“The setting will be similar to a Medical-Surgical Unit with a capability of treating critical care patients,” reads a description for a 100-bed site in Austin, according to an email obtained by The Texas Tribune.
Politics
Stay informed with The Texas Tribune’s in-depth political coverage, including Texas elections, state government, policy debates, and the leaders shaping the future of the state.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Criminal case against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will return to his native Collin County, judge rules
Paxton, a Republican, was indicted in 2015 on felony securities fraud charges, but the case has yet to go to trial as side battles persist over the venue where he will be tried and the amount the special prosecutors will be paid.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
Gov. Greg Abbott keeps businesses open despite surging coronavirus cases and rising deaths in Texas
“We can protect Texans’ lives while also restoring their livelihoods,” Abbott said this week. As cases surge, the question has become: How many Texans’ lives?
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
Gov. Greg Abbott pauses Texas’ reopening, bans elective surgeries in four counties to preserve bed space for coronavirus patients
For a second time since the start of the pandemic, Abbott banned elective surgeries to preserve bed space for coronavirus patients. But this time the hold on the nonessential procedures is only in effect for Bexar, Dallas, Harris and Travis counties.
Posted in
Economy
Visa denial rates for highly skilled workers were already hurting Texas businesses before Trump administration ordered new limits
The Texas economy relies heavily on temporary work visas, like H-1Bs, to hire highly trained international employees. But there was un uptick in denial rates for H-1Bs even before the Trump administration moved to limit them.
Posted in
Texas 2020 Elections
Federal court tosses suit brought by Texas Democrats seeking to revive straight-ticket voting
Siding with the state, U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo found that Democrats lacked standing to overturn Texas Republicans’ decision to kill straight-ticket voting ahead of the November general election.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
Coronavirus patients crowd some Texas ICUs as Gov. Greg Abbott touts “abundant” hospital capacity
Regionally, some hospital officials are reporting that intensive care units are near or over capacity, and local leaders have warned that hospitals could get overwhelmed if the number of infections keeps climbing.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
Running for Congress while responding to a pandemic, these three Texans say they’re uniquely equipped for the job
Three Texas doctors didn’t know about the coronavirus when they filed to run for Congress this year, but now the pandemic has upended their professional and political lives.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
Texas is heading down a dangerous path, local leaders warn as coronavirus cases and hospitalizations surge
When Gov. Greg Abbott let businesses start reopening, he pointed to two metrics as encouraging signs: the hospitalization rate and the infection rate. Both of those metrics are on the rise in Texas.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar calls Gov. Greg Abbott’s leadership during coronavirus “a total failure”
During an interview with The Texas Tribune, Escobar, D-El Paso, said the state’s leadership missed an opportunity to implement robust testing when an emergency was declared.