Winter Storm Uri hit Texas in February 2021 with devastating effects, leaving millions of residents across the state to deal with the severe cold without power, heat, or water for several days. In San Antonio, a Committee on Emergency Preparedness was established to investigate and report on how the storm’s...
In an attempt to understand the impact that Winter Storm Uri had on Texas, the University of Houston’s Hobby School of Public Affairs conducted a survey of adults living in the 213 counties served by the Texas Electrical Grid. The survey gathered information on Texans’ experiences during the storm, as...
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has released reports assessing domestic terrorism and mass attack threats as they relate to the state of Texas. While there is overlap between domestic terrorism and mass attacks, it is important to note that not all mass attacks are considered acts of domestic...
Super Bowl LI and human trafficking concerns: Texas & DHS are ready for the challenge.
“In today’s globally connected society, an infectious disease epidemic anywhere can soon become an emergency everywhere.” On October 6, 2014, Texas Governor Rick Perry issued Executive Order RP79, authorising the creation of the Texas Task Force on Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response. This task force is a direct result of the Ebola cases...
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released this week a report on safety policies and procedures at U.S. chemical facilities, particularly those that deal with ammonium nitrate. Following the April 2013 explosion of the ammonium nitrate fertilizer plant in West, Texas, GAO has been examining the oversight of similar facilities to...
A new report released this week by the University of Texas School of Law Human Rights Clinic claims that the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) is guilty of human rights violations against inmates kept in “dangerously high temperatures and extreme heat conditions.” The report, “Deadly Heat in Texas Prisons,”...
Yesterday, April 2, 2014, Specialist Ivan Lopez opened fire on fellow service members at Fort Hood in Texas, killing 3 people and wounding 16 before committing suicide. Lopez was undergoing psychiatric treatment at the time for depression, anxiety and a variety of other psychological problems as well as going through...
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has recently released its Texas Public Safety Threat Overview 2013, a report which examines the threats currently facing the state. According to the report, “Texas faces the full spectrum of threats. The globalization and convergence of crime and terrorism; an unsecure border with...
Today marks the 20th anniversary of the beginning of the Waco siege, which lasted 50 days and ended with the deaths of 76 men, women, and children on April 19, 1993. The siege began when the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) attempted to serve a search warrant at...
