Past Contributions

• Watch: Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar on vaccines and the state’s economic recovery

  By Mitchell Ferman Updated: Jan. 14, 2021

  Texas’ uncertain economic recovery is tied to the coronavirus vaccine, Hegar said, as state lawmakers convened this week to begin working on a new state budget with less money than they had to spend during the last legislative session. Full Story 

• Hungry and homeless Texans are waiting anxiously for Congress to act. The day after Christmas, pandemic jobless aid expires.

  By Mitchell Ferman, The Texas Tribune, and Sally Beauvais, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica Dec. 23, 2020

  President Donald Trump has suggested he will veto COVID-19 aid legislation, creating uncertainty about when assistance may reach Americans. Meanwhile, Texans are living in cars and the state is sitting on unspent relief money. Full Story 

• More than 315,000 gig workers and independent contractors in Texas will lose unemployment relief without action from Congress

  By Mitchell Ferman Dec. 10, 2020

  Although normally ineligible, gig workers and independent contractors qualified for unemployment aid during the pandemic. The assistance is set to expire at the end of December. Full Story 

• Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller says he has tested positive for coronavirus

  By Mitchell Ferman Dec. 9, 2020

  Miller said he will quarantine at his ranch. He's the second Texas statewide elected official to confirm testing positive for the virus. Full Story 

• GOP megadonor Sheldon Adelson readies 2021 lobbying blitz to bring casinos to Texas

  By Patrick Svitek and Mitchell Ferman Dec. 9, 2020

  Adelson's Las Vegas Sands has built a stable of high-powered lobbyists for the session, which starts in January, and the company acknowledged Tuesday that it is serious about bringing casinos to Texas. Full Story 

• Federal loans helped more than 400,000 Texas companies retain workers during the pandemic, new data shows

  By Mitchell Ferman, Chris Essig, Abby Livingston and Carla Astudillo Dec. 4, 2020

  Despite details released from the Paycheck Protection Program this week, a full snapshot of the program remains unclear. Full Story 

• Here are the acronyms and terms you need to know to get unemployment benefits in Texas

  By Sally Beauvais, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica, and Mitchell Ferman, The Texas Tribune Updated: May 18, 2021

  The state’s unemployment system is confusing and frustrating. Getting familiar with the Texas Workforce Commission’s jargon may help you access assistance.​ Full Story 

• Texas’ unemployment system is confusing and frustrating. Here’s how to navigate it.

  By Sally Beauvais, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica, and Mitchell Ferman, The Texas Tribune Updated: June 30, 2021

  People across Texas are struggling to navigate a maze-like system to get unemployment benefits. Gov. Greg Abbott announced Texas was opting out of some federal assistance programs, which ended June 26. Here are the answers to the most common questions about getting benefits from the Texas Workforce Commission. Full Story 

• She lost work to the pandemic. Now she helps thousands of jobless Texans maneuver through the state’s unemployment system.

  By Mitchell Ferman, The Texas Tribune, and Sally Beauvais, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica Dec. 4, 2020

  While struggling to figure out the state's unemployment system, Alia Kirschner found a Facebook group for thousands of jobless Texans. Now she spends hours a day online, helping others with their benefit claims during the COVID-19 recession. Full Story 

• Despite staggering pandemic losses, Texas budget forecast better than expected, state comptroller says

  By Mitchell Ferman Nov. 30, 2020

  Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar didn't provide details as he told lawmakers Monday that the financial forecast isn't as dire as earlier feared. But he said revenues are still down "significantly" compared with last year. Full Story