AUSTIN, Texas — Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton are asking Texas’ 5th Court of Appeals to block Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins’ newly issued mask mandate, they announced in a joint press release on Wednesday evening. The release said Jenkins’ mandate violates the governor’s executive order banning local officials from requiring residents to wear masks. It cited
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AUSTIN, Texas — Officers of the Texas House of Representatives delivered civil arrest warrants for more than 50 absent Democrats on Wednesday as frustrated Republicans ratcheted up efforts to end a standoff over a sweeping elections bill that stretched into its 31st day. But after sergeants-at-arms finished making the rounds inside the Texas Capitol —
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DALLAS, Texas — Mask-wearing is now required in Dallas public schools and businesses after Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins on Wednesday became the latest local official to defy Gov. Greg Abbott’s ban on local mask orders. “We are all team public health and the enemy is the virus,” Jenkins said. “Right now, the enemy is winning.” The
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KANSAS CITY, Missouri — One of the things Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes longed for after moving from his native Texas to KC was an order from Whataburger, one of his favorite fast food chains. So Mahomes is bringing Whataburger to him. He’s an investor in a group that over the next seven years will bring 30 Whataburger
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By Nicole Chavez, CNN Decades after Lupe Alemán was forced to repeat the first grade three times, her son is making it his life’s work to reverse racial inequity in schools. Enrique Alemán Jr., 50, has spent the past few years talking with numerous students in Texas and across the United States about how his
Continue Reading WACO, Texas (AP) — The NCAA infractions committee says its investigation into the Baylor sexual assault scandal would result in four years probation and other sanctions. But the committee says the “unacceptable” behavior at the heart of the case did not violate NCAA rules. The NCAA ruling came more than five years after the sexual
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AUSTIN, Texas — Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan on Tuesday night signed civil arrest warrants for 52 House Democrats still missing from the state Capitol as he aimed to regain the quorum needed for the chamber to begin moving legislation during the second special session. The move was confirmed by Phelan spokesperson Enrique Marquez, who said the warrants
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By Keith Allen and Christina Maxouris, CNN Two Texas judges have issued restraining orders which will temporarily block the enforcement of Gov. Greg Abbott’s latest emergency order involving masks. The governor’s order, issued last month, included language that no governmental entity, including school districts, could require mask-wearing. On Monday, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins asked
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AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas House voted overwhelmingly Tuesday afternoon to authorize law enforcement to track down Democrats absent from the chamber and bring them back to the state Capitol, “under warrant of arrest, if necessary.” The 80-12 vote came hours after the Texas Supreme Court ordered that those missing Democrats, many of whom left the state
Continue Reading SAN ANTONIO, Texas — A Texas district judge granted the city of San Antonio and Bexar County a temporary restraining order, blocking Gov. Greg Abbott’s restriction on localities imposing mask mandates. On Tuesday, Judge Antonia Arteaga made the ruling following almost an hour of arguments from attorneys. Arteaga said she did not take her decision
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AUSTIN, Texas — House Democrats who refuse to show up for the state Legislature could soon be detained by law enforcement and brought back to the state Capitol, after the Texas Supreme Court on Tuesday voided a state district judge’s temporary restraining order barring their arrest. The all-Republican high court’s order came at the request
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WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Senate passed a rare bipartisan initiative Tuesday that would deploy at least $30 billion across the state to repair bridges, build roads and increase broadband internet access, without the support of either senator from Texas. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, with a $1.2 trillion price tag, had bipartisan support,
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UPDATE: EL PASO, Texas — The Socorro Independent School District may join three other key school districts in the state – Dallas, Austin and Houston – in going against Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s order forbidding school mask mandates. The SISD Board of Trustees is scheduled to take up the matter on Tuesday at 6 p.m., according to
Continue Reading By Keith Allen, CNN Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins asked a Texas court Monday for a temporary restraining order seeking to hold portions of Gov. Greg Abbott’s July executive order involving mask mandates “unenforceable,” according to a statement from the judge’s office. Abbott last month issued an executive order that combined many of his earlier
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AUSTIN, Texas — Gov. Greg Abbott is appealing for out-of-state help to fight the third wave of Covid-19 in Texas. The Monday appeal comes as a county-owned hospital in Houston raises tents to accommodate their Covid-19 overflow. Private hospitals in the county already were requiring their staff to be vaccinated against the coronavirus. Meantime, the
Continue Reading AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas House on Monday fell just short of having enough members to begin conducting official business and voted overwhelmingly in favor of a procedural move that locked the doors of the chamber to prevent members from leaving in an effort to retain a quorum. The move, known as a “call of
Continue Reading By Lauren M. Johnson, CNN A hospital system in Texas is prepping tents for the overflow of patients after a surge in Covid-19 cases filled its hospitals to the verge of capacity. Harris Health System in Houston is reporting 1 in 4 patients at its two hospitals have tested positive for Covid-19. Ben Taub Hospital’s
Continue Reading By Priscilla Alvarez, CNN Unaccompanied migrant children at a temporary facility in Pecos, Texas, reported poor conditions, including undercooked food, long wait times for medical attention and prolonged stays, according to court declarations filed Monday. The accounts mark the latest set of concerns raised by children and attorneys placed in pop-up facilities overseen by the
Continue Reading AUSTIN, Texas — A state district judge in Travis County has issued an order blocking the arrest of House Democrats who have broken quorum by leaving the state, paving the way for those who remain outside of Texas to return home without threat of apprehension. State District Judge Brad Urrutia, a Democrat, granted the temporary
Continue Reading By Carma Hassan, CNN Austin, Texas, activated its emergency alert system on Saturday to warn the public about a surge of Covid-19 cases and encourage people to get vaccinated, the Austin-Travis County Emergency Operations Center said on Twitter. “The COVID-19 situation in Austin is dire. Healthcare facilities are open but resources are limited due to
Continue Reading CNN’s Evan McMorris-Santoro tours a school in Austin, Texas, with the city’s school superintendent to see what protective measures they have in place since the governor has banned mandating masks in schools.
Continue Reading By Madeline Holcombe and Holly Yan, CNN The crush of patients infected with the Delta variant is affecting hospitals nationwide. Now some Texans trying to get care at their nearest emergency room will have to go elsewhere. Hunt Regional Medical Center at Commerce said its ER is temporarily closing “due to a critical Covid surge.”
Continue Reading By Camille Furst, CNN One person died and six others were injured in a shooting early Sunday morning at an after-hours bar in Houston, according to a statement on social media from Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez. A fight broke out inside the club and “several individuals produced firearms and began firing,” according to Gonzalez’s
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By MICHAEL WAGAMAN Associated Press OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Matt Olson matched his career high with four hits, including a two-run double as part of Oakland’s seven-run third inning, and the Athletics beat Texas 12-3, handing the Rangers their 13th consecutive road loss. Yan Gomes and Josh Harrison also homered. Oakland’s sputtering offense batted around
Continue Reading AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Democrats still refused to return to the state Capitol on Saturday as Gov. Greg Abbott began a third attempt at passing new election laws, prolonging a months-long standoff that ramped up in July when dozens of Democratic state lawmakers left the state and hunkered down in Washington, D.C. “A quorum is
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By JUAN A. LOZANO Associated Press HOUSTON (AP) — Lawyers fighting sexual assault allegations against Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson face a predicament: Defending their client means working to discredit the claims of 22 women who are more likely to be believed four years into the #MeToo movement. Watson’s legal team has sought to balance
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AUSTIN, Texas — Texas’ sales tax-free holiday weekend is upon us once again, so you’ll want to know what qualifies and how that can impact your bill, reports ABC affiliate KTRK. The holiday, which runs from Aug. 6-8, exempts sales tax on qualified items priced below $100, which saves shoppers $8 on every $100 they
Continue Reading By MICHAEL WAGAMAN Associated Press OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Starling Marte hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the 11th inning, lifting the Oakland Athletics past the Texas Rangers 4-1 on Friday night. Tony Kemp made the last out of the 10th and began the 11th at second base. After Mark Canha was
Continue Reading By KRISTIE RIEKEN AP Sports Writer HOUSTON (AP) — Mitch Garver homered early and Josh Donaldson’s RBI single in the 11th inning lifted the Minnesota Twins to a 5-4 win over the Houston Astros on Friday night. Donaldson laced a ball to right field off Rafael Montero with no outs in the 11th to score
Continue Reading AUSTIN, Texas — Texas school districts will not be required to conduct contact tracing this year if a student contracts Covid-19, according to new guidelines issued by the Texas Education Agency this week. The agency said districts should notify parents if the district learns of a student who has been a close contact to someone
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