Fixing immigration and ending hate crimes was hard enough without elected policymakers in Austin and Washington D.C., stoking nativist and racial fears.
Economy
Get the latest on jobs, business, growth, and policy shaping the state’s economy with in-depth reporting from The Texas Tribune.
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Winter Storm 2021
Experts fear reversing electricity prices from winter storm could make things worse
It is unclear who would be helped or hurt — and by how much — if lawmakers try to revise electricity market prices charged during the winter storm.
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Demographics
“I don’t feel safe anymore”: Asian Texans grapple with racism after a gunman killed Asian women in Atlanta
Tuesday’s shootings in Atlanta left six Asian women dead. Asian Texans say they’re being targeted, too.
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Winter Storm 2021
At least 57 people died in the Texas winter storm, mostly from hypothermia
The deaths occurred in at least 25 counties. And 25 of the fatalities occurred in Harris County. Some Texas deaths were caused by carbon monoxide poisoning and medical equipment failure.
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Coronavirus in Texas
One year ago, the first Texan was killed by COVID-19. 47,000 deaths followed — and it’s not over.
This timeline tracks COVID-19’s rampage through Texas over the last year: the growing death toll, the policy decisions made in response to the pandemic that often influenced its course, and the stories of some of the Texans claimed by the virus.
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Texas Legislature 2021
Analysis: Government budgets looked terrible when COVID-19 started. A federal windfall has flipped the outlook.
Texas lawmakers expected to be sweating over a very tight budget right now, after strong early signs that the pandemic would stall the economy. But an improved economy and a huge infusion of federal aid is erasing those fears.
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Texas Legislature 2021
In oil-rich Texas, GOP lawmakers push bill to punish Wall Street for fossil fuel disinvestments
The bill would direct state investment funds to divest from companies that cut ties with fossil fuel companies, pitting Texas against some increasingly carbon-conscious Wall Street investors.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Joe Biden signs COVID-19 relief bill that will give millions of Texans $1,400 checks
The bill, which also includes billions in aid for state and local governments, now awaits President Joe Biden’s signature.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Texas no longer has a statewide mask mandate. But face coverings are still required in some businesses and public places.
Texas’ statewide mask mandate has ended as of March 10. Businesses are also now allowed to operate at full capacity as long as the hospitals in their region haven’t been treating a large share of patients for COVID-19. Here’s a look at what the loosened restrictions mean for Texans.
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Winter Storm 2021
Analysis: One way or another, Texans will get the bill for fixing the electric grid
It’s going to be expensive to make sure the state’s electricity stays on during winter storms like the one that blacked out most of Texas last month, and the money will come, one way or another, from average Texans.