Houston mayor calls for more funding for social services to take pressure off police officers
During a Houston policing roundtable organized by U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, several local leaders emphasized the need for social services funding. Full Story
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![Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner speaks during the funeral for George Floyd at the Fountain of Praise church in Houston on Tuesday, June 9, 2020.]()
Credit: Godofredo A. Vasquez/Pool via REUTERS -
Recording reveals Empower Texans employees joking about Gov. Greg Abbott's wheelchair use
Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick both denounced the recording, which also includes the staff members using multiple profanities in describing Abbott. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott announces his plan to reopen the economy during the coronavirus pandemic.]()
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This year, Juneteenth takes on new meaning for black Texans, as push to make holiday with Texas roots goes national
In 1980, Texas became the first state to adopt Juneteenth as a holiday. It is officially recognized in all but three states: Hawaii, North Dakota and South Dakota. As Americans continue to march for racial justice, black Texans say the holiday has taken on additional weight. Full Story
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![The Juneteenth historic marker is located on Strand Street in Galveston. The marker commemorates June 19, 1865, the day that Union soldiers arrived in Galveston to inform enslaved black Texans that slavery had ended, two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. June 15, 2020.]()
Credit: Pu Ying Huang for The Texas Tribune -
Donald Trump's support, rural roots fuel budding drama in Panhandle congressional runoff
The runoff has rapidly turned contentious between President Donald Trump's choice for the seat, Ronny Jackson, and Josh Winegarner, who is backed by retiring incumbent Mac Thornberry. Full Story
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![From left, Josh Winegarner and former White House physician Ronny Jackson.]()
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U.S. Sen. John Cornyn will file bill to make Juneteenth a federal holiday
Cornyn is not the first Texas lawmaker to take similar steps toward celebrating Juneteenth. On Monday, U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston, introduced a resolution aiming to recognize the historical significance of the holiday. Her measure has more than 200 cosponsors. Full Story
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![U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, speaks to the press at the University of Texas at Austin tower in Austin on June 14, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn faces outcry from Democrats after questioning idea of systemic racism
The two Democrats vying to replace him this fall say he doesn't understand the concept. Full Story
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![U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, speaks at The American Legion Boys State ceremony on the south steps of the University of Texas at Austin tower on June 14, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Bexar and Hidalgo counties require face masks in businesses as coronavirus surges. Other Texas leaders consider similar measures.
Austin's mayor issued a similar order late Wednesday. Local leaders have been asking for the ability to impose more strict mask orders, but Gov. Greg Abbott never publicly mentioned that one option was ordering businesses to require them. Full Story
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![The Barn Door restaurant during dinner service in San Antonio on May 18, 2020.]()
Credit: Christopher Lee for The Texas Tribune -
Texas lawmakers want to add more LGTBQ safeguards after U.S. Supreme Court guarantees workplace protections
A new ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court makes clear that it violates federal law to fire an employee on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation. Now Texas lawmakers want to guarantee similar protections for LGBTQ Texans in housing, health care and other spheres. Full Story
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![Members of Austin's LGBT community gather on the steps of the capitol to celebrate the anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall riots on June 28, 2017.]()
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George Floyd killing energizes a new generation in fight against racism in East Texas
Young people with little experience in activism are propelling a series of protests in East Texas, a region known for its history of violence against black people. Full Story
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![Demonstrators march in Tyler to protest the death of George Floyd on Monday, June 1, 2020.]()
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Polls suggest Joe Biden has a shot at winning Texas. How he fares here could reshape the state’s politics.
It’s unclear whether it’ll be worth it for Biden to spend the money to compete in Texas. But a strong showing here could help Democrats flip the state House and solidify control of the U.S. House. Full Story
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![Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden speaks at a community event in San Antonio on Dec. 13, 2019.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
The new coronavirus has killed more than 2,000 people in Texas
The true death toll is certainly higher than the state's official count. It is now routine to add two or three dozen deaths to the tally every afternoon. And each day, more Texans are catching the virus that might kill them. Full Story
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![A healthcare worker preps for a COVID-19 test at the drive-thru testing station in Alpine on April 25, 2020.]()
Credit: Sarah M. Vasquez for The Texas Tribune -
Surge in coronavirus cases linked to more Texans in their 20s getting sick, officials say
Gov. Greg Abbott and health experts say young adults may be taking social distancing less seriously. Full Story
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![Customers wait in line to enter Chupacabra Cantina in downtown Austin as Texas bars reopened on May 22, 2020.]()
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Texas Democrats ask U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in on voting by mail
The Democrats are asking the Supreme Court to let stand a lower court's sweeping ruling that would allow all Texas voters to qualify for mail ballots. Full Story
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![Mail-in ballot application.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
U.S. Supreme Court says civil rights law applies to LGBTQ workers, granting protections long denied in Texas
Texas has no laws on the books explicitly protecting people from workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, but the Supreme Court's ruling on Monday now gives federal protections. Full Story
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![LGBTQ activists and supporters hold a rally outside the U.S. Supreme in Washington on October 8, 2019.]()
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Texas Democrats urge Abbott to call special session as details emerge showing Javier Ambler’s death at the hands of sheriff's deputies
In 2019, Williamson County sheriff's deputies held down Ambler and stunned him four times before his body went limp. He died at a hospital about an hour later. Full Story
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![Javier Ambler II.]()
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Protests against police brutality and racism: scenes from small Texas towns and cities
The demonstrations against police brutality that have swept through Texas haven't been confined to its largest cities. Texas Tribune photographers documented marches in smaller cities and towns across the state. Here are some of their images. Full Story
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![Demonstrators march in Tyler to protest the death of George Floyd on Monday, June 1, 2020.]()
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Comment on looting brings bipartisan heat to Kim Olson's congressional campaign
"Even if people loot, so what? Burn it to the ground if, you know, if that’s what it’s gonna take to fix our nation," Olson said. The comment, and her explanation afterward, drew criticism from Republicans and the Congressional Black Caucus, which supports her primary runoff opponent. Full Story
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![Kim Olson, right, at a Texas Tribune Festival panel on Sept. 27, 2019.]()
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Monday is your deadline to register to vote in the Texas primary runoff
The runoff election for the Democratic and Republican primaries is July 14. The runoffs were postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Full Story
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![Voting signs at The University of Texas at Austin campus on Feb. 19, 2020, the second day of early voting for the Texas Priamary.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Texas attorney general asks for power to investigate police who kill people
As the nation reels from George Floyd's death at the hands of Minneapolis police, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton wants his office to have the authority to prosecute cases in which police kill. That currently falls to local authorities. Full Story
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![Ken Paxton at the inauguration ceremony of Judge Michelle Slaughter at the state Capitol in Austin on Jan. 11, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Donald Trump cautions against “falsely labeling” racists while in Dallas to talk about George Floyd
The president largely expressed deference to police, arguing that there are "bad apples" but "not too many of them." Full Story
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![U.S. President Donald Trump watches as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson gets a standing ovation after saying “We are not each other’s enemies” during a roundtable discussion with members of the faith community, law enforcement and small business at Gateway Church Dallas Campus in Dallas on June 11, 2020.]()
Credit: Jonathan Ernst/Pool via REUTERS