In February 2011, frigid temperatures took down part of Texas's power infrastructure. Officials ignored the warnings, setting the state up for last week's disaster. / BuzzFeed News After the 2011 freeze, El Paso—which isn't on the same grid as most of Texas—prepared its
Dozens of Texans died during this week's winter storm, but the true death toll won't be known for weeks or months. / The Texas Tribune Last year, Texas utility regulators cut ties with a group that had been hired to monitor and enforce reliability standards—including weatherization
The Biden administration pledges $4 billion to a coronavirus vaccination program for poorer countries. Boris Johnson pledges to donate most of the UK's surplus supply. / Reuters, BBC A 90-year-old woman walks six miles through the snow to get her vaccine. / The New York Times A "
Millions in Texas are now under a boil-water notice. / NPR This morning, Texas's energy authority announced all controlled outages have ended, and local utility companies may now begin restoring power as they see fit. / KXAN Republicans are trying to blame Texas's power grid failure on
Millions in Texas are still without power, while more snow and ice are expected to sweep across the South and East in the coming days. / The New York Times "It's worse than a hurricane. I think we are going to be more days without light, that is
Amid record low temperatures in Texas, more than four million people remain without power. / NBC News "It limped along on underinvestment and neglect until it finally broke under predictable circumstances." What broke the Texas power grid? / Houston Chronicle See also: Why does Texas have its own power grid,
Two days before Presidents Day, the Senate acquits former President Trump of inciting an insurrection (no matter Sen. McConnell's condemnation afterward). / POLITICO, Vox The vast majority of Republicans standing by Trump is "a clear indication of the firm—if slightly weakened—grip that he retains on the
Republican senators face a historic choice after both sides in the impeachment trial of former President Trump rest their case. / The Hill A desire to "overwhelm the problem" has become the mantra for President Biden's Covid team. / The Associated Press Fwiw: Inadequate healthcare killed 461,000
Biden says the US will have enough doses by July to inoculate 300 million Americans. / Associated Press Fauci: In April, "virtually everybody and anybody, in any category, could start to get vaccinated." / People About 40% of America's coronavirus deaths could have been prevented, says a new
Today’s newsletter was delayed by a technical glitch. Sorry about that! The Biden administration is considering whether to impose domestic travel restrictions to contain coronavirus mutations. / The Miami Herald The UK government defends its threat of a 10-year jail term for anyone found to have falsified their recent
