AUSTIN, Texas — Gov. Greg Abbott issued a nearly statewide mask mandate Thursday as Texas scrambles to get its coronavirus surge under control. Abbott, who had pushed Texas’ aggressive reopening of the state economy in May, had previously said the government could not order individuals to wear masks. His prior virus-related orders had also undercut efforts by
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AUSTIN, Texas — President Donald Trump would beat former Vice President Joe Biden in Texas by 4 percentage points if the election were held today, according to a new poll from the University of Texas and the Texas Politics Project. The Republican incumbent’s narrow lead four months before the election suggests Texas, a state where
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SANTA FE, New Mexico – New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said there will now be more “aggressive enforcement” of the state’s public health orders, including individual fines for not wearing masks and quarantines for those traveling into the state. The governor on Wednesday said the steps were necessary to rein in the rising coronavirus
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Watch the latest video at foxnews.com AUSTIN, Texas — Despite Texas’ surge of new Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said that he doesn’t need the advice of the nation’s top infectious disease doctor, Anthony Fauci. John Wittman, the chief spokesman for Gov. Greg Abbott, didn’t immediately respond to questions from ABC-7 about whether the
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SANTA FE, New Mexico — New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed Tuesday a budget solvency plan seeking to mend a multi-billion-dollar deficit by scaling back spending increases. But the Democrat vetoed Tuesday some cuts to public education and other areas. State government finances are reeling from the economic fallout of the coronavirus epidemic and
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EL PASO, Texas — A group of Texas bar owners filed a lawsuit Monday seeking to overturn Gov. Greg Abbott’s order that closed their businesses to help contain the spread of the coronavirus in Texas. Abbott has pinpointed the re-opening of bars last month as one of the sources behind a dramatic spike in new
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It looks like Willie Nelson has Joe Biden on his mind. The legendary country singer will join Robert Earl Keen at a Monday night virtual fundraiser to support the former VP’s presidential bid. Guests at the event will include two of Biden’s former primary rivals — former HUD Secretary Julián Castro and former Congressman Beto
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DALLAS, Texas — Both Vice President Mike Pence and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott acknowledged Sunday that there has been a rapid rise in the number of coronavirus cases in the state in recent weeks after Abbott begin allowing businesses to start reopening in early May. “Covid 19 has taken a very swift and very dangerous
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SANTA FE, New Mexico — The head of the New Mexico State Land Office has declined to add her signature to the renewal of a cooperative agreement with U.S. border authorities. Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard said she instead is siding with community members who urged her not to work with U.S. Customs and Border
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HOUSTON, Texas — The din of conversation and music that normally fills The Cottonmouth Club in downtown Houston fell silent when the owners shut it down for a second time during the coronavirus pandemic — a week before the Texas governor ordered all bars to follow suit amid a surge in infections. Co-owner Michael Neff
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AUSTIN, Texas — Texas surpassed 5,000 hospitalized coronavirus patients for the first time Friday afternoon as Gov. Greg Abbott acknowledged in an interview with ABC-7 that he allowed bars in the state to reopen too soon. “If I could go back and redo anything, it probably would have been to slow down the re-opening of
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AUSTIN, Texas — Gov. Greg Abbott shut down bars in Texas again on Friday and scaled back restaurant dining to 50% capacity, the most dramatic reversals yet as confirmed coronavirus cases surge to record levels after the state embarked on one of America’s fastest reopenings. RELATED STORY: Gov. Abbott tells ABC-7 he let bars re-open
Continue Reading WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday afternoon denied a request from Texas Democrats to expand access to vote-by-mail in the state amid the coronavirus pandemic. The court’s order is the latest move in an ongoing battle between the state’s Democrats and state Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, over voting during the pandemic. In
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AUSTIN, Texas — Gov. Greg Abbott announced Thursday morning that he will pause any further phases of reopening Texas as the state is facing a “massive outbreak” in the coronavirus pandemic, with the numbers of new cases and hospitalizations continuing to hit record highs. The governor also put new restrictions into place on elective surgeries
Continue Reading SANTA FE, New Mexico — Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham had a simple message Thursday as the statewide total of Covid-19 infections in New Mexico exceeded 11,000. “You should stay home,” Lujan Grisham said as she announced that phase two of the state’s reopening plan slated for July 1 – which includes bars, theaters and non-tribal casinos
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AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Saying that voting is “wrought with uncertainty” this year regardless because of the coronavirus pandemic, a federal judge Wednesday allowed Texas to proceed with banning straight-ticket voting this November, dismissing a lawsuit brought by Democrats. Most states don’t offer straight-ticket voting, which allows voters to simply choose a party’s entire slate
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LAS CRUCES, New Mexico — After losing his uncle to Covid-19, a Las Cruces city councilman is urging the public to wear masks and prevent the loss of more lives. “People are dying alone,” said Councilman Gabe Vasquez, who represents district three. “There wasn’t a hand for my uncle to hold or a reassuring voice.”
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SANTA FE, New Mexico — New Mexico state legislators approved a measure to increase police accountability by requiring body cameras for state and local law enforcement officers before adjourning from a special session that was called to deal with budget issues. It now goes to the governor for her signature. The Democrat-led House of Representatives
Continue Reading AUSTIN, Texas — Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday struck a newly urgent tone about rising coronavirus numbers in Texas but said “closing down Texas again will always be the last option.” “To state the obvious, Covid-19 is now spreading at an unacceptable rate in Texas and it must be corralled,” Abbott said during a news conference at
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WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso, on Monday called Gov. Greg Abbott’s leadership during the coronavirus pandemic a “total failure,” saying he rushed to allow Texas businesses to reopen before properly dealing with the health crisis – hurting communities across state. “We have not been doing well in El Paso in terms of flattening
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SANTA FE, New Mexico — New Mexico’s Legislature on Saturday evening sent a budget solvency plan to the governor that would mend a multi-billion-dollar deficit by scaling back spending increases while tapping federal recovery act money and state financial reserves. State government finances are reeling from the economic fallout of the coronavirus epidemic and aggressive
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TULSA, Oklahoma — Thousands of President Donald Trump’s supporters gathered in Tulsa Saturday evening for his first campaign rally in more than 100 days as he tries to reinvigorate his re-election bid in the midst of a pandemic, a recession and a national debate over racism. The campaign suggested the rally would be the largest indoor gathering
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SANTA FE, New Mexico — The state House of Representatives on Friday night approved a budget solvency plan that fills a gaping general fund deficit by harnessing federal recovery funds, tapping half the state’s financial reserves and pulling back spending increases. General fund spending for the fiscal year that begins July 1 was revised downward
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El Paso, Texas — The Texas Supreme Court once again rejected a request to hear a case that has deep implications for the most expensive ‘quality of life project’ the City of El Paso has ever undertaken. The state Supreme Court on Friday declined to rehear a case that challenged the city’s authority to build
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AUSTIN, Texas — Multiple Texas counties and cities, including El Paso, are ordering businesses to require customers and workers to wear face masks as the state sees a continued rise in the numbers of new coronavirus cases and hospitalizations. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who has refused to order a face covering mandate for individuals, said
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AUSTIN, Texas — Actor Matthew McConaughey has long been a popular figure in the Long Horn state as a result of his charitable work, which included most recently supplying hospitals across Texas with personal protective equipment. But is the Texas native considering a bid for governor? In recent days, some talk radio hosts and political
Continue Reading SANTA FE, New Mexico — A proposal to distribute absentee ballots directly to registered New Mexico voters without a request or application was rejected by a state Senate panel on Thursday at the outset of a special legislative session aimed primarily at shoring up state finances. Absentee ballots will continue to be available only by
Continue Reading AUSTIN, Texas — Texas students will be returning to public schools in person this fall, Gov. Greg Abbott told state lawmakers on a call on Thursday. The state’s top education official later confirmed the plans, predicting Texas schools would be safe for students to return despite the current spike in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations in the state.
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EL PASO, Texas — A request from the mayors of El Paso and eight other big Texas cities for the “authority to set rules and regulations” mandating face masks during the coronavirus pandemic is being rejected by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. The request was made in a letter from the mayors to the governor on
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AUSTIN, Texas — The number of people hospitalized for the coronavirus continued to climb Tuesday in Texas, setting yet another daily record. Additional virus cases reported across the state also reached a new high. At a news conference on Tuesday afternoon, Gov. Greg Abbott said the numbers “raise concerns, but not reason for alarm.” Abbott also maintained
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