INSIDER
Survivors of LGBTQ+ club shooting say the deaths and trauma could've been avoided in lawsuits
Read full article: Survivors of LGBTQ+ club shooting say the deaths and trauma could've been avoided in lawsuitsVictims and family of those killed in the mass shooting at an LGBTQ+ nightclub in Colorado Springs in 2022 spoke Tuesday after filing lawsuits against the El Paso County commissioners and former sheriff.
El Paso County officials say itās time the state pays for Operation Lone Star arrests
Read full article: El Paso County officials say itās time the state pays for Operation Lone Star arrestsCounty officials issued a disaster declaration Tuesday, saying the stateās mass arrests at the border have cost the county millions of dollars and overwhelmed its criminal justice system.
To fight poverty, some Texas cities gave aid with no strings attached. Conservatives are pushing back.
Read full article: To fight poverty, some Texas cities gave aid with no strings attached. Conservatives are pushing back.Guaranteed income programs let participants use funds however they see fit. Critics argue they're not a good use of taxpayer dollars.
Texas counties, cities embrace new child care center tax credit even though few providers qualify
Read full article: Texas counties, cities embrace new child care center tax credit even though few providers qualifyChild care centers are struggling to make ends meet, and a new voter-approved tax credit is a first step toward boosting the flagging system, advocates say.
In El Paso, apathy, alienation and discontent with candidates drives low voter turnout
Read full article: In El Paso, apathy, alienation and discontent with candidates drives low voter turnoutAcross this border city, which sees some of the stateās lowest voter turnout, many residents either didnāt know there was an election in March or had reasons for avoiding the polls.
Without access to water lines, Texas colonias residents are pulling water from the desert air
Read full article: Without access to water lines, Texas colonias residents are pulling water from the desert airThousands of low-income, Latino residents in Texas still do not have safe drinking water. In one El Paso colonia, some residents are using solar distillation to generate water from the air.
Texas likely will spend billions fixing its water systems. Will it reach these forgotten colonias?
Read full article: Texas likely will spend billions fixing its water systems. Will it reach these forgotten colonias?An estimated 500,000 people live in thousands of colonias along the Texas-Mexico border. Largely built between the 1950s and 1980s, these communities have been promised water ā but it has never come.
Black and Hispanic Texans say they donāt trust the quality of their water
Read full article: Black and Hispanic Texans say they donāt trust the quality of their waterA survey was commissioned by the nonprofit organization Texas Water Trade and included responses from households in both rural border communities and in urban areas across Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth.
Leaked report about Colorado Springs shooter to be discussed
Read full article: Leaked report about Colorado Springs shooter to be discussedA judge is set to consider whether authorities should be punished after the media obtained documents showing detailed allegations about the suspect in the Colorado gay nightclub shooting previously plotting to be āthe next mass killerā in an old case that was sealed at the time.
Highly contagious rabbit disease that causes sudden death detected in Texas for first time this winter
Read full article: Highly contagious rabbit disease that causes sudden death detected in Texas for first time this winterThe Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said two desert cottontail rabbits and one black-tailed jackrabbit in El Paso County tested positive for the disease.
Anticipating a surge in border crossings amid cold temperatures, El Paso declares a state of emergency
Read full article: Anticipating a surge in border crossings amid cold temperatures, El Paso declares a state of emergencyWith Title 42 ending Wednesday, El Paso officials expect the number of migrants crossing the border could double. Declaring a state of emergency should open more options to provide migrants shelter from below-freezing temperatures.
In El Paso, migrants are sleeping on the streets after thousands crossed the border last weekend
Read full article: In El Paso, migrants are sleeping on the streets after thousands crossed the border last weekendA Nicaraguan fisherman planned to spend the night in a parking garage with other migrants, then a good Samaritan offered him a place to sleep. The city is struggling to handle a sudden influx of migrants that has overwhelmed local resources.
Club shooter's 2021 bomb case dropped, family uncooperative
Read full article: Club shooter's 2021 bomb case dropped, family uncooperativeThe Colorado Springs gay nightclub shooter had charges dropped in a 2021 bomb threat case after family members who were terrorized in the incident refused to cooperate.
Colorado gay club shooting suspect charged with hate crimes
Read full article: Colorado gay club shooting suspect charged with hate crimesThe suspect accused of entering a Colorado Springs gay nightclub and killing five people and wounding 17 others was formally charged with 305 criminal counts including hate crimes and murder.
Facing possible removal for alleged incompetence, El Paso District Attorney Yvonne Rosales resigns
Read full article: Facing possible removal for alleged incompetence, El Paso District Attorney Yvonne Rosales resignsThe first-term DA was under fire for the officeās mishandling of criminal cases and for potentially jeopardizing the prosecution of the man charged in the 2019 Walmart massacre.
El Paso district attorney faces trial to oust her from office over incompetency, misconduct claims
Read full article: El Paso district attorney faces trial to oust her from office over incompetency, misconduct claimsEl Paso County District Attorney Yvonne Rosales has been accused of bungling cases and is ensnared in controversy surrounding prosecution of the alleged gunman in the 2019 Walmart massacre.
Texas may delay trial for alleged Walmart shooter if federal prosecutors want to seek death penalty
Read full article: Texas may delay trial for alleged Walmart shooter if federal prosecutors want to seek death penaltyA state district judge in El Paso said Tuesday that heāll wait to see what federal prosecutors decide in their case before moving ahead with a state trial for the man accused of killing 23 shoppers in 2019.
Chaos surrounding rookie El Paso DA Yvonne Rosales fuels concerns about Walmart massacre prosecution
Read full article: Chaos surrounding rookie El Paso DA Yvonne Rosales fuels concerns about Walmart massacre prosecutionMistakes and backbiting have engulfed the El Paso County district attorneyās office. Some question whether she is competent to handle one of the most high-profile death penalty cases in recent Texas history.
After decades of broken promises, a Texas ādonut holeā community will get running water
Read full article: After decades of broken promises, a Texas ādonut holeā community will get running waterConstruction began in July to bring water to Cochran, one of several colonias along the border not served by public water systems. The project is expected to be completed by October.
āI think of them always,ā survivor of El Paso Walmart shooting says of those who were killed three years ago
Read full article: āI think of them always,ā survivor of El Paso Walmart shooting says of those who were killed three years agoSpeaking out for the first time, an El Paso mom recounts the moments from a bank inside the Walmart where 23 people were fatally shot and dozens more were injured in 2019.
Supreme Court sides with tribes in fight with Texas over authorized gambling on their lands
Read full article: Supreme Court sides with tribes in fight with Texas over authorized gambling on their landsThe ruling doesnāt expand the kinds of games tribes can offer on their lands but reaffirms their autonomy to regulate gambling activities that arenāt prohibited in Texas, regardless of the stateās rules.
El Paso lawmakers say that despite polarized climate, Texas Legislature must act on guns, reproductive rights
Read full article: El Paso lawmakers say that despite polarized climate, Texas Legislature must act on guns, reproductive rightsDuring a Texas Tribune event, Democratic state Reps. Joe Moody and Claudia Ordaz Perez and state Sen. CĆ©sar Blanco said the Uvalde school shooting and the overturning of Roe v. Wade demand action in the Texas Legislature.
Among El Pasoans, Beto OāRourkeās gubernatorial run excites loyal fans and revives longtime grudges
Read full article: Among El Pasoans, Beto OāRourkeās gubernatorial run excites loyal fans and revives longtime grudgesEl Pasoans who have followed OāRourkeās 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 cityās oldest barrios.
The delta variant is wreaking havoc on most of Texas ā but not El Paso. Hereās why.
Read full article: The delta variant is wreaking havoc on most of Texas ā but not El Paso. Hereās why.High vaccination rates, geography and a sense of community in the wake of 2019ās Walmart shootings help keep El Pasoās delta numbers low, experts and locals say.
Critics denounce Greg Abbott and Dan Patrickās āinvasionā rhetoric on immigration, saying it will incite violence
Read full article: Critics denounce Greg Abbott and Dan Patrickās āinvasionā rhetoric on immigration, saying it will incite violenceāIf people die again, blood will be on your hands,ā U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso, wrote in a tweet.
El Paso woman arrested after posing as daughter at school in viral video
Read full article: El Paso woman arrested after posing as daughter at school in viral videoAn El Paso-area mother was arrested after posing as her child at a San Elizario-area school, according to a report from the El Paso Times.
Man gets nearly 20 years for Colorado synagogue bomb plot
Read full article: Man gets nearly 20 years for Colorado synagogue bomb plotHolzer, now 28, was sentenced to nearly 20 years in prison on Friday, Feb. 26, 2021, for plotting to bomb the Colorado synagogue last year, by a judge who described the case as "dripping with Nazism and supremacy." They also said that Holzer no longer held the supremacist-like beliefs that led him to plan the bombing at Temple Emanuel Synagogue in Pueblo. AdThe Temple Emanuel plot was one of 61 anti-semitic harassment and vandalism cases that the Anti-Defamation League Mountain States Region tracked in 2019. AdHolzer was arrested Nov. 1, 2019, after receiving two phony pipe bombs and 14 sticks of dynamite from undercover FBI agents that he planned to use at the Temple Emanuel. Temple Emanuel is the second oldest synagogue in Colorado.
Vaccine comes too late for the 300,000 dead in the U.S.
Read full article: Vaccine comes too late for the 300,000 dead in the U.S.The pandemic, though, is a nightmare -- one that has now claimed 300,000 lives in the U.S. and counting. It just represents a moral failing.āThe U.S. accounts for nearly 1 out of 5 confirmed virus deaths worldwide, far more than any other country despite its wealth and medical resources. While the pandemicās toll continues to soar, much has changed since the U.S. surpassed 200,000 deaths in late September. If a second vaccine is authorized soon, as expected, 20 million people could be vaccinated by monthās end. āIām sorry, it still gets me,ā a distraught Williams said Friday, hours before the first vaccine won approval.
Vaccine comes too late for the 300,000 US dead
Read full article: Vaccine comes too late for the 300,000 US deadThe pandemic, though, is a nightmare -- one that has now claimed 300,000 lives in the U.S. and counting. It just represents a moral failing.āThe U.S. accounts for nearly 1 out of 5 confirmed virus deaths worldwide, far more than any other country despite its wealth and medical resources. While the pandemicās toll continues to soar, much has changed since the U.S. surpassed 200,000 deaths in late September. If a second vaccine is authorized soon, as expected, 20 million people could be vaccinated by monthās end. āIām sorry, it still gets me,ā a distraught Williams said Friday, hours before the first vaccine won approval.
El Paso County to put in place curfew to help stop virus
Read full article: El Paso County to put in place curfew to help stop virusEL PASO, Texas ā The top elected official for El Paso County, Texas, on Tuesday announced a new curfew to help combat the spread of the coronavirus, which is overrunning the border areaās hospitals and funeral homes. Samaniego said he worried many more people might die because of the worsening situation El Paso finds itself in. Earlier this month, an appeals court overturned an El Paso County order that would have closed nonessential businesses, including gyms and salons. El Paso County, which has more than 839,000 residents, on Tuesday reported 36,640 active COVID-19 cases, more than any other county in the state. Samaniego said El Paso County is currently operating 13 mobile morgues and they are holding the bodies of 236 individuals.
The Latest: Tennessee won't mandate vaccines in its schools
Read full article: The Latest: Tennessee won't mandate vaccines in its schools(AP Photo/Oded Balilty)NASHVILLE, Tenn. ā Tennesseeās governor says that once coronavirus vaccines become available, they will be optional in the stateās K-12 public schools. Itās just going nowhere,ā Dr. Thomas Dobbs, Mississippiās state health officer, said Monday during a meeting with members of the Mississippi Senate. State health officials said fatality updates on Tuesday are typically higher because of lag in reporting from the weekends. That includes more than 1,000 on intensive care units and more than 570 on ventilators, according to state Health Department data. ā-MADRID ā Spain is reporting a new daily record of 537 coronavirus deaths since the resurgence of the pandemic.
Incarcerated Texans asked to work in county morgue as COVID-19 deaths overwhelm El Paso
Read full article: Incarcerated Texans asked to work in county morgue as COVID-19 deaths overwhelm El PasoThe morgue in El Paso is so overwhelmed by the number of people dying from COVID-19, that inmates from the countyās detention facility are being brought in to assist with the overflow of bodies awaiting autopsy. While the work these inmates do in the community typically goes unpaid, Chris Acosta, a spokesperson for the El Paso County Sheriffās Office, said ātrustees refused to work unless they were compensated.ā Theyāre making $2 per hour. El Paso County recorded a total of 45 new deaths Thursday and Friday caused by the virus. Late Friday, a state appeals court again blocked El Paso Countyās shutdown of nonessential businesses that was scheduled to last until Dec. 1. El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego issued the shutdown order Oct. 29 in an effort to slow the latest outbreak of COVID-19 here, but a group of local restaurants and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton quickly sued to block it.
El Paso official blasts ruling overturning virus measures
Read full article: El Paso official blasts ruling overturning virus measuresEL PASO, Texas ā The top elected official for El Paso County, Texas, said he is unhappy with a state appeals court ruling overturning his order closing nonessential businesses to slow the spread of the coronavirus, but he won't appeal it. County Judge Ricardo Samaniego said in a news release late Friday that to say he was disappointed by the ruling "would be a huge understatement. State Attorney General Ken Paxton sued to overturn the order Samaniego issued in October, despite a surge that has overwhelmed hospitals and funeral homes in the border city of El Paso. Additionally, the state health department on Saturday reported totals of 1,014,160 virus cases and 19,740 deaths, increases of 8.989 cases and 150 additional deaths. There were 7,151 people hospitalized due to the virus, 68 more than Friday, according to the department.
Appeals court again halts El Paso Countyās shutdown of nonessential businesses
Read full article: Appeals court again halts El Paso Countyās shutdown of nonessential businessesPeople wait outside an El Paso restaurant to pick up their food orders after the county judge ordered a shutdown of nonessential businesses. Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre for The Texas TribuneEL PASO ā A state appeals court late Friday again halted El Paso Countyās shutdown of nonessential businesses that was scheduled to last until Dec. 1. El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego issued the shutdown order Oct. 29 in an effort to slow the latest outbreak of COVID-19 here, where total cases since the pandemic began surpassed 70,000 Friday. āIf activities are prohibited by the Governorās order, the County cannot allow them.āThe decision Friday comes as El Paso County recorded 1,488 new coronavirus cases. Samaniegoās shutdown caused a rift between him and El Paso Mayor Dee Margo, who said Thursday he hasnāt been consulted about countywide restrictions for weeks.
Appeals court temporarily stops El Paso business shutdown
Read full article: Appeals court temporarily stops El Paso business shutdownEL PASO ā A state appeals court on Thursday put on hold El Paso Countyās shutdown of nonessential businesses that was scheduled to last until December 1. Greg Abbottās own executive order that outlines what limits can be placed on private businesses across the state. A state district judge last week permitted the El Paso shutdown to stand pending a final resolution of the case, but the 8th Court of Appeals paused Samaniegoās effort until a final decision is made. āI commend the 8th Court of Appeals for stopping El Paso Co. Judge Samaniegoās shutdown order ā pending the final decision on the merits,ā Paxton tweeted Thursday. āTheyāre trying to put food on the table , theyāre trying to pay rent, theyāre trying to pay for their medicine.āNeed to stay updated on coronavirus news in Texas?
Texas becomes 1st state to surpass 1 million COVID-19 cases
Read full article: Texas becomes 1st state to surpass 1 million COVID-19 casesAUSTIN, Texas ā Texas became America's first state Wednesday with more than 1 million confirmed COVID-19 cases, as sporting events were canceled and the border city of El Paso added mobile morgues in anticipation of virus deaths overwhelming hospitals for weeks. Only Illinois has averaged more new cases than Texas over the past two weeks. Texas recently surpassed California, the most populous state, in recording the highest number of positive coronavirus tests. El Paso County officials this week announced plans to add four additional morgue trailers, bringing the total number there to 10. In Lubbock County, home of Texas Tech University, health officials reported a surge of nearly 3,400 new cases last week.
Texas records 10,865 virus cases, sets new daily record
Read full article: Texas records 10,865 virus cases, sets new daily recordAUSTIN, Texas ā Texas recorded 10,865 coronavirus cases Tuesday, setting a new daily record that surpassed by 74 cases an old mark set July 15, state officials said. Of those, an estimated 132,146 cases are active, the most since Aug. 17, and 6,170 COVID-19 cases are hospitalized, the most since Aug. 18. Ninety-four new deaths Tuesday brought the pandemic death toll in Texas to 18,863, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. One new death was reported Tuesday, bringing the city's COVID-19 death toll to 367. Nine new deaths brought the county's COVID-19 death toll to 682.
The Latest: Alaska hits daily new coronavirus case record
Read full article: The Latest: Alaska hits daily new coronavirus case record(AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Alaska on Saturday reported hitting a daily record in new coronavirus cases. āāāMILAN ā Italy registered a record 39,811 daily confirmed coronavirus cases on Saturday. ā Nebraska reported a record 2,681 coronavirus cases and a record 748 people in the hospital. The world reached 400,000 daily confirmed cases on Oct. 15; 500,000 on Oct. 26, and 600,000 on Friday. The global death toll hit a daily record of 11,024 confirmed deaths on Wednesday.
Judge upholds El Paso business restrictions amid virus surge
Read full article: Judge upholds El Paso business restrictions amid virus surgeAUSTIN, Texas ā A Texas district judge on Friday upheld an order from El Paso County's top elected official shutting down businesses while the region fights an alarming surge in COVID-19 cases. The county's top elected official, El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego, ordered a two-week shutdown of nonessential activities late last week. The Air Force teams consist of 20 military medical providers each and provide support for three El Paso hospitals, Abbott said. āOur ongoing partnership with the federal government is crucial to our efforts in reducing COVID-19 hospitalizations in El Paso,ā Abbot said in a statement. El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego, the countyās top elected official, ordered a two-week shutdown of nonessential activities late last week.
El Paso gets trailers to meet possible COVID-19 death surge
Read full article: El Paso gets trailers to meet possible COVID-19 death surgeEL PASO, Texas ā Five trailers from the Federal Emergency Management Administration have been brought to El Paso to help accommodate the surge of COVID-19 fatalities in the border city, officials said Thursday. Three of the trailers were staged at the El Paso County Medical Examiner's Office while two were being held in reserve, said Jorge Rodriguez, the city's emergency management coordinator. Twenty-two more COVID-19 deaths were reported Thursday in El Paso County, bringing the county's death toll for the eight-month pandemic to 639. They will not end the pandemic of this virus, but they will curtail the spread,ā Margo said. Of those, an estimated 116,225 cases were active, the most since Aug. 23, with 5,954 COVID-19 cases requiring hospitalization, the most since Aug. 19.
El Paso officials attribute Nov. 4 single-day record coronavirus case count to data backlog
Read full article: El Paso officials attribute Nov. 4 single-day record coronavirus case count to data backlogCorrection, Nov. 5, 2020: El Paso officials on Thursday said the cityās case count they reported Wednesday was inaccurate. El Paso Public Health Department Director Angela Mora said the correct figure for Wednesday is 1,537, not 3,100. El Paso in recent weeks has struggled to stem the tide of the novel coronavirus. Hospitals are near or at capacity, and El Paso County has set up four temporary morgues. The rising case count came as a state district judge heard arguments Wednesday over a shutdown order issued last month by El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego.
āOverwhelmedā: Texas county halts non-essential activities
Read full article: āOverwhelmedā: Texas county halts non-essential activitiesEL PASO, Texas ā El Paso County officials ordered a two-week shutdown of non-essential activities Thursday after the areaās medical resources were overwhelmed by the illness caused by the novel coronavirus. Grocery and drug stores, funeral homes, health care services and government activities were among the activities deemed essential. Yet each day for the past week, more than 1,000 new cases were confirmed in the westernmost Texas county. Americaās largest state prison system reported more 332 active COVID-19 cases and 8 units in precautionary lockdown across Texas, including one in El Paso as of Wednesday. The 119 newly reported COVID-19 fatalities raised the Texas death toll to 17,819 since the pandemic first struck at the start of March.
El Paso County closing nonessential businesses as coronavirus infections continue climbing
Read full article: El Paso County closing nonessential businesses as coronavirus infections continue climbingAs coronavirus cases continue surging in El Paso County, officials have ordered nonessential businesses to close. EL PASO ā El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego on Thursday ordered a two-week shutdown of nonessential businesses in this border area to help curb the record-breaking rise of COVID-19 cases that have overwhelmed hospitals. Greg Abbottās statewide executive order allowing some nonessential businesses to reopen to 75% capacity. For several days, El Paso has seen daily case counts that exceed 1,000 new infections, forcing the judge to install a curfew for residents from 10 pm to 5 am. āThe hard truth is that the people that are dying are in El Paso.
Texas COVID-19 hospitalizations up about 2,500 since Oct. 1
Read full article: Texas COVID-19 hospitalizations up about 2,500 since Oct. 1EL PASO, Texas ā The surge in Texas coronavirus cases has raised COVID-19 hospitalizations by almost 2,500 cases since Oct. 1. The 5,650 hospitalizations reported Wednesday were also the most since Aug. 19. About 16% of the hospitalizations were in El Paso County, the stateās worst COVID-19 hotspot. Of the 5,175 new cases state health officials reported Wednesday of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, 16.5% came from El Paso County. There have been more than 879,994 Texas cases reported since the pandemicās start, including more than 41,000 cases added in the past seven days.
El Paso imposes curfew as virus cases overwhelm hospitals
Read full article: El Paso imposes curfew as virus cases overwhelm hospitalsOn Monday, the county reported a new record high in daily coronavirus cases, with 1,443 cases of the virus recorded. Abbott ordered the alternate care site to expand hospital capacity in the El Paso area in response to the coronavirus surge, he said. The state has already provided over 900 medical personnel to El Paso, some of whom will be staffing the convention center site. āThe alternate care site and auxiliary medical units will reduce the strain on hospitals in El Paso as we contain the spread of COVID-19 in the region,ā Abbott said. As of Monday, Texas has reported a total of 867,075 virus cases statewide since the pandemic began, an increase of 4,700 from Sunday.
Coronavirus in Texas: No consensus on whether El Paso is ready to reopen
Read full article: Coronavirus in Texas: No consensus on whether El Paso is ready to reopenWhat you need to know Monday:No consensus on whether El Paso is ready to reopenGov. Greg Abbott had given El Paso County and the Amarillo area two of the state's biggest recent COVID-19 hot spots a temporary reprieve from implementing Texas' next phase of reopening. While Abbott said the Amarillo area had "turned a corner," the picture in the El Paso area wasn't as clear. El Paso Mayor Dee Margo, on the other hand, said the situation in El Paso is more manageable now. Texas reported 1,949 more cases of the new coronavirus Sunday the highest increase since the state began reporting coronavirus case counts.
Is El Paso ready to reopen? Not all Texas officials agree.
Read full article: Is El Paso ready to reopen? Not all Texas officials agree.PASO Shuttered store fronts in downtown El Paso during the the coronavirus pandemic. On May 1, when some state restrictions were lifted, El Paso County had 961 positive coronavirus cases. Abbott granted the county a one-week delay, and sent several state response teams comprised of National Guard members to increase testing in El Paso. Margo said the situation in El Paso is more manageable now and he's encouraged that the county's positivity rate has dropped to 8 percent. "The people of El Paso and the workers on the front lines should be incredibly proud of these results.Dr. Hector Ocaranza, El Paso's City/County Local Health Authority, urged caution as El Paso expands business operations.