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Alexa Ura reported for The Texas Tribune from 2013 to 2023. She covered the complex dynamics of race, ethnicity, wealth, poverty and power and how they are shaping the future of Texas and Texans, in the long and short term. Alexa started at the Tribune as a reporting intern before graduating from the University of Texas at Austin and joining the staff full time. Originally from Laredo on the Texas-Mexico border, she is a native Spanish speaker and is based in Austin.
On this week's TribCast, Alexa talks to Matthew, Alex, Ross and Miguel about how Texas is mourning George Floyd and protesting police brutality, and the group does a quick elections check-in. Full Story
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Texas' top Republican officials call absentee voting a recipe for fraud and are fighting efforts to expand it during the coronavirus pandemic. But the governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general have all used the option. Full Story
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The state plans to appeal the Wednesday ruling from a federal judge in Corpus Christi. Full Story
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Although the court sided with state Attorney General Ken Paxton's interpretation of what constitutes a disability, it indicated that it is up to voters to assess their health and determine if they meet the state's definition, which could allow them to vote by mail. Full Story
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On this week's TribCast, Alexa talks to Matthew, Emma and Ross about the state's recently released guidance for the upcoming elections, the reopening of water parks and the economic devastation faced by Texas workers. Full Story
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The secretary of state suggested that voters "may want to consider" voting curbside if they have symptoms of COVID-19, including a fever, cough or sore throat, when they arrive at a polling place. Full Story
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While a panel of the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals put one federal judge's ruling on hold, the Texas Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday in a separate case aimed at limiting mail-in voting. Full Story
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In this week's TribCast, Alexa talks to Matthew, Aliyya and Ross about the latest reopenings in Texas amid missed benchmarks, child care complications for low-income parents and swirling voting-by-mail questions. Full Story
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District Judge Fred Biery granted a preliminary injunction that allows all registered voters to apply to vote by mail during the coronavirus pandemic after finding the state's existing election rules violate the Equal Protection Clause. Full Story
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The state Supreme Court's order comes one day after a state appeals court had allowed the expansion to stand while a legal case was appealed. Full Story
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