Top Texas officials denounce Dallas salon owner’s jail sentence for defying orders to close
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton said the seven-day jail sentence was excessive. Paxton called for her immediate release. Full Story
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Cassandra Pollock
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Cassandra Pollock was a state politics reporter for the Tribune. She joined the Tribune full-time in June 2017 after a fellowship during the 85th Texas Legislature. Pollock spent her first two years at the Trib as an engagement reporter, which meant her name likely landed in your inbox every weekday morning with “The Brief,” a newsletter on all things Texas politics and public policy. Pollock is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin’s School of Journalism. Pollock left The Texas Tribune in 2021.
Past Contributions
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![Shelley Luther, owner of Salon a la Mode in Dallas, was recently issued a citation after reopening her business in violation of local and state stay at home orders. Luther spoke to a crowd of supporters at an Open Texas rally against coronavirus pandemic restrictions outside of the City Hall in Frisco on April 25, 2020.]()
Credit: REUTERS/Jeremy Lock -
GOP lawmakers got illegal haircuts while calling on Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to reopen salons
State Reps. Briscoe Cain and Steve Toth said there's no reason to continue banning businesses from operating as long as they follow CDC guidelines. Such restrictions, the two said, are hurting the Texas economy. Full Story
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![From left, State Representatives Steve Toth, R-The Woodlands, and Briscoe Cain, R-Deer Park, get haircuts in defiance of Gov. Greg Abbott’s orders on business closures during the COVID-19 pandemic.]()
Credit: Twitter -
Texas sales tax revenues fall by 9.3% in April
For the past several weeks, the comptroller has been referring to the state of the economy as a recession. The latest sales tax figures give the first glimpse of how much the economic downturn will hurt the state budget. Full Story
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![Shuttered businesses on South Congress during the coronavirus pandemic. April 2, 2020.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./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]()
Credit: Courtesy of Debbie Chen -
"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 -
Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen suggests ordering 5% budget cuts for state agencies
Bonnen raised the idea in a letter earlier this month to Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. Full Story
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![An aerial view of the Capitol during the coronavirus outbreak on March 23, 2020.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott's task force to reopen the economy is packed with top business leaders — and donors
The task force features some of the most prominent and politically powerful business executives in the state. They'll advise Abbott with the help of medical experts. Full Story
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![Vodka Street Global Bistro and Bar in downtown San Marcos has temporarily closed its operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Taken on April 10, 2020.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
How Texas lawmakers are navigating the personal and professional during coronavirus pandemic
Legislators are fielding calls about unemployment claims and small-business loans as they juggle steering their own businesses and careers through the disaster. Full Story
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![State Rep. Michelle Beckley, D-Carrollton, poses for a portrait at her store, Kookaburra Bird Shop, in Carrollton.]()
Credit: Cooper Neill for The Texas Tribune -
"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 -
Houston-area lawmakers urge DA to investigate possible "non-existent" March primary candidate
“We are concerned that more than 2500 Harris County voters may have been duped," the Democratic lawmakers wrote. Full Story
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![The floor of the house on April 11, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune