Paul Flahive

Congress is investigating a billion dollar program that includes a controversial contract given to a San Antonio company. Federal investigators may also be looking into the program.

With few signs the coronavirus is fading, election officials face an increasingly urgent question: how to accommodate voters who become infected in the days leading up to the election.

In Texas — a state that fought expanding mail-in ballot access all the way up to the Supreme Court — COVID-19 positive voters can be put in the position of choosing between their right to vote and the public's health.

With millions of people out of work because of the coronavirus, food banks have seen a major surge in demand since March. But August is set to be one one of the busiest months yet and that worries food bank operators. 

The sun rose over the Chihuahuan desert one June morning, and in Presidio it rose to about 200 cars waiting in line. 

Criminal indictments were announced against four executives at two of the largest poultry processing companies in the country last week. Friday, Jayson Penn the CEO of Pilgrim's Pride pleaded not guilty to the price-fixing charges. The same day the Justice Department issued subpoenas against the four largest beef processing and meat packing outfits.

Updated 5/17

The State of Texas has nearly exhausted its $1.9 billion Unemployment Trust Fund. The Texas Workforce Commission expects it to run out of money in the next three weeks. 

The Fund has been hammered by soaring unemployment, with 2.5 million Texans filing claims since March 14.

“By 2019 numbers, that's over three years of claims in just two months time,” said Francisco Gamez, TWC spokesman, in a recent Twitter video.

New data out from the Dallas Federal Reserve show a Texas economy in “tailspin.” Words like “plunged” and “decimated” pepper the report that paints a bleak picture of the state’s 2020 prospects.

Claudia Garza and her husband Rick own Bright and Early Productions, a photography and videography company targeting the real estate industry. In an effort to keep employees safe from COVID-19 they’re currently only photographing unoccupied homes. They’ve lost business as a result and had to reduce their employees’ hours.

When they found out that $349 million was set aside for the first Paycheck Protection Program, they wanted to apply through the bank where they have their business and personal accounts, Wells Fargo. But they couldn’t.

Click here to read this story in English 

Claudia Garza y su esposo Rick son dueños de Bright and Early Productions, una empresa de fotografía y video dirigida a la industria de bienes raíces. En un esfuerzo por mantener a salvo del COVID-19 a sus empleados, actualmente solo están fotografiando casas sin personas. Por esto, perdieron oportunidades de negocio y tuvieron que reducirles las horas de sus empleados.

This story was updated to reflect statements from LULAC.

The first $349 billion of the Paycheck Protection Program was doled out by the federal government in less than two weeks, and millions of it went to big businesses. 

Latino communities may face a generational setback in growing wealth, as the pandemic-driven downturn exacerbates an already present gap in funding for their small businesses. 

Click here to read this story in English. 

Las comunidades latinas podrían enfrentarse a un retroceso generacional en el crecimiento de la riqueza, ya que el impacto de la pandemia exacerba una brecha ya existente en la financiación de sus pequeños negocios. 

Juan Ríos está sentado entre las máquinas de coser, hacer ojales y tachuelas de su negocio, Chicago Custom Tailor Shop, en el norte de San Antonio.

When Gov. Greg Abbott closed schools on March 19 to slow the spread of COVID-19, he kicked off an unprecedented push to educate students remotely in Texas.

New rules at hospitals around birthing aim to limit new moms’ exposure to COVID-19. Those rules combined with outright fear of the virus, have some pregnant moms looking for alternatives to the hospital.

The daily lines surrounding local grocery stores have challenged San Antonians for more than a week. For Ryan Pflipsen who suffers from Spina Bifida —  it’s more than an annoyance, it’s an impossibility. He called the nerves along his back “ a frayed wire.” The birth defect prevented many of his spinal nerves from developing properly, necessitating crutches to walk. 

The coronavirus drama returned to San Antonio when U.S. health officials announced that some passengers from the Grand Princess, a cruise ship docked in Oakland, California, would be flown to Lackland Air Force Base to undergo testing and a quarantine. Some of the evacuees are Texas residents.

To say there is a lot of hype around 5G is probably an understatement. Verizon and T-Mobile spent an estimated $22 million on Super Bowl ads to tell us all about it.

In one commercial, Verizon said it would allow firefighters to see through smoke and doctors to communicate with ambulances in real time. Actor Anthony Anderson touted the supremacy of T-Mobile's 5G network to his mother, who ground-truths the matter by going from the pie shop to the park to ultimately the club.

San Antonio is readying itself for 5G networks from big telecoms like AT&T and T-Mobile.

On the banks of the Llano River, just south of Junction, Texas, amongst the cactus and mesquite trees sits a house that researchers hope will change the face of conservation.

Christine Rollins, 59, was found dead Sunday morning in the front yard of a Chambers County home belonging to an elderly couple who she cared for. Rollins bled to death after what appeared to be, and has now been confirmed, as a grisly feral hog attack.  

"In my 35 years, I will tell you, it’s one of the worst things I have ever seen," said Chambers County Sheriff Brian Hawthorne at a Monday press conference.

Authorities believe a group of hogs attacked Rollins when she arrived for work before dawn on Sunday, a time when they are most active.

Updated Nov. 7, 2019

An East Texas jury found Wells Fargo willingly infringed on mobile check deposit patents held by USAA.

A jury found unanimously in favor of the United Services Automobile Association Wednesday and ordered Wells Fargo to pay USAA $200 million.

Related | Texas Court May Decide Who Owns Mobile Check Deposit

Thousands of banks, millions of customers and billions of dollars rely on remote deposit capture (RDC) through smartphones or tablets. San Antonio-based USAA went to federal court this week against Wells Fargo over who owns mobile check depositing technology. 

Two hundred and thirty five graduation certificates were served up with mashed potatoes and green beans at a local cafeteria Tuesday. It was the largest class of over-60s to graduate from the Senior Planet program in San Antonio. Courses teach computer basics, social media and connecting online. Classes try to tackle social isolation among seniors with internet skills.

Satellites built in San Antonio will revolutionize our understanding of solar wind and space weather — the energy discharge that blanked out communications satellites, damaged power grids and affected flights.

A massive data leak potentially revealed 885 million documents detailing private mortgage information last month, many including social security and bank account numbers.

Three of the five bills dealing with expanding broadband in Texas are either waiting on the governor’s desk or are already in effect. The results have proponents optimistic.

1.8 million Texans lack broadband Internet access, and most of them live in rural Texas. Studies from the U.S. chamber and others have shown the massive impact connecting Texas could have. This is part one of a multi-part series focusing on Connecting Rural Texas.

Across the country, one in four cities reported being attacked by cybercriminals every hour.  That’s according to a 2016 survey, but attacks against cities have since risen.