Gov. Greg Abbott says coronavirus hospitalizations, positive cases must decrease before he’ll allow bars to reopen in Texas
Abbott also applauded the Big 12 for allowing Texas college football to resume this fall. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/9f0be826613771974949e59d59f245cb/Abbott%20April%2017%20Presser%20MG%20TT%2007.jpg)
-
![Gov. Greg Abbott announced a strike force in charge of laying steps to re-open the Texas economy at a press conference in the capitol on April 17, 2020.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: The election won’t humble the coronavirus. It’s the other way around.
When general election voting starts in two months, Texas voters will know some things they don't know today to help them make decisions, like what actually happens when you open public schools or allow college football to proceed. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/e7e3c0a89bdfaeae7b36126f72270502/Barbershops%20Reopen%20JV%20TT%2052.jpg)
![Barbers Lynese Marchic and her son Nicholas Gasper in their Austin shop on their first day open after closing during the coronavirus pandemic.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
In a first for major leagues since pandemic, FC Dallas soccer team to play in front of thousands of fans
A maximum of 5,110 fans will be in attendance for the game Wednesday, which is happening as other major league sports continue to play in empty arenas. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/2748868319b9ca2f933bc3cf65cd707c/DALLAS%20FC%20REUTERS%20TT.jpg)
![FC Dallas defender Reggie Cannon during the game between FC Dallas and the Montreal Impact at Toyota Stadium in Frisco on March 7, 2020.]()
Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports via REUTERS -
Gov. Greg Abbott says Texans must be vigilant to slow the spread of coronavirus
At a pair of press conferences on Tuesday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott expressed optimism about the recent decline of hospitalizations. Still: He warned Texans to stay cautious. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/40aebef3ff8c2ae9db2d6ad86995cb45/Abbott%20June%2016%20press%20AAS%20RBB%20TT%2006.JPG)
![Gov. Greg Abbott gives an update on Texas hospital bed capacity and the state's strategy for fighting COVID-19 during a press conference at Texas Department of Public Safety in Austin on June 16, 2020.]()
Credit: Ricardo B. Brazziell/Pool via Austin American-Statesman -
Restaurants, bars and breweries scramble to reinvent themselves to get around Gov. Greg Abbott's bar shutdown
Businesses that make up most of their sales with alcohol were closed down by Abbott's latest shutdown order, leaving them to maneuver through loopholes to reopen. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/5028bf0923e0a0ca712765d49454bb0d/Lava%20Cantina%20Bar%20ST%20TT%2003.jpg)
![Waiter Katy Berry serves the Richardson family at Lava Cantina, a restaurant and bar in the Colony. Lava Cantina reopened on July 24 after being shut down by the TABC following the June 26 mandate.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: The opening line in every Texas political debate
School openings, government hearings, going to bars, voting, shopping, even the doings at the Texas Capitol hinge on the same issues: whether it’s safe to gather, and how to go about it. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/419a960d36f362b0e9f4a7d440b6c27f/July%2014%20Runoff%20Houston%20MS%20TT%2016.jpg)
![Voters, wearing masks and spread six feet apart, line up outside the Metropolitan Multiservice Center in Houston to vote in the delayed primary runoff election on Tuesday July 14, 2020.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
With school reopening, Gov. Greg Abbott sets off another debate over whether local or state officials are in control
Abbott’s decision to curb the role of local health authorities in school reopening decisions has added to the ongoing conflict between him and local governments during the pandemic, with mayors and judges voicing frustration over having their hands tied by the state’s response. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/4396cd0e615d1e543f4f3bfc566fedae/Abbott%20presser%20Corpus%20REUTERS%20TT%2003.jpg)
![Gov. Greg Abbott puts on his mask during his press conference after talking to local and county officials about the damage done by Hurricane Hanna in Nueces and Kleberg counties on July 28, 2020.]()
Credit: Courtney Sacco/Caller-Times via REUTERS -
Five lawmakers sue Gov. Greg Abbott over $295 million contact tracing deal
“The Texas Constitution requires a separation of powers, and that separation leaves policy-making decisions with the Texas Legislature,” argues a lawsuit from five of the Legislature’s most conservative members. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/3f5d7404b4f1658d762c67010c457b24/Abbott%20presser%20Corpus%20REUTERS%20TT%2002.jpg)
![Gov. Greg Abbott holds a press conference after talking to local and county officials about the damage done by Hurricane Hanna in Nueces and Kleberg Counties, on Tuesday, July 28, 2020.]()
Credit: Courtney Sacco/Caller-Times via REUTERS -
Private schools in Texas limit enrollment as they aim to reopen classrooms
Dependent on tuition money, private schools are eager to get children back into their classrooms. But they know inadequate safety measures could make them vulnerable to lawsuits. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/bc9fd95e277ba07b7e49d0e45206bccf/Cactus%20Elementary%20MG%20TT%2004.jpg)
![Students and teachers walk through the halls at Cactus Elementary School on Jan. 28, 2020.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Watch Gov. Greg Abbott address the need for more hospital beds in the Rio Grande Valley at 2:45 p.m.
The governor will be speaking at the McAllen Convention Center, which was recently converted into a hospital to help meet the region's needs during the coronavirus pandemic. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/abf229b5e1a16b2001a916ae6e2b756c/Abbott%20Covid%20Presser%20March%2024%20NW%20TT%2014.jpg)
![Gov. Greg Abbott holds a new executive order regarding the coronavirus during a press conference in Austin on March 24, 2020.]()
Credit: Nick Wagner/POOL via American-Statesman -
Gov. Greg Abbott stresses local school officials "know best" whether schools should reopen
Abbott said the state will provide schools with personal protective equipment to prepare for the new year. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/d3a97a92f2a37abb04249a80741ab81a/Abbott%20June%2016%20press%20AAS%20RBB%20TT%2001.jpg)
![Gov. Greg Abbott gives an update on Texas hospital bed capacity and the state's strategy for fighting COVID-19 during a press conference at Texas Department of Public Safety in Austin on Tuesday, June 16, 2020.]()
Credit: Ricardo B. Brazziell/Pool via Austin American-Statesman -
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
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/1c4fa786260990976aea0942d42fd980/Abbott_Patrick_Bonnen_Joint_Presser_4.jpg)
![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.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr. / The Texas Tribune. -
Gov. Greg Abbott says local health officials can shut down schools only in limited circumstances
Abbott said local health authorities can't shut down in-person instruction before school starts, but an outbreak on campus once students have arrived could prompt a closure. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/f68cf17a5b3ad80383030abe61ec32a7/Cactus%20Elementary%20School%20File%20MG%20TT%2010.jpg)
![A student walks down the hallway at Cactus Elementary School in Cactus on Jan. 28, 2020.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
TribCast: Texas revises coronavirus death tally as school reopening chaos continues
On this week's TribCast, Alexa talks to Ross, Aliyya and Emma about the state's bad relationship with data and the latest pingponging guidance on how and when schools can reopen during the coronavirus pandemic. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/cd7c55a69419e538230ad8e83f805fc5/TribCast%20July%2029.jpg)
![The Dobie Pre-Kindergarten in Austin.]()
Credit: Shelby Knowles for The Texas Tribune -
Cecile Young to lead Texas Health and Human Services Commission
Young, a longtime public servant, will take the helm of an agency of nearly 37,000 employees as it navigates a worsening pandemic and a host of lingering internal problems. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/09063a17f9b9d6e8d2e0200803bb7bf4/Cecile%20Young%20TT%2001.jpg)
![Texas Health and Human Services Commission Executive Commissioner Cecile Erwin Young.]()
Credit: Texas Health and Human Services Commission -
Texas fifth and eighth graders won't have to pass STAAR test to move on to the next grade
Gov. Greg Abbott said Monday that Texas students must take the state standardized test next spring, but fifth and eighth graders can graduate without passing it. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/490cffb755af85c90b24f92bd05c06e0/STAAR%20PYH%20TT%2001.jpg)
![STAAR themed decorations adorn the hallways of Wharton Elementary School in Wharton on April 21, 2018.]()
Credit: Pu Ying Huang for The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott extends early voting for November election by six days, starting Oct. 13
The early voting period for the Nov. 3 election will start Oct. 13 instead of Oct. 19. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/172e800c70a43b576cacb9396b44abc3/Abbott%20June%2016%20press%20AAS%20RBB%20TT%2005.JPG)
![Gov. Greg Abbott adjusts his mask after giving an update on the categories of medical surge facilities at a press conference at the Texas Department of Public Safety on Tuesday, June 16, 2020.]()
Credit: Ricardo B. Brazziell/Pool via Austin American-Statesman -
As Hurricane Hanna makes landfall, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott warns residents to not forget coronavirus
Gov. Greg Abbott talked about hurricane preparedness and about special measures being taken because of the pandemic at a Saturday afternoon news conference. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/bb984b7730c6d1d5c6f4888c1030c38c/Hurricane%20Hanna%20REUTERS%20TT.jpg)
![Tides rise at Bob Hall Pier in Corpus Christi as Hurricane Hanna approaches land on Saturday.]()
Credit: Courtney Sacco/Caller-Times via REUTERS -
Ten members of this South Texas family have contracted COVID-19. She doesn’t want to be next.
Elisa Soliz, a Hidalgo County school bus driver, says she’ll retire before subjecting herself to a busload of kids, many of whom lack access to health care. Listen in the weekend edition of The Brief podcast. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/ddfcfcda07fca87bddee613464acfead/Weekend%20Brief%20July%2025%20TT%2001.jpg)
![Elisa Soliz (front right) sits with her sister, Beatriz Gonzales (front left, who died from the new coronavirus in May.]()
Credit: Courtesy of Elisa Soliz -
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
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/b5a85b04c8beb1b875084ded7986b461/Republican%20Party%20Paraphernalia%20EG%20TT%2007.jpg)
![The Republican Party of Texas office in downtown Austin.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune