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Keyword: COVID-19
153 results total, viewing 1 - 20
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has established a task force to ensure music lovers are safe at concerts after a Nov. 5 tragedy occurred at NRG stadium during the Astroworld Festival.
Capital Highlights: Task force on concert safety formed and 4 other Texas-sized issues
Gov. Greg Abbott last week announced the formation of a task force on concert safety after at least nine people were killed and hundreds injured at the Astroworld Festival in Houston on Nov. 5. … more
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State officials in Austin have awarded about $26 million in grants to community colleges across Texas.
Young appointed to TX Supreme Court and 6 other Texas-sized issues
Evan Young, a former clerk to the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, has been appointed to the Texas Supreme Court by Gov. Greg Abbott. He will replace Justice Eva Guzman, who resigned in … more
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Partisan districting efforts combined with attempts to balance population numbers in Texas congressional districts have led to oddly shaped districts such as State Senator Joan Huffman’s (R-Houston) 17th district which is vaguely shaped like an upside-down question mark. The combination also leads to accusations of gerrymandering – the practice of setting districts up to intentionally favor one party or to exclude voting blocs by examining voting patterns such as those of minorities.
Third special session focuses on redistricting, and 5 other Texas-sized issues
The Texas Legislature convened Monday for its third special session with the focus on redrawing political boundaries for House and Senate districts, as well as for the state’s congressional … more
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Texas A&M students gathered Tuesday to demand more mandatory COVID-19 precautions on the College Station campus. School leaders have said they’re limited in what they can require. University leaders have encouraged mask-wearing and getting vaccinated, but they say Gov. Greg Abbott has prevented them from requiring either.
After A&M student died from COVID-19, students and faculty rally for safety precautions
The death of a 20-year-old Texas A&M University student from COVID-19 last week spurred fear, frustration and sadness on the College Station campus. In the days since the biomedical science major … more
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The Texas Health and Human Services Commission announced last week that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program beneficiaries will continue to receive an additional $95 per month in food support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture via HHSC.
Abbott calls third special session for Sept. 20, and 5 other Texas-sized issues
Gov. Greg Abbott has called a third special legislative session to deal with redistricting, to decide how to spend billions of dollars in pandemic funding from the federal government and to determine … more
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Texas Medical Center Hospitals such as the Memorial Hermann Hospital System are reporting that they are overwhelmed with COVID-19 cases. However, data from the TMC indicates a possible reduction in upcoming cases. The effective reproduction rate, which is ideally less than 1.0, is at 0.65 as of Aug. 29 but was at 1.04 last week. Concurrently, 14.9% of COVID-19 tests are positive, matching the prior week’s test rate for Sunday.
Capital Highlights: Elections bill passes House along party lines and 4 other Texas-sized issues
The Texas House approved an elections bill Friday along party lines with 21 Democrats declining to participate. The bill, slightly different from previously passed Senate legislation, now heads a … more
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A special meeting of the Katy ISD Board of Trustees will be held at 5 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 30 to discuss the district's return to school plans amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing related legal battles.
KISD Board of Trustees to hold special meeting Monday evening to discuss COVID-19 protocols
The Katy ISD Board of Trustees will hold a special meeting at 5 p.m. Monday evening to discuss the district’s Safe Return to School Plan and hear an update on statewide legal proceedings … more
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Proponents of Senate Bill 15 have largely touted it as a measure with enough guardrails to make sure students succeed while learning remotely and to help those who might fall through the cracks. The bill, which would provide funding through September 2023, needs final approval from the House before it heads to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk.
TX House works to fund limited virtual learning options as return to normal thwarted by delta variant
After months in limbo, Texas lawmakers took a step toward expanding and funding virtual learning as the pandemic still proves a threat to families not yet comfortable sending their children back to … more
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The last of the extended assistance will be given through the week ending Sept. 11, the Texas Workforce Commission announced Thursday. The Texas Workforce Commission announced that the U.S. Department of Labor notified the commission that the state’s unemployment rate fell below the threshold needed to continue the benefits.
Extended unemployment benefits for jobless Texans to end in September
Texas will soon stop paying extended benefits because of a decline in the state’s unemployment rate, the Texas Workforce Commission announced Thursday. The state has historically given … more
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Congressman Troy Nehls speaks during a 2019 event when he was still sheriff of Fort Bend County. Nehls has been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the last few days and is isolating at home with what he described as moderate symptoms.
Nehls diagnosed with COVID-19
Congressman Troy Nehls, R – Texas, of Texas’s 22nd Congressional District, announced Saturday that he has been diagnosed with COVID-19 just days after being near a family member who had a … more
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Katy ISD's board of trustees has adjusted its plans for the fall semester's return to school to allow students up to sixth grade to again utilize the Katy Virtual Academy.
KISD adjusts fall semester COVID-19 strategy, but opts against mask mandate
The Katy ISD Board of Trustees has made adjustments to its plans for all students to return to campuses on Aug. 18. Trustees voted unanimously to approve an adjustment to continue Katy Virtual … more
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Job numbers at the state level indicate a rise in employment with 56,000 jobs added to the Texas economy in June with more than 19,000 of those jobs in the hospitality industry as restaurants and similar businesses find ways to entice employees to come work for them.
Capital highlights: Workforce commission announces job surge, and 3 other Texas issues
The Texas Workforce Commission released June employment figures that showed Texas employers added nearly 56,000 jobs in June, while the unemployment rate dropped to 6.5%. “The Texas economy … more
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Fuel prices have leapt up recently across the state and nation as more vaccinations have occurred and pandemic restrictions have eased up concurrently with schools letting out for summer. AAA says drivers should be aware that fuel prices are likely to continue increasing as hurricane season approaches and demand continues to increase.
Gas prices at highest level since 2014 and 5 other Texas topics Katy area readers should know about
As Texans hit the roads this summer with pandemic restrictions eased and vaccinations widespread, the national average price of gas is expected to top $3 per gallon, though the average in Texas for … more
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A COVID-19 vaccine registration card. Gov. Greg Abbott will sign a bill into law that will punish businesses that require proof of vaccination from customers. Abbott's signature means that businesses that require so-called vaccine passports can't get state contracts and could lose state licenses or operating permits.
Abbott signs bill to punish businesses that require proof of COVID-19 vaccination
Texas businesses that require customers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 will be denied state contracts and could lose their licenses or operating permits under legislation Gov. Greg Abbott signed … more
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More than 55% of the state's population growth has been in cities with more than 50,000 residents according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Capital Highlights: Population changes and 5 other Texas issues
Population gains, losses in state detailed The U.S. Census Bureau has released is sub-county population estimates from April 2010 to July 2020. That includes population estimates for the 1,200 … more
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The announcement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is welcome news for many who have grown weary of the safety precautions more than 14 months into the global public health crisis.
CDC lifts mask guidance for fully vaccinated people

CDC lifts mask guidance for fully vaccinated people — but less than a third of Texans are fully vaccinated

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Texas politicians continue to be resistant to the expansion of Medicaid in the state which prevents the state from receiving billions of federal aid that would help Texans get health insurance. Texas continues to be among states with the highest population without health coverage.
Capital Highlights: 5 statewide things Katy readers should know
A bid to expand health coverage for low-income Texans failed in the Texas House last week, 80-68. State leaders have long opposed expanding the Medicaid program, which is largely funded by the … more
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Tex. Gov. Greg Abbott has appointed a new Public Utility Commission board member after all three previous members of PUC's board of directors resigned earlier this year. Meanwhile, the Texas Legislature is moving toward allowing more people to carry firearms and has hit a stall in distributing the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine over concerns about blood clots in some patients
Capital Highlights: 7 Texas-sized news bits Katy area residents should know about
Early voting underway across stateEarly voting began Monday for May 1 elections in county, city and school district elections.Secretary of State Ruth R. Hughs encourages all eligible voters to take … more
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Gov. Greg Abbott’s order is consistent with his messaging on vaccinations. He was vaccinated live on TV but also stresses that vaccines are “always voluntary” in his public statements. Today's announcement comes as vaccine credentials, often referred to as vaccine passports, are being developed around the world as a way to quickly prove someone’s vaccination status, particularly with private companies.
Abbott bans state agencies and state-funded orgs from requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination
Gov. Greg Abbott said Tuesday that he banned state agencies, political subdivisions and organizations receiving public funds from creating "vaccine passports" or otherwise requiring someone to … more
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People gathered on the beach in front of Clayton's Beach Bar during spring break on South Padre Island on Wednesday. After Texas college towns initially emerged as coronavirus hot spots during the beginning of the fall semester, university officials are hoping the same won’t occur after the spring break period.
Some Texas colleges keep spring break while others adapt due to pandemic concerns
As many Texas universities take the extraordinary step of canceling or significantly reducing spring break during the pandemic, some schools are hosting on-campus events and continuing the weeklong … more
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