The gang welcomes back an old friend, Patrick Svitek, to preview Texas’ biggest political throwdown in years.

With the Trump administration moving quickly to assert its authority, the Voice of America says it has moved to cancel contracts with The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse wire services.

A British safety adviser working with a team of Reuters journalists was killed when a Russian missile struck a hotel in the Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk.

A Texas petrochemical company has pleaded guilty to a violation of the Clean Air Act and agreed to pay more than $30 million in connection with two explosions that injured workers and caused the evacuation of thousands, the U.S. Justice Department said Tuesday.

Teen retail chain rue21 will reportedly close all of its 540 stores as it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for the third time last week.

Reuters photographer Mohammed Salem captured this year’s prestigious World Press Photo of the Year award Thursday with his heartrending image of a Palestinian woman cradling the body of her young niece — a powerful depiction of loss and sorrow in Gaza.

The International Federation of Journalists says 2023 has been an unprecedented year for the number of media workers killed on the job.

Two international human rights groups say two Israeli strikes that killed a Reuters videographer and wounded six other journalists in south Lebanon nearly two months ago were apparently deliberate and a direct attack on civilians.

A watchdog group advocating for press freedom has said that the strikes that hit a group of journalists in southern Lebanon earlier this month, killing one, were targeted rather than accidental and that the journalists were clearly identified as press.

Reuters videographer Issam Abdallah, who was killed in Israeli shelling of southern Lebanon, has been laid to rest in his hometown in a funeral procession attended by hundreds of people.

An Israeli shell has landed in a gathering of international journalists covering clashes on the border in south Lebanon, killing a Reuters videographer and leaving six other journalists injured.

Patrick Hamilton, a combat veteran of the Vietnam War who covered civil wars in Central America as a photojournalist for The Associated Press,and later worked at Reuters covering the first Gulf War in Iraq, has died after a long struggle with cancer.

The clerk of the Fulton County, Georgia, court system has acknowledged accidentally releasing what appeared to be a list of criminal charges against Donald Trump before he was actually indicted.

Pennsylvania GOP gubernatorial nominee Doug Mastriano posed in a Confederate uniform for a faculty photo at the Army War College, three years before he retired from the U.S. Army.

The 1966 University of Texas Tower shooting remains clouded by myths, including the myth of the “good guy with a gun.” It left too many Americans with only evil to blame — and not our leaders, our policies and ourselves.

Loving children and beloved educators were killed at Robb Elementary School on May 24 in the deadliest school shooting in Texas history.

A dozen countries, including Mexico and Brazil, have been added to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s list for the highest level of risk associated with COVID-19.

Twitter has signed deals with The Associated Press and Reuters to help elevate accurate information on its platform.

Colleagues and friends are mourning a Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer for the Reuters news service who was killed in Afghanistan.

Days after getting locked out of a special election runoff for Congress in North Texas, Democrats are mulling over what went wrong — and assigning some blame — for the unflattering start to the 2022 election cycle.

The U.S. Supreme Court said Monday that it won’t hear a case filed by Texas and 13 other states that seeks to revive a Trump-era “public charge” immigration rule, stating they need an opinion from a lower court first.

Texas will continue to see its political clout grow as it gains two additional congressional seats following the 2020 census, the U.S. Census Bureau announced Monday.

The state’s main power grid operator asked Texans to conserve power Tuesday afternoon and into the evening as the electricity grid is barely keeping up with the demand for electricity.

A depot used to store pipes for Transcanada Corp's planned Keystone XL oil pipeline is seen in Gascoyne, North Dakota, on Nov. 14, 2014 Credit: REUTERS/Andrew CullenTwenty-one states, led by Texas and Montana, filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the Biden Administration for revoking a permit for the long-disputed Keystone XL pipeline. The complaint, filed in a Texas federal district court by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, argues the president exceeded his authority in doing so, and that the decision rests with Congress. Biden canceled the pipeline’s permit on his first day in office, in an executive order that raised concerns about climate change. AdHe said the permit was inconsistent with his administration’s economic and climate imperatives.”President Donald Trump granted a permit in 2019. In February, Paxton and 13 other attorneys general sent a letter asking Biden to reinstate the permit, citing the possible loss of thousands of jobs.

People protested last month in New York City against an increase in hate crimes targeting Asian Americans. Driven by discriminatory rhetoric related to the origin of COVID-19, Asian communities across Texas and the country have faced verbal and physical attacks since the pandemic started a year ago. But in Houston, with its diverse population, people of Asian descent, like Deqing Yang, say they continue to be embraced and encouraged to help their fellow Texans weather the health crisis. Start your day with a quick take on the latest Texas politics and policy news. Subscribe on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, Amazon Echo or RSS.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Moonlight Mobile Theater was forced to cancel its shows last year. So, in December, theater owners came up with a solution that turned audience members into “peeping Toms,” but in a good way. The theater built cubicles surrounding the stage that have chairs and doors with letter-drop slots built into them, which allow audience members to view the performers on stage in a socially distanced way. There are 30 audience members allowed at each show. But in the end, owners say they feel the shows are worth producing to benefit the performers and the industry as a whole.

The U.S. Capitol on Jan. 12, 2021. Credit: REUTERS/Joshua RobertsA U.S. House subcommittee is investigating the operator of Texas’ power grid for its role in leaving millions without electricity during the destructive winter storm that hammered the state two weeks ago. The subcommittee asked ERCOT to fork over documents by March 17. AdIn the letter, Khanna also highlighted the known risk that climate change poses to the United States based on scientific evidence. ERCOT and the State of Texas are well-aware of the weather predictions, yet you failed to prepare adequately for them,” Khanna said. The oversight committee is “the main investigative committee in the U.S. House of Representatives” and can investigate within its legislative jurisdiction as well as “any matter” within the jurisdiction of other standing committees, according to the committee’s website.

Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn at a Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., in 2018. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz joined with most of their Republican colleagues on Tuesday to support a measure that would have declared the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump as unconstitutional. The point of order, raised by U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, had the backing of most other Republican senators. Supporters of Trump overtook the Capitol — including the U.S. Senate chamber — and killed one Capitol Police officer. The House impeachment managers — de facto prosecutors — will have to convince at least 17 Republican senators to join the expected unanimous Democratic vote in convicting Trump.

The Texas Tribune Tribcast for Jan. 13, 2021. Credit: REUTERS/Stephanie Keith(Audio unavailable. Click here to listen on texastribune.org.) In this week's episode, Matthew talks with Ross, Abby and Cassi about the insurrection in the U.S. Capitol and the first day of the legislative session in the Texas Capitol.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton walks across the Supreme Court plaza to hold a press conference in 2016. Credit: REUTERS/Bill Clark(Audio unavailable. Click here to listen on texastribune.org.) In this week's episode, Matthew talks to Emma, Cassi and Mitchell about Texas' lawsuit against swing states that went for Joe Biden, the upcoming legislative session and the future of gambling in Texas.

On Friday, the the Texas Department of State Health Services added residents of long-term care facilities to the first tier of people who would be eligible for a coronavirus vaccine. People living and working in long-term care facilities, like nursing homes and assisted living centers, will be among the first group of people eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccinations in Texas. Earlier this week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that long-term care facility residents being included in this priority group for receiving the early doses of the vaccine. The allocation includes 49,725 doses for hospitals in Harris County; 27,300 doses for Dallas County; 18,525 doses for Tarrant County; 28,275 doses for Bexar County; and 13,650 doses for Travis County. “More vaccine will be available for more providers in the following weeks, including vaccine from Moderna once it is authorized.”An expert vaccine allocation panel defined the allocation process, and the strategy includes a list of priority recipients of the vaccine.

A dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by BioNTech and Pfizer. Credit: via REUTERSTexas could receive coronavirus vaccine doses to immunize up to 700,000 Texans in December, assuming U.S. health officials approve coronavirus vaccine candidates from drugmakers Pfizer and Moderna, Gov. The vaccines require two doses per person, and state health officials have said health care workers will be first in line. Abbott said the vaccine candidates would likely arrive in Texas the week of Dec. 14. "The State of Texas is already prepared for the arrival of a COVID-19 vaccine, and will swiftly distribute these vaccines to Texans who voluntarily choose to be immunized," Abbott said in a news release.

EL PASO — Throughout November, President Trump’s reelection campaign has aggressively solicited donations to support its widely debunked claims of a rigged presidential election. Here in Texas, the president’s team still owes the city of El Paso a 2-year-old debt of more than half a million dollars. In February 2019, Trump held a campaign rally at the El Paso County Coliseum that cost the city $470,000 in security and other related expenses. “We continue to explore various options.”The Trump campaign did not respond when asked if or when the debt would be settled. That also means shoppers from Mexico, who were a reliable source of sales tax revenue, have been largely absent since March.

El Paso has emerged as a hotspot in Texas' coronavirus surge. Credit: REUTERS/Ivan Pierre Aguirre(Audio unavailable. Click here to listen on texastribune.org.) In this week's edition of the TribCast, Emma talks to Ross, Edgar and Patrick about the challenges of vaccine distribution in rural Texas, the latest in the allegations against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and the controversial new head of the Texas GOP.

Texas voters’ opinions about confirming an appointee to the U.S. Supreme Court mirror those of the partisans in government, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. Almost half — 47% — said the Senate should vote on President Donald Trump’s appointee to the court, while 41% said the Senate should only vote if Trump wins reelection in November. Among Democratic registered voters, 77% said the Senate should only vote on the confirmation if Trump is reelected. Self-identified independent voters were split, with 35% saying the Senate should vote, and 38% saying that vote should only take place if the president wins another term. Disclosure: The University of Texas at Austin has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors.

People gather outside the U.S. Supreme Court after the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Credit: REUTERS/Al Drago(Audio unavailable. Click here to listen on texastribune.org.) On this week's Tribcast, Matthew talks with Ross, Emma and Alex about the U.S. Supreme Court vacancy, Gov. Greg Abbott's latest reopening announcement and voter registration in Texas.

Credit: REUTERS/Kevin LamarqueThe National Republican Congressional Committee has canceled about $2 million worth of advertising it had reserved for campaigning in the Houston television market, according to several Democratic and Republican sources tracking Houston media advertising who were not authorized to discuss the issue on the record. Fletcher unseated Republican John Culberson in 2018, and she is one of two Democratic incumbents who Republicans have been targeting in Texas this year. The $2 million was intended to cover advertising in the last two weeks of the election, according to the sources. One source, a national Republican operative, said the money has been moved to the San Antonio and Dallas-Fort Worth media markets. A Republican leadership aligned group, the Congressional Leadership Fund, is expected to spend about $6.25 million in Houston between media advertising and a field operation.

The mayor of Galveston called for a mandatory evacuation of the city Tuesday morning after Tropical Storm Laura strengthened into a hurricane and its path shifted westward, increasing the chances that it could strike the Houston area. Galveston residents have until Wednesday morning to evacuate, but city services will be suspended Tuesday at noon, according to a city Facebook post. Voluntary evacuation orders are in place for Chambers County, Galveston County and the City of Seabrook. Laura is bearing down as the coronavirus pandemic remains a major concern in Texas, especially in cities like Houston. Laura could become the second significant storm to impact Texas during the 2020 hurricane season.

Police in Singapore have taken an extraordinary step to ensure people are following social distancing rules. In a 3 1/2-month trial, police have used 22-pound pilotless drones, developed by Israel’s Airobotics, as a way to enforce social distancing and contain the spread of COVID-19, according to Reuters. Airobotics CEO Ran Krauss told Reuters the company is simply helping police maintain normal operations, specifically related to COVID-19. “The pandemic created a situation where it might be difficult for police to maintain,” Krauss said. The trial continues on in the social distancing aspect, according to Airobotics, and Krauss said the company is in talks with other cities to deploy drones.

Health care workers stand in the street in counter-protest to hundreds of people who gathered at the State Capitol to demand the stay-at-home order be lifted in Denver, Colorado, U.S. April 19, 2020. NO ARCHIVESA small group of health care workers counterprotested at a large rally in Colorado demanding the state reopen and ease the restrictions designed to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Photos and video from the protest showed a small number of workers dressed in scrubs and protective masks standing in a crosswalk blocking the vehicles as a counterprotest. One video of the protest showed a woman in a USA shirt leaning out of the passenger window of a pickup truck and shouting at the health workers. Jared Polis has issued a stay-at-home order that will remain in effect until April 26.

“We thought that it was an abandoned cat who had given birth,” Lobo told Reuters. The pair took the animals home, but only one, whom they named Tito, survived. Two months later, Lobo took the little cat to the vet for a check-up — and was told Tito was actually a puma jaguarundi. The small wild cats are found in the southwest U.S., as well as Central and South America. "The vet didn't know what it was but said it was not a normal cat and gave me the number of the reserve," Lobo said.