As Texas morgues fill up, refrigerator trucks are on the way in several counties
More than 3,000 Texans have died from the coronavirus and counties are preparing for even more deaths by expanding their capacities to store bodies. Full Story
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![A morgue trailer, currently not in use, at the Nueces County Medical Examiner's office in Corpus Christi on July 10, 2020.]()
Credit: Eddie Seal for The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott warns if spread of COVID-19 doesn’t slow, “the next step would have to be a lockdown”
Abbott has repeated that warning multiple times in local television interviews this week. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott gives an update on Texas hospital bed capacity and the state's strategy for fighting COVID-19 during a press conference at Texas Department of Public Safety in Austin on Tuesday, June 16, 2020.]()
Credit: Ricardo B. Brazziell/Pool via Austin American-Statesman -
Houston hospitals are increasingly turning away new patients as coronavirus overwhelms emergency rooms
The busiest hospitals in Houston are increasingly telling emergency responders they cannot safely accept new patients as hundreds of coronavirus patients crowd emergency rooms, and hospitals scramble to open more intensive care space. Full Story
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![The emergency center at Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston on June 26, 2020. (May-Ying Lam for the Texas Tribune)]()
Credit: May-Ying Lam for the Texas Tribune -
County Republican parties in Texas' GOP strongholds say Gov. Greg Abbott going too far in coronavirus response
The Republican parties in some of the state's biggest red counties are rebuking the governor over his use of executive authority during the pandemic. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott announced a strike force in charge of laying steps to re-open the Texas economy at a press conference in the capitol on April 17, 2020.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Texas bans elective surgeries in more than 100 counties as coronavirus hospitalizations keep climbing
Gov. Greg Abbott said the decision is meant to free up resources to address the pandemic. The attorney general's office has not said the order bans abortions, an assertion that sparked a legal battle over Abbott's earlier prohibition on elective procedures. Full Story
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Number of Texans filing unemployment claims increased for second week in a row as 117,244 sought benefits
The claims — an increase of 21.4% compared with the week before — come as coronavirus infections in the state continue surging and after Gov. Greg Abbott ordered bars to close and limited restaurant operations. Full Story
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![Workers begin boarding up bars on W. 6th St. in Austin after Gov. Greg Abbott closed bars in Texas for the second time in three months on June 26, 2020.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signals support as Austin weighs fines for people not wearing face masks
In a letter to Austin's mayor, Abbott said the city's consideration of new enforcement measures "to ensure compliance with my Executive Orders is an important step toward reducing the spread" of the coronavirus. Full Story
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![Pedestrians on the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail at Lady Bird Lake in Austin on June 24, 2020.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Nearly 14% of new U.S. COVID-19 cases are recorded in Texas
Texas’ coronavirus cases now make up a significantly higher proportion than its 9% share of the nation’s population. Full Story
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Democrats zero in on health care and electability in final days of race to challenge U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul
Mike Siegel, who ran a surprisingly close race against McCaul in 2018, faces newcomer Pritesh Gandhi in a tense runoff centering on each candidate's suitability for the general election. Full Story
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![Candidate for Texas' 10th Congressional District Pritesh Gandhi and Mike Siegel.]()
Credit: The Texas Tribune -
An increase in people dying at home suggests coronavirus deaths in Houston may be higher than reported
In Houston, one of the nation's fastest-growing coronavirus hot spots, more residents are dying before they can make it to a hospital. Medical examiner data shows that an increasing number of these deaths are the result of COVID-19. Full Story
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![Emergency workers walk past an ambulance parked at Houston Methodist Hospital in Houston. June 22, 2020.]()
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Houston convention center operator cancels in-person Texas GOP meeting
The Republican Party of Texas' in-person convention was scheduled to happen in Houston next week. Chair James Dickey has said party leaders have worked on a contingency plan to host the convention online. Full Story
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![First day of the Texas Republican Convention at the Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center in San Antonio on June 14, 2018. .]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Supreme Court says employers may opt out of Affordable Care Act’s birth control mandate over religious, moral objections
The court ruled on the Trump administration's decision to expand the types of organizations that could opt out of providing cost-free access to birth control. Full Story
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![The U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on June 7, 2017.]()
Credit: Shelby Knowles for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Tech tests the waters for fall semester by bringing 350 students to campus for summer classes
The 30 summer classes mark the first time in-person instruction has been offered at Texas Tech since the university closed its doors in the spring. Reopening gives campus leaders a look at what a large-scale collegiate return could look like this fall. Full Story
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![Aerial view of the Texas Tech University Provost Office in Lubbock.]()
Credit: Texas Tech University -
Texas GOP convention will happen in person — but Republican leaders will speak via video
As the state has seen a surge in coronavirus cases, calls have been growing over the past week for the party to cancel its Houston event. Full Story
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![James Dickey, Texas GOP Chairman is seen on a large video screen during the final afternoon of the 2018 Texas GOP Convention in San Antonio.]()
Credit: Robin Jerstad for The Texas Tribune -
He was supposed to be in prison less than a year. Instead, he died after catching the coronavirus.
At least 84 Texas state prisoners have died after contracting the coronavirus, including men who were serving short sentences or set to soon go home. As the death count rose, advocates unsuccessfully called on the governor and parole board for early release. Full Story
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![James Allen Smith, 73, died after contracting the coronavirus in a Texas prison. He was only supposed to be in prison for a months-long rehabilitation program.]()
Credit: Courtesy of Jami Smith Hanchey -
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner urges Texas GOP to cancel its convention
The in-person event is scheduled for next week, even as the coronavirus continues to spread through Houston. Full Story
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![Texas Republican Convention attendees stand for the Pledge of Allegiance in Fort Worth in 2012.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Several Texas cities worry hospitals may run out of beds in two weeks or sooner
As local officials express concerns that their hospitals could be overloaded with coronavirus patients, some are urging Gov. Greg Abbott to empower local governments to issue stay-at-home orders. Full Story
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![The emergency center at Ben Taub Hospital in the Texas Medical Center in Houston on June 26, 2020.]()
Credit: May-Ying Lam for the Texas Tribune -
How Texans celebrated July Fourth during the coronavirus pandemic
Four Texas Tribune photographers went out to see how Texans were celebrating the holiday as the new coronavirus surges and new restrictions are imposed to stem its rise. Here's what they saw. Full Story
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![People watch a fireworks display from the parking lot of Church of the Springs in Dripping Springs on July 4, 2020.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Ector County GOP censures Abbott over executive power amid coronavirus, state Sen. Charles Perry calls for special session
The developments came two days after Abbott announced an executive order requiring Texans to wear masks in most public places. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott speaks about the categories of medical surge facilities during a press conference at the Texas Department of Public Safety on Tuesday, June 16, 2020.]()
Credit: Ricardo B. Brazziell/Pool via Austin American-Statesman -
Ten out of the 12 hospitals in Texas' Rio Grande Valley are now full
"We are now at the point of grave concern," said the CEO of one hospital system in deep South Texas as local hospitals began diverting patients away from their emergency rooms amid a crush of COVID-19 infections. Full Story
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune
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