Texas Tribune Brief
808 episodes - English - Latest episode: 8 months ago - ★★★★★ - 103 ratingsGet the latest news on Texas politics and policy from The Texas Tribune now on Amazon Alexa. With reporters based in Austin, Washington, D.C., and on the U.S.–Mexico border, we are your go-to source for news on statewide issues.
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Episodes
Early voting for the Texas primary election begins today
February 14, 2022 11:00 - 3 minutes - 3.32 MBThis will be the first election in which Texans will be voting in new political districts.
From obscurity to a Nobel Prize nomination: Houston scientists acclaimed for their patent-free COVID-19 vaccine
February 10, 2022 11:00 - 4 minutes - 4 MBCorbevax, a low-cost coronavirus vaccine created in Houston, could be a better weapon against COVID-19 by reaching the unvaccinated in poorer countries.
The state’s power grid held up during last week’s winter weather. Experts say it wasn’t seriously tested.
February 09, 2022 11:00 - 5 minutes - 5.02 MBExperts say it’s unclear whether changes mandated by Texas lawmakers to prevent widespread power outages like those last February made a significant difference during a weaker winter storm.
Earthquakes in Texas doubled in 2021. Scientists cite years of oil companies injecting sludgy water underground.
February 08, 2022 11:00 - 4 minutes - 3.92 MBThe surge in seismic activity from increased underground pressure is shaking the West Texas ground and rattling longtime residents.
Austin residents warned to boil water before using it
February 07, 2022 11:00 - 3 minutes - 2.88 MBThe City of Austin issued a boil water notice Saturday night due to what it called an “internal treatment process issue.”
State leaders project higher peak electricity demand on Friday
February 04, 2022 11:00 - 5 minutes - 5.26 MBTexas is expected to see more demand for electricity on Friday morning than previously projected.
A winter storm is heading to Texas. Here’s what that means for the power grid.
February 03, 2022 11:00 - 3 minutes - 3.16 MBThe weather is not expected to be as severe or last as long as last year’s freeze. Texas leaders do no not expect systemwide blackouts, but they have warned that local power outages are possible throughout the state.
Leaders warn of “treacherous” driving conditions and possible local power outages as freezing weather approaches Texas
February 02, 2022 11:00 - 4 minutes - 3.96 MBGov. Greg Abbott said he could not guarantee power would stay on throughout Texas this week, just two months after he promised the lights would stay on this winter.
Deplorable conditions, unclear mission: Texas National Guard troops call Abbott’s rushed border operation a disaster
February 01, 2022 11:00 - 5 minutes - 4.88 MBThe governor has sent waves of troops to the border as Guard officials scramble to execute a massive mobilization that normally takes months to properly plan. Some Guard members say it's causing people to leave the service altogether.
Republicans in Texas trumpet their support for another Trump presidential bid at Conroe rally
January 31, 2022 11:00 - 5 minutes - 5.11 MBThe rally in the Houston suburbs put on full display how much of a grip former President Donald Trump still has on Texas Republican leaders.
Omicron pushes Texas ICUs to the brink
January 28, 2022 11:00 - 4 minutes - 3.71 MBA staffing shortage crisis and a surge in patients from the omicron variant have pushed the number of Texas intensive care unit beds to its lowest since the pandemic began. The shortage affects not just patients with the coronavirus, but every Texan seeking serious medical care.
U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw sends mail-in ballot applications to voters after Texas banned the practice for local election officials
January 27, 2022 11:00 - 7 minutes - 6.53 MBThe 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.
After FBI raid, U.S. Rep Henry Cuellar says investigation will prove “no wrongdoing on my part”
January 26, 2022 11:00 - 5 minutes - 4.88 MBHe also reiterated he is not backing away from his bid for another term in the March primary. “Let me be clear: I’m running for reelection and I intend to win,” Cuellar said.
Pipeline company walks back threat to cut off gas to Texas power plants
January 21, 2022 11:00 - 5 minutes - 4.61 MBThe new development ends the immediate threat that up to 400,000 customers could lose power, but the underlying financial dispute between two energy giants stemming from last February's winter storm remains unresolved.
FBI agents descended on Democratic U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar’s house, but won’t say what they’re investigating
January 20, 2022 11:00 - 4 minutes - 4.21 MBAn FBI spokesperson said the agency was present on two streets around Cuellar’s house in Laredo “conducting court-authorized law enforcement activity.”
Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller’s political consultant indicted on charges of theft, bribery in hemp license scheme
January 19, 2022 11:00 - 3 minutes - 3.2 MBThe indictment comes as Miller seeks a third term as agriculture commissioner. Miller is up against two Republican challengers in the March primary, state Rep. James White, R-Hillister, and Carey Counsil, an economics professor at Blinn College.
Terror of synagogue standoff is no isolated incident to Texas Jewish leaders
January 18, 2022 11:00 - 4 minutes - 3.89 MBNews of Congregation Beth Israel hostages' safe escape is met with intense relief, but communities feel pain and fear over the latest in a series of antisemitic attacks and incidents in Texas and beyond.
Probe of Texas National Guard border mission demanded over suicide attempts, abysmal conditions and delayed pay
January 14, 2022 11:00 - 6 minutes - 5.91 MBThe call for action from Texas Democrats comes as another service member based in the city of Pharr survived a suicide attempt on Sunday, according to an incident report obtained by Army Times and The Texas Tribune.
Who’s required to get vaccinated in Texas?
January 13, 2022 11:00 - 5 minutes - 4.8 MBThe Supreme Court is expected to make a decision soon that will shape the future of vaccine policies. But as litigation stands, federal mandates for Texas Army National Guard members and employers of large businesses are currently in effect.
COVID-19 kept Texas Democrats off the campaign trail in 2020. Not this time.
January 12, 2022 11:00 - 4 minutes - 4.13 MBIn 2020, Democrats took their campaign efforts virtual. But they later admitted that the lack of in-person campaigning hurt them at the polls.
Rice and 15 other universities accused of conspiring to limit financial aid
January 11, 2022 11:00 - 3 minutes - 3.61 MBA federal lawsuit accuses Rice University of engaging in price-fixing in collaboration with other prestigious private schools across the country, inflating the cost of college for students who need aid.
A Texas GOP’s voting meme shows how Trump-style messaging wins internet’s attention
January 10, 2022 11:00 - 5 minutes - 4.66 MBThe Republican Party of Texas’ meme that equated COVID-19 test wait times with waiting in line to vote is the latest example of a growing — and successful — political social media strategy, experts say.
At least 63 Texans — including a state House candidate — are accused of taking part in the Capitol insurrection
January 07, 2022 11:00 - 3 minutes - 3.56 MBTexas has among the highest number of residents charged in the riot on Jan. 6, 2021. At least five Texans have already been convicted.
Natural gas production dropped in Texas during recent cold front, reviving concerns about electric grid
January 06, 2022 11:00 - 3 minutes - 3.67 MBEnergy experts said the production drop during a relatively ordinary cold front could be a bad sign for the grid if the state is struck by extreme winter weather again.
Allen West blasts Gov. Greg Abbott over suicides, pay problems among National Guardsmen at the border
January 05, 2022 11:00 - 4 minutes - 4.42 MBAbbott’s political challenger said guard members deployed to Operation Lone Star are facing late pay, being exposed to COVID-19, experiencing supply shortages and dealing with added stress that has led to multiple suicides tied to the mission.
The state of Texas puts final estimate of 2021 winter storm death toll at 246
January 04, 2022 11:00 - 2 minutes - 2.66 MBOfficials added 36 to the estimate of lives lost in the disaster, which knocked out power in much of the state. Some experts place the toll even higher.
Gov. Greg Abbott calls on Biden administration to open more COVID-19 testing sites, send more monoclonal antibody treatments
January 03, 2022 11:00 - 2 minutes - 2.68 MBThe governor asked the federal government for help opening test sites in Bexar, Cameron, Dallas, Harris, Hidalgo and Tarrant counties.
Generators can cause deadly carbon monoxide poisoning. But the industry resists rules to make them safer.
December 17, 2021 11:00 - 4 minutes - 3.7 MBPortable generators are among the deadliest consumer products. Two decades after the government identified the danger, and as climate change leads to more power outages, people are left vulnerable by a system that lets the industry regulate itself.
After Supreme Court’s ruling on Texas law, abortion-rights supporters see no clear path to victory
December 16, 2021 11:00 - 2 minutes - 2.35 MBThe justices allowed the challenge against the law to proceed but mangled abortion providers' legal strategy and set the table for another elongated court fight. Meanwhile, abortion access in the state remains severely restricted.
Migrants say return of Trump-era border policy will put asylum seekers in danger
December 15, 2021 11:00 - 3 minutes - 3.25 MBThey worry more migrants could be victims of violence as the Biden administration revives the "remain in Mexico" program.
Abortion law author reacts to California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s pledge to do the same thing with guns: “Good luck”
December 14, 2021 11:00 - 3 minutes - 3.44 MBState Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, who wrote the law, was dismissive of Newsom’s effort to restrict gun rights by using Texas’ legal strategy to ban many abortions. He said he didn’t think his enforcement mechanism would be “effective against firmly established constitutional rights.”
Legal experts warn Supreme Court action on Texas abortion law could lead to copycats
December 13, 2021 11:00 - 3 minutes - 2.86 MBJustice Sonia Sotomayor said the majority was straying from the court’s precedent to step in when state laws chill the exercise of constitutional rights while allowing other states to follow suit.
State judge declares Texas abortion law unconstitutional — but does not stop it from being enforced
December 10, 2021 11:00 - 4 minutes - 4.48 MBThe fate of the statute remains uncertain. An appeal to the ruling is already underway, and an opinion on the law from the U.S. Supreme Court is still pending.
Texas energy regulators, gas industry try to reassure the public that the state's power grid is ready for winter
December 09, 2021 11:00 - 3 minutes - 3.61 MBAs state regulators and the companies that power the grid take steps to avoid another catastrophe like February’s winter storm, climate experts say this winter will likely be milder.
As critical race theory and mask mandate debates heat up, Texas GOP takes aim at local school board and municipal races
December 08, 2021 11:00 - 2 minutes - 2.13 MBThe Republican Party of Texas announced Monday it had launched a new Local Government Committee to work with county parties on backing candidates for nonpartisan local offices.
U.S. Department of Justice sues Texas over new political maps
December 07, 2021 11:00 - 3 minutes - 3.22 MBThe department claims that despite rapid growth of Hispanic and Black populations, Texas lawmakers illegally discriminated against voters of color by drawing new political districts that give white voters more political power.
Cities in Texas weren’t ready for a massive winter storm in February. Has that changed?
December 06, 2021 11:00 - 5 minutes - 4.7 MBCities have made some preparations in case of another severe winter storm. But keeping the lights and water on is far from guaranteed.
The state of Texas now bans medical abortions after seven weeks of pregnancy
December 03, 2021 11:00 - 3 minutes - 3.63 MBBeginning Thursday, a new law restricts abortion-inducing medication, the most common abortion method in Texas.
The Supreme Court appears open to rolling back abortion rights.
December 02, 2021 11:00 - 5 minutes - 4.86 MBTexas has passed legislation that ensures abortion would be made a felony if Roe v. Wade is overturned “wholly or partly,” as the court considers Mississippi’s 15-week abortion ban.
The pandemic has undone years of educational gains in Texas schools.
December 01, 2021 11:00 - 4 minutes - 4.27 MBGaps in student learning because of pandemic disruptions could impact students long term.
Abortion access in Texas hangs in the balance as Supreme Court hears new case
November 30, 2021 11:00 - 4 minutes - 4.33 MBThe court will consider Mississippi’s 15-week abortion ban on Wednesday. Its decision on the matter could have great repercussions in Texas, where legislation passed this year ensures abortion would be made a felony if Roe v. Wade is overturned “wholly or partly.”
Some power companies say the state’s electricity grid is not ready for another deep freeze.
November 29, 2021 01:39 - 2 minutes - 2.32 MBNatural gas powers the majority of electricity in Texas, especially during winter. Some power companies say the state’s gas system is not ready for another deep freeze.
Fewer patients, smaller staff, an uncertain future: abortion providers await court decision on Texas law
November 23, 2021 11:00 - 4 minutes - 4.58 MBFor two months, providers have had to work in a sort of limbo as they wait to see if the new law passes the Supreme Court's review.
The Texas grid is vulnerable to blackouts during severe winter weather, even with new preparations, ERCOT estimates show
November 22, 2021 11:00 - 4 minutes - 4.59 MBThe most severe scenario considered by the state’s power grid operator for this winter — very high demand for power, extensive fossil fuel outages, and low renewable power production — does not capture the amount of power lost during February.
Shipping containers create “steel wall” next to Texas-Mexico bridge at Eagle Pass
November 19, 2021 11:00 - 4 minutes - 3.83 MBGov. Greg Abbott says the wall of roughly 20 shipping containers will help prevent migrants from crossing the border.
Texas Democrats rely on voters of color to be competitive. So why are their top statewide candidates mostly white?
November 18, 2021 11:00 - 4 minutes - 4.41 MBThe GOP slate for statewide office includes two high-profile Latinos and two Black candidates who have previously held state or federal office. Republicans are making a play to be more competitive with voters of color as the state’s electorate grows more diverse.
Among El Pasoans, Beto O’Rourke’s gubernatorial run excites loyal fans and revives longtime grudges
November 17, 2021 11:00 - 4 minutes - 3.84 MBEl Pasoans who have followed O’Rourke’s political career are excited about his run for governor. But his critics still remember his support of a development plan that could have displaced Mexican American residents from one of the city’s oldest barrios.
Beto O’Rourke enters 2022 a weaker candidate with a harder race
November 16, 2021 11:00 - 4 minutes - 4.3 MBO’Rourke joins the 2022 gubernatorial race as Texas’ best-known Democrat, but he carries considerably more baggage after a series of political failures.
Beto O’Rourke says he’s running for Texas governor
November 15, 2021 11:00 - 4 minutes - 4.5 MBO’Rourke’s decision to challenge Gov. Greg Abbott ends months of speculation and gives Democrats a formidable campaigner at the top of the ticket — someone who transformed Texas politics with his blockbuster campaign against U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018.
Texas schools can again set their own face mask rules after federal judge overrules Gov. Greg Abbott's ban
November 11, 2021 11:00 - 3 minutes - 3.17 MBThe judge said the governor's order impedes children with disabilities from the benefits of public schools’ programs, services and activities, in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.