Texas Tribune Brief

Steve Johnson, 75, says trying to get his first COVID-19 vaccine dose in Wise County highlighted the shortcomings of the distribution plan. Listen in the weekend edition of The Brief podcast.

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Wednesday’s chaos led to calls for Cruz’s resignation from Texas Democrats. But Cruz says he “ain’t going anywhere.”

As U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and others began challenging the Electoral College votes that made Joe Biden the president-elect, pro-Trump rioters swarmed the U.S. Capitol and forced Congress to evacuate.

COVID-19 hospitalizations in Texas are at record levels, while just under half of the vaccine doses shipped to Texans have been given out, according to state numbers.

Gov. Greg Abbott ordered that all procedures not immediately medically necessary be postponed in March to contend with the coronavirus. In April, the number of abortions performed in Texas dropped 38% compared to the previous year.

Joining several other U.S. senators, Cruz is calling for an emergency audit of election results in “disputed states,” despite no evidence of widespread election fraud.

The dedicated teacher, soon-to-be former bar owner, grieving daughter and COVID long-hauler say they’re all ready for this year to be over.

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The move comes after Congress passed a stimulus bill Monday extending the federal moratorium on evictions through the end of January. The moratorium order was set to expire at the end of the year.

The bill will reinstate supplemental unemployment benefits of $300 per week, and extend eviction protections through the end of January. The legislation also allocates another $284 billion to the Paycheck Protection Program.

By the end of the month, the state expects to distribute 1.4 million vaccine doses to hospitals, long-term care facilities and a host of other locations.