Retired Texas teachers closer to getting a “13th check” after House endorses legislation
The measure would allow for a one-time payment of up to $2,400 for retired teachers, counselors and other school staff. Full Story
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![Students backpacks hang off the back of their chairs in an empty classroom at Blanco Vista Elementary School in San Marcos on Aug. 23, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for the Texas Tribune -
Live COVID-19 updates: Judge’s order allows 20 Texas school districts to issue mask mandates
COVID-19 is surging again in Texas. Here’s the latest. Full Story
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![Healthcare workers wheel portable oxygen tanks to patients in the COVID-19 care unit of Titus Regional Medical Center in Mount Pleasant on Aug. 19, 2021.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
TribCast: The election restrictions bill passed the Texas House. What’s next?
In this week’s episode, Matthew, Alexa and Cassi look back at months of political fights after the elections bill made it out of the Texas House. Full Story
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![Voters cast their ballots at the Metropolitan Multi-Service Center near downtown Houston on Oct. 22, 2018.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
More Texas students tested positive for COVID-19 last week than at any time last school year
There have been 20,256 reported cases among students across the state since the school year began. Full Story
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![Students eat lunch in the cafeteria at Chapa Middle School in Kyle on Aug. 24, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott can’t enforce mask mandate ban, he argues in court
Abbott says local district attorneys have the authority to enforce his ban on local mask mandates. But urban DAs are unlikely to go after their fellow local officials. Full Story
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![A student wearing a mask and face shield eats lunch at Blanco Vista Elementary School in San Marcos on Aug. 23, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for the Texas Tribune -
People under 50 making up larger share of Texas COVID-19 hospitalizations than at any point in the pandemic
Those in the 30-49 age range were hospitalized this month at nearly double their rate in January, the pandemic's previous peak in Texas. Full Story
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![A nurse administers an antibody treatment to a COVID-19 patient at Goodall-Witcher Hospital in Clifton on August 3, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Texas House passes new voting restrictions as Democratic hopes of killing the legislation wane
Democrats used every tool they had, fleeing the state en masse and forcing two special sessions, but a Republican bill to rewrite state election laws won final approval in the House on Friday. Once the House and Senate work out some differences, it appears headed to the governor’s desk. Full Story
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![The House floor on Aug. 23, 2021.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
New Texas GOP chair Matt Rinaldi winning over critics of Allen West’s tumultuous era
Some party activists had worried Rinaldi would be more of the same after West left the chairmanship to challenge Gov. Greg Abbott earlier this summer. Full Story
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![Then-State Rep. Matt Rinaldi, R-Irving, on the House floor on May 23, 2017.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Maternal health care advocates applaud new state law to extend Medicaid coverage, but say it doesn’t go far enough
The law, which takes effect Sept. 1, gives new mothers six months of postpartum Medicaid coverage instead of two. That’s less than many advocates and some lawmakers wanted. Full Story
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![Tambra Morrison holds her 7-month-old daughter Kalani as they watch her other two children, Kayden and Kynnedi, climb the jungle gym at Red Bird Park in Duncanville on Aug. 14, 2021.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
Texas lawmakers supported a statewide vaccine mandate a decade ago. Now they're resisting one for COVID-19.
Ten years ago, the state led in requiring meningitis vaccines for students under 22 enrolling in college. Now, in the middle of a pandemic, lawmakers are more skeptical of a COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Full Story
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![A nurse administers a dose of the Pfizer vaccine at a clinic organized by the Travis County Mobile Vaccine Collaborative at Rodriguez Elementary School on July 28, 2021.]()
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Extended unemployment benefits for jobless Texans will end in September, state agency says
The Texas Workforce Commission announced that the U.S. Department of Labor notified the commission that the state’s unemployment rate fell below the threshold needed to continue the benefits. Full Story
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![The Texas Workforce Commission Building in Austin on March 30, 2020.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Despair and optimism: Texans in Congress welcome Afghan refugees to the state, disagree on blame for tragedy in Kabul
Looking relieved but exhausted, 1,200 Afghan refugees arrived this week at El Paso’s Fort Bliss. Meanwhile, Texans remain on the ground in an increasingly dangerous Afghanistan. Full Story
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![Afghan refugees arrive at Dulles International Airport in Northern Virginia while en route to military facilities in the U.S. on Aug. 26, 2021.]()
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U.S. House panel probing Jan. 6 attack wants Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s communications with Trump administration
The Texas Attorney General was specifically named in a request for materials by the U.S. select committee. Full Story
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![Attorney General Ken Paxton spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida, on Feb. 27, 2021.]()
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Gov. Greg Abbott bans government mandates on COVID-19 vaccines regardless of whether they have full FDA approval
The order comes two days after the FDA granted full approval to the Pfizer vaccine. It doesn't keep private businesses from mandating vaccines for their workers — but public or private entities that receive public funds cannot require vaccination proof from customers. Full Story
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![A COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card sits on a table at a vaccine clinic held in partnership between the Central Texas Food Bank and University of Texas in Austin on July 21, 2021.]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: When the Texas state seal doesn’t signify trust
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is using the state seal to shield himself against accusations by former top aides. And former Gov. Rick Perry is using it as well — as a backdrop for a sales pitch. Full Story
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![Then-State Senator and current Attorney General Ken Paxton during the 2014 Red State Gathering in Fort Worth.]()
Credit: Cooper Neill for The Texas Tribune -
UT-Austin working with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, conservative donors to create “limited government” think tank
Proposals obtained by The Texas Tribune indicate the institute would be “dedicated to the study and teaching of individual liberty, limited government, private enterprise and free markets.” Full Story
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![The University of Texas at Austin tower on July 16, 2020.]()
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Revival of “remain in Mexico” policy could have deadly consequences for asylum-seekers, advocates warn
The Biden administration says it will continue its legal fight against the revival of a Trump-era policy that requires asylum-seekers to stay in Mexico while their cases are pending. Full Story
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![Customs and Border Protection officers apprehend asylum seekers who recently crossed the border in Roma on Aug. 3, 2021.]()
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Text with The Texas Tribune for COVID-19 news
We’re going to use our texting line to keep you updated with the latest pandemic news. Full Story
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![Used vaccine needles in a hazard waste bin at a 24-hour vaccination event at Kelly Reeves Athletic Complex on March 6, 2021, in Austin. Family Hospital Systems hosted the drive-thru vaccine event with an 80s theme and equipped to vaccinate 7,000 people.]()
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With a full plate of controversial bills to go, Texas House committee OKs funding for virtual learning
Public hearing on bill about teaching race and history draws a crowd. Full Story
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![A Texas elementary school student works on a laptop.]()
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U.S. Supreme Court says Biden administration must comply with ruling to restart “remain in Mexico” program for asylum-seekers
The “remain in Mexico” policy known as Migrant Protection Protocols requires many asylum-seekers to wait outside the United States for their cases to be decided. Full Story
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![Migrants crossing the border in Roma receive instructions and are apprehended by U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Aug. 15, 2021.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune