Gov. Greg Abbott slams Biden administration over vaccine mandate for employers
Abbott has long resisted making COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory. There may be legal precedent on Biden’s side. Full Story
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![Etetu Bulbula, 46, receives her first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine at a clinic held in partnership between the Central Texas Food Bank and the University of Texas in Austin on July 21, 2021.]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
U.S. Justice Department sues Texas over new abortion law that Attorney General Merrick Garland calls unconstitutional
Garland called the law a "scheme to nullify the Constitution of the United States." It prohibits the procedure before many people know that they are pregnant. Full Story
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![One of the six exam rooms at Haven Health Clinics in downtown Amarillo on Dec. 9, 2013. The clinic provides services for women and some men in the 26 county region of the Texas panhandle.]()
Credit: Stephen Spillman for The Texas Tribune -
State agency recommends two firms to oversee construction of Gov. Greg Abbott’s Texas-Mexico border wall
The state is expected to award the contract in mid-September to begin the construction of a Texas-Mexico border wall. Full Story
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![A portion of the newly-erected border fence that is being constructed by the state on private property in Del Rio on July 23, 2021.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Man bites dog, tries to make amends
Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed legislation designed to protect dogs earlier this year. Now he's asking the Legislature to fix it — before next year’s elections. Full Story
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![Governor Greg Abott, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen pet Pancake, the governor’s dog after their joint press conference. Jan. 9, 2019.]()
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Gov. Greg Abbott calls special legislative session for redistricting, other conservative priorities starting Sept. 20
On top of redistricting, Abbott wants lawmakers to take up bills on restrictions for transgender student athletes and the allocation of billions of dollars in federal COVID-19 relief funds. Full Story
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott wanted state lawmakers to ban mask mandates in public schools. They didn’t.
As Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton vowed to punish any school district that defied Abbott’s ban on mask mandates, Republican legislators were largely indifferent on the matter. Full Story
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![A sign outside of a South Austin store asked customers to follow COVID-19 precautions on March 3, 2021.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
Justice Department exploring ways to challenge Texas’ abortion ban, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland says
Garland provided no details of how federal officials may challenge one of the nation’s strictest bans on abortion. His statement came days after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to block the law, at least for now. Full Story
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![U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland at a news conference at the Department of Justice in Washington on June 25, 2021.]()
Credit: REUTERS/Ken Cedeno -
Texas’ second special session of the year is over. Here are five things you need to know.
Lawmakers will return to Austin at least one more time this year to redraw the state's political maps. Only Gov. Greg Abbott knows when that will be and if there will be additional special sessions beyond that. Full Story
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![The House floor on Aug. 17, 2021.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
At least 45 districts shut down in-person classes due to COVID-19 cases, affecting more than 40,000 students
Caseloads have left districts scrambling when many have said they have fewer tools at their disposal to combat the spread of the virus. Full Story
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![An empty classroom at Chapa Middle School in Kyle on Aug. 24, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Abortion ban, permitless carry, elections bill: The week that solidified Texas' hard right turn after the 2020 election
Texas’ new near-total abortion ban, one of the most restrictive in the nation, punctuated a week that brought into stunning relief just how far the state’s political pendulum has swung to the right since the 2020 election. Full Story
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Texas must do more to effectively prevent carbon monoxide disasters, experts say
Months after the deadly gas killed at least 17 Texans during a massive winter storm, lawmakers have failed to take significant action to protect most of the state’s residents. Full Story
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Texas doctors association condemns abortion ban, says it encourages “vigilante interference” in doctor-patient relationship
The Texas Medical Association called two anti-abortion bills unconstitutional and criticized the U.S. Supreme Court for not blocking the broader law from going into effect. Full Story
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![An empty examination room at the Midway Family Planning clinic in Brownwood.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
COVID-19 hospitalizations in Texas level off just below the pandemic’s winter peak
The numbers have stayed within a few hundred of a grim milestone as the state battles the pandemic’s latest surge. Full Story
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![Nurse practitioner Cheryl Shovan inputs patients’ data in the halls of the COVID-19 care unit at Titus Regional Medical Center in Mount Pleasant on Aug. 19, 2021. The hospital is short of at least 20 nurses needed to handle the surge of COVID-19 cases in the Titus County area.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
Texas abortion law a “radical expansion” of who can sue whom, and an about-face for Republicans on civil lawsuits
Senate Bill 8, which allows anyone to sue anyone who performs or aids in an abortion, marks an unprecedented change to who has standing to bring a lawsuit. The tactic is also an emerging trend in Republican-dominated states that may compromise constitutional rights, some legal experts said. Full Story
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![An ultrasound machine sits next to an empty patient bed at Whole Women’s Health of Austin on Sept.1, 2021.]()
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Texas Legislature adjourns second special session after passing more of Gov. Greg Abbott’s priorities
The Legislature is expected to return soon for another special session focused on redrawing the state's political maps. Full Story
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![Speaker Dade Phelan presides over the Texas House of Representatives on Aug. 16, 2021.]()
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Analysis: Texas legislators, with an assist from the U.S. Supreme Court, open a Pandora’s box
The country just noticed what Texas was doing, and although Texans have been watching the debate over this anti-abortion law all year, even some of them were surprised at how quickly the legally protected right to abortion disappeared. Full Story
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![Protestors joined several Democratic lawmakers outside of the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on May 21, 2019, to show their opposition to the recent abortion ban implemented by several states.]()
Credit: Stefani Reynolds/CNP/ABACAPRESS.COM via REUTERS -
Social media companies can’t ban Texans over political viewpoints under new law
The law requires social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram to produce regular reports of removed content and disclose their content regulations procedures. Full Story
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![Social media icons on an iPhone screen.]()
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The nationwide ban on evictions is over. Here’s what Texas renters need to know.
There’s $1 billion in rental assistance available to struggling Texas tenants. But for many renters, getting the help they need depends on where they live. Full Story
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![Carl Nickerson shows his eviction papers outside of of Harris County Courthouse in Houston, Texas on Aug. 21, 2020.]()
Credit: Pu Ying Huang for The Texas Tribune -
Private donations for a Texas border wall have soared to $54 million. But it’s still unclear who’s giving.
After two months, the donations had petered out around $1 million. But the effort saw a major boost in August. Full Story
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![A border wall near the U.S. and Mexico border in Del Rio on July 22, 2021.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: New laws reflect Republican lawmakers’ focus on their right flank
From abortion restrictions to guns, the Texas Legislature's regular session Republican victories were just the beginning. Full Story
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![Lawmakers on the House floor on Aug. 23, 2021.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune
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