Feds send coronavirus strike force to Amarillo in response to outbreaks in meatpacking plants
Potter County has roughly four times the infection rate of Harris and Dallas counties. Full Story
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Alexa Ura
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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.
Past Contributions
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![Amarillo is the seat of Potter County.]()
Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto -
TribCast: How Texas plans to reopen businesses during the coronavirus pandemic
On this week's TribCast, Alexa talks to Cassi, Matthew and Ross about the phased reopening of Texas businesses and what that could mean for Texans who must return to work in a pandemic. Full Story
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![Shai Yo Thai restaurant in San Marcos, temporarily closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Texas voters sue over age restrictions for mail-in ballots
The voters — all between the ages of 18 and 28 — want the courts to rule that the state's age restriction for voting by mail, which limits eligibility to those 65 and older, violates constitutional protections. Full Story
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![Mail-in ballot envelopes at the Travis County Elections division headquarters.]()
Credit: Charlie Pearce for The Texas Tribune -
Meatpacking workers in Texas Panhandle have little power to avoid the coronavirus
A workforce of immigrants has long powered the massive JBS meatpacking plant in Cactus, where a cluster of coronavirus cases is under investigation. They're risking their lives each shift in the county with the state's highest known infection rate. Full Story
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![The JBS meat processing plant in Cactus on Jan. 29, 2020.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
TribCast: Reopening the economy, testing in rural Texas and election woes
On this week's TribCast, Alexa talks to Evan, Matthew and Emma about the slow efforts to reopen the Texas economy, a testing quandary in rural Texas and election administrators' woes over the upcoming elections. Full Story
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![At the Waco ISD Stadium, volunteers from the Central Texas Food Bank load boxes of food into cars. Thousands of people waited in line to receive food.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Texas investigating meat processing plants over coronavirus outbreaks
The Department of State Health Services is looking into outbreaks at JBS Beef in Moore County and Tyson Foods in Shelby County. Full Story
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![The JBS beef processing plant in Cactus on Jan. 28, 2020.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Drive-thrus and free pencils: Texas plans for July elections with in-person voting
Other states may be shifting to increased mail-in voting, but Texas' GOP leaders are fighting efforts to expand the practice. That leaves local elections officials to try to make polling places safe in a pandemic. Full Story
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![People wait to vote after polling places' official 7:00 closing time, at Tompkins High School in Katy in Fort Bend Co. on Nov. 6, 2018.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
TribCast: Forecasting what's next with coronavirus and the 2021 legislative session
On this week's TribCast, Alexa talks to Matthew, Cassi and Ross about what's coming up in the state's response to the coronavirus pandemic, and the group does some forecasting for what the public health emergency could mean for the 2021 legislative session. Full Story
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![The House floor on May 26, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Texas judge issues order that could greatly expand mail-in voting
A state district judge issued a temporary injunction expanding who can qualify for an absentee ballot for the upcoming elections. The decision faces certain appeal as Democrats and Republicans clash over voter access. Full Story
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![Voting signs near the Travis County Granger Building election site on Election Day, Nov. 5, 2019.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Texas redistricting could be affected by coronavirus-related delays of census
Under a proposal by the Trump administration, the delivery of data Texas lawmakers need to redraw political districts would be pushed to July — past the end of the state's regular legislative session. Full Story
Credit: Bob Daemmrich
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