Stories by Texas Tribune fellows

Health experts worry that increased travel and mingling over Thanksgiving and into the December holidays could exacerbate an already dangerous situation as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are rising across Texas. Full Story 

Texas joins California, which has 10 million more residents than Texas, as the nation’s leaders in coronavirus cases. Full Story 

Texans behind bars are also testing positive at a rate 40% higher than the national prison population average, according to a new report from the University of Texas at Austin. Full Story 

Cases continued rising as a state district judge heard arguments Wednesday over a shutdown order issued by El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego. Judge William Moody said he would render a decision later this week on whether to temporarily halt the county order. Full Story 

Wright defeated Democrat Chrysta Castañeda. The commission's elected, three-member board has been entirely Republican for at least 25 years. Full Story 

Officials are warning that coronavirus-related staffing shortages mean elections workers are unlikely to finish counting mail-in ballots Tuesday night, potentially leaving the county’s tightest races undecided until later this week. Full Story 

GOP campaign ads paint cities as lawless places and Democrats as enablers of crime. But people pushing for criminal justice reform say those portrayals sidestep the systemic racism that prompted this year’s protests against police brutality. Full Story 

While big cities and high-stakes lawsuits dominate Texas voting news, the election may come down to rural counties like Archer or Aransas, where there's usually just a few people to handle registering voters, reporting results — and everything in between. Full Story 

With attention on Texas races up and down the ballot, a virtually unknown Republican candidate and big-time donations to the Democratic nominee, Democrats think they have a shot of winning a seat on the Railroad Commission. Full Story 

Wearing T-shirts, buttons or hats supporting political candidates at the polls is illegal. But in the pandemic era, voters are now being reminded that the electioneering rules also apply to face masks. Full Story 

A spokesperson for the Guard said the deployment is not related to the election and troops would not be stationed at polling places. Mayors in two cities say they weren't advised of the deployment. Full Story 

Polling locations are one of Abbott’s 11 exemptions to his statewide mask mandate that went into effect July 3. Abbott said at the time that the exemption is meant to prevent people from being turned away at the polls just because they don’t have a mask, though he has also recommended that people wear them. Full Story 

At least two counties – Hidalgo and El Paso – have banned door-to-door trick-or-treating. Others are discouraging participation while promoting safer alternatives such as carving pumpkins or having a candy hunt at home. Full Story 

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. Full Story 

Under the state’s vaccine distribution plan, vulnerable people, including health care workers, older people and people with underlying medical conditions, would likely be the first to get the vaccine in the early months that it’s available. Full Story 

The census does not include an option for people to identify as Middle Eastern or North African Americans. That leaves Arab Texans to identify as white or “other” on the all-important national count. Full Story 

Abbott said Friday that the Texas Department of State Health Services and the Texas Division of Emergency Management sent surge resources to the Panhandle and South Plains areas. Full Story 

Gov. Greg Abbott, with the Texas Education Agency and Texas Division of Emergency Management, announced the COVID-19 Rapid Testing Pilot Program on Wednesday. Full Story 

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. Full Story 

Political parties are enlisting a record number of poll watchers in Texas and across the country for a highly charged election season. Full Story