Experts say it’s unclear whether changes mandated by Texas lawmakers to prevent widespread power outages like those last February made a significant difference during a weaker winter storm.
Joshua Fechter
Joshua Fechter is the Dallas-based urban affairs reporter for The Texas Tribune, covering policy — including housing affordability, housing and property taxes, evictions, policing and transportation — and politics in Texas' major metropolitan areas. Before joining the Tribune in August 2021, Joshua covered City Hall for the San Antonio Express-News. He holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin.
Posted in
Politics
The man who brought drive-thru voting to Texas wants to be Houston’s next mayor
Former Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins rose to prominence by pushing ways to expand voting access in Texas’ most populous county during the November 2020 election.
Posted in
Economy
Texas eviction filings among the nation’s highest as millions of rent relief dollars go unspent
The U.S. Treasury Department seized $1.9 million in unspent rent relief from five Texas counties and one city because local officials didn’t spend the money fast enough.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
With hundreds of nurses out sick, San Antonio lawmakers of both parties ask for governor’s help staffing hospitals
Officials in the state’s major metropolitan areas are increasingly scrambling to find health care workers to deal with a wave of patients with COVID-19.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Austin voters could decriminalize small amounts of pot in May
“Small possession of marijuana is not the type of violation that we want to stockpile jails with,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Monday.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
Home prices soared during the pandemic. Here’s what that looks like in one East Texas city.
Texas’ housing crunch has spread outside of the state’s major metropolitan areas and into more rural parts of Texas. Smaller cities and towns saw steep increases in home prices as COVID-19 spread.
Posted in
Politics
Former President Donald Trump downplays Jan. 6 insurrection, doubles down on false election claims on Texas trip
“This wasn’t an insurrection,” the former president said of the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol that left five dead.
Posted in
Winter Storm 2021
Texas cities weren’t ready for a massive winter storm in 2021. Has that changed?
Cities have made some preparations in case of another severe winter storm. But keeping the lights and water on is far from guaranteed.
Posted in
Economy
Evictions in some Texas cities are almost back to normal levels as tenant help dries up
Evictions in major Texas cities have reached levels not seen since the pandemic began. But tenant protections and financial assistance for struggling renters are beginning to fade.
Posted in
Health care
Watch: Austin and Travis County leaders weigh in on tangling with Gov. Greg Abbott, COVID-19 response and police reform
“I think housing affordability and housing supply is the now existential issue,” Austin Mayor Steve Adler told Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith, who interviewed Adler and Travis County Judge Andy Brown.
