Stories by Texas Tribune fellows

A longstanding shortage of plumbers and disruptions to the supply chain of plumbing materials delivered to the state have combined to delay pipe and water heater repairs. Full Story 

Rural counties endured the same storm as big cities, but many haven't fallen under President Joe Biden's major disaster declaration. Officials say it's because those counties lack data on damages. Full Story 

Steve Sarkisian’s guaranteed compensation will be approved by the UT Board of Regents Thursday and is at least $5 million higher than any previous head coach. Full Story 

From a new mom in Pflugerville who struggled to keep her baby warm to a Houston teacher worried about her students, listen to what some Texans endured in the weekend edition of The Brief podcast. Full Story 

As power returns, half the state has issues with its water supply, and thawing pipes are at risk of bursting and flooding homes. Full Story 

Dialysis patients need treatments for hours at a time, multiple times a week. Power and water outages forced local centers to shut down. Full Story 

Texas residents said the storm — and ensuing partial collapse of the state's power system — sapped what mental reserves they had left after eleven months of a global health crisis that has cost thousands of jobs and claimed more than 40,000 lives in the state. Full Story 

Texas' energy grid operators warned of rolling, short-term power outages. Millions of homes have been without power since early Monday morning. Full Story 

Local organizations are providing warming shelters and resources, while nonprofits are asking for donations and volunteers. Full Story 

As the Biden administration works to expand federal nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people, Texas advocates and lawmakers are pushing for similar legislation here. Full Story 

U.S. District Judge Janis Jack says she will give state officials until May to make progress on her orders to overhaul the state's foster care system, or face hefty fines. Full Story 

While vaccinations are reaching more people every day, health care experts warn that this doesn’t mean Texas is out of the woods. Full Story 

Despite changes to the regular count of people experiencing homelessness, support organizations are hoping they’ll still be able to capture a clear picture of who is unhoused in Texas as the pandemic continues. Full Story 

After the Department of State Health Services neglected to include front-line essential workers in the latest phase of the vaccine rollout, grocery store workers juggle stressful work while waiting for the vaccine. Full Story 

The absence of any mention of the mass shootings rankled gun control advocates and state lawmakers from El Paso, who see this legislative session as their best chance to advance the very measures Abbott expressed support for in 2019. Full Story 

Activists worry that if the bill becomes law, many undocumented students will lose opportunities to further their education. They also say it could hurt the state’s economy. Full Story 

As the state continues struggling with an uneven vaccine rollout, some Texans in far-flung areas are traversing the state to get immunized. Full Story 

Biden issued the order Wednesday as part of his efforts to fight climate change. Full Story 

National Guard teams will visit DeWitt, Marion, Real, Sherman and Starr counties as part of a newly created State Mobile Vaccine Pilot Program. Full Story 

To combat food insecurity during the pandemic, the new president is increasing assistance for families receiving help to make up for free and reduced-cost school lunches. He also wants to increase food stamp benefits. Full Story