Republican former state Rep. Jim Pitts has died at 77
The Waxahachie Republican served as chief budget writer for the Texas House for nearly a decade. He died in Dallas surrounded by loved ones. Full Story
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Pooja Salhotra
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Pooja Salhotra joined the Tribune in 2022 as its first-ever East Texas reporter based in Lufkin, where she covered a vast region that borders three states and stretches north to Texarkana and south to Beaumont. In late 2023, she relocated to Austin as a general assignment reporter to cover issues ranging from breaking news to developments in state agencies. Pooja was born and raised in the Houston area and graduated from Yale University. She also holds a master’s in fine arts from NYU’s journalism school.
Past Contributions
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![Former state Rep. Jim Pitts (Jan. 1, 1947 - July 20, 2024) served in the Texas Legislature from 1993 to 2015.]()
Credit: Todd Wiseman/The Texas Tribune -
Texans heading into a second week without electricity are battling heat, frustration and boredom
More than 200,000 CenterPoint Energy customers without power struggle with the heat one week after Hurricane Beryl swept through southeast Texas. Full Story
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![From left, Olga Minez and Gabriel Leal grill burgers for dinner on Sunday, July 14, 2024, at Aldine in Houston, Tx. In order to make the blackout more manageable, the couple and their five children have been using a generator left over from the previous year’s blackout.]()
Credit: Olivia Anderson/The Texas Tribune -
Abbott reprimands CenterPoint and calls for an investigation into the utility’s response to Beryl blackouts
Abbott demanded that the utility company produce a plan by the end of July outlining how it will improve power reliability ahead of future storms. Full Story
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![From left, front row: Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd, Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale hold a press conference at Gallery Furniture in Houston to address the restoration of power in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl, on Sunday, July 14, 2024.]()
Credit: Douglas Sweet Jr. for The Texas Tribune -
“They need to fix something quick”: Texans without power for days are getting angry
Nearly a million Texans were still without power on Friday. And the utility company with the most outages was facing threats of violence. Full Story
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![Seby Godinho and Jack Souza run a convenience store without electricity in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl in Oyster Creek, Texas, on July 9, 2024.]()
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Days after Beryl, Texans toil to cope with debris, heat, rain and no power
More than 1 million Texans still don’t have electricity. For those hardest hit by Beryl, the wait will stretch into next week. Full Story
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![Community members drop off donated goods such as water and food to the Sargent Fire Department on Wednesday, July 10, 2024, in Matagorda County.]()
Credit: Hope Mora for The Texas Tribune -
Millions of Texans face third day without power in summer heat
Power companies and Texas officials say restoration efforts could take days. Experts say Texans without electricity are facing a dangerous situation. Full Story
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![Electric workers gather supplies to provide support with major power outages after Hurricane Beryl in Houston, on Wednesday, July 10, 2024.]()
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Beryl power outage updates: More than 98,000 Texas electricity customers remain without power a week after Beryl
Tens of thousands of households and businesses aren’t expected to have electricity for most of this week. Full Story
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![Governor Greg Abbott, speaks about Centerpoint Energy during a press conference at Gallery Furniture, Houston, Thursday, Sunday July 14,2024. Doug Sweet Jr. for Texas Tribune]()
Credit: Douglas Sweet Jr. for The Texas Tribune -
President Joe Biden to speak in Austin as Republican convention kicks off in Milwaukee
The President’s visit will commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. He'll then travel to Nevada to speak at the NAACP and UnidosUS conferences in Las Vegas. Full Story
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![President Joe Biden delivers remarks at a campaign event in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on July 7, 2024.]()
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Tropical Storm Beryl is on a path to hit the Texas coast as a hurricane Monday
At least two counties, Nueces and Refugio, have issued mandatory evacuation orders. Full Story
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![NOAA graphic shows current position of Tropical Storm Beryl as of 7:00 p.m. Central Time on July 7, 2024, along with its projected path towards the Texas coast and beyond.]()
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U.S. Supreme Court rejects Texas death row inmate’s petition
Reed, on death row for more than 25 years, says he is innocent of the 1996 killing of Stacey Stites in Bastrop County. Full Story
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![In the center, from left: RJ Reed, 5, Rodrick Reed, and Sandra Reed, join hands as they pray during a rally at the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 11, 2022. The Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments of Rodney Reed vs. Bryan Goertz, examining the statute of limitations for a claim seeking DNA testing of crime-scene evidence after Reed was sentenced to death for the 1996 murder of Stacey Stites in Bastrop.]()
Credit: Eric Lee for The Texas Tribune