene in the Texas lawsuit contesting the election results on Wednesday. The president reportedly asked U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz if he would argue the case before the U.S. Supreme Court, if it agrees to hear it. Full Story
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![President Donald Trump speaks during an Operation Warp Speed Vaccine Summit in the South Court Auditorium of the of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House on Dec. 8, 2020 in Washington, DC.]()
Credit: Oliver Contreras/SIPA USA via REUTERS -
Dan Patrick wants to change Senate rules so GOP keeps a key advantage, despite losing its supermajority
The lieutenant governor said Wednesday he wants the Senate to decrease the threshold required to bring legislation to the floor to 18 members, which would allow the GOP to continue sidelining Democrats. Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick reminds senators to keep their testimonies short during a discussion on Committee Substitute Senate Bill 1663 relating to the removal, relocation or alteration of certain monuments or memorials, on the Senate floor on May 7, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
In new lawsuit, Texas contests election results in Georgia, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to block the battleground states from casting "unlawful and constitutionally tainted votes" in the Electoral College. There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud, experts say. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks to delegates at the Texas Republican Convention in San Antonio on June 15, 2018.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
One wanted normalcy and one went remote: How two West Texas universities operated in COVID-19 hot spots this fall
Texas Tech and UT-El Paso ended up on opposite ends of the spectrum in how they approached the fall semester, facing the unprecedented educational and safety challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. Both universities are planning more of the same in the spring. Full Story
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![The University of Texas at El Paso on Dec. 2, 2020.]()
Credit: Joel Angel Juarez for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Adding a new tax might be easier than ending an old tax break
It might seem that closing tax loopholes and ending exemptions would be an easy way to balance a state budget during a pandemic. It's not. In fact, that might be the hardest option available. Full Story
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![The Texas House of Representatives chamber on Nov. 20, 2018.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
At least three Texas Board of Education members test positive for the coronavirus after in-person meeting
One of the board members said the state needs to be more cautious about getting back to normal — especially with a new legislative session set to begin next month. Full Story
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![The State Board of Education meeting on January 29, 2019.]()
Credit: Emree Weaver/The Texas Tribune -
Defense spending bill named after Texas congressman passes in U.S. House despite Trump's veto threat
The legislation is named in honor of retiring U.S. Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Clarendon, who is the top Republican of the House Armed Services Committee. Full Story
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![The U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.]()
Credit: Shelby Knowles for The Texas Tribune -
Fourteen U.S. Army leaders fired or suspended at Fort Hood
The shake-ups come in response to an independent review of the base’s command climate and are an effort to correct a yearslong culture of sexual assault and a pattern of violence at the base. Full Story
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![A memorial for Specialist Vanessa Guillén outside the Fort Hood U.S. Army post in Killeen.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
What went wrong with Texas Democrats' 2020 plans? State party leaders intend to find out.
The state party chair plans to do a "deep dive" after executive committee members asked for answers about the outcome of the November election and demanded reforms. Full Story
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![The main stage at the 2014 Texas Democratic Convention held at the Dallas Convention Center in Dallas, Texas, June 27, 2014.]()
Credit: Alyssa Banata for The Texas Tribune -
Efforts to stop Trump’s border wall construction could extend long past Inauguration Day
President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration next month will mark a change in border policies, but the litigation over Donald Trump’s border wall could continue, wall opponents say. Full Story
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![A segment of the border fence in the Rio Grande Valley.]()
Credit: Callie Richmond for The Texas Tribune -
Texas food banks may be less equipped to help hungry households in the new year
More than 2.5 million households in Texas didn't always have enough food to eat in November, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. About two-thirds of those households were either Hispanic or Black. Full Story
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![Quinn Smoot poses for a portrait at West Houston Assistance Ministries which runs a food pantry. Food banks have been a huge help to clients like Smoot during the pandemic, but several sources of food and money from federal and state governments are ending soon. Dec. 4, 2020.]()
Credit: May-Ying Lam for the Texas Tribune -
Analysis: COVID-19 vaccines are coming to Texas, along with a ranking of who’s most essential
Great news: The COVID-19 vaccines are coming. Not-so-great news: There won't be enough for all of us for a while, and that means the first doses will go to people deemed essential. Full Story
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![An employee opens an ultra-cold refrigerator filled with COVID-19 vaccines at a secret storage facility in the Rhein-Main area in Germany on Dec. 4, 2020.]()
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Dan Patrick says people may need to take a coronavirus test 24 hours before testifying during the legislative session
Patrick and Republican state Rep. Dade Phelan, the likely next House speaker, “hope to be able to make an announcement regarding the Session shortly," a senior adviser to Patrick said Saturday. Full Story
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![Wide view of the Senate gallery as Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, begins a filibuster of SB 5 a bill that would tighten regulations on abortion providers in Texas, on the last day of the special session, June 25, 2013.]()
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No job, no car and living on $85 a week: Some Texans are facing economic crisis months into the pandemic
Jessica Tyson, an out-of-work hairdresser in Texarkana, says Congress cannot delay passing a second stimulus package. Listen in the weekend edition of The Brief podcast. Full Story
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![Jessica Tyson, 34, is an out-of-work hair stylist in Texarkana who says she's struggling to get her full unemployment.]()
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Texans living in long-term care facilities will be among first people eligible for COVID-19 vaccine
Residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities, among others, were added to the priority list that already included hospital staff working with COVID-19 patients. Full Story
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![Members of local church group sing and pray in front of the Southeast Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, where many residents and employees have been infected with coronavirus disease in San Antonio on April 5, 2020.]()
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Federal loans helped more than 400,000 Texas companies retain workers during the pandemic, new data shows
Despite details released from the Paycheck Protection Program this week, a full snapshot of the program remains unclear. Full Story
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![Shuttered store fronts in downtown El Paso during the the coronavirus pandemic.]()
Credit: Emily Kinskey for The Texas Tribune