Texas’ largest cities will keep requiring masks in municipal buildings even after statewide mandate ends
In Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Houston and San Antonio, libraries and convention centers won't allow visitors without face coverings. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/da92a255c349ce25b111f0a8e9cbd3c7/Ott%20Elementary%20AG%20TT%2030.jpg)
Juan Pablo Garnham reports on urban affairs for The Texas Tribune, focusing on the main challenges of the state’s largest metro areas — Houston, Austin, San Antonio, El Paso and Dallas-Fort Worth, where he is based. He previously worked as senior producer for the podcast In The Thick, editor of CityLab Latino and city hall reporter for El Diario in New York. He has also taught at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY. He is from Santiago, Chile, and the Texas flag constantly reminds him of his home country.
In Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Houston and San Antonio, libraries and convention centers won't allow visitors without face coverings. Full Story
City and county leaders urged residents in their areas to still follow recommendations from health experts and officials that call for wearing face masks in public. Full Story
Plumbers and supplies to fix broken pipes are in high demand, but apartment complexes also present more difficulties than single-family homes when it comes to repairs. Full Story
Advocates for people experiencing homelessness drove through Texas' largest cities trying to bring them to the available warming centers and emergency shelters. The official number of casualties is still unknown. Full Story
Texans of color, disproportionately devastated by death and unemployment during the last year, tend to live in neighborhoods with older homes, more vulnerable pipes and fewer food options. That's made it harder to withstand the cold temperatures and power outages. Full Story
Advocates and social workers say there’s enough capacity at warming centers and shelters to ensure no one will be turned away. Full Story
The statewide program will start on Feb. 15 and will be able to help tenants with past and future rent. Full Story
A year and a half after Austin lifted a local ban on camping in public, some city officials are pushing to turn hotels into housing for people experiencing homelessness. Meanwhile, a state-sanctioned encampment in the city is full and can't accept new residents. Full Story
State officials told Dallas leadership the plan was "not acceptable," and threatened to cut the county's vaccine supply. Full Story
State Rep. Charlie Geren filed legislation that would let restaurants battered by the coronavirus pandemic permanently sell alcohol to go. The measure already has backing from top state officials. Full Story
In the state's largest metropolitan areas, vaccine distribution centers like hospitals and pharmacies are more common in white, affluent neighborhoods. Full Story
The Texas Tribune's multimedia reporter Alana Rocha spoke Wednesday afternoon with Castro, D-San Antonio, who was in lockdown in his office. Full Story
A judge ruled Austin and Travis County can restrict on-site dining overnight from Thursday until Sunday. Gov. Greg Abbott says restaurants should ignore the curfew. Full Story
Mayor Steve Adler said the severity of the COVID-19 situation in Austin requires more drastic measures. El Paso County announced a similar order earlier this month. Full Story
The deadline to use the funds is Dec. 30. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller asked the governor to support rural hospitals and food banks. Full Story
Communities of color are especially struggling to keep their homes. While more than half of white Texans are highly confident in being able to pay rent, only 21% of Black Texans and 14% of Hispanic Texans say the same. Full Story
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
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
In a letter to the Japanese prime minister, Gov. Greg Abbott said that the company had all the permits needed, but later he had to backtrack. Legislators are expected to file bills to regulate high-speed rail projects during their next session. Full Story
Although Democrats didn't flip any congressional seats, experts said that demographic growth is still fueling a change in counties like Fort Bend, Collin and Williamson. Full Story