EPA rejects Texas’ more lenient standard for highly toxic air pollutant

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• Texas has few ICU beds available as COVID-19 hospitalization levels remain high

  by Texas Tribune Staff Updated: Jan. 28, 2022

  The Texas Tribune is using data from the Texas Department of State Health Services to track coronavirus vaccinations, cases, hospitalizations and deaths. Full Story 

• Texas sues Biden administration to halt program that reunites Central American children with parents in U.S.

  by Uriel J. García Jan. 28, 2022

  Texas is one of eight states suing over the Central American Minors Program, which allows some children from three countries to join parents or legal guardians already in the U.S. Full Story 

• Omicron leads to record-high COVID-19 cases in Texas schools

  by Kalley Huang, Mandi Cai and Brian Lopez Updated: Jan. 28, 2022

  During the first half of January, districts reported the highest levels of student and staff COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began. But the data is incomplete and likely an undercount. Full Story 

• TribCast: FBI raid at U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar’s house shakes up his primary

  by Matthew Watkins and Justin Dehn Jan. 28, 2022

  On this week’s episode, Matthew speaks with Abby and Karen about U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar’s legal situation and whether the omicron wave is receding. Full Story 

• Allyson Waller is The Texas Tribune’s next newsletter writer

  by Sewell Chan and Bobby Blanchard Jan. 28, 2022

  She moves from the Tribune’s editorial team to our audience team, where she will take charge of our flagship email newsletter, The Brief. Full Story 

• Watch: Local public health leaders across Texas reflect on the uneven challenges of coordinating the fight against COVID-19

  by Allyson Waller Updated: Jan. 28, 2022

  Public health officials have played a crucial role in vaccination efforts and tracking the spread of the virus. But different needs from their communities and insufficient aid have complicated the work. Full Story 

• Analysis: Crime pays, politically speaking, for Texas AGs

  by Ross Ramsey Jan. 28, 2022

  A Texas attorney general is a civil lawyer, mostly concerned with regulatory, tax and administrative law. But to listen to the candidates, you’d think the state’s top lawyer was some kind of cop. Full Story 

• Texas now has more jobs than it did before the pandemic hit

  by Sneha Dey Jan. 28, 2022

  Job growth in the state, driven by population gains, has outpaced the rest of the country in recent months, according to recent federal data. Full Story 

• Omicron pushes Texas ICUs to the brink

  by Karen Brooks Harper, Andrew Zhang and Chris Essig Jan. 27, 2022

  A staffing crisis and the surge from the omicron variant have pushed the number of Texas ICU beds to a new record low. The shortage affects not just patients with the coronavirus, but every Texan seeking serious medical care. Full Story 

• FBI raid prompts new scrutiny of U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar’s ties to Azerbaijan

  by Abby Livingston Updated: Jan. 27, 2022

  Cuellar has helped promote educational excursions to the country and is co-chair of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus. Full Story 

• Ken Paxton targets Louie Gohmert in hotly contested primary for attorney general

  by Patrick Svitek Jan. 27, 2022

  Paxton’s attack ads suggest that he sees Gohmert as a bigger threat than the other two Republicans in the race — Land Commissioner George P. Bush and former state Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman. Full Story 

• Texas violated voting rights law during redistricting, retiring state GOP senator says in sworn court statement

  by Alexa Ura Jan. 26, 2022

  A three-judge federal panel is hearing arguments in a lawsuit claiming that Texas Republicans violated the Voting Rights Act when they redrew state Senate District 10 in Tarrant County to lessen Black and Hispanic voting power. Full Story 

• Here’s a look at Justice Stephen Breyer’s legacy on Texas cases

  by Reese Oxner Jan. 26, 2022

  The justice struck down a Texas-led challenge to the Affordable Care Act, wrote the majority opinion in a ruling that stopped abortion restrictions in 2013 and was the swing vote in a case that helped keep a Texas Capitol monument inscribed with the Ten Commandments. Full Story 

• Man who sold weapon to suspect in Colleyville synagogue standoff charged with federal firearm crime

  by Reese Oxner Updated: Jan. 26, 2022

  Federal prosecutors described Henry “Michael” Williams as being a felon who was not allowed to possess a firearm. He confirmed that he sold the weapon to the synagogue suspect in South Dallas, authorities said. Full Story 

• Texas Republicans pressure court to reverse decision blocking attorney general from prosecuting election cases

  by Patrick Svitek Jan. 26, 2022

  Republicans from Gov. Greg Abbott on down are pressuring the all-GOP Texas Court of Criminal Appeals to reverse a December ruling that gutted the attorney general’s power to go after election cases on his own. Full Story 

• U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw sends mail-in ballot applications to voters after Texas banned the practice for local election officials

  by Andrew Zhang Jan. 26, 2022

  The GOP-backed voting law — passed under the banner of ensuring election integrity — banned local election officials from sending out unsolicited mail-in ballot applications. But Crenshaw and other politicians can still do it. Full Story