“I’m over it. I need a haircut.” Eager but nervous Texans venture back into busy salons and barbershops
Barbers reported being booked through the day due to pent-up demand related to the coronavirus. Full Story
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Alex Samuels
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Alex Samuels was a reporter for The Texas Tribune from 2017 to 2021. She helped with national campaign coverage, wrote stories about the intersection of race and politics in Texas, and covered the hottest political news bubbling out of local communities. She was also one of the primary authors of The Blast, the Tribune’s subscription-only daily newsletter for political insiders. Alex began at the Tribune as a fellow in 2016. She graduated in 2017 from the University of Texas at Austin’s School of Journalism. She originally is from Massachusetts and is the best pingpong player at the Tribune.
Past Contributions
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![Stevin Kane, who has owned and operated Kane's Barber Shop since 2006, gives his first haircut of the day to loyal customer Larry Franklin.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
"There's no sense in risking it": As Texas eases restrictions, a family keeps its social distance
The governor is allowing more businesses to reopen, and Texans are weighing the risks of returning to normalcy. In this weekly series, Texans from across the state share stories about how they're navigating life during the COVID-19 pandemic. Full Story
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At a Texas mall reopening, some antsy shoppers wore homemade masks while others called coronavirus a farce
Friday was the first day that shopping malls — along with restaurants, retail outlets and movie theaters — were allowed to reopen in Texas. Under an order from Gov. Greg Abbott, stores can open their doors, but they must limit occupancy to no more than 25% of capacity. Full Story
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![Customers practice social distancing as they wait for the Barton Creek Square Mall in Austin to open on May 1, 2020.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
In Houston's Chinatown, restaurants plan to feed front-line workers during the pandemic
Restaurant owners aim to give 10,000 meals to frontline workers. A boy with cancer wants a mohawk. An East Texas town prepares to reopen some businesses. In this weekly series, Texans from across the state share stories about how they're navigating life during the COVID-19 pandemic. Full Story
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![Debbie Chen and Nguyen T. Nguyen, a local artist and photographer, hold Sourdough bread and chocolate filled cookies]()
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As Texas Gov. Greg Abbott phases in reopening, some in his party are testing his rules
Abbott’s instinct so far has been mostly to deescalate, staving off confrontations that could hobble the careful course he is charting. Full Story
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![Austin residents visit Zilker Park in spite of the COVID-19 related stay-at-home order Austin on April 23, 2020.]()
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Black Texans already face health care disparities. The coronavirus is making it worse.
As the coronavirus spreads, black people are less likely to have access to proper health care and more likely to have health issues that make the virus more dangerous. Full Story
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![Harris County Health Department nurse Harriet Lewis administers a COVID-19 test at Stallworth Stadium in Baytown on March 21, 2020.]()
Credit: Reggie Mathalone for The Texas Tribune -
"A victory every time": Battling cancer while the world battles the coronavirus
A 5-year-old continues his cancer treatments. A couple watch the business they built wither. A small hospital treats its first coronavirus patient. In this weekly series, Texans from across the state share stories about how they're navigating life during the COVID-19 pandemic. Full Story
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![Nikhil Shah, 5, holds a Lego set at the clinic where he receives weekly chemotherapy treatments in San Antonio.]()
Credit: Courtesy of Rupal Shah -
This North Texas mayor is trying to reopen businesses in Colleyville, bucking Abbott’s stay-at-home order
Colleyville Mayor Richard Newton appears to be the first mayor in Texas to move ahead with plans to relax stay-at-home orders aimed to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Full Story
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![Mayor Richard Newton, center, and the Colleyville city council.]()
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Dan Patrick says “there are more important things than living and that’s saving this country”
Patrick went on Fox News on Monday evening to defend comments he made last month where he said he would rather die from the widely spreading coronavirus than see the economy destroyed for his children and grandchildren. Full Story
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"They're proud of me": With a mask and a passion to help, lawyer keeps working in Mexican border city
An El Paso lawyer helps migrants in Juárez. A student struggles to focus while studying at home. A food pantry worker searches for a familiar face. In this weekly series, Texans from across the state share stories about how they're navigating life during the COVID-19 pandemic. Full Story
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Credit: Courtesy of Taylor Levy
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