Latest Contributions

• Two key Texas counties — Democratic stronghold Harris and traditionally red Denton — are setting early voting records

  by Mandi Cai, Juan Pablo Garnham and Alex Samuels Oct. 17, 2020

  As of Friday, 27% of registered voters in Denton County had cast their ballots in the 2020 election — surpassing the county’s 2016 turnout of 18% on the fourth day. Full Story 

• Texans with criminal records face increasingly limited housing options. Homeless advocates say a new rule could leave them with even fewer choices.

  by Juan Pablo Garnham Oct. 16, 2020

  The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs is proposing that people with certain criminal convictions be temporarily or permanently blocked from living in tax-supported developments that provide support services. Full Story 

• Gov. Greg Abbott said Texas counties can allow bars to reopen. Only 1 of the state's 10 biggest counties has said it will.

  by Juan Pablo Garnham and Stacy Fernández Oct. 8, 2020

  While Denton County is moving forward, Dallas and Harris counties officials almost immediately declined the offer to allow bars to reopen. Many others are taking a wait-and-see approach. Full Story 

• Texas tenants are still struggling to stop evictions a month after federal moratorium was announced

  by Juan Pablo Garnham Updated: Oct. 6, 2020

  Since Sept. 17, court citations include information on how to apply for protections. But some eviction cases had already begun. And the moratorium will only delay proceedings for some renters. Full Story 

• Gov. Greg Abbott has closed Texas bars twice since the pandemic began. Now he’s hinting at opening them again.

  by Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff and Juan Pablo Garnham Oct. 5, 2020

  Abbott shut down bars for a second time in June, when the proportion of coronavirus tests with positive results was more than 18%. That number has dropped to just over 6%. Experts worry that opening bars will contribute to another surge. Full Story 

• Texas will spend $171 million in federal coronavirus relief funds to help renters avoid evictions

  by Juan Pablo Garnham Sept. 25, 2020

  The new program will provide rental assistance and legal aid for tenants who are behind on rent. Details on how Texans could apply or qualify weren't immediately released. Full Story 

• For rural Texans, the Postal Service is a lifeline, but some say it's been in decay for years

  by Juan Pablo Garnham Sept. 23, 2020

  Business owners, farmers and local politicians said that they are more concerned with long-term problems than with the recent controversy surrounding the United States Postal Service. Full Story 

• High-speed train between Dallas and Houston gets federal approval

  by Juan Pablo Garnham Updated: Sept. 22, 2020

  The railroad plans to connect Texas' two biggest cities within 90 minutes. Construction could begin in the first half of next year. Full Story 

• Ruth Bader Ginsburg, U.S. Supreme Court justice, dies at 87

  by Abby Livingston and Juan Pablo Garnham Updated: Sept. 18, 2020

  Nominated in 1993 by former President Bill Clinton, the liberal justice was the legal force behind many of the successes of the women's movement. In her later years, she became something of a cult figure in legal and feminist circles. Full Story 

• Texas courts must start telling tenants how a federal eviction moratorium can keep them housed

  by Juan Pablo Garnham Sept. 18, 2020

  The Texas Supreme Court ordered that eviction citations will have to inform renters about the moratorium requirements and include the form needed to apply for protection. Full Story 

• Dallas Police Chief Reneé Hall resigns following criticisms of protest response

  by Juan Pablo Garnham Updated: Sept. 8, 2020

  Hall implied that "inquiries about future career opportunities" were a reason for leaving the Dallas Police Department. In 2017, she became the first woman to head the force. Full Story 

• Millions of Texans could be shielded from evictions under new Trump administration order

  by Juan Pablo Garnham Sept. 1, 2020

  A previous federal order, which only protected renters in federally backed housing, expired in July. Full Story 

• “In survival mode”: How some evacuees are still dealing with the dual challenge of a hurricane and a recession

  by Juan Pablo Garnham Sept. 1, 2020

  Many Southeast Texans were already struggling through a pandemic and its parallel recession. Then came Hurricane Laura and officials' evacuation orders. Full Story 

• Still recovering from Harvey, Texans in Beaumont and Port Arthur are now preparing for a new hurricane during the pandemic

  by Juan Pablo Garnham Aug. 26, 2020

  Groups that have been fixing homes and providing assistance to victims of the 2017 hurricane are now getting ready to face a new disaster, with the added challenge of COVID-19. Full Story 

• As Hurricane Laura heads for Southeast Texas, officials scramble to evacuate and shelter people during a pandemic

  by Jolie McCullough and Juan Pablo Garnham Updated: Aug. 26, 2020

  The storm is now a Category 4 hurricane whose dangerous winds and storm surge could cause damage along a large swath of the Gulf Coast and Southeast Texas. Full Story 

• As eviction cases resume in parts of Houston, low-income Texans fear losing a place to live

  by Juan Pablo Garnham Updated: Aug. 25, 2020

  Since Gov. Greg Abbott declared a public health disaster in March, almost one-third of Harris County's evictions have been filed in the justice of the peace precinct covering the southwestern portion of the county. Full Story 

• Gov. Greg Abbott, other Texas leaders want to freeze property tax revenues for cities that cut police budgets

  by Juan Pablo Garnham and Jolie McCullough Updated: Aug. 18, 2020

  The state's three top elected leaders also fiercely criticized the Austin officials who plan to cut up to one-third of their police department's budget, largely through reorganizing divisions out from under law enforcement. Full Story 

• Texas’ largest cities spend more on police than anything else. Activists want more of those funds spent on the social safety net instead.

  by Mandi Cai and Juan Pablo Garnham Aug. 14, 2020

  Austin officials slashed their police department's budget this week as other Texas cities are rethinking how general fund dollars are spent — and whether spending so much to combat crime addresses the poverty that can cause it. Full Story 

• Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton says local governments can't stop or delay evictions

  by Juan Pablo Garnham Aug. 7, 2020

  The nonbinding opinion comes as housing experts and advocates fear that the COVID-19 recession will prompt a surge in evictions across the state. Full Story 

• Houston announces $15 million to assist tenants, but passes on mandatory eviction grace period for people behind on rent

  by Juan Pablo Garnham July 31, 2020

  The city's first program, launched in May, received overwhelming demand and ran out of funds in 90 minutes. Full Story