Latest Contributions

• Jay Hartzell named sole finalist for UT-Austin president

  by Reese Oxner Aug. 12, 2020

  Hartzell, dean of the University of Texas at Austin’s business school, has served as interim president since April after former president Greg Fenves stepped down after five years at the helm. Full Story 

• What losing football to COVID-19 would mean for Texas college towns: "It’s like losing Christmas"

  by Raga Justin and Reese Oxner Aug. 11, 2020

  Economists said canceling football would be devastating to local businesses that rely on the huge influxes of cash from home games. Meanwhile, athletics officials weigh whether they can risk the health and welfare of student athletes. Full Story 

• Restaurants, bars and breweries scramble to reinvent themselves to get around Gov. Greg Abbott's bar shutdown

  by Reese Oxner Aug. 10, 2020

  Businesses that make up most of their sales with alcohol were closed down by Abbott's latest shutdown order, leaving them to maneuver through loopholes to reopen. Full Story 

• UT-Austin will test 5,000 people a week for coronavirus and cover out-of-pocket costs for students

  by Reese Oxner Aug. 6, 2020

  The university plans to test all of its campus residence hall students by the beginning of September. It will continue to identify individuals or groups on campus strategically to test those at a higher risk of disease spread and perform random testing. Full Story 

• At least 187 Texans received mystery seeds mailed from China. State officials warn they shouldn't be planted.

  by Reese Oxner July 29, 2020

  Officials are unsure of the motive behind the unsolicited packets but suspect that they are part of an online scam. Full Story 

• Thousands of Texans remain without power in the aftermath of Hurricane Hanna

  by Reese Oxner July 27, 2020

  Gov. Greg Abbott cautioned that there will be continued threats of flash flooding even as rainfall slows. Full Story 

• Timing of Supreme Court justice’s retirement allows Gov. Greg. Abbott, not voters, to pick his two-year replacement

  by Reese Oxner July 22, 2020

  Aug. 21 is the deadline for vacancies that trigger a November election to fill open seats. If Green’s replacement is not on this year’s ballot, the next general election will be in November 2022. Abbott will appoint someone to fill the rest of the term. Full Story 

• Texas Supreme Court Justice Paul Green says he will retire at the end of August after 15 years on the bench

  by Reese Oxner Updated: July 21, 2020

  Green's term ends Dec. 31, 2022. Gov. Greg Abbott will appoint his successor. Full Story 

• Facing budget shortfalls, nearly 100 Texas mayors plead with Congress for coronavirus relief funding

  by Reese Oxner and Juan Pablo Garnham July 21, 2020

  City leaders are asking for more spending flexibility to address the financial shortfalls caused by the pandemic. Full Story 

• Watch: Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar discusses the state’s $4.6 billion deficit and the next budget cycle

  by Reese Oxner Updated: July 22, 2020

  We sat down for an interview with Hegar to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on Texas' economy and the challenges the Legislature will face when setting the two-year budget. Full Story 

• Texas attorney general says religious private schools "need not comply" with local health orders to close

  by Reese Oxner July 17, 2020

  On Wednesday, TEA officials confirmed that school districts wouldn't be penalized for barring students on campuses if local health officials mandated that schools stay closed, as long as remote instruction is offered. Full Story 

• Distilleries, wineries shuttered by Gov. Greg Abbott's bar shutdown say they should be exempted

  by Reese Oxner July 15, 2020

  Distillery, winery and some restaurant owners say their businesses are different from traditional bars, which Abbott closed after COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations began to climb in June. Full Story 

• Three Texas House incumbents — Dan Flynn, Anna Eastman and J.D. Sheffield — lose in primary runoffs

  by Cassandra Pollock and Reese Oxner Updated: July 15, 2020

  Two other incumbents — Democrats Lorraine Birabil and Harold Dutton — were also on the ballot Tuesday. Full Story 

• UT-Austin says it will keep "The Eyes of Texas" as school song, but will rename buildings as Black students call for change

  by Reese Oxner July 13, 2020

  Last month, student athletes at the University of Texas at Austin said they would forgo recruiting and donor events if campus and athletic leaders failed to implement their demands, which were aimed at supporting students of color. Full Story 

• Trump's ban on new visas will hurt Texas universities, experts say

  by Reese Oxner July 12, 2020

  Universities often hire professors and researchers using H-1B visas. Experts say limiting them only makes U.S. universities less competitive internationally. Full Story 

• Watch: MJ Hegar, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate, discusses her policies and chances ahead of runoff election

  by Reese Oxner Updated: July 9, 2020

  Backed by national Democrats, Hegar will face off against state Sen. Royce West in the July 14 runoff election. But she's already looking ahead to her strategy for winning the election in November. Full Story 

• Texas universities are moving more classes online but keeping tuition the same. Students are asking if it's worth the money.

  by Raga Justin and Reese Oxner July 6, 2020

  Universities are moving forward with reopening plans for the fall semester, anxious to bring students back. But faced with online classes and an altered campus, students are questioning if college is still worth what they're paying. Full Story 

• Bar exam for Texas' aspiring lawyers canceled in July due to coronavirus concerns

  by Reese Oxner July 3, 2020

  Following pleas from law school deans and prospective lawyers, the Texas Supreme Court has canceled the July bar exam and will plan for an in-person exam in September and an online exam in October. Full Story 

• More than 300 children in Texas day cares have caught COVID-19, and the numbers are rising

  by Reese Oxner July 1, 2020

  Nationwide, coronavirus transmission rates among children have appeared to be low, partly explaining the push to reopen schools. But Texas day cares are seeing cases increase quickly. Full Story 

• Texas bar owners file $10 million federal lawsuit against Gov. Greg Abbott, the second suit over the shutdown in two days

  by Reese Oxner Updated: June 30, 2020

  The bar owners say in the lawsuit that Abbott's order violates their constitutional rights and "may very well leave long-term scarring on the Republican form of government if left unchecked." Full Story