Carter will run against two Republicans for her mother’s seat to hold for a few weeks before the winner of the general election takes over.

Houston’s former mayor is the Democrats’ pick to succeed the late Texas congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee on the November ballot.

Harris County Democratic leaders made their choice to represent the party in the November election.

Because Jackson Lee died after winning the Democratic primary, Texas Democratic officials will get to decide who replaces her on the November ballot.

At least three Democrats are considering bids for the Houston-area seat. But Texas Democratic officials — not voters — will decide who will be on the November ballot.

Whitmire defeated U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee to be the next mayor of Texas’ largest city and the fourth largest city in the U.S.

It’s down to two candidates in the race to lead the nation’s fourth-largest city.

The two well-known Democrats led a crowded field, but neither captured a majority of the vote. The runoff will be Dec. 9.

Biden administration officials have hosted big city mayors at the White House to discuss how to manage a growing number of migrants.

Houston’s next mayor will tackle many challenges similar to ones faced by other large U.S. cities: crime, crumbling infrastructure, budget shortfalls and a lack of affordable housing.

Republicans have chosen Houston to host their 2028 national convention.

The announcement came uncommonly early — five years before the convention to select the GOP nominee for the 2028 election cycle.

Houston's mayor says the city plans to spend millions of dollars to relocate residents from neighborhoods located near a rail yard polluted by a cancer-linked wood preservative that has been blamed for an increase in cancer cases.

Family and friends gathered at the funeral over the weekend for Houston rapper Big Pokey, an original member of the pioneering group Screwed Up Click.

Connecticut’s governor is taking heat for calling the city of Houston “butt ugly” after returning from the Final Four.

Facing a crowded field, Hollins, who served briefly as Harris County clerk in 2020, announced Thursday he will instead run to be Houston’s chief financial officer.

Two teenagers have been arrested in a robbery that left a Houston woman paralyzed last month.

Parents and students of the Houston Independent School District decried the state’s decision to take control of the school system. Despite the news, many questions remain about how it would affect them.

Houston is bracing for a decision on whether the state will seize control of its nearly 200,000-student school district.

Parents, teachers and retired HISD employees were among the many rallying Friday against an imminent midsemester district takeover by the Texas Education Agency.

San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker face little opposition in their reelection bids. Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson doesn’t have any challengers.

Houston’s community land trust was once touted as an innovative way to address its housing crisis. But city leaders slashed its funding by half as bureaucracy bogged down the program and enthusiasm dwindled.

A task force in Houston has unveiled a new agreement its members say will improve communication and planning to ensure that events like last year's Astroworld music festival don't turn deadly.

For more than 24 hours, nearly everyone in the nation’s fourth-most-populous city had been asked to boil water after a power outage at a water treatment plant Sunday.

The city of Houston has lifted an order that called for more than 2 million people to boil their tap water before drinking or using it.

Many residents in the nation’s fourth-most-populous city heard that they couldn’t drink tap water from friends or neighbors, not from City Hall.

Millions of Houston residents are expected to be under a boil water notice until Tuesday after a power outage at a water treatment plant. At least four school districts canceled Monday classes.

Turner, 68, revealed earlier this month that he underwent treatment for bone cancer in June. He is “cancer-free” as of last week, the mayor told The Texas Tribune during his first interview about his health.

Fans celebrated the Houston Astros’ World Series win with a downtown parade on Monday.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has revealed that he underwent surgery and six weeks of radiation therapy for bone cancer in his jaw during the summer.

Police say they have few leads in the fatal shooting of rapper Takeoff dead outside a private party at a downtown Houston bowling alley.

The city’s health department found dioxins in soil samples along the fence line of a Union Pacific rail yard. Mayor Sylvester Turner said during the 2022 Texas Tribune Festival that plans to clean up the contamination should now include relocating residents.

A deadline has passed with no resolution over whether Texas will settle a dispute over claims it discriminated against minority residents in how it distributed flood relief money from Hurricane Harvey.

The Justice Department says it's investigating illegal dumping in Houston, including dead bodies and medical waste, that officials say is plaguing Black and Latino neighborhoods in the nation’s fourth largest city.

The plunge in prices for Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies provides a cautionary tale for the handful of public pension funds that have dipped their toes into the crypto pool.

One by one, speakers took the stage at the National Rifle Association’s annual convention in Houston and denounced the massacre of 19 students and two teachers at an elementary school across the state.

The National Rifle Association begins its annual convention in Houston on Friday, and leaders of the powerful gun-rights lobbying group are gearing up to “reflect on” -- and deflect any blame for -- the deadly shooting earlier this week of 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.

Officials in Texas’ busiest court system say they're hopeful a new online dashboard that details information on the granting of bail in criminal cases will address growing concerns over rising crime.

Houston police say a man who had just been robbed at an ATM opened fire in an attempt to stop his attacker but instead shot a 9-year-old girl in a truck driving nearby.

The family of a 9-year-old Houston girl still hospitalized following a road rage shooting is asked for the public’s help in finding those responsible for injuring her.

A new task force will look into how to improve the safety at large Houston-area events in the hopes of avoiding another tragedy like last year’s deadly Astroworld music festival.

Authorities say a suspect led Houston police on a chase Thursday that ended with him wounding three officers in a shootout, hijacking a car and barricading himself inside a home for hours before officers took him into custody.

A Houston-area school board member is facing calls to resign after he linked more Black teachers to lower school district performance in response to a presentation on an audit of the district’s equity and culture.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner says he has tested positive for COVID-19.

The Biden administration and Democrats talked the climate talk at U.N. negotiations in Scotland.

The Houston police and fire departments were deeply involved in safety measures for the music festival where a surging crowd killed eight people.

Clearer pictures began to emerge Sunday of some of the eight young people who died when fans at a Travis Scott concert in Houston suddenly surged toward the stage.

Mourners began building a memorial to those lost at a Texas concert as authorities said they would watch video, interview witnesses and review concert protocols to determine how eight people died when fans suddenly surged toward the stage to watch rapper Travis Scott.

Houston Police and Fire Departments are holding a news conference Saturday afternoon after eight people died during a crowd surge at rapper Travis Scott’s Astroworld Festival.

Authorities say a Houston police officer was killed and another was wounded during a shooting that also killed a 31-year-old man who the officers were attempting to arrest.

Tropical Storm Nicholas has weakened to a tropical depression as it slowed to a crawl over southeastern Texas and southwestern Louisiana as its heavy rains continued to drench the area, maintaining a flood threat.

Tropical Storm Nicholas has weakened to a tropical depression as it slowed to a crawl over southeastern Texas and southwestern Louisiana as its heavy rains continued to drench the area, maintaining a flood threat.

Houston authorities on Friday announced two arrests in the fatal shooting of off-duty New Orleans Police Det. Everett Briscoe.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner is the most recent official to defy the governor’s order. He announced Monday that the city’s nearly 22,000 city employees will be required to mask up inside city buildings where social distancing is not doable.

A teenager who was shot during a road rage incident after his family left a Houston Astros game has died from his injuries.

Houston police say an officer has been wounded when a man opened fire after arguing with a woman over a parking spot.

One of the most popular fighters in boxing will make his 2021 debut in the AT&T Center next month.

Religious leaders, musical guests, spoken word artists and politicians gathered for a concert in Houston, the home town of George Floyd, to commemorate the anniversary of his death.

Houston area officials are expressing shock and anger after learning their communities, which suffered the brunt of damage from Hurricane Harvey, will be getting a fraction of $1 billion that Texas is awarding as part of an initial distribution of federal funding given to the state for flood mitigation.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has declined to throw the ceremonial first pitch at the Texas Rangers' home opener.

Congress is looking into the cause of the power blackouts across Texas last month. A House panel planned to hear Wednesday, March 24, 2021, from officials who oversee the state's energy industry and electric grid. (AP Photo/LM Otero File)DALLAS – Congress is looking into last month’s massive and deadly power outages across Texas and questioning officials who oversee the state’s energy industry and electric grid. After outages in February 2011, Robb’s group recommended that Texas power plants needed better protection against winter storms. AdHouston Mayor Sylvester Turner said the Texas grid was designed for peak summer heat, and policymakers wrongly believed that the 2011 severe winter storm was an anomaly.

“We went out and got what I feel is America's best chief," said Miami Mayor Francis Suarez standing alongside Acevedo at a news conference Monday after describing him to The Miami Herald as the Tom Brady or Michael Jordan of police chiefs. He is replacing Chief Jorge Colina, who retired in February, becoming Miami’s fifth chief the past decade. And Acevedo announced a few weeks after the raid that the police department would no longer use no-knock warrants. AdOn Monday, Acevedo acknowledged the problem with bad policing and said he thought he brings a new perspective to the Miami Police Department. "Do not confuse kindness for weakness," Acevedo said regarding his gestures over the past year to advocate for police reform.

A protester holds a sign during a July 23, 2019, news conference in Houston where community advocates called for a delay in plans to expand Interstate 45. HOUSTON – A federal lawsuit was filed Thursday to stop a massive $7 billion highway widening project in Houston that local officials and community advocates say won’t improve the area’s traffic congestion and will disproportionately impact minority residents who would be displaced by the proposed construction. The proposed 10-year construction project would improve 24 miles along Interstate 45 and several other roadways, with a major remaking of how these thoroughfares go through downtown Houston. This project displaces communities and the project is bad for our health,” Hidalgo said. “They are supposed to study and incorporate the feedback from the community before they bulldoze the community into a project that is not appropriate,” Hidalgo said.

Austin Mayor Steve Adler says enforcement of the mask rule will be limited. Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas TribuneAustin and Travis County public health leaders say that they will continue requiring residents to wear masks in public, even though Gov. Austin authorities acknowledged that city governments alone can't impose mask orders, but argued that public health authorities can. Escott is the appointed public health physician and expert to whom our community entrusts our public health," Adler said. In a video message posted to Facebook late Tuesday, Adler said it's a Class C misdemeanor to violate the public health order.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner joins The Texas Tribune for a live event on March 11Cities are key contributors to climate change, as transportation, buildings and power plants are major sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Join The Texas Tribune at noon Central March 11 for a live interview with Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, chair of the Climate Mayors coalition. AdThey’ll discuss the role that cities play in combating climate change and preparing for climate emergencies, such as hurricanes and winter storms. Previously, Turner served in the Texas House, representing parts of Houston, for more than 20 years. Though donors and corporate sponsors underwrite Texas Tribune events, they play no role in determining the content, panelists or line of questioning.

President Joe Biden speaks about the 500,000 Americans that died from COVID-19, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021, in Washington. AdHouston Mayor Sylvester Turner said Sunday on CBS' “Face the Nation” the state of Texas should bear those “exorbitant costs," rather than residents. Biden previously tweeted about Texas and the other affected states, received regular updates from his staff and declared states of emergency in Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana. Biden spoke to the governors of the seven states most affected by the winter weather. Biden said last week that he hoped to travel to Texas but he didn't want his presence and the accompanying presidential entourage to distract from the recovery.

Her kitchen appeared mostly undamaged, but the plumber that cut into Espinoza’s wall found water had been pouring in underneath the floor. Many residents are unsure when they'll be able to make permanent repairs, what they'll have to pay out of pocket or even when they'll be able to go home. Roberto Valerio, a plumber in North Texas, said the broken pipes and other problems caused by the storm had led to “big chaos.”“We can’t find what we need easily,” he said. His office encouraged out-of-state plumbers to come fix Texas pipes. A rushing sound could be heard in Espinoza’s kitchen Saturday night, when Valerio turned the water back on.

Houston Rockets' John Wall, bottom, goes up for a shot against Philadelphia 76ers' Tobias Harris during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021, in Philadelphia. All rights reservedHOUSTON – The game between the Houston Rockets and the Indiana Pacers on Saturday night was postponed because of continued utility shortages in the area from this week’s winter storm. Friday’s game against Dallas was called off on Thursday. The team said the decision was made after discussions with Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and the NBA. ___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

About 260,000 homes and businesses in the Tennessee county that includes Memphis were told to boil water because of water main ruptures and pumping station problems. And water pressure problems prompted Memphis International Airport to cancel all incoming and outgoing Friday flights. Paul Lee Davis got to the front of the line at a water station set up by city officials only to have the water run out. Water service was restored Friday to two Houston Methodist community hospitals, but officials still were bringing in drinking water and some elective surgeries were canceled, spokeswoman Gale Smith said. AdMore than 192,000 Louisiana residents -- some still struggling to recover from last August's Hurricane Laura -- had no water service Friday, according to the state health department.

But hours after those assurances, the number of outages in Texas only rose, at one point exceeding 4 million customers. Forcing controlled outages was the only way to avert an even more dire blackout in Texas, Magness said. The outages are the widest Texas' grid has suffered but hardly a first in winter. A decade ago, another deep February freeze created power shortages in Texas the same week the Super Bowl was played in Arlington. A federal report later flagged failures in the system, including power plants that are unable to stand up to extreme cold.

Nearly 3.4 million customers around the U.S. were still without electricity, and some also lost water service. More than 100 million people live in areas covered by some type of winter weather warning, watch or advisory, the weather service said. Weather-related outages have been particularly stubborn in Oregon, where some customers have been without power for almost a week. At the peak of the storm, more than 350,000 customers in the Portland area were in the dark. In Oregon, authorities confirmed Tuesday that four people died in the Portland area of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Weather-related outages have been particularly stubborn in Oregon, where some customers have been without power for almost a week. The worst U.S. outages by far have been in Texas, where 3 million homes and businesses remained without power as of midday Wednesday. AdThe president of the Texas power grid manager, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, said he hoped many customers would see at least partial service restored by later Wednesday or Thursday. At the peak of the storm, more than 350,000 customers in the Portland area were in the dark. In Oregon, authorities confirmed Tuesday that four people died in the Portland area of carbon monoxide poisoning.

AdBut hours after those assurances, the number of outages in Texas only rose, at one point exceeding 4 million customers. The outages are the widest Texas' grid has suffered but hardly a first in winter. A decade ago, another deep February freeze created power shortages in Texas the same week the Super Bowl was played in Arlington. AdOn Tuesday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said Texas had requested 60 generators and that hospitals and nursing homes would get priority. “There’s a serious lack of preparation on the part of the energy companies to not be ready,” Murdoch said.

(AP Photo/LM Otero)AUSTIN, Texas – Texas will likely partner with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to open two vaccination “supersites” in Dallas and Houston, and more could be on the way, Gov. The mutated version of the virus spreads more easily, and health officials worry vaccines could be less effective against it. The governor said adding more sites is possible, but his office did not immediately release further details, including whether that meant Texas would get more vaccine doses or if those sites would pull vaccine from other areas. AdThe announcement came one month after the first new known COVID-19 variant, one first identified in the United Kingdom, was identified in Houston. Meantime, the Texas COVID-19 death toll rose to 38,700.

HOUSTON – A street mural honoring George Floyd was unveiled Saturday in Houston along two blocks of the street that passes in front of Jack Yates High School, where Floyd was a student. Floyd’s death last year in Minneapolis after being pinned to the ground under a white officer’s knee helped spark summer long protests against police brutality. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner called the mural "another public statement that the life and death of George Floyd is not in vain.”The mural is to spell out “Black Lives Matter” with Floyd’s high school football jersey and the school mascot at either end. The mural was commissioned by Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis, Houston Society for Change and a non-profit social activism organization formed by Floyd’s former high school football teammates called 88 C.H.U.M.P.

The Houston Health Department has said that this week it will focus its vaccine allocation on people at the highest risk for severe illness and those in vulnerable communities. The state has received nearly 2.9 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine, according to the COVID Tracking Project. Texas providers have administered nearly 2.3 million doses of vaccine, according to the state health department. On Sunday, Texas health officials reported 11,155 new and probable coronavirus cases and 171 more deaths due to the illness caused by the virus. There have been nearly 2.1 million virus cases and 36,491 deaths as a result of COVID-19 since the pandemic began, according to the Texas health department.

FILE - Bow Wow attends WE TV's "Bridezillas" Season 11 premiere party on Feb. 22, 2018, in New York. HOUSTON – Rapper Bow Wow apologized after Houston’s mayor called him out for attending a crowded gathering at a city nightclub during a weekend packed with concerts as Texas continues to grapple with the coronavirus. I cant believe i get the blame for a whole weekend,” Bow Wow tweeted Monday morning. It was my boys 30th bday weekend and i came down off the love — Bow Wow (@smoss) January 19, 20213. — Bow Wow (@smoss) January 19, 2021But Turner made clear that he doesn’t dislike Bow Wow and said the pandemic is not the time for concerts.

(AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)HONOLULU — Hawaii’s leaders say limited supply is the main thing constraining distribution of the coronavirus vaccine in the state. He said the sites have set the vaccine doses aside and will receive replacement doses on Tuesday and Wednesday. ___TORONTO — Canadian officials say the country won’t be getting any Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine next week and 50% less than expected over the next month. U.S. pharmaceutical company Pfizer confirmed last week it would temporarily reduce deliveries to Europe and Canada of its COVID-19 vaccine while it upgrades production capacity. ___JERUSALEM — Israel’s Cabinet on Tuesday extended an existing nationwide lockdown through the end of January as the country contends with a runaway surge in coronavirus cases.

SAN ANTONIO – With President-elect Joe Biden taking office in less than a week, mayors across the U.S. are already requesting more COVID-19 vaccines from his administration. Mayor Ron Nirenberg and several other mayors across the nation, including Austin Mayor Steve Adler and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, penned a letter to Biden’s administration requesting the ability to bypass the state and get a direct line of vaccines to their communities. “I’m proud to join my mayoral colleagues in requesting that the Biden Administration prioritize a direct line of vaccines to our communities,” Mayor Nirenberg said on social media Thursday. Biden’s plan so far is to spend $25 billion on vaccine production and disbursement, NPR reports. Mayors said in the letter that they hope to develop a plan with the Biden administration on day one that will help residents to get their COVID-19 vaccines as quickly as possible.

The state took over the program this week and Torres and other residents who have applied for assistance say they’re worried that could lead to yet more delays. A third of the funding — nearly $428 million — went to a program for home repair and reconstruction. Harvey dumped up to 50 inches (1.3 meters) of rain on the Houston area following landfall on Aug. 25, 2017. In the Houston area, Harvey flooded more than 150,000 homes, with more than 16,000 residents identified as potentially needing repair help. In its own program, the land office has fixed more than 2,000 homes and has approved nearly 2,900 reimbursements statewide.

Bill Merrell, a professor in the Marine Sciences Department at Texas A&M University at Galveston and a former president of the school, sits along Galveston Bay as he talks about the Ike Dike project Friday, Sept. 4, 2020, in Galveston, Texas. The Ike Dike is a coastal barrier that, when completed, would protect the Houston-Galveston region including Galveston Bay from hurricane storm surge. The project was conceived by Merrell in response to the extensive surge damage caused by Hurricane Ike in September of 2008. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

The Ike Dike is a coastal barrier that, when completed, would protect the Houston-Galveston region including Galveston Bay from hurricane storm surge. Now the close call has renewed a debate about whether the Houston area should build a massive and expensive barrier to protect against storm surge. Galveston Bay is healthy, and fish and other animals thrive there because water circulates in and out of the gulf, said Bob Stokes, president of the Galveston Bay Foundation environmental group. “No hurricane storm surge barrier will ever protect us from 150 mph winds. No hurricane storm surge barrier will ever protect us from rain,” Stokes said.

HOUSTON – Beta weakened to a tropical depression Tuesday as it parked itself over the Texas coast, raising concerns of extensive flooding in Houston and areas farther inland. Beta, which made landfall late Monday as a tropical storm just north of Port O’Connor, is the first storm named for a Greek letter to make landfall in the continental United States. The storm was moving east-northeast at 5 mph (8 kilometers) and was expected to crawl inland along the coast over Texas through Wednesday. However, forecasters and officials reassured residents that Beta was not expected to be another Hurricane Harvey or Tropical Storm Imelda. Now a tropical storm, Paulette was expected to become a post-tropical remnant low in the next day or so.

HOUSTON – As Tropical Storm Beta neared the Texas coast Monday, the biggest unknown was how much rainfall it could produce in areas that have already seen their share of damaging weather during a busy hurricane season. Rain from Beta was already coming down Monday in the Houston area. Earlier predictions of up to 20 inches (51 centimeters) in some areas were downgraded Monday to up to 15 inches (38 centimeters). Forecasters and officials reassured residents Beta was not expected to be another Hurricane Harvey or Tropical Storm Imelda. Harvey in 2017 dumped more than 50 inches (127 centimeters) of rain on Houston, causing $125 billion in damage in Texas.

Credit: Sergio Flores for The Texas TribuneThe mayors of Texas' most populous cities described painful budget cuts with shortfalls of tens of millions of dollars stemming from the coronavirus pandemic. But they said they're worried that future budgets could be just as difficult to balance for years to come. The temporary closure of businesses and high levels of unemployment due to the pandemic have caused sales tax revenues which make up a significant portion of cities' budgets to plummet. Turner said the city took a hit of about $162 million but was able to avoid furloughing or permanently letting go of its employees. We suspended about $200 million worth of expenses in the middle of the fiscal year that we knew would help with the fund balance moving forward, he said.

John Guess Jr., CEO Emeritus of the Houston Museum of African American Culture, talks about the bronze statue "The Spirit of The Confederacy" on display at the museum, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020, in Houston. The statue, which has been in storage following its removal, arrived at the Houston Museum of African American Culture on Monday. Guess said he believes the museum is the first African American institution in the country to house a Confederate monument. Museum officials say people will be able to see the statue up close from the courtyard at a later date. The statue sits facing a collection of eye sculptures by Bert Long Jr., a Black Houston artist.

Latino workers gathered for a car protest to demand economic, rental and health relief outside of Houston City Hall on Tuesday. Mayor Sylvester Turner announced a new rent relief program, but opposed a mandatory eviction grace period. They have also relied on federal benefits from a congressional pandemic relief package, eviction moratoriums and rent assistance programs to remain housed. In May, Houston's first $15 million in rent assistance ran out in 90 minutes, according to The Houston Chronicle. Dallass $13.7 million rent assistance fund reached capacity within 30 hours of opening.

HOUSTON, Texas – Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner announced Saturday that a federal appeals court halted a judge’s ruling on Friday, allowing for the in-person Republican Party of Texas convention to proceed. Circuit Court of Appeals stayed Friday’s ruling allowing for the convention at the George R. Brown Convention Center. The City of Houston and Houston First appealed the ruling of Judge Lynn Hughes allowing the State Republican Party to proceed with an indoor convention. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has stayed Judge Hughes ruling. RELATED: Federal judge rules Texas GOP can have in-person Houston convention, lawyers sayJudge Lynn Hughes rules the Republican party can hold the convention both this weekend and next weekend and “that the City of Houston may not interfere with it,” according to the Texas Tribune.

AUSTIN, Texas Signs in the Texas Panhandle urged voters to wear masks. By and large, most voters covered their faces, even though Texas' mask mandate exempts polling locations. On Wednesday, Texas again set a new high with nearly 10,800 new cases, along with a record 110 deaths. The rising toll includes 35 deaths that officials on the Texas-Mexico border said happened Wednesday morning alone in Hidalgo County. Although it remains too early to tell the impact since Texas' mask order was announced before the Fourth of July weekend, other former holdouts to requiring face coverings continued relenting Wednesday.

(AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)NEW DELHI India reported another record surge of coronavirus infections on Monday, adding 28,701 new cases over the previous 24 hours. India is third in total coronavirus caseload, behind only the United States and Brazil. A count by Johns Hopkins University has only the United States, Brazil and Britain with more confirmed deaths from the new coronavirus. Sundays rise to 35,006 confirmed deaths moved Mexico, a country with 130 million inhabitants, past Italy. Deputy Health Secretary Hugo Lpez-Gatell said the number of confirmed cases of the new coronavirus rose to 299,750 on Sunday.

HOUSTON The Texas Supreme Court on Monday upheld Houston's refusal to allow the state Republican convention to hold in-person events in the city due to the coronavirus pandemic. The court dismissed an appeal of a state district judges denial of a temporary restraining order sought by the state Republican Party. The state GOP convention had been scheduled to begin Thursday at Houstons downtown convention center and was expected to draw thousands of participants. The Texas Medical Association withdrew its sponsorship of the state GOP convention and asked organizers to cancel in-person gatherings. But state Republican chair James Dickey has insisted that organizers can hold the event safely.

The Texas Republican Convention in Fort Worth in 2012. Bob Daemmrich for The Texas TribuneThe Texas Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal by the Republican Party of Texas seeking to host its in-person convention this week in Houston. Justices also denied a similar petition spearheaded by other party officials and Houston activist Steve Hotze. Last week, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner directed the city's legal department to work with Houston First Corp., the operator of the convention center, to review its contract with the party. A Harris County judge denied a request by the party that would have let them proceed with the convention, and, soon after, the party said it would file an appeal to the Texas Supreme Court.

HOUSTON Top officials in Houston are calling for the city to lock back down as area hospitals strain to accommodate the onslaught of patients sick with the new coronavirus. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, both Democrats, said this weekend that a stay-at-home order is needed for America's fourth largest city to cope with the surge of COVID-19 cases. State health officials reported 8,196 new cases Sunday, another 80 deaths and a total of 10,410 people hospitalized due to the virus. On Friday, Abbott extended a statewide disaster order that warned Texans another shutdown might be needed if the virus spread isnt contained. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.

Texas Republican Convention in Fort Worth in 2014. Bob Daemmrich for The Texas TribuneThe Republican Party of Texas is suing Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and others involved with the canceling of the party's in-person convention, which was scheduled to happen next week. "Mayor Turner may not treat the [Republican Party of Texas] convention differently from that of the recent public protests that the Mayor supported," the petition reads. The party's biennial convention was expected to draw roughly 6,000 people to a city that is a hotspot for the coronavirus. A spokesperson for Turner told the Houston Chronicle that the mayor would address the lawsuit at a previously-scheduled 3 p.m. news conference.

HOUSTON, Texas The Republican Party of Texas is suing the City of Houston, Mayor Sylvester Turner, and the Houston First Corporation after officials canceled the partys convention due to the coronavirus pandemic. The lawsuit was filed Thursday morning, according to officials, and is claiming the cancellation of the event is a breach of contract. The three-day event was set to take place July 16 - July 18 at the George R. Brown Convention Center. Mayor Turner canceled the convention because he wanted to, not due to any act of God - only due to his desire to do so and to hold the Republican Party of Texas to a different standard than other entities. Further, Mayor Turners mandate far exceeded the requirements in the Governors Executive Order, the Republican Party of Texas said in a release.

We really needed a 1,000-bed field hospital from the federal government yesterday, said Wesley Robinson, the assistant chief nursing officer of the South Texas Health System. Nearly 60% of the roughly 1,200 medical staff that Texas health officials have deployed to stretched-thin hospitals have been sent to the Rio Grande Valley, said Chris Van Deusen, a spokesman for the Texas Department of State Health Services. Texas health officials say more than 11,000 beds remain open in Texas, although availability varies by region. Texas reported more than 9,600 coronavirus patients in Texas hospitals on Thursday. "The State of Texas continues to implement strategies to help ensure ample supply of hospital beds for COVID-19 patients, Abbott said in a statement.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner on Wednesday directed city staff to find a legal way to cancel the Republican Party of Texas' in-person convention in the city next week. Pu Ying Huang for The Texas TribuneAs the Republican Party of Texas moves forward with plans for an in-person convention during a surge of coronavirus cases, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said he has directed his administration to explore ways to cancel the event. During a virtual City Council meeting Wednesday, Turner said he has asked the city's legal department to work with the Houston First Corporation, which operates the George R. Brown Convention Center, to review the contract with the state party. "Where there are provisions that would allow us to cancel this convention we will exercise those provisions," Turner said. "And the plan is to exercise those provisions to cancel this agreement, this contract, today to not go forward with this convention."

HOUSTON Houston officials on Wednesday canceled the Texas Republican Partys in-person convention, saying the spread of the coronavirus made it impossible to hold the event as scheduled. Greg Abbott, the states top Republican, had publicly deferred to state party leaders who last week voted by a 2-to-1 margin to go forward with an in-person event. But even Patrick, who is chairman of Trumps reelection campaign in Texas, expressed misgivings about his party pressing forward with the convention. The Texas Medical Center, a consortium of Houston hospitals, has moved into surge capacity for its intensive-care beds. Texas Democrats held an online convention in June, and national Democrats plan to hold an almost entirely virtual convention in August.

The Republican Party of Texas is moving forward with its controversial in-person convention during the coronavirus pandemic — but elected officials including Gov. “All the elected officials are switching from a live, in-person speech to videos,” Kyle Whatley, the party’s executive director, said during a town hall live streamed Tuesday night. As the state has seen a surge in coronavirus cases, calls have been growing over the past week for the party to cancel its event. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner on Monday asked the State Republican Executive Committee to cancel the gathering and warning that health inspectors would have the authority to shut down the event if certain guidelines are not followed. Shortly before Whatley made the announcement, Abbott was noncommittal in a TV interview when asked if he'd attend the convention in person.