Texas will apply for federal program to get extra $300 per week for unemployed Texans
At least 10 other states have already applied and been approved for the additional unemployment benefits. Full Story
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![Workers boarded up bars on Sixth Street in Austin after Gov. Greg Abbott closed bars in Texas for the second time in three months because of the COVID-19 pandemic on June 26, 2020.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Former USPS leader from Texas says Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is “destroying confidence” in the postal service
Carolyn Lewis, a former USPS Board of Governors chair, said she has been disturbed by reports of cost-cutting measures and concerns that the mail service will not be able to handle an influx of mailed-in ballots. Full Story
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![U.S. Postal Service trucks at an Austin office location on Aug. 17, 2020.]()
Credit: Allie Goulding/The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Voting in Texas is different from other places. It’s a hassle.
Lots of states make it as easy as possible to register and vote, whether there's a pandemic or not. Texas is not one of those states. Full Story
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![A Houston voter waits to cast his ballot on July 14, 2020.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
Democrats, local election leaders fear Donald Trump’s attacks on mail-in voting foreshadow voter suppression
Changes at the U.S. Postal Service have raised concerns about whether ballots will be delivered on time, but local officials and Democrats stress that mail-in voting remains a vital and safe way to cast a ballot. Full Story
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![A USPS delivery truck in Austin on April 21, 2020.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Advocates urge a legal review of Trump's immigration policies after report finds two top officials are not eligible to serve
A federal report determined that two Department of Homeland Security officials, including the acting secretary, aren’t legally qualified to hold those posts. Full Story
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![Protesters gathered as the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on whether the 2017 Trump administration decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program is lawful. Nov. 12, 2019.]()
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USPS warns Texas that some mail-in ballots may be delayed in November
It is unclear how many Texas voters may be affected should delays occur. Texas was among 46 states that received a warning from the United States Postal Service, according to The Washington Post. Full Story
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![USPS employee Sweetie Dionne delivers mail on her usual route in the Cherrywood neighborhood in Austin on April 6, 2020.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Texas Democrats see a winning formula in Kamala Harris. Will she bring suburban women and Black voters to the polls?
State Democrats see her as someone who can excite key voting groups but who won’t alienate more moderate voters. Full Story
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![Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign event at Texas Southern University in Houston on March 23, 2019.]()
Credit: Pu Ying Huang for The Texas Tribune -
Trump called the USMCA the best trade deal ever. Analysts say it's not likely to help Texas during the pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic has clobbered the Texas economy and trade with Mexico, clouding the trade deal’s potential impacts, experts say. Full Story
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![Trucks entering the United States after crossing the Veterans International Bridge in Brownsville on Jan. 10, 2019,]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar for The Texas Tribune -
White House acknowledges new unemployment assistance less than what President Trump originally touted
Under President Donald Trump’s directive, the federal government may only have enough money to pay the enhanced $300 weekly benefits for about five weeks. The extra federal benefit was previously $600 a week. Full Story
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![U.S. President Donald Trump speaks after signing executive orders for economic relief during a news conference amid the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), at his golf resort in Bedminster, New Jersey Aug. 8, 2020.]()
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$400 in extra unemployment benefits remain uncertain in Texas after Trump's executive order
The order could face legal challenges, and Texas might have to chip in a quarter of the cost. State leaders have not said how they'll respond. Full Story
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![COVID related street art on Sixth Street in downtown Austin on May 6th, 2020.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Super PAC launches to help Joe Biden win Texas
The group, Blue Texas PAC, comes as it remains to be seen how much the Biden campaign will invest in Texas. Polls are showing a close race here. Full Story
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![Former Vice President Joe Biden speaks to supporters at a campaign event at Texas Southern University in Houston, on March 2, 2020.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
Inside the Trump campaign’s effort — and struggle — to win over Black voters in Texas
The Trump campaign has held events across the country to chip away at his broad unpopularity with Black voters and flip the narrative that he is hostile to people of color. Full Story
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![Frederick Douglass Republicans Engagement Strategy creator KCarl Smith speaks at a Black Voices for Trump event, a nationwide initiative to sway voters, at the McLennan County Republican Headquarters in Waco on Feb. 26, 2020.]()
Credit: Angela Piazza for The Texas Tribune -
Joe Biden's campaign names first Texas hires for general election
The announcement comes as polls continue to show a close race in Texas between the presumptive Democratic nominee and President Donald Trump. Full Story
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![Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden spoke during a campaign stop in Dallas in March.]()
Credit: Cooper Neill for The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott will skip Republican National Convention to deal with coronavirus
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick will instead chair the Texas delegation to the pared-down convention later this month in North Carolina. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick at a joint press conference on the lawn of the Governor’s Mansion on Jan. 9, 2019. Newly-elected House Speaker Dennis Bonnen was also present.]()
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Raul Reyes seeking recount in Republican runoff against Tony Gonzales for U.S. Rep. Will Hurd’s seat
Reyes was U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz's choice in the race. President Donald Trump backed Gonzales. Full Story
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![From left, Raul Reyes and Tony Gonzales are running for the Texas Congressional District 23 seat that is being vacated by U.S. Rep. Will Hurd, R-Texas.]()
Credit: The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: President Trump's attempt to rock the vote sends a shudder through the political world
President Donald Trump tweeted about delaying the November election, and in the process, launched an attack on whether anyone should trust the results when the votes are tallied. Full Story
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![President Donald Trump descends from Air Force One, following a trip to New Jersey, at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. July 26, 2020.]()
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Trump rallies oil and gas workers in the Permian Basin against Democrats ahead of the November election
President Donald Trump's comments doubled as part campaign speech, part policy announcement, as polls continue to show a close competition with presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden in the once-solidly red state. Full Story
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![U.S. President Donald Trump signs presidential permits for energy development during a tour of the Double Eagle Energy Oil Rig in Midland on July 29, 2020.]()
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Trump administration says it will reject new DACA applications while weighing future of the program
Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad F. Wolf said that in response to the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, officials are considering whether to fully rescind the program. Full Story
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![DACA recipients and supporters rally in celebration of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the program outside of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement offices in Phoenix in June 2020.]()
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Texas biotech facility in College Station tapped to mass-produce potential COVID-19 vaccine
The Texas A&M University System Center for Innovation in Advanced Development and Manufacturing has a federal contract to mass-manufacture doses of a candidate COVID-19 vaccine being developed by Novavax. Full Story
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![Graduate research assistant Nicole Johnson researches viral proteins at the McLellan Lab at The University of Texas at Austin on March 11, 2020.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Texas Republicans face tough 2020 election after a rocky 12 months
The state's Republicans have had to weather a monthslong series of distractions while preparing for a November election that is now clouded by President Donald Trump's declining poll numbers and the coronavirus pandemic. Full Story
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![The Republican Party of Texas office in downtown Austin.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune