Winter storms interrupt COVID vaccine distribution

Feb 17, 2021
In Austin, as well as at distribution hubs in San Antonio and Dallas, vaccine operations have been paused again Wednesday.
Multiple 18-wheelers wait in traffic on I-35 southbound on Feb. 15, 2021, in Austin, Texas.
Montinique Monroe/Getty Images

Texas blackouts during deep freeze highlight grid challenges

Feb 16, 2021
When it comes to electric power grids, supply and demand need to be in balance.
In Texas, the freezing weather raised costs for electricity ratepayers but caused many customers to lose power.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

"Miss Juneteenth" tells the story of a Black woman trying to build a better economic future

Feb 8, 2021
Writer-director Channing Godfrey Peoples discusses her debut film and the economic realities it draws upon.
Turquoise (Nicole Beharie) with her daughter, Kai (Alexis Chikaeze), in "Miss Juneteenth."  Channing Godfrey Peoples' story was inspired by Black women in her hometown of Fort Worth, Texas.
Vertical Entertainment

Texas food banks say they could be short millions of pounds of food in early 2021

Jan 1, 2021
At a time of unprecedented need, a state program that provides fresh produce to food banks saw its funding cut.
Cars line up outside Houston's NRG Stadium to pick up boxes of food from the Houston Food Bank during the holiday season.
Courtesy of the Houston Food Bank

Sales of Texas homecoming mums slow due to COVID-19

Nov 27, 2020
The iconic accessory is a rite of passage for Texas high schoolers, but a slow start to the school year has hurt business for mum makers.
Maya Gonzalez, 13, the daughter of Shannon Gonzalez, sports her fifth specialized mum. It is decked out with her favorite color and stuffed animal, and her initials, lights and feathers.
Keren Carrión/KERA

COVID recession puts damper on large construction projects

Nov 17, 2020
The Houston area lost the most construction jobs of any big city over the last year.
A worker directs traffic as construction takes place on a new tower in New York City in March.
Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images

Texas restaurants are just trying make it through this

Oct 29, 2020
Hundreds of thousands of food industry workers still haven't been able to come back to work.
A group of women have lunch at a restaurant in Austin, Texas, June 26, 2020.
Sergio Flores/AFP via Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

In Texas, some Black-owned barbecue restaurants saw an uptick in business during summer protests

Oct 14, 2020
For some, the surges in business helped weather challenges during the pandemic. But there are many Black-owned businesses that could close because of COVID-19.
Brothers Juan (left) and Brent Reaves stand in front of their store, Smokey John’s Bar-B-Que in Dallas.
Keren Carrión/KERA

How COVID-19 disrupts the economics of college football in small-town Texas

Sep 25, 2020
People who go to sporting events at Texas A&M University usually spend more than $120 million a year.
Because of COVID, Texas A&M is allowing only 25% of the stadium to be filled for its upcoming home games, but that’s still about 30,000 people.
Scott Halleran/Getty Images

For some Texans, a way to avoid surprise medical bills

Sep 23, 2020
A law passed in 2019 requires insurers and medical providers to settle payment disputes among themselves. It covers people with state-regulated plans.
Medical staff wearing full PPE treats a patient in the COVID-19 intensive care unit at the United Memorial Medical Center in Houston, Texas.
Go Nakamura/Getty Images