Experts say Texas is more prepared to handle another wave. But they fear that if the state fails to control the outbreak, it could quickly spiral out of control.
Shawn Mulcahy
Shawn Mulcahy was a coronavirus reporting fellow in 2020 and a contract politics reporter in 2021. Shawn received his bachelor’s degree from Florida State University and his master’s degree at Northwestern University. He worked as an investigative reporter for Northwestern’s Medill Investigative Lab and has written stories for The Washington Post about abuse and neglect in nursing homes during the coronavirus pandemic. He’s also worked as a reporter, producer and host for WFSU Public Media, an NPR and PBS member station.
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Texas 2020 Elections
High turnout, sporadic problems reported at Texas polling places as early voting begins
Voters in Harris County shattered the record for in-person ballots cast on the first day of early voting, with more than 128,000 people voting, according to the county elections office.
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Texas 2020 Elections
As fears of election-related unrest rise, here’s what you need to know about poll watchers in Texas
Political parties are enlisting a record number of poll watchers in Texas and across the country for a highly charged election season.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Gov. Greg Abbott says bars can reopen next week at 50% capacity if counties opt in
“It is time to open them up,” Abbott said in a Facebook video announcing the move. “If we continue to contain COVID, then these openings, just like other businesses, should be able to expand in the near future.”
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Texas 2020 Elections
After a summer of unrest, Texas police are preparing for possible election night protests
Some police departments faced criticism for their response to demonstrations. Experts say officers must use “the least amount of force possible” while protecting free speech.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Dr. Anthony Fauci says Americans should trust credibility of COVID-19 vaccine process
Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, blamed “mixed messages that have come out of Washington” for waning public trust.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Sam Houston State, Texas State University System to hire contact tracers as experts warn of a fall COVID-19 surge
The state is partnering with the Texas State University System to add roughly 200 new staffers to its stable of more than 3,500 contact tracers.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Health expert Peter Hotez warns of a third COVID-19 wave, says a vaccine likely won’t come for another year
The co-director of the Center for Vaccine Development at Texas Children’s Hospital talked during The Texas Tribune Festival about the hunt for a vaccine and how we can reopen safely.
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Coronavirus in Texas
As Texas college towns emerge as coronavirus hot spots, universities try to keep students from infecting locals
In counties where four-year college students make up at least 10% of the population, cases have grown 34% since Aug. 19, according to a Texas Tribune analysis. That’s compared with 23% in counties with a smaller proportion of students.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Texas will allow visitations at nursing homes, other long-term care facilities with active COVID-19 cases
Visitors previously were allowed only into long-term care facilities where there were no active cases of the virus among residents and no confirmed cases among staff members in the past two weeks.
