The Texas Newsroom is a collaboration between public media stations across the state. They have covered various aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic, pointed out injustices and remembered lives lost. Here is a collection of the best stories from 2020.
From KUT in Austin
This Austinite Is Still Planting Flags In His Yard For Every Texan Who’s Died From COVID-19
Shane Reilly is an artist whose son is immunocompromised. At the start of the pandemic, he was upset to see people not wearing masks and seeming not to take the virus seriously. So he began to plant a flag in his front yard for every person who died of COVID-19, turning it into a stark reminder of the toll the virus has taken and a memorial to those who were lost.
To Keep Austin's Racial Justice Movement In Motion, One Man Got On His Bike. Hundreds Followed.
It started with an idea Talib Abdullahi shared on Instagram: He wanted to get some friends together for a bike ride to explore Austin’s Black history. He figured maybe 20 or 30 friends would join him. It snowballed into an event where hundreds joined, and there's even a self-guided tour posted online for others to explore.
Remote Learning Is A Struggle For This Special Ed Student. Is Going To School Worth The Risk?
Sarah McKenna is an immunocompromised mother with two kids who have learning disabilities. One thrived at home because she could block out the distractions that come with in-person learning. But the other struggled to keep up and was in danger of failing because he wasn't getting the personalized attention he usually received when attending school in person. When students were allowed to return to school in November, McKenna had to decide whether it was worth the risk to send her son back to school.
From KERA In Dallas
The Asylum Trap: Stories From Migrants Forced To Wait In Mexico While Seeking Asylum
Under a Trump administration policy called "Remain in Mexico," thousands of asylum seekers have been made to stay in Mexico until they get their asylum cases heard in court. This has thrown countless families in limbo, and many of these asylum seekers are living in dangerous conditions in border towns on the U.S.-Mexico border.
'I Had To Make A Decision': How Domestic Violence Survivors Are Navigating COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated another problem: domestic violence. Lockdown orders meant that people who needed help couldn't get it as easily, and some had to make the terrifying decision whether to flee their abusers or risk getting ill.
Abbott Went Against Some Supporters When He Said ‘No’ To Refugees, Records Show
Gov. Greg Abbott said at the beginning of the year that refugees would not be resettled in Texas this fiscal year. It was the culmination of months of lobbying behind the scenes. Through a public records request, KERA examined more than 50 letters and emails to Abbott and his staff, and the correspondence reveals that Abbott, a Republican, ruled against some powerful interests in the state, including business trade groups that traditionally have supported GOP causes.
From Houston Public Media
Not Forgotten: Stories Of Houstonians Lost To COVID-19
More than 3,000 people have died of COVID-19 in Harris County, the most of any county in Texas. This is a collection of stories of some of those people.
Nearly 3 Years On, Few Houston Homeowners Have Been Reimbursed For Harvey Repairs
Homeowners have faced lengthy delays while waiting for reimbursements to repair their homes after Hurricane Harvey hit the state on Aug. 25, 2017. The city of Houston and the state of Texas bickered over who should pay out federal aid, leaving thousands of homeowners in the lurch.
NPR-Harvard Poll: Houstonians Face Delayed Care, Financial Hardship Amid COVID-19
A report released by NPR and Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health shows that one in four Houston households surveyed were unable to get medical care or received delayed care for a serious problem during the coronavirus pandemic. Overwhelmingly, Houstonians said that delayed medical care had negative consequences on their health.
From Texas Public Radio in San Antonio
The Feds Targeted The Border For Pandemic Enforcement. Did It Work?
One of the active federal enforcement actions pertaining to the coronavirus has been to close the Texas-Mexico border to nonessential travel. This has had wide-ranging consequences on both sides of the border, mostly to smaller businesses and those who make their livelihood by serving those who cross on a regular basis.
'It's Nonstop' — Texas Reaches 1 Million COVID-19 Cases And 20,000 Deaths
Texas crossed the 1 million mark in COVID-19 cases earlier this year, fueled by surges in places such as El Paso, Amarillo and Lubbock. How did Texas get to that point and what lies ahead for the state?
The Impact Of Hurricane Laura Overflowed In States Already Facing COVID-19 Disasters
Hurricane Laura struck Louisiana and Southeast Texas in late August. While Texas escaped the brunt of the storm, evacuees who came to Texas faced crowds, confusion, and of course, the coronavirus.
From KTEP in El Paso
Special Coverage: Resilient El Paso Remembers Walmart Mass Shooting
Stories focus on remembering lives lost and include a remarkable reunion of survivors who have not seen each other since that day.