Texas will provide rapid COVID-19 tests for summer camps
Many parents rely on summer camps — which were largely shuttered last year — for child care while school is out. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/e48b8f1476bfa64f45dd27117bf716b9/Children%20Science%20ES%20TT%20350.jpg)
-
![James Miller, 9, finishes his kinetic energy project during Secret Scientists summer camp at the Austin Children's Museum in Austin on June 27, 2012.]()
Credit: Erich Schlegel for The Texas Tribune -
Texas lawmakers want to prevent another power crisis. But the legislation doesn't go far enough to do that, critics say.
Some say lawmakers should go further to ensure power plants can withstand increased weather due to climate change. And they worry that much of the legislation advancing will be up to the Public Utility Commission to enforce. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/b8da421c20c1e7e3243690be188a359f/Winter%20Storm%20Day%20Five%20JV%20TT%2010.jpg)
![The City of San Marcos provided three San Marcos C.I.S.D. school buses, parked at the San Marcos Activity Center, as warming centers for residents needing shelter from the cold on Feb 17, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals will review Crystal Mason’s controversial illegal-voting conviction
The Tarrant County woman faces a five-year prison sentence for casting a provisional ballot in the 2016 election while on supervised release for a federal conviction. Her vote was never counted. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/642ab6ae80513ba91aa94803dd0e15ca/05%20Crystal%20Mason%20LBS%20TT.jpg)
![Crystal Mason spoke about being accused of voter fraud and her upcoming court case on Sept. 9 2019 in Fort Worth.]()
Credit: Leslie Boorhem-Stephenson for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: After statewide power outages, Texas lawmakers reconsider an ounce of prevention
Power outages during a winter storm have the Texas Legislature considering remedies — and a flaw in their response to a previous storm. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/326dbd337d2f285eb110328f027be33a/DTX%20Storm%20Recovery%20ST%20TT%2002.jpg)
![Gabriel Martinez shovels debris from burst pipes at an apartment in downtown Dallas. Texans across the state are now working to recover from the winter storm that left many people dealing with repairs and water issues.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
Bills restricting abortion, including one that bans procedure as early as six weeks, gets Texas Senate OK
The slate of bills must still go to the House for approval. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/060aa40ba7e1d64c063fc39545b31547/Womens%20Health%20SS%20TT%2001.jpg)
![A women’s health clinic in Texas.]()
Credit: Stephen Spillman for The Texas Tribune -
Point of Order: Outgoing Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo talks moving to Miami, George Floyd and police funding
In the latest episode of our podcast about the Texas Legislature, Evan Smith talks to Houston’s top cop, Art Acevedo, about why he’s leaving for Miami, police funding, constitutional carry, qualified immunity and what he really thinks of Greg Abbott and Sylvester Turner. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/ee3b23c67609fb74b29eb60f2b7d02d0/TT-PointofOrder-podcast-launch-art.png)
![Article thumbnail]()
-
Empty chairs tell the story of pandemic's toll at Texas kidney dialysis centers
Early on, coronavirus transmission exploded at dialysis clinics, especially in the Rio Grande Valley. It has subsided some since, but many patients have no choice but to show up at clinics for the life-sustaining treatments. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/6dec01681d1d1cf17102a4a27307384b/Michelle%20Adams-Walton%20MM%20TT%2001.jpg)
![Michelle Adams-Walton poses for a portrait at TownPlace Suites by Marriott in Austin on March 6, 2021.]()
Credit: Montinique Monroe for The Texas Tribune -
Sweeping legislation to overhaul state’s electricity market in response to winter storm heads to Texas House after Senate's unanimous approval
Senate Bill 3 would require all power generators, transmission lines, natural gas facilities and pipelines to make upgrades for extreme weather. Its prospects are uncertain in the House, which is scheduled to take up a series of related, standalone bills on Tuesday. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/632aefdfaa590166eb4fd8eb523a961d/ATX%20Winter%20Storm%20SF%20TT%2051.jpg)
![Electrical workers repair a power line in Austin on Feb. 18, 2021. Many Texas residents are still without power, and many don't have clean drinking water or working water at all.]()
Credit: Sergio Flores for The Texas Tribune -
Black lawmakers, NAACP and students push back on UT-Austin’s “The Eyes of Texas” report, urge school to lose the song
Members of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus said they are "unequivocal" about their opposition to UT-Austin's alma mater and have asked the university to reconsider getting rid of the song. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/7438a899d23021b3de2f0246a01c832c/EOT%20Presser%20EL%20TT%2003.jpg)
![State Rep. Ron Reynold, D-Missouri City, speaks at a press conference concerning the University of Texas' fight song at the Texas Capitol on March 29, 2021.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
Texas prisons stopped in-person visits and limited mail. Drugs got in anyway.
Agency data shows officers are finding just as many drugs — and writing up even more prisoners for having them — despite the restrictions. Contraband is most often brought in by staff, according to prisoners and employees. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/8acfbded6bf2cf5379f4a9629a100148/Marshall%20Texas%20Contraband%20TT.jpg)
![According to prisoners and employees, contraband is most often brought into prisons by staff.]()
Credit: Illustration by Molly Magnell for The Marshall Project and The Texas Tribune -
Almost 70% of ERCOT customers lost power during winter storm, study finds
Texans in ERCOT's service area who lost electricity were without power for an average of 42 hours, according to the study. They had been told to prepare for short-term, rolling outages. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/0651b4a13b9608d1131897fc4a1e1554/RBJ%20Center%20Storm%20MM%20TT%2010.jpg)
![Food pantry manager Farrah Rivera maps out routes to resident rooms at the Rebekah Baines Johnson Center in Austin on Feb. 17, 2021.]()
Credit: Montinique Monroe for The Texas Tribune -
All adults in Texas are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. But there still aren’t enough doses for everyone.
It still may be hard to secure a vaccine appointment, but doctors hope increasing supply will help meet demand. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/96cdd2b2d70ec72ca229c8dd3148caca/Fair%20Park%20Vaccine%20Lines%20ST%20TT%2017.jpg)
![People waited for hours to receive their drive-thru COVID-19 vaccine at the Fair Park vaccination site in Dallas. Feb. 8, 2021.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: The fight over local control turns to representation — and lobbyists
The latest fight over local control in the Texas Legislature is a rerun: Conservative lawmakers want to bar local governments from hiring lobbyists to represent them in Austin. And their effort has more support than before. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/3ff28e7996ac930d0484559c22ee4b06/%20Rural%20File%20Pearsall%20JV%20TT%2004.jpg)
![Downtown Pearsall in Frio Co. on Sept. 16, 2020.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
COVID vaccine brings home health worker some hard-fought stress relief
Nancy Gallegos says she’s endured debilitating job stress, but the San Antonio nurse has managed to find a few silver linings during the pandemic. Listen in the weekend edition of The Brief podcast. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/6ec5f5eef1a0c5c02e2998d95db9682c/Weekend%20Brief%2032621%20TT.jpg)
![Nurses prepared to enter a COVID-19 unit at the DHR Health in McAllen in 2020. Because of the risk of exposure to COVID-19, health workers are required to wear personal protective equipment.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Restrictions on Texas voting could tighten under Republican bill advanced by Senate committee
Senate Bill 7 would make sweeping changes to Texas voting by limiting extended early voting hours, prohibiting drive-thru voting and requiring Texans to provide proof of disability to qualify for mail-in voting. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/1213306294e6b34ae0f8750f09eb6cb8/Houston%20Drive%20Thru%20Voting%20AM%20TT%2001.jpg)
![Voters line up to utilize drive-through voting at NRG Stadium in Houston during the first day of early voting on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020.]()
Credit: Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune -
As migrant apprehensions soar, Texas politicians jockey for air time to criticize — or defend — President Joe Biden
Republicans are seizing on the apprehensions to blame Biden for conditions in holding facilities. But Democrats blame former President Donald Trump for dismantling the nation's immigration infrastructure. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/72457b5f083d35a5cc2fb98be9f57954/Migrants%20RGV%20REUTERS%20TT.jpg)
![Asylum-seeking migrants' walked towards the border wall after crossing the Rio Grande into the United States from Mexico, in Penitas, Texas on March 26, 2021.]()
Credit: REUTERS/Go Nakamura -
Austin and Travis County officials can keep enforcing local mask mandate for now, judge says
A district judge denied a request for a temporary block of the mask mandates in Austin and Travis County sought by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/6c1ba5c818cc5dd408db29d3624760c9/ATX%20Mask%20Signage%20EL%20TT%2001.jpg)
![A sign outside of Little Brother Coffee & Kolaches asks customers to wear a mask inside the South Austin business on March 3, 2021.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
After slow start, Texas lawmakers pick up the pace on GOP priorities as legislative session passes halfway mark
After some early tension, the Legislature's Republican leaders say they are on the same page with the business that remains. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/51cfc40409095a150dd46b748f405600/House%20Floor%20Phelan%20Jan%2012%20MG%20TT%2011.jpg)
![Newly-elected Speaker of the House Dade Phelan addresses the House Floor on opening day of the 2021 Legislative Session on Jan. 12, 2021.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Experts hopeful about state’s economic recovery, but jobless Texans still face problems filing for benefits
Some businesses are already seeing customers return. But the numbers of people seeking unemployment aid surged in recent weeks to levels not seen since July. Many of them still face problems getting through to the Texas Workforce Commission. Full Story
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
When Texas ended its mask mandate, the event cancellations started — and the losses are adding up
At least four conferences were canceled in Austin because of the lack of a statewide mask mandate. The cancellations have caused the Hilton Austin hotel to lose out on $350,000 of revenue, according to Austin Convention Enterprises. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/29be836bdccbdfafde2511145e199a4a/ATX%20Mask%20Signage%20EL%20TT%2012.jpg)
![Pedestrians walk across the South Congress bridge with the Capital in the background in Austin on March 3, 2021.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/9b13ee5dc85abff5f884817432c1343f/Mask%20Lift%20Night%20Life%20EL%20TT%2010)