Potter County has roughly four times the infection rate of Harris and Dallas counties.
Alexa Ura
Alexa Ura reported for The Texas Tribune from 2013 to 2023. She covered the complex dynamics of race, ethnicity, wealth, poverty and power and how they are shaping the future of Texas and Texans, in the long and short term. Alexa started at the Tribune as a reporting intern before graduating from the University of Texas at Austin and joining the staff full time. Originally from Laredo on the Texas-Mexico border, she is a native Spanish speaker and is based in Austin.
TribCast: How Texas plans to reopen businesses during the coronavirus pandemic
On this week’s TribCast, Alexa talks to Cassi, Matthew and Ross about the phased reopening of Texas businesses and what that could mean for Texans who must return to work in a pandemic.
Texas voters sue over age restrictions for mail-in ballots
The voters — all between the ages of 18 and 28 — want the courts to rule that the state’s age restriction for voting by mail, which limits eligibility to those 65 and older, violates constitutional protections.
Meatpacking workers in Texas Panhandle have little power to avoid the coronavirus
A workforce of immigrants has long powered the massive JBS meatpacking plant in Cactus, where a cluster of coronavirus cases is under investigation. They’re risking their lives each shift in the county with the state’s highest known infection rate.
TribCast: Reopening the economy, testing in rural Texas and election woes
On this week’s TribCast, Alexa talks to Evan, Matthew and Emma about the slow efforts to reopen the Texas economy, a testing quandary in rural Texas and election administrators’ woes over the upcoming elections.
Texas investigating meat processing plants over coronavirus outbreaks
The Department of State Health Services is looking into outbreaks at JBS Beef in Moore County and Tyson Foods in Shelby County.
Drive-thrus and free pencils: Texas plans for July elections with in-person voting
Other states may be shifting to increased mail-in voting, but Texas’ GOP leaders are fighting efforts to expand the practice. That leaves local elections officials to try to make polling places safe in a pandemic.
Texas judge issues order that could greatly expand mail-in voting
A state district judge issued a temporary injunction expanding who can qualify for an absentee ballot for the upcoming elections. The decision faces certain appeal as Democrats and Republicans clash over voter access.
TribCast: Forecasting what’s next with coronavirus and the 2021 legislative session
On this week’s TribCast, Alexa talks to Matthew, Cassi and Ross about what’s coming up in the state’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, and the group does some forecasting for what the public health emergency could mean for the 2021 legislative session.
Texas redistricting could be affected by coronavirus-related delays of census
Under a proposal by the Trump administration, the delivery of data Texas lawmakers need to redraw political districts would be pushed to July — past the end of the state’s regular legislative session.


