In a letter to the Japanese prime minister, Gov. Greg Abbott said that the company had all the permits needed, but later he had to backtrack. Legislators are expected to file bills to regulate high-speed rail projects during their next session.
Juan Pablo Garnham
Juan Pablo Garnham covered urban affairs for the Tribune in 2019-21, focusing on the main challenges of the state’s largest metro areas — Houston, Austin, San Antonio, El Paso and Dallas-Fort Worth, where he was based. He previously worked as senior producer for the podcast In The Thick, editor of CityLab Latino and city hall reporter for El Diario in New York. He has also taught at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY. He is from Santiago, Chile, and the Texas flag constantly reminds him of his home country.
Posted in
Texas 2020 Elections
Democrats didn’t get a blue wave, but some of the fastest-growing suburbs in Texas are still moving to the left
Although Democrats didn’t flip any congressional seats, experts said that demographic growth is still fueling a change in counties like Fort Bend, Collin and Williamson.
Posted in
Economy
A controversial rule limiting housing options for homeless Texans with criminal records was softened, but it still worries advocates
The regulation applies to new supportive housing projects, which provide subsidized homes and social services. Gov. Greg Abbott still needs to approve the rule by Dec. 1.
Posted in
Courts
U.S. Supreme Court allows inmate to sue prison officers after he was forced to spend six days in unsanitary cells with human waste
Trent Michael Taylor alleges that he was kept for three days in a cell covered with feces and spent another three days in a cell with sewage on the floor in a psychiatric prison unit in Lubbock.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
Two key Texas counties — Democratic stronghold Harris and traditionally red Denton — are setting early voting records
As of Friday, 27% of registered voters in Denton County had cast their ballots in the 2020 election — surpassing the county’s 2016 turnout of 18% on the fourth day.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
Texans with criminal records face increasingly limited housing options. Homeless advocates say a new rule could leave them with even fewer choices.
The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs is proposing that people with certain criminal convictions be temporarily or permanently blocked from living in tax-supported developments that provide support services.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
Gov. Greg Abbott said Texas counties can allow bars to reopen. Only 1 of the state’s 10 biggest counties has said it will.
While Denton County is moving forward, Dallas and Harris counties officials almost immediately declined the offer to allow bars to reopen. Many others are taking a wait-and-see approach.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
Texas tenants are still struggling to stop evictions a month after federal moratorium was announced
Since Sept. 17, court citations include information on how to apply for protections. But some eviction cases had already begun. And the moratorium will only delay proceedings for some renters.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
Gov. Greg Abbott has closed Texas bars twice since the pandemic began. Now he’s hinting at opening them again.
Abbott shut down bars for a second time in June, when the proportion of coronavirus tests with positive results was more than 18%. That number has dropped to just over 6%. Experts worry that opening bars will contribute to another surge.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
Texas will spend $171 million in federal coronavirus relief funds to help renters avoid evictions
The new program will provide rental assistance and legal aid for tenants who are behind on rent. Details on how Texans could apply or qualify weren’t immediately released.
