Coronavirus in Texas

The latest unemployment rate will be a crucial data point for the Texas Legislature, which will convene in January. Full Story 

Gov. Greg Abbott said he has not yet gotten the vaccine but will “at the appropriate time." Full Story 

Universities across Texas and nationwide are seeing an increase in online cheating since the start of the pandemic, as students take more virtual courses and test remotely with less supervision. Full Story 

The deadline to use the funds is Dec. 30. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller asked the governor to support rural hospitals and food banks. Full Story 

Heavily Hispanic border regions have seen some of the highest death tolls from the virus. Health experts say people shouldn't let their guard down as vaccinations begin. Full Story 

Communities of color are especially struggling to keep their homes. While more than half of white Texans are highly confident in being able to pay rent, only 21% of Black Texans and 14% of Hispanic Texans say the same. Full Story 

Isabel Suarez, a Pflugerville High School senior, cares for her two younger siblings while their mom is at work. She balances that with completing piles of homework assignments this fall during the pandemic. Full Story 

Spend a day with Isabel Suarez, an 18-year-old Pflugerville High School senior who's taking on the challenges of virtual school as well as tutoring her two younger siblings during the pandemic. Full Story 

The House will limit attendance for what is typically a crowded day at the Capitol when family and friends attend the opening ceremonies. Full Story 

Four Texas sites received a total of 19,500 doses of the vaccine on Monday, the first phase of a rollout that will put a quarter-million doses into 110 Texas facilities this week — with more on the way next week. Full Story 

Rules preventing large gatherings and the loss of work in a COVID-19-battered economy has forced many El Pasoans to surrender traditional funeral rites as the pandemic claims more victims in their city. Full Story 

From the Rio Grande Valley to the Texas Panhandle and from the Gulf Coast to West Texas, some 110 medical facilities are slated to receive the first allocation of 1.4 million doses earmarked for Texas. Full Story 

Intensive care units were full in at least 28 Texas hospitals for the week ending Nov. 27, according to a Texas Tribune analysis of data released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Full Story 

Within two weeks of an informal reception honoring retiring State Board of Education members, at least three members tested positive for COVID-19. No one told many of the other attendees or the hotel. Full Story 

The virus has claimed the lives of more than 1,000 U.S. health care workers; others could face lasting mental scars. It’s “the time when we’re needed most,” one doctor said, “and we’re burned out.” Full Story 

“We are pausing all football team activities and shutting down football training facilities to get a COVID-19 spread among our football program under control,” Chris Del Conte, UT-Austin athletic director, said in a statement. Full Story 

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 

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 

Texas Tech and UT-El Paso ended up on opposite ends of the spectrum in how they approached the fall semester, facing the unprecedented educational and safety challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. Both universities are planning more of the same in the spring. Full Story 

It might seem that closing tax loopholes and ending exemptions would be an easy way to balance a state budget during a pandemic. It's not. In fact, that might be the hardest option available. Full Story