Experts fear reversing electricity prices from winter storm could make things worse
It is unclear who would be helped or hurt — and by how much — if lawmakers try to revise electricity market prices charged during the winter storm. Full Story
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![Reliability Coordinators monitored the state power grid during a tour of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) command center in Taylor in 2012.]()
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“I don’t feel safe anymore”: Asian Texans grapple with racism after a gunman killed Asian women in Atlanta
Tuesday’s shootings in Atlanta left six Asian women dead. Asian Texans say they’re being targeted, too. Full Story
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![Protesters listened to speakers during a rally against anti-Asian hate crimes, organized by the Asian American Pacific Islanders Organizing Coalition Against Hate & Bias, at Hing Hay Park in the Chinatown-International District in Seattle on March 13, 2021.]()
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Texas’ last Public Utility Commission member resigns at Gov. Greg Abbott’s request
Arthur D’Andrea was the only remaining member of the three-seat commission that regulates the state’s electric, telecommunication, water and sewer utilities. Full Story
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![Arthur D’Andrea Chair of Public Utility Commission of Texas.]()
Credit: Texas Public Utility Commission -
At least 57 people died in the Texas winter storm, mostly from hypothermia
The deaths occurred in at least 25 counties. And 25 of the fatalities occurred in Harris County. Some Texas deaths were caused by carbon monoxide poisoning and medical equipment failure. Full Story
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![An eastbound view of East Stassney Lane in south Austin on Feb. 15, 2021.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
One year ago, the first Texan was killed by COVID-19. 47,000 deaths followed — and it’s not over.
This timeline tracks COVID-19’s rampage through Texas over the last year: the growing death toll, the policy decisions made in response to the pandemic that often influenced its course, and the stories of some of the Texans claimed by the virus. Full Story
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![Illustration showing flowers and the number of Texans who died in the first year of the pandemic — 47,000.]()
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Analysis: Government budgets looked terrible when COVID-19 started. A federal windfall has flipped the outlook.
Texas lawmakers expected to be sweating over a very tight budget right now, after strong early signs that the pandemic would stall the economy. But an improved economy and a huge infusion of federal aid is erasing those fears. Full Story
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![A view of the rotunda inside the state Capitol on the opening day of the Legislative Session. Jan. 12, 2021.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
In oil-rich Texas, GOP lawmakers push bill to punish Wall Street for fossil fuel disinvestments
The bill would direct state investment funds to divest from companies that cut ties with fossil fuel companies, pitting Texas against some increasingly carbon-conscious Wall Street investors. Full Story
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![A pump jack and a gas flare in the Eagle Ford oil patch south of San Antonio.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Joe Biden signs COVID-19 relief bill that will give millions of Texans $1,400 checks
The bill, which also includes billions in aid for state and local governments, now awaits President Joe Biden’s signature. Full Story
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![The U.S. Capitol during sunrise in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 15, 2020.]()
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Analysis: One way or another, Texans will get the bill for fixing the electric grid
It's going to be expensive to make sure the state's electricity stays on during winter storms like the one that blacked out most of Texas last month, and the money will come, one way or another, from average Texans. Full Story
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![Josh Olszewski cooks eggs over a a grill after his apartment lost power due to the severe winter storm that hit the state. Feb. 18, 2021.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Texas no longer has a statewide mask mandate. But face coverings are still required in some businesses and public places.
Texas’ statewide mask mandate has ended as of March 10. Businesses are also now allowed to operate at full capacity as long as the hospitals in their region haven’t been treating a large share of patients for COVID-19. Here’s a look at what the loosened restrictions mean for Texans. Full Story
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![A sign in South Austin asks customers to wear a mask inside ta business on March 3, 2021.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
Legislation backed by casino giant would allow casinos, sports gambling in Texas
Las Vegas Sands is pushing to create the opportunity for casinos at "destination resorts" in the state's four largest metropolitan areas. Full Story
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![Gene Koonce plays on a craps table fitted with protective plexiglass panels during the reopening of Bellagio hotel-casino, closed since March because of COVID-19. Las Vegas, Nevada on June 4, 2020.]()
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A Texas lender sued thousands of low-income Latinos during the pandemic. Now the feds are investigating.
Oportun Inc., a small-dollar loan company, disclosed to investors that it is the subject of a probe by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau following reporting by The Texas Tribune and ProPublica. Full Story
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: After the blackouts, a whiff of the 2022 elections in Texas
A proposed remodeling of the state’s electricity grid from Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller might be more than it seems. It reads like a campaign’s position paper. Full Story
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![Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller addressed delegates at the Texas Republican Convention. June 16, 2018.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
A Mexican restaurant in Houston is keeping its mask rule. People threatened to call ICE on the staff.
Gov. Greg Abbott’s decision to lift the statewide mask mandate has not come easily for many businesses that are navigating enforcement of mask rules while facing backlash. “It was just horrific,” said Monica Richards, co-owner of Picos. Full Story
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![A sign outside of a store in Downtown Austin asking customers to wear a mask inside the business on March 3, 2021.]()
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Senate passes Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill
The Senate approved the relief plan on Saturday after roughly 24 hours of debate. The bill includes $1,400 stimulus checks for millions of Americans, as well as an additional $300-per-week in unemployment payments until early September. Full Story
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![The U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on April 20, 2020.]()
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Watch: Texas farmers start to replant after winter freeze left "total devastation"
Johnson’s Backyard Garden, an organic farm near Austin, lost almost its entire crop during February's devastating winter storm. Full Story
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![Farmworkers harvest a small patch of carrots that survived the winter storm at Johnson’s Backyard Garden, east of Austin, on Feb. 22, 2021. The organic farm experienced a near-total loss of their crops after a winter storm ravaged Texas.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
For some Texans who lost loved ones to the coronavirus, lifting the mask mandate is a “slap in the face”
One woman whose husband died said Gov. Greg Abbott’s decision to end the mask mandate makes the convenience of not wearing a mask seem more important than loss of life. Abbott's spokesperson says he “joins all Texans in mourning every single life lost.” Full Story
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![A sign requiring masks is posted at Cosmic Cowboy on South Congress Avenue on Austin. May 8, 2020.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Debate ramps up at Texas Legislature over governor’s emergency powers during pandemic
Gov. Greg Abbott is well aware that some lawmakers, particularly in his own party, are interested in reining in his authority. However, it remains to be seen how much power Abbott is willing to relinquish. Full Story
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![Medical personnel wear personal protective equipment at a COVID-19 testing site at Nations Tobin Recreation Center in El Paso on Oct. 21, 2020.]()
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Three of Gov. Greg Abbott’s four coronavirus medical advisers say they weren’t directly consulted before he lifted mask mandate
One adviser said he thinks it's too soon for the state to stop requiring masks in public. Full Story
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![The COVID-19 unit at Doctors Hospital at Renaissance Health System in Edinburg on June 30, 2020.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Texas businesses must decide whether to require face masks. Some worry they could lose customers either way.
A day after Gov. Greg Abbott announced plans to fully reopen businesses and end the state’s mask mandate, small business owners across Texas found themselves struggling to decide what to do next. Full Story
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![Server Ashleigh Roessler dons a new pair of gloves as part of safety measures to stop the spread of COVID-19. Aug. 13, 2020 at Bar Peached in Austin.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune
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