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Morgan Smith was a reporter at the Tribune from 2009 to 2018, covering politics, public education and inequality. In 2013, she received a National Education Writers Association award for “Death of a District,” a series on school closures. After earning a bachelor’s degree in English from Wellesley College, she moved to Austin in 2008 to enter law school at the University of Texas. A San Antonio native, her work has also appeared in Slate, where she spent a year as an editorial intern in Washington D.C.
Lawmakers in the Texas House and Senate called for a review of sexual harassment policies Tuesday following a Texas Tribune story detailing how current procedures offered little protection for victims. Full Story
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Interviews with more than two dozen current and former lawmakers and legislative aides indicate sexual harassment regularly goes unchecked at the Texas Capitol. And sexual harassment policies rely on officials with little incentive or authority to enforce them, particularly in cases of harassment by lawmakers. Full Story
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State officials want as few parameters as possible on federal disaster relief funds, but housing advocates say that could lead to public works projects getting federal funds over Texans who lost everything. Full Story
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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott flew to Washington to press the case for an additional $61 billion in federal disaster recovery money to rebuild public infrastructure after Hurricane Harvey’s devastation. Full Story
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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has opened an investigation into debris removal companies who may be “overpromising and underdelivering” their post-Harvey cleanup services. Full Story
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Federal housing officials announced Friday what they called “another down payment” of $57.8 million to support long-term recovery efforts from Hurricane Harvey in Texas. Full Story
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Between the federal government, the Red Cross and private charities, billions of dollars will be spent to help Hurricane Harvey victims in Texas. The Tribune is tracking how it's spent. Full Story
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State officials estimate that it will take $60 billion in long-term federal funds to repair and replace the houses, buildings and infrastructure Harvey damaged. Full Story
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Reporter Morgan Smith and photographer Michael Stravato recently toured southeast Texas to document Harvey's aftermath. Full Story
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Hundreds of new state laws go into effect Friday including a statewide texting-while-driving ban. But two other high-profile measures – one dealing with abortion, the other immigration – are currently blocked by federal injunctions. Full Story
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