Abbott’s office says vaccines are the best defense to the pandemic, however, the governor has rarely spoken about vaccines in recent months other than to push back against mandates. He did not respond to a question about whether he got the booster.
2021
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
COVID-19 in Texas: U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments over federal vaccine mandates that state officials oppose
Live updates: As infections increase ahead of the holidays — and omicron spreads throughout the state — officials urge people to get vaccines and booster shots.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
Texas has the highest share of uninsured residents in the nation. Another COVID-19 wave puts them at risk.
Untreated medical conditions, lack of access to testing and limited paid time off leave uninsured Texans particularly vulnerable to the disease.
Posted in
Demographics
Unhappy holidays: Texas endures another COVID Christmas
After nearly two years of navigating life during a pandemic, many Texans are now scrambling for COVID tests, delaying plans and worrying about relatives who have been exposed to the virus.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
At-home COVID-19 tests are in scarce supply in Texas while public testing sites see a rise in demand
Most local officials insist they still have testing capacity at their public testing sites, but Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said demand has outpaced supply.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
For Texas hospitals, a new COVID-19 surge looms over a burned-out, depleted workforce
Some hospitals are better prepared than they were early in the pandemic, but administrators say staff morale still stands on shaky ground.
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Texas 2022 Elections
Beto O’Rourke targets Gov. Greg Abbott for vetoing bill to improve internet access in rural Texas
Abbott vetoed legislation in June that would have helped shore up the Universal Service Fund, which supports telecommunications in rural Texas. He said it would have “imposed a new fee on millions of Texans.”
Posted in
State Government
Gov. Greg Abbott has touted the state’s efforts to build a border wall, but many details remain a mystery
Abbott unveiled the first 900 feet of border barrier Saturday. But the state has been mum on where it plans to build additional barriers and how many miles it can afford.
Posted in
Texas Abortion Restrictions
“Left out of the conversation”: Transgender Texans feel the impact of state’s restrictive abortion law
While Texas’ controversial abortion law strictly refers to women in its phrasing, it also limits access to the procedure for transgender and nonbinary people who are able to become pregnant.
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.