Local officials are imploring the governor to give them more enforcement power.
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When Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced the state had reached its highest-ever number of COVID-19 cases and a new record number of coronavirus hospitalizations, it didn’t reflect well on Texas. There’s plenty of anecdotal evidence to suggest that many Texans have, in the governor’s words, “let their guard down” in the past few weeks, ignoring advice on social distancing and the use of facial coverings to prevent the spread of the virus. While the governor stressed the state has enough hospital beds to handle more patients, many local Texas officials say those hospitalizations could be prevented if they were allowed to enforce the use of face masks. Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff is among those imploring the governor to give local jurisdictions enforcement power. “During an emergency, you do not have a Constitutional right to pass on this COVID to someone else that may end up dying because they have health issues,” Nelson said in an interview with us on Tuesday. Later that same day, the mayors of nine Texas cities signed a letter to the governor, asking him to lift his order prohibiting civil or criminal penalties for failure to wear face coverings. Echoing language Gov. Abbott himself might have once used, the mayors wrote, “a one-size-fits-all approach is not the best option.” Whether these appeals or the rising COVID-19 numbers will alter the governor’s course of action remains to be seen. But as of this writing, the data trajectory is as ominous as the stakes are high. As we continue to track this story, we encourage you to explore more of our coverage below. Until next week, we’ll see you on the radio.
- David Brown
Work safe, Texas. Texas Work Comp Insurance

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75,000 U.S. Health Care Workers Have Been Infected With COVID-19. This Is One Of Their Stories.


Nurses say the repeated use of personal protective equipment puts them at greater risk for contracting the new coronavirus.
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Joy Melody Woods says the hashtag gives black faculty and grad students a place to share stories that are often ignored or dismissed.
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Immigration Historian: Border Patrol’s Role In Policing Protests Is Troubling


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  • Austin Mayor Says 'Mixed Messaging' From State Leaders Confuses People On Importance Of Masks (KUT)
  • In Ciudad Juárez, A New 'Filter Hotel' Offers Migrants A Safe Space To Quarantine (KERA)
  • Some National Guard Members Are Likely To Face Discipline After Refusing To Deploy To Protests (Texas Public Radio)
  • Balmorhea State Park To Expand Seven Times Its Size (Marfa Public Radio)
Greetings from the edge of west Texas. I’m Angela Kocherga, news director at KTEP , the public radio station in El Paso. I’m a long-time border journalist, hired in mid-January to bring local news to our listeners. Our station is nestled in the beautiful University of Texas at El Paso campus, which is normally bustling with activity. I launched our newscast just as COVID-19 was spreading and information was critical. Interviews were limited to phone calls or Zoom for a while. Now, I’m venturing out again for select stories on both sides of the border, with my mic taped to the end of a broomstick to maintain social distance. (Don’t worry, my new boom mic pole has been ordered.) In Ciudad Juarez I reported on the importance of cross-border contact tracing in this close-knit region. In El Paso, I’ve been covering the George Floyd protests . Many people wore masks, including a memorable 21-year-old protestor who scrawled a bible verse on his. But others wear no face coverings. Now, I have multiple masks made by a coworker, in prints featuring lady bugs, flowers and birds. They’re a cheerful contrast to the difficult stories I’m covering, whether about the pandemic or protests.
- Angela Kocherga
@AngelaKBorder
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