Feb 18 Sen. Ted Cruz returns from Cancun after uproar, says traveling ‘obviously a mistake’ By Steve Peoples, Jake Bleiberg, Associated Press The Republican senator said he began second-guessing the trip since the moment he first got on the plane Wednesday. "In hindsight, I wouldn't have done it," he told reporters. Continue reading
Feb 18 Watch 9:33 After brutalizing much of the U.S., storm surge shines a spotlight on disparities By Stephanie Sy, Patty Gorena Morales, Casey Kuhn, Ryan Connelly Holmes The storms that have descended on much of the country, and their after-effects, have hit vulnerable groups the hardest, especially communities of color. Dr. Robert Bullard, a professor at Texas Southern University who focuses on wealth and racial disparities related… Continue watching
Feb 18 Watch 5:17 News Wrap: Democrats introduce bill offering a path to citizenship for millions By PBS NewsHour In our news wrap Thursday, Democrats formally introduced President Biden’s immigration bill offering an eight-year path to citizenship for 11 million people, protests continue across Myanmar against military coup, thousands of farmers in India staged sit-ins at railroad police stations,… Continue watching
Feb 18 Watch 7:56 Battered by the pandemic, communities of color experience sharp drop in life expectancies The pandemic's toll was highlighted in stark terms again Thursday as the expected life spans fell in the U.S. by a year on average in the first half of 2020. It is the largest drop since World War II, and… Continue watching
Feb 18 Watch 8:57 South Carolina places stringent new restrictions on abortions South Carolina is the latest state to place tough new restrictions on abortions. It is part of a renewed focus on abortion access with a new conservative majority on the Supreme Court. Gavin Jackson, a public affairs reporter for South… Continue watching
Feb 18 4 questions about weather-driven power outages, answered By Michael E. Webber, The Conservation Heat waves, droughts and deep freezes can all strain the electric grid, leading utilities to impose rolling blackouts. Climate change is likely to make these events more common. Continue reading
Feb 18 Trump-McConnell feud could threaten Republicans’ path to power By Steve Peoples, Jill Colvin, Brian Slodysko, Associated Press Leading GOP strategists say the exploding feud is a distraction at best and, at worst, a direct threat to a political comeback. Continue reading
Feb 18 Some power restored in Texas but water woes persist By Paul J. Weber, Jill Bleed, Associated Press Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says 7 million people have been ordered to boil their water before consuming it. The extreme weather was blamed for the deaths of over three dozen people, some while trying to keep warm. Continue reading
Feb 18 How to help Texas during winter storm blackouts By Chloe Jones An unprecedented winter storm and unprepared electrical grid has left millions of Texans without reliable power and water and has killed at least 20 people since Monday. Continue reading
Feb 18 Where states are boosting or slashing higher ed funding amid the pandemic By Emma Whitford, Inside Higher Ed Governors have proposed a patchwork of higher education funding increases and cuts in their budgets. Continue reading