Texas

How Two Local Governments Got Covid Vaccination Registrations Right

From system failures to overbooked appointments, the technology many governments relied on to manage vaccinations crashed and burned. But New Orleans and Dallas County found software that worked.

  • By Andrea Noble

GOP Governors Take Action to Block Covid ‘Vaccine Passports’

The Biden administration is making clear it is not planning to pursue a federal proof-of-vaccination program.

  • By Bill Lucia

Gov. Greg Abbott Publicly Slammed Facebook. Privately, He’s Courting the Social Media Giant to Build a Second Data Center in Texas.

The effort comes as Abbott and some Texas legislators are pushing a proposal to punish social media companies for “canceling conservative speech.”

  • By Shawn Mulcahy, The Texas Tribune

Texas Senate Advances Bill Limiting How and When Voters Can Cast Ballots, Receive Mail-in Voting Applications

Senate Bill 7 is at the forefront of Texas Republicans’ crusade to further restrict voting in the state following last year’s election.

  • By Alexa Ura, The Texas Tribune

Texas Senate Gives Initial Approval to Bill to Stop Social Media Companies From Banning Texans for Political Views

Some experts have raised doubts whether the bill will hold up in court.

  • By Shawn Mulcahy, The Texas Tribune

Texas Opens Covid-19 Vaccine to Everyone 16 and Older on March 29

The Texas Department of State Health Services is asking providers to prioritize appointments for people 80 and older, and to prioritize walk-ins from anyone in that age group who shows up without an appointment.

  • By Karen Brooks Harper, The Texas Tribune

National Homelessness Estimate Grows for Fourth Consecutive Year

The number of people who are homeless and without shelter has been on the rise.

  • By Brent Woodie

Matthew McConaughey is Flirting with a Run for Governor. But His Politics Remain a Mystery.

The actor hasn't voted in a primary since at least 2012 and has never donated to a Texas or federal campaign.

  • By Patrick Svitek, The Texas Tribune

Don't be Surprised When Vaccinated People Get Infected

Post-immunization cases, sometimes called "breakthroughs," are very rare and very expected.

  • By Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic

The Biden Agenda Doesn’t Run Through Washington

How the president can partner directly with America's biggest cities and suburbs- even in the reddest states.

  • By Ronald Brownstein, The Atlantic

Oil-Friendly States Fight Back Against Sustainable Investment Trend

New bills would force states to stop investing in companies that use sustainable strategies.

  • By Erika Bolstad, Stateline

New Project Aims to Identify Local Government Assets at Risk of Cyberattack

The two-year pilot program was announced as state and local governments are still assessing the scope of recent widespread hacks.

  • By Andrea Noble
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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton Threatened to Sue Austin Over Mask Mandate. The City Isn't Backing Down.

Austin and Travis County officials said they would continue to require masks even after Gov. Greg Abbott ended his statewide mandate.

  • By Reese Oxner, The Texas Tribune

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.

  • By Ross Ramsey, The Texas Tribune

Biden Criticizes ‘Neanderthal Thinking’ as Two Governors Roll Back Mask Mandates

The Republican governors of Texas and Mississippi this week announced plans to ease public health restrictions, prompting the rebuke from the president.

  • By Andrea Noble

'It’s Putting Us in The Firing Line': Some Small Business Owners Worry About Gov. Greg Abbott Lifting Coronavirus Restrictions

Abbott’s order will leave it to business owners to decide whether to require customers wear masks inside their establishments. Some say they will keep coronavirus restrictions in place, but some business owners worry those decisions could anger potential customers.

  • By Mitchell Ferman, Megan Menchaca and Duncan Agnew, The Texas Tribune

Gov. Greg Abbott Says He's Rescinding Statewide Mask Mandate and Capacity Limits on Businesses

The change, which comes as the seven-day average of new coronavirus deaths in Texas remains above 200, will go into effect March 10.

  • By Patrick Svitek, The Texas Tribune

Texas Workers Struggle to Pay for Groceries and Rent after Losing Wages During Winter Storm

Many hourly wage employees across the state lost working hours last week during the storm and power outage disaster. Now, they’re left with a choice between paying for rent or groceries.

  • By Duncan Agnew, The Texas Tribune

'I Need to Find Water, and I Need to Find it Now': A Local Official Takes Disaster Relief Into Her Own Hands

Paige Ellis, a city council member in Austin, Texas tracked down 10 pallets of bottled water and distributed it across her district after winter storms left thousands in the state without power or water.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

Texas Plants Released Nearly as Much Pollution During Winter Storm as During Hurricane Laura

Oil refineries, chemical plants and other industrial operators emitted 3.5 million pounds of excess pollution during the winter storm and power crisis in Texas, according to an analysis of company notices provided to state regulators.

  • By Erin Douglas, The Texas Tribune

Texans Blindsided By Massive Electric Bills Await Details of Gov. Greg Abbott's Promised Relief

Electric bills are likely to rise for everyone, experts and consumer advocates say, but some Texans on variable rate contracts have been hit with immediate, massive price spikes. Lawmakers and the governor have promised to help, but haven't said how.

  • By Shannon Najmabadi, The Texas Tribune