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Politics & Government

Week In Politics: Ted Cruz Criticized For Traveling To Cancún Amid Deadly Texas Storm

9:29am February 20, 2021

by Ron Elving

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, took an ill-timed trip this week. Also, President Biden assured global national security officials the U.S. wants to strengthen international ties.

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Marie Maybou melts snow on the kitchen stove on Friday in Austin, Texas. She was using the water to flush the toilets in her home after the city water stopped running.

National

Water Returning To Austin As Texas Recovers From Deep Freeze And Power Failures

8:36pm February 19, 2021

by Claire McInerny

Austin Water says service should resume over the weekend, but pressure could be low. The boil-water notice continues. Using washing machines and dishwashers is discouraged.

World News

Rare Snowfall Brings Moments Of Winter Wonder To Middle East

4:16pm February 19, 2021

Large swaths of the Middle East are covered in snow, sparking joy and wonder in a region that doesn't normally witness white winters.

National

Winter Weather Exacts Tough Toll On Mississippi

4:16pm February 19, 2021

by Kobee Vance

A winter storm has hit Mississippi particularly hard. Power is out in many places, streets are iced over and water is in short supply.

President Biden speaks to the press before departing the White House for Milwaukee on Tuesday.

Biden To Authorize Broader Disaster Relief For Texas

3:13pm February 19, 2021

by Alana Wise

The state has for the last week suffered through a major winter storm that left many of its residents without heat, power or potable water.

A worker repairs a power line in Austin, Texas, on Thursday. Although power was slowly being restored to much of the state, weather-related water issues persist.

National

For Texas, The Worst Of The Weather Has Passed, But Water Is Still A Big Problem

1:25pm February 19, 2021

by Scott Neuman

Many Texans were getting the electricity back on, but millions still face either no water at all or are having to boil it to make it safe to drink.

Updates From Austin As Texas Faces Frigid Temps

11:19am February 19, 2021

NPR's Noel King speaks with Austin city council member Natasha Harper-Madison about how the severe weather is affecting Texans.

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People wait in long lines at an H-E-B grocery store in Austin, Texas, on Wednesday. The weather disaster is an "absolutely awful nightmare," says Austin City Council member Natasha Harper-Madison.

'A Katrina-Scale Crisis': Austin Is Desperate For Help In Weather Disaster

11:18am February 19, 2021

The Texas weather calamity is an "absolutely awful nightmare," says City Council member Natasha Harper-Madison. "We're desperately waiting for state and federal cavalry to come a runnin'."

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Smokestacks at the Jeffrey Energy Center coal-fired power plant are silhouetted against the sky at sunset in September near Emmet, Kan.

U.S. Officially Rejoins Paris Agreement On Climate Change

10:34am February 19, 2021

by H.J. Mai

The United States on Friday officially rejoined the Paris Agreement on climate change. The landmark 2016 accord is designed to limit global warming and avoid its potentially catastrophic impacts.

News Brief: Texas Storm, Biden Says 'America's Back,' Native Americans Get Vaccine

5:00am February 19, 2021

Millions of Texans are without water due to the storm. President Biden will speak at the Munich Security Conference. And, Native Americans have had an extremely effective COVID-19 vaccination plan.