EL PASO

The Republican governor officially announced his reelection campaign Saturday in McAllen, while likely Democratic opponent Beto O'Rourke campaigned in El Paso.

Lew Nichols III ran for 130 yards and a touchdown, leading late replacement Central Michigan to a 24-21 victory over Washington State in the Sun Bowl.

Central Michigan's trip west has turned wild, and the Chippewas still have the goal of ending a five-game losing streak in bowl games. One thing didn't change: Central Michigan (8-4) is still in the desert southwest for a New Year's Eve bowl game.

Texans are taking varying levels of precautions as they finish holiday shopping and prepare for Christmas worship services.

The CNBC Investing Club breaks down the week that was, and what's on our radar in the week ahead.

San Antonio residents Leianne Maugeri and Devin Del Rio are set to walk down the aisle...

A Cuban woman sent to Ciudad Juárez after seeking asylum in El Paso was raped as she waited for her U.S. court date. She worries more migrants could be victims of violence as the Biden administration revives the "remain in Mexico" program.

Mexican officials have reversed their previous position against giving coronavirus booster shots and are studying a plan to administer third doses to people over 60.

COVID-19 hospitalizations in Texas lowest in months, but other troubling signs arise

A surge in COVID-19 cases from the West is impacting El Paso.

Police say they were dispatched to the airport Friday night on an aggravated robbery call...

Police continue investigating the death of a Southwest Airlines worker who was shot near an employee parking lot at the airport in El Paso.

Gavin Hardison threw for a career-high 366 yards, Ron Awatt ran for 119 yards and UTEP defeated Rice 38-28.

The Texas Department of Public Safety on Wednesday added two new fugitives to its Texas 10 Most Wanted lists. Gang member Joshua David Whitworth, of Magnolia, was added to the Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitives List and sex offender John Oliver Talmadge McMickings, of El Paso, was added to the Texas 10 Most Wanted Sex Offenders List.

“Hell yes, we’re going to take your AR-15, your AK-47,” O’Rourke said at a debate when he was running for president.

El Pasoans who have followed O’Rourke’s political career are excited about his run for governor. But his critics still remember his support of a development plan that could have displaced Mexican American residents from one of the city’s oldest barrios.

The IceRays rebounded from a loss on Friday to rout the El Paso Rhinos 4-0 on Saturday to earn a split of a weekend set.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection told Newsy that over four years it has seized an increasing amount of opiates at El Paso ports of entry.

EL PASO — After 19 months of closure, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Monday reopened its ports of entry to vaccinated travelers from Mexico, a long-awaited event for business owners who depend on tourists and Mexican nationals who had not been able to visit family on the American side for more than a year and a half.

The ports of entry were closed in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19. Mexican nationals will need to present proof of vaccination to enter the U.S.

Ordaz Perez announced she will challenge Fierro after new political maps forced her to run against another incumbent if she wanted to seek a new term. Democrats have criticized the GOP-drawn House map for diluting the El Paso area's representation.

EL PASO (AP) — Four people were killed and 11 others were hurt Friday when a sport utility vehicle carrying 15 migrants rolled over on a West Texas highway, officials said.[San Marcos, TX] [Hays County news] News San Marcos News, San Marcos Record [Texas State]

The IceRays return to home ice hoping it can help them break a recent six-game losing streak, which dates back to Oct. 8.

The Juarez-style version of the dish uses white corn instead of yellow, which makes for a savory treat

An influential Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory committee on Thursday unanimously recommended boosters of Moderna and Johnson & Johnson's Covid-19 vaccines, sending it to CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky for final approval. It also endorsed J&J boosters for everyone 18 and older who received the initial shot at least two months ago. More than 39 million Moderna recipients and nearly 13 million J&J recipients may be eligible for a booster dose as early as Friday, according to a slide presented by the CDC during the meeting. Moderna recipients can get a booster at half the dosage of the original two shots. It often occurred in young men and usually after the second dose, he said.

For 19 months, business owners along the Texas-Mexico border have seen a drastic drop in customers because of COVID-19 travel restrictions. With land borders scheduled to reopen Nov. 8, they are banking on a return to pre-pandemic sales.

By Big Bend SentinelEL PASO – A family of three, including two full-time working adults and one child, must earn no less than $14.39 per hour to be able to provide basic family needs without leaning on public assistance. Previously, the living wage was set at $12.51 per hour. WSB will not invest into training for occupations that earn below this hourly wage. Living wage earnings reflect the geographic costs related to supporting a family with basic necessities including food, childcare, health insurance, housing, transportation, civic needs (quality of life recreational activities and administrative expenses). “Anyone living below those wages poses a challenge for this economy to survive, much less thrive.”

The United States will lift pandemic travel restrictions at border crossings with Mexico next month, reopening the border to fully vaccinated individuals and ending a virtual shutdown that separated families and hurt businesses that relied on shoppers from Mexico.

The borders were closed to nonessential travel in March 2020, which hurt businesses in Texas border cities that rely on Mexican shoppers.

A new river of lava has belched out from the La Palma volcano, spreading more destruction on the Atlantic Ocean island where molten rock streams have already engulfed over 1,000 buildings.

In initial maps released by multiple states, mapmakers sharply curb the number of competitive seats.

Finland, Denmark and Sweden are limiting the use of Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine in young people over concerns around rare cardiovascular side effects.

The couple who owned the house discovered it had survived the Cumbre Vieja volcano eruption on the island of La Palma thanks to this photo.

In a Texas Tribune Festival interview, the former member of Congress discussed the fight for voting rights, his takeaways from his last two runs for office and speculation about his becoming a candidate for governor.

A look at the 2021-22 schedule for the Corpus Christi IceRays, who are returning to action this season.

By Big Bend SentinelEL PASO – If you live in West Texas and have experienced flooding at your home or business, the Upper Rio Grande Regional Flood Planning Group (URGRFPG) wants to hear from you. As part of the Texas Water Development Board’s statewide flood planning process, the Rio Grande Council of Governments has sponsored the URGRFPG to ensure West Texans from across the 23-county area have a voice in helping the state prioritize flood control projects. The ongoing Upper Rio Grande (Region 14) Flood Plan is identifying and evaluating projects to mitigate flooding for people, property and businesses across the region. Going forward, only the projects listed in the 2023 State Flood Plan will be eligible for funding support through TWDB’s Flood Infrastructure Fund. Here’s How You Can Get Involved:

CCTV footage shows a ski run at Mount Buller during an earthquake that shook southeastern Australia. The US Geological Survey put the magnitude of the quake at 5.8, later revised up to 5.9, and said it struck at a depth of 10 kilometres (six miles).

Evacuations continue as lava creeps toward the coast and authorities warn residents of La Palma of more earthquakes, lava flows, toxic gases, volcanic ash and acid rain to come.

We talked to Dr. Anne Cope, a Chief Engineer at the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety, about ways to keep your structures secure.

Giant rivers of lava are tumbling slowly but relentlessly toward the sea after a volcano erupted on a Spanish island off northwest Africa.

The U.S. Border Patrol hopes to free up agents to go back into the field by hiring civilians to perform tasks like checking holding cells and collecting information for immigration court papers.

Mass migration in Del Rio has placed local Democrats in the awkward position of calling out the Biden administration while accepting the help of

The El Paso taqueria offers fresh tortillas, creative fillings, and fiery salsas that nod to Dragon Ball fandom.

EL PASO – The Borderplex Alliance is hosting its annual U.S./Mexico Border Summit on Thursday, November 4, in El Paso, and this year's keynote speech will be delivered by former President of Mexico Felipe Calderón.

High vaccination rates, geography and a sense of community in the wake of 2019’s Walmart shootings help keep El Paso’s delta numbers low, experts and locals say.

Plus, home security footage captures a deer hoof-fight over corn feed.

Where to stay, eat, shop, and play in this borderland city that’s rich in architectural wonders and divine dining.

Francisco “Pancho” Yslas, 74, beloved husband, father and grandfather was called to his eternal resting place on August 19, 2021. He was born on April 1,1947, to Andres and Enriqueta Yslas in El Paso, Texas.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized dozens of boxes of horse medications and supplements at the U.S.-Mexico border earlier this week.

Gutierrez admitted to being part of a conspiracy to smuggle wildlife from Mexico into the United States via El Paso, Texas. Once in the United States, the wildlife was shipped via Fed Ex or U.S. Gutierrez was paid by Mexican suppliers to facilitate the smuggling of wildlife into the United States. On Sept. 22, 2016, Gutierrez received wildlife from the Juarez airport and transported and delivered the wildlife to a co-conspirator who smuggled the wildlife into the United States and an El Paso, Texas, border crossing. The wildlife was ultimately repackaged and sent by Fed-Ex to buyers in the United States.

A new Texas law allows most people age 21 or older who haven’t been convicted of a felony to carry a holstered handgun in public without undergoing any training or getting a permit.

Over 300 pounds of bologna alone was destroyed because the man did not declare it.

EL PASO, Texas (AP) — A man who drew worldwide sympathy and support after his wife was killed in a mass shooting at a Walmart store in El Paso will be laid to rest Friday.

A man who drew worldwide sympathy and support after his wife was killed in the 2019 mass shooting at an El Paso Walmart is being remembered as kind and thoughtful but haunted by the loss of the woman he loved.

A man who drew worldwide sympathy and support after his wife was killed in the 2019 mass shooting at an El Paso Walmart is being remembered as kind and thoughtful but haunted by the loss of the woman he loved.

The suspect was arrested in a neighbor’s backyard.

He’s been on the front lines of COVID-19 since it struck last year. And Michael Muniz, a pharmacist and owner of My NuRX Pharmacy, is still at it.

By Big Bend SentinelPRESIDIO — After Yvonne Zubiate received a cancer diagnosis this year, she began undergoing chemotherapy in El Paso every two weeks to fight the illness. Zubiate is a parent liaison at Presidio ISD’s Lucy Rede Franco Middle School, and when the PISD community heard the news, they began organizing ways to help her. To assist with the costs of the treatment, the Presidio ISD police are fundraising to cover her medical expenses by hosting a burger sale on Saturday at the PISD Police Department from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.Tickets come at the price of an $8 donation and can be purchased at the PISD Police Department office. “The doctors are very optimistic that she will recover after a few months of intensive treatments as well as surgery,” her family wrote in a GoFundMe fundraising page for Zubiate. “Even though this is the beginning of a long road ahead for our mom and all the family, we continue to remain hopeful for a successful recovery.”

Critics warn that the base is ‘not safe’ because of concerns for migrant children held there after crossing the Mexico border Cars wait to enter Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. Photograph: Juan Carlos LLorca/AP There was bipartisan support in Texas this weekend for housing Afghan evacuees at the million-acre Fort Bliss military base, in El Paso near the Mexico border. But one immigration rights expert warned both that those escaping the Taliban might need to stay at the facility as long as a year,

This is a reversal of the Texas Education Agency’s previous guidance, which didn’t explicitly require school districts to notify parents of a close contact with the virus.

A man who drew worldwide sympathy and support after his wife was killed in the mass shooting at an El Paso Walmart has died. Antonio Basco died Saturday, according to a statement from Perches Funeral Homes in El Paso. Basco and Margie Reckard had been married for 22 years when Reckard was among 23 people fatally shot on Aug. 3, 2019.

A storm system that stalled for days over West Texas led to what a National Weather Service meteorologist calls an “unprecedented” amount of rain in the El Paso area that left a woman dead.

The streetcars became so popular that by 1920 there were 103 streetcars riding on 64 miles of tracks in El Paso and into Ciudad Juárez.

Jeffrey Grace told the FBI in January that he had no affiliation with the Proud Boys. After further investigation, the FBI said he's an active member.

Senior members of President Joe Biden’s administration are in Mexico for talks on addressing illegal migration to the U.S. That's according to the White House.

Robert Earl Tiller passed away on August 1, 2021, at the age of 73. He was born in El Paso, Texas, on January 26, 1948, to Jess and Virginia Ruth (Kennedy) Tiller.[San Marcos, TX] [Hays County news] Obituary San Marcos News, San Marcos Record [Texas State]

Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered state authorities last week to stop and re-route vehicles suspected of transporting migrants who crossed the southern border illegally.

El Paso, Texas, on Tuesday commemorated the massacre of 23 people in 2019, while advocates continue to pursue tighter gun laws despite GOP resistance.

EL PASO, Texas (AP) — Officials in the border city of El Paso will unveil a garden Tuesday that is meant to bring healing two years after a gunman targeting Latinos opened fire at a Walmart, killing 23 people in an attack that stunned the U.S. and Mexico.

Officials in the border city of El Paso dedicated a garden meant to bring healing two years after a gunman targeting Latinos opened fire at a Walmart, killing 23 people in an attack that stunned the U.S. and Mexico.

A historic road outside El Paso teems with under-the-radar taco joints.

EL PASO (AP) — The Biden administration sued Texas on Friday to prevent state troopers from stopping vehicles carrying migrants on grounds that they may spread COVID-19, warning that the practice would exacerbate problems amid high levels of crossings on the state's border with Mexico. [San Marcos, TX] [Hays County news] News San Marcos News, San Marcos Record [Texas State]

The Biden administration sued Texas on Friday to prevent state troopers from stopping vehicles carrying migrants on grounds that they may spread COVID-19, warning that the practice would exacerbate problems amid high levels of crossings on the state's border with Mexico. The Justice Department asked for an immediate block on Gov. Greg Abbott's order issued Wednesday, which allows the Texas Department of Public Safety to “stop any vehicle upon reasonable suspicion” that it transports migrants.

"Something has to change when it comes to border immigration issues," Rep. Henry Cuellar said at a press briefing Friday.

The pool is up to 25 feet deep.

The pool is up to 25 feet deep.

In traffic, you have but a second to appreciate the reproduction of the landmark silvery cupola of the Ysleta Mission before the flow of cars pushes you forward. But it has been over 15 months since my last visit to El Paso. Fully vaccinated, I arrive from the El Paso airport by rental car expecting to see familiar Barraca, “Shack Town,” as my side of the Ysleta neighborhood is called. The other side is Calavera, “Skeleton Town,” for the cemetery next to the Ysleta Mission. Remarkably, as I arrive to visit my mother, the asphalt on her street has disappeared, and it’s a dirt street again.

<a href="https://balmoralhouston.com/community/master-plan/">Balmoral</a>, a 750-acre master-planned community in Humble, was ranked the Houston area’s top-selling master-planned community and the Lone Star State’s second top-selling master-planned community for the first half of 2021.

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.

Members left Texas about 10 days ago and have said they plan to stay out of state until after the special session ends Aug. 6.

Harris toured Border Patrol facilities in El Paso and met with local groups that aid migrants, but Republicans continued to attack her for not visiting the Rio Grande Valley, where a large number of border apprehensions are happening.

On this week's TribCast, Matthew speaks with James, Alexa and Erin about Gov. Greg Abbott's border wall plans, the state power grid and Democrats pushing for voting legislation in Washington.

“If people die again, blood will be on your hands,” U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso, wrote in a tweet.

A federal attorney claims an order from Gov. Greg Abbott violates the U.S. Constitution’s Supremacy Clause and said legal action could follow if the state carries through with plans to pull licenses from the federally contracted facilities.

The Legislature passed a bill allowing Texans to carry handguns without a license or training — an expansion of gun rights so divisive Republican leaders in previous years refused to touch it.

The El Paso Zoo plans to press charges against a woman who was caught on video trying to feed spider monkeys after climbing into their enclosure.

Gov. Greg Abbott encouraged “groups of Texans who wish to get vaccinated as a business, family unit, friend group, or more” to schedule an event.

The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from a retired federal law enforcement officer who was put in a chokehold and wrestled to the ground at a VA hospital security checkpoint.

Something went wrong at the security checkpoint at the VA hospital in El Paso, Texas, on a winter’s day in 2016.

A giant electric blanket.

A year after the pandemic canceled most proms, school districts around the country are considering whether they can once again hold the formal dance for seniors.

<figcaption> Unaccompanied migrant boys during the one hour they get for exercise at the CBP migrant processing center in El Paso on March 29, 2021. <cite>Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre for The Texas Tribune</cite> </figcaption>

<figcaption> Members of church security teams from across Texas gathered in Krugerville to get certified in church security and trained for an active shooter situation by the National Organization of Church Security and Safety Management. Jan. 11, 2020. <cite>Credit: Leslie Boorhem-Stephenson for The Texas Tribune</cite> </figcaption>

<figcaption> U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso, speaks during a House Judiciary Committee markup of Articles of Impeachment against President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C. on Dec. 12, 2019. <cite>Credit: Matt McClain/Pool via REUTERS</cite> </figcaption>

<figcaption> Unaccompanied migrants at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection migrant processing center in El Paso on March 29, 2021. <cite>Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre for The Texas Tribune</cite> </figcaption>

The renewed commitment from Republican leaders to protect gun owners comes as the first Texas legislative session is underway since 2019’s mass shootings in El Paso and Midland-Odessa. Credit: Callie Ricmond for The Texas TribuneTexas Republican leaders are responding to the recent back-to-back mass shootings in Georgia and Colorado with commitments to protect gun ownership in the state. The political winds have completely shifted since the Texas shootings, and Democrats now control Congress and the Oval Office. Biden, a longtime supporter of gun control laws, reinvigorated the decades-long battle surrounding federal gun laws this week when he called for an assault weapons ban and stronger background checks for gun purchases. "The Biden Administration has declared war on the entire law-abiding shooting community," said Andi Turner, legislative director for the Texas State Rifle Association.

Migrants apprehended crossing the Rio Grande in Brownsville were flown to El Paso for processing and then deported to Ciudad Juárez. CIUDAD JUÁREZ — As he stood on the international bridge that connects this border city with El Paso Tuesday afternoon, Javier Leyva had to be told where he was. Migrants that were flown from Brownsville and deported to Ciudad Juárez in Mexico waited at the Juárez Migrant Assistance Center on Wednesday. The former president’s policies forced tens of thousands of migrants back into Mexico, which filled shelters in border cities like Ciudad Juárez and stressed social service agencies who help migrants. She had tried to cross into the U.S. through Ciudad Juárez before, but was sent back.

Abbott and Biden have been fighting for days over coronavirus safety protocols and whose actions have been putting the health of Texans at risk. After Abbott announced this week that he was lifting Texas' statewide mask mandate and capacity restrictions on businesses, Biden called that decision "Neanderthal thinking." Ad"The Biden Administration is recklessly releasing hundreds of illegal immigrants who have COVID into Texas communities," Abbott wrote in one tweet Wednesday afternoon. He argued in a statement that border security is “strictly a federal responsibility,” and thus the Biden administration alone should "test, screen, and quarantine" migrants who may have COVID-19. “Instead of doing their job, the Biden Administration suggested it did not have the sufficient resources and, remarkably, asked Texas to assist them in aiding their illegal immigration program,” Abbott said.

Most large cities have decided to mandate face coverings in municipal buildings. Credit: Allie Goulding/The Texas TribuneMayors in some of Texas’ biggest cities announced that they will still mandate the use of masks in municipal buildings, even after the statewide mask order ends next week. “I am going to issue an order mandating masks at all city-owned buildings. The pandemic is not over.”AdI am going to issue an order mandating masks at all city-owned buildings. AdDisclosure: The Texas Municipal League has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors.

The governor went to a Lubbock restaurant Tuesday to announce that he’s rescinding his coronavirus restrictions. He said people know how to take care of themselves and don’t need the government to tell them what to do. “It is now time to open Texas 100%,” he said, clearly delighted to be delivering the news. The coronavirus numbers are going in the right direction, but the current plateau is significantly higher than earlier ones. Cases were down again in September and early October — the low point before the surge that went from late October into January.