Midland Texas

The cases were in El Paso and Midland counties.

The state task force would analyze petroleum theft and recommend policy improvements to curb rising oilfield theft. The bill now heads to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk for approval.

That raised the number of confirmed cases since January to 309, with 40 patients hospitalized, though the state does not report how many of those have already been released.

The Tall City’s reliance on oil and gas makes it particularly vulnerable to high inflation.

Midland, Texas, is in the midst of an oil boom. Homes are selling for over $1 million. Real estate prices shot up almost 9 percent in the past year, and…