The state’s data on the impacts of the pandemic on people of color has been incomplete.
Demographics
Explore population trends, diversity, and data shaping Texas communities, politics, and policy.
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Police brutality in Texas
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says America must turn to God to heal racism
Speaking to Fox News, Patrick acknowledged that “we have racism in this country,” adding that, “We need a culture change to address this racism, [and] you cannot change the culture of the country until you change the character of mankind.”
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Police brutality in Texas
In Austin, a liberal bastion, protests force another reckoning with racism, segregation
Although Austin was not the only city in Texas to have protests, the death of Michael Ramos there brought out tensions that have long plagued the city, a place that is recognized for its moments of progressivism yet has deep-rooted racial biases.
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Coronavirus in Texas
More than a third of Texans speak a language other than English. That means key coronavirus updates aren’t accessible to them.
Because of language barriers, Texas risks leaving some of the state’s marginalized communities even more vulnerable to contracting the virus while making it more difficult to access resources needed to get through the pandemic.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Dallas, San Antonio extend curfews through Sunday night
Throughout the weekend, protesters marched in Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Fort Worth, clashing with police officers, over the death of George Floyd.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Some Texas hospitals continued to sue patients for unpaid medical bills during the coronavirus pandemic
Hundreds of debt collection lawsuits have been filed since Gov. Greg Abbott declared a state of disaster because of COVID-19 in mid-March, according to the Health Care Research and Policy Team at Johns Hopkins University.
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Coronavirus in Texas
For some, forgoing masks in public during the coronavirus pandemic has become a political statement
Mask arguments among Texans are occurring everywhere from retail stores to the highest levels of government.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Texas is locked in a battle over voting by mail. Here’s how to do it.
It’s unclear whether Texas will expand who is eligible for a mail-in ballot during the pandemic, as other states have. But the people who normally qualify to vote by mail can still do so in July.
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Coronavirus in Texas
How Lina Hidalgo is navigating coronavirus and conservative backlash in Texas’ biggest county
Harris County has seen new cases plateau under the county judge. But her orders designed to slow the spread of the new coronavirus have generated outrage among some conservatives.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Complaint filed over Texas AG Ken Paxton’s tactics to limit mail-in voting
In a series of tweets and a public statement, Paxton said eligibility for absentee voting has not been expanded. But a state judge’s order says otherwise.