Rice University asks "small group" to self-quarantine due to employee's possible exposure to coronavirus
The Houston university said it's making the move out of an abundance of caution. Full Story
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Matthew Watkins
Managing Editor of News and Politics
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Matthew Watkins is the managing editor of news and politics for The Texas Tribune. Before becoming an editor, he worked as a reporter at the Tribune, The Dallas Morning News and The Eagle in Bryan-College Station. He earned his bachelor's degree from Texas A&M University.
Latest Contributions
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![A man walks past a notice for passengers about new coronavirus that has broken out in China, at Seoul railway station in S...]()
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How are the top Democratic U.S. Senate candidates in Texas different? We asked them 11 questions to find out.
To help voters make sense of the U.S. Senate race, we asked the top candidates in the 2020 Democratic primary a series of simple questions designed to help voters understand their political and policy-based differences. Full Story
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TribCast: A special election blowout and checking in on the presidential primary
On this week’s TribCast, Matthew talks to Alex, Cassi and Patrick about the big Republican win in House District 28, growing unrest among grassroots conservatives and the state of the presidential primary in Texas. Full Story
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![Republican Gary Gates is the newly-elected representative for state House District 28.]()
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Texas politics in 2019: Take a look at the top stories of the year
The first half of the year was marked by cooperation in the Texas Legislature. The second half was dominated by scandal. All the while, the specter of 2020 loomed. Full Story
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![The Texas State Capitol on May 22, 2019.]()
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820 new Texas laws go into effect in September. Here are some that might affect you.
The laws include new rules for smokers, telemarketers and kids selling lemonade. Full Story
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![Texas State Capitol. Jan. 8, 2019. Miguel Gutierrez Jr. / Texas Tribune.]()
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TribCast: The El Paso aftermath and the latest on Dennis Bonnen
In this edition of the TribCast, Matthew talks to Alexa, Patrick and Cassi about the deadly shooting in El Paso, Dennis Bonnen’s trouble in the House and a wave of GOP congressional retirements. Full Story
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![Hundreds lay flowers and candles at a shrine outside the Walmart in El Paso on August 6th, 2019.]()
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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signs bill declaring children's lemonade stands legal
The bill, which goes into effect Sept. 1, prevents cities and neighborhood associations from prohibiting or regulating children who sell nonalcoholic drinks on private property. Full Story
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![Focus on sign at lemonade stand. A lemon, strawberry and pile of red plastic cups in foreground. Out of focus girl in back...]()
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Judge temporarily blocks enforcement of Texas law banning contractors from boycotting Israel
The order came in a case brought by a Pflugerville school speech pathologist who was told she could only continue her contract work if she promised not to boycott Israel. Full Story
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![The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) announces the filing of a lawsuit against Texas' "No Boycott of Israel" l...]()
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Former University of Texas at Austin President Bill Powers has died
Powers presided over the university from 2006 to 2015. Full Story
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![Former University of Texas at Austin President Bill Powers, who died Sunday, in 2011.]()
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Tornillo tent city for youth migrants is now empty, Texas congressman says
"This tent city should never have stood in the first place," U.S. Rep. Will Hurd said Friday on Twitter. Full Story
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![Aerial view of the tent city at the Marcelino Serna Port of Entry in Tornillo on Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018. The shelter op...]()
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Why is college in Texas getting so expensive?
Tuition and fees at Texas universities have more than doubled since 2003. There's plenty of blame to go around. Full Story
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![Tuition costs are rising in Texas as per-student state funding for higher education shrinks.]()
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UT-Austin reaches deal for new $338 million basketball arena
A corporation, Oak View Group LLC, will pay to construct the arena in exchange for future revenue generated at the venue. Full Story
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Apple announces $1 billion expansion in Austin
The company will reportedly receive as much as $25 million from a state job-creation fund. Full Story
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![Apple's existing campus in Austin. The tech giant announced a $1 billion expansion Thursday.]()
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Bill filing for 2019 session begins with legislation on marijuana, taxes and daylight saving time
The Texas Legislature's 86th session doesn't start until Jan. 8, but lawmakers got a head start on filing legislation Monday. Full Story
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![Tracy Snowden Ortiz works to sort bills filed with the Secretary of the Senate for the 86th session of the Texas Legislatu...]()
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After SNL mocks his war injury, Texas congressional candidate Dan Crenshaw says he tries hard "not to be offended"
Crenshaw is running for an open seat in a Houston-area district. His opponent also condemned the joke. Full Story
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![Dan Crenshaw.]()
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Beto O'Rourke received threatening messages from pipe bomb suspect Cesar Sayoc, his campaign says
State Rep. Poncho Nevárez, D-Eagle Pass, was also told by the FBI that the suspected bomber had researched him. Full Story
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![Democratic Senate candidate Beto O’Rourke speaks during a town hall meeting in Houston on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2018.]()
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Ahead of trip to Texas, Donald Trump uses a new nickname for Ted Cruz: "Beautiful Ted"
But Trump said he had no regrets suggesting that Cruz's father was involved in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Full Story
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![President Donald Trump speaks with Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, before a meeting with families of the Santa Fe school shooting ...]()
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Cornyn: Senate SCOTUS vote to be delayed while FBI investigates Kavanaugh
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, told reporters in Washington, D.C., that the Senate will delay the full confirmation vote by a week while the FBI investigates allegations of sexual assault against Brett Kavanaugh. Full Story
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![U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Cour...]()
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3D-printed gun designer Cody Wilson arrested in Taiwan
Wilson, an Austin resident, was wanted on a charge of sexual assaulting a teenage girl. Full Story
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![Cody Wilson, gun rights activist and founder of Defense Distributed, a Texas-based company developing and publishing open ...]()
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Trump administration reunites "eligible" immigrant children under 5, but lawyers complain about blunders
In one case, lawyers say, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officers left a woman alone at a bus stop with her young kids and no bus ticket. In another, ICE officers were unable to affix a mother with an ankle monitor, so they sent her back to detention without her children. Full Story
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![Pablo Ortiz and his 3-year-old son Andres (left), and Roger and his 4-year-old Roger Jr. (first names only given), speak a...]()