Shannon Najmabadi
Texas Tribune
Austin, TX, United States
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Past articles by Shannon:
Lawsuit seeks to block Lubbock’s ordinance aimed at outlawing abortions
The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas and Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas are suing over the West Texas city’s “sanctuary city for the unborn” ordinance. → Read More
Bill that would ban abortion at six weeks heads to governor's desk to become Texas law
Gov. Greg Abbott has said he intends to sign the bill. → Read More
Slate of Texas legislation limiting abortion, including so-called “heartbeat bill,” heads to Senate
The legislative session that began in January has been driven by the coronavirus pandemic and the response to last month’s power crisis. But abortion-related measures dominated a Senate State Affairs committee hearing Monday, and lawmakers advanced all of the proposals. → Read More
For some Texans who lost loved ones to the coronavirus, lifting the mask mandate is a “slap in the face”
One woman whose husband died said Gov. Greg Abbott’s decision to end the mask mandate makes the convenience of not wearing a mask seem more important than loss of life. Abbott's spokesperson says he “joins all Texans in mourning every single life lost.” → Read More
“We’re in it alone”: Power outages leave millions of Texans desperate for heat and safety
Texas residents said the storm — and ensuing partial collapse of the state's power system — sapped what mental reserves they had left after eleven months of a global health crisis that has cost thousands of jobs and claimed more than 40,000 lives in the state. → Read More
Republican lawmakers push to make Texas’ anti-abortion laws among the most restrictive in the nation
With the GOP in control of state government and “a favorable backstop from the courts, it’s going to be a no-holds-barred approach for Republicans on abortion,” one political science professor said. → Read More
Already in crisis, Texas hospitals treat record numbers of COVID-19 patients while preparing for another post-holiday surge
The state has reported at least 28,545 fatalities tied to the virus, available intensive care unit beds are at a low and health experts say Texans can’t vaccinate their way out of the current surge. → Read More
Austin won’t be allowed to restrict dining-in at restaurants, Texas Supreme Court says
Austin Mayor Steve Adler and Travis County Judge Andy Brown sought to restrict dine-in food and beverage service both indoors and outdoors from 10:30 p.m. to 6 a.m., starting on New Year’s Eve and ending at 6 a.m. Sunday. The measure allowed restaurants to offer drive-thru, curbside pick-up, take out, or delivery services. → Read More
COVID-19 vaccines may be coming soon, but most Texans won’t get them for months. Here’s why.
Officials are preparing for the massive undertaking of distributing a vaccine that may require multiple doses and subzero storage temperatures across a state that covers 270,000 square miles and some 170 rural counties. → Read More
Democrats hoped high turnout would usher in a blue wave across Texas. It didn’t.
In Texas, at least 66% of the 17 million registered voters cast ballots in the 2020 general election. That’s 6.6 percentage points higher than total turnout in 2016. → Read More
How a glitchy computer system skewed Texas’ coronavirus data and hampered its pandemic response
Local health officials describe the electronic system as “cumbersome,” “archaic” and “really slow," though its performance has improved since it was upgraded in August. → Read More
Texans with developmental disabilities in state homes still don’t have visitors. Their parents worry they don’t know why.
Across Texas, families with loved ones in state supported living centers are desperate for in-person visits after months have ticked by with coronavirus restrictions in place. → Read More
Five health experts on the state’s coronavirus data backlog and what to expect as schools reopen
The state disclosed a backlog of more than 850,000 tests this month, which were delayed in part because of coding or formatting errors and a lengthy onboarding process needed to receive reports from laboratories. → Read More
Texas lifts tampon ban at bar exam after complaints over discriminatory policy
The state’s board of law examiners said in late July that test takers will be allowed to bring feminine hygiene products in clear plastic bags with them to the grueling, multiday exam that’s needed to obtain a law license. → Read More
Texas hospitals are running out of drugs, beds, ventilators and even staff
Many Texas hospitals are no longer accepting transfer patients in order to maintain space for a surge that’s expected to come. In some parts of the state, it’s already here. → Read More
Feeding tubes, hallucinations and numb toes: One Texan’s battle to survive COVID-19
When pharmacist Frank Arredondo was wheeled on a stretcher into a South Texas ward for coronavirus patients in early April, his wife wondered if they would ever see each other again. → Read More
“How many more are coming?” What it’s like inside hospitals as coronavirus grips Texas’ Rio Grande Valley
The surge in coronavirus cases has slammed hospitals in the Rio Grande Valley. Additional wards have opened. Doctors and nurses pull extra shifts. And the stream of sick people, some gasping for air, keeps growing. → Read More
Want a coronavirus test in Texas? You may have to wait for hours in a car.
Months into the pandemic, demand for coronavirus tests is soaring. Texans report problems with almost every facet of the testing process, starting with the glitching websites and unanswered phone lines used to schedule appointments, and extending to long lags before test results come back. → Read More
Coronavirus patients crowd some Texas ICUs as Gov. Greg Abbott touts "abundant" hospital capacity
Regionally, some hospital officials are reporting that intensive care units are near or over capacity, and local leaders have warned that hospitals could get overwhelmed if the number of infections keeps climbing. → Read More
Outside of Texas' big cities, some are still waiting nearly a month for coronavirus test results from state-run mobile units
While many county leaders were grateful that Texas deployed coronavirus testing resources in their communities, others complained of a chaotic planning process and test results delayed for weeks. → Read More