The latest economy news from The Texas Tribune.
The U.S. Treasury Department seized $1.9 million in unspent rent relief from five Texas counties and one city because local officials didn’t spend the money fast enough. Full Story
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If Texas politicians seem to be tinkering at the edges of major issues like the pandemic, electric blackouts and education, an election year is the best opportunity to set them straight. Full Story
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As 2021 comes to a close, here’s a look back at just some of our favorite images captured by Texas Tribune photographers all over the state — and across the nation — to tell the stories of Texans in a challenging year. Full Story
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Here are a dozen of my columns from 2021: highlights on the winter storm, redistricting, the state’s finances and on issues that could figure into this next round of elections. Full Story
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The Texas Department of State Health Services, which tracks the number of coronavirus vaccinations, cases, hospitalizations and deaths across the state, won’t be updating its daily dashboard Friday through Sunday both this week and next over the holidays. Full Story
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After nearly two years of navigating life during a pandemic, many Texans are now scrambling for COVID tests, delaying plans and worrying about relatives who have been exposed to the virus. Full Story
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Texas’ housing crunch has spread outside of the state’s major metropolitan areas and into more rural parts of Texas. Smaller cities and towns saw steep increases in home prices as COVID-19 spread. Full Story
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Texas is among states that sued the Biden administration over its mandate. An appeals court ruled in the president's favor Friday and reinstated the rule, set to take effect Jan. 4. Full Story
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Republicans in Austin have been after local governments for years, pushing aside local laws and rules on a long list of issues where local and state powers overlap. Now they're recruiting fellow Republicans for local offices, to try to change things at the ground level. Full Story
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Chances are, winter weather won’t be as bad as it was last February. Chances are, Texas won’t have the electric blackouts that caused so much misery then. And chances are, whatever happens will have some influence on the 2022 elections. Full Story
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Critics of the Chapter 313 corporate tax incentive program say it lacks accountability and is burdensome to taxpayers in the state. Full Story
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Evictions in major Texas cities have reached levels not seen since the pandemic began. But tenant protections and financial assistance for struggling renters are beginning to fade. Full Story
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As the political season starts, the contestants got an unexpected bit of good news: The state comptroller says the next Legislature will start with almost $25 billion in the state treasury. Expensive campaign promises just got a lot easier to make. Full Story
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After months of contentious negotiations, the U.S. House passed the Build Back Better plan. It would establish universal pre-K and provide funding to combat climate change, among other things. Full Story
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Texas health officials insist delta-8 is an illegal substance and has been for 40 years. Full Story
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The funds will help advance existing plans, pay for much-needed repairs and launch other projects for roads, bridges, broadband access, electric vehicle charging stations and more. Full Story
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Thirty-eight percent of respondents said the state economy is doing worse than a year ago, further evidence that Texans are still feeling the pandemic’s consequences. Full Story
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Housing advocates worry some Texans won’t get the help they need as the state enters the cold winter months. Full Story
![[Neighborhood scenes - Justice Court Pct. 5 Place 1 under Honorable Russ Ridgway] Clarewood Gardens Apartments of the Chimney Rock neighborhood in southwest Houston. Aug. 21, 2020.](https://thumbnails.texastribune.org/cqlcz8vc9Ox_TpFvfCFmEvEKTK0=/850x570/smart/filters:quality(75)/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/0e5bdc9b3997bbcc3ea29d12b1bf43b3/Houston%20Evictions%20PYH%20TT%2010.jpg)
The new rules preempt state and local laws, including part of Gov. Greg Abbott’s ban on vaccine mandates. Full Story
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Texas Republicans have largely welcomed the blockchain technology industry with open arms. But skeptics are concerned about cryptocurrency mining’s impact on the environment and energy grid. Full Story
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