Economists said canceling football would be devastating to local businesses that rely on the huge influxes of cash from home games. Meanwhile, athletics officials weigh whether they can risk the health and welfare of student athletes.
COVID-19 Recession in Texas
The coronavirus pandemic has steered the Texas economy into a recession as the state’s unemployment rate remains high and many businesses struggle to survive. Several sources of government and nonprofit aid have either expired or dried up. Economists say the ongoing public health crisis will slow the recovery for individual Texans, business owners and entire industries. For the latest news on this topic, sign up for our weekly economy newsletter and follow energy and economy reporter Mitchell Ferman on Twitter.
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Coronavirus in Texas
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.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton says local governments can’t stop or delay evictions
The nonbinding opinion comes as housing experts and advocates fear that the COVID-19 recession will prompt a surge in evictions across the state.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Texas sales tax collections went up in July — and were higher than one year ago
Texas collected $2.98 billion in sales tax revenue in July — 4.3% more than in July 2019. Comptroller Glenn Hegar said the number was “better than expected.”
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Coronavirus in Texas
Houston announces $15 million to assist tenants, but passes on mandatory eviction grace period for people behind on rent
The city’s first program, launched in May, received overwhelming demand and ran out of funds in 90 minutes.
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Coronavirus in Texas
A federal prohibition against some evictions has expired. Here’s what you need to know about unpaid rent in Texas.
Many local governments have implemented their own measures to protect tenants from eviction during the pandemic, and there are groups that help tenants navigate what can be a complicated and traumatic process.
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Coronavirus in Texas
This Silicon Valley-based lender sued thousands of Texans during the pandemic. It stopped when we started asking questions.
The company didn’t say exactly how many pending lawsuits it would drop in Texas and elsewhere, but it confirmed that “several thousand cases” would be impacted.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Texas families now have until Aug. 21 to apply for food aid to make up for school meals
The families of more than 20% of the 3.6 million eligible school children across the state have yet to apply for federal aid under the Pandemic EBT program.
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Coronavirus in Texas
As Congress feuds over unemployment payments, more than 1.6 million jobless Texans are about to lose a $600 weekly benefit
The CARES Act’s $600 weekly unemployment benefit expires in Texas on Saturday, leaving out-of-work Texans in a period of uncertainty as Congress debates what to put in new federal relief legislation.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Undocumented immigrants behind on their rent are self-evicting across Texas
Without money to pay rent, facing pressures from landlords and afraid of courts, people without legal immigration status have limited options.