In the weekend edition of The Brief podcast, listen to why a University of Texas at Austin sophomore says attending in-person labs during the pandemic is worth the risk.

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The coronavirus pandemic has steered the economy into a recession. In Texas, the state’s unemployment rate remains more than double what it was at the start of the year, and nearly 3.4 million people have filed for unemployment relief since mid-March.

Coronavirus cases are inevitable as Texas schools reopen. The challenge for administrators will be preventing large-scale outbreaks.

One Central Texas superintendent estimated that up to 7,000 students in his district struggled to access virtual learning, and new iPads are not likely to arrive before October. In South Texas, students share computers, phones and spotty internet with siblings.

The secretary of state's office threatened legal action against Harris County if it goes ahead with a plan to send applications for mail-in ballots to more than 2 million registered voters.

A budget document shows funding for the anti-abortion program would be maintained, but reduced for doctors and clinics that provide reduced-cost contraception and health screenings.

Gov. Greg Abbott cautioned that the state is not out of the woods yet, as a true damage assessment has yet to be conducted.

Not all of Harris County’s registered voters will ultimately qualify. Texas is among a handful of states with strict eligibility requirements to vote by mail.

Texans receiving less than $100 in weekly unemployment benefits do not qualify for the extra $300 weekly payments the Trump administration is distributing to Texas and other states.

Students grappling with financial upsets and a hurting economy say tuition should be lowered at their Texas universities. But some colleges are adding new fees related to an increase in distance learning.