The state’s Hispanic population is now nearly as large as the non-Hispanic white population, with Texas gaining nearly 11 Hispanic residents for every additional white resident since 2010. Those trends set up a pitched battle for political control when state lawmakers redraw legislative districts.
Carla Astudillo
Carla Astudillo is a senior data visuals developer with a focus on elections and political data. Before joining the Tribune in 2019, she was a data and interactive visuals journalist at NJ.com and The Star-Ledger in New Jersey, where she helped build a database of police use of force in the state as part of a 16-month investigative project. She earned a master’s degree from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida. Carla was born in Antofagasta, Chile and moved to the United States when she was 7 years old. After brief stints in Texas and New Mexico, her family settled in Lakeland, Florida, where she grew up. She is based in Austin and speaks Spanish fluently.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2021
Energy industry showers Gov. Greg Abbott, other Texas politicians with campaign cash after they passed power grid bills
For some energy experts, the increase in donations for the officials at the close of the session looks like a reward for not passing more stringent regulations and raises questions about whether lawmakers let the oil, gas and the broader energy industry off easy for its massive failures.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
Texas veterans homes overseen by George P. Bush were often the deadliest places to be during COVID-19 pandemic
Seven of the state’s nine veterans homes had a fatality rate of 25% or more, far higher than the statewide average of 11% for nursing homes. Bush has vowed to not renew the operators’ contracts.
Posted in
Congress
Sen. Joe Manchin, key Democratic holdout on federal voting protections, coming to Texas for fundraiser hosted by several GOP donors
The fundraiser comes just a day after Manchin met with Texas House Democrats on Capitol Hill who are desperate for his support of the congressional efforts which could preempt the statewide GOP’s push to pass bills that would restrict voting access for Texans.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
Amarillo was vaccinating people at double the state’s pace. Then the effort hit a wall.
Local health officials are trying to boost vaccinations in this Panhandle city and its surrounding counties, which rank near the bottom of the state’s population centers in the percentage of residents fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Posted in
Graphics and data reporting
The 2021 legislative session is over. Here are the big bills that passed – and the ones that failed
Texas lawmakers filed thousands of bills during the 2021 legislative session. Here are the big bills that passed – and the ones that failed.
Posted in
Demographics
An anti-abortion program will receive $100 million in the next Texas budget, but there’s little data on what’s being done with the money
Critics say the fast-growing Alternatives to Abortion program is secretive and a “waste” of money. But the program has strong supporters in the Republican-controlled Legislature who say it helps those who decide to “choose life in difficult circumstances.”
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Health care
COVID-19 ravaged the state’s border counties. Now they’re leading Texas in vaccinations.
From El Paso to Brownsville, every county along the border is outpacing the state average for the percentage of residents fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
COVID-19 ravaged Texas nursing homes. Here are the stories behind the numbers.
Nearly 9,000 Texas nursing home residents have died of COVID-19. This is what the last year of chaos and isolation was like for nursing homes residents and the employees who care for them.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
Facing a crush of COVID-19 patients, ICUs are completely full in at least 50 Texas hospitals
Across Texas, hospital intensive care units are being battered as COVID-19 cases continue to rise in a post-holiday surge. Dozens of facilities have reported that their ICUs have been at or above 100% capacity for weeks, leaving staff overworked and stretched thin.