GREGORY ABBOTT

French authorities have announced that children six and older will have to wear masks in indoor places open to the public as new cases of the highly contagious omicron variant surge past 200.000 for the fourth consecutive day.

Samsung said it plans to build a $17 billion semiconductor factory in Texas amid a global shortage of chips used in phones, laptops, cars and other electronic devices.

With the governor of Texas leading the charge, conservative Republicans in several states are moving to block or undercut President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandates for private employers before the regulations are even issued.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order Monday to prohibit any entity, including private business, from enforcing a COVID-19 vaccine mandate on workers and called on state lawmakers to pass a similar ban into law.

Abortions have resumed in at least six Texas clinics after a federal judge halted the most restrictive abortion law in the U.S. Amy Hagstrom Miller is the president of Whole Woman's Health, which has four clinics in Texas.

Republicans are using money from the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package for projects on conservatives' wish lists.

Business-software company Salesforce says it will help employees leave Texas if they are worried about a new law that severely restricts abortion in the state.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has said someone seeking an abortion has “at least six weeks” to terminate the pregnancy under the state's new abortion law.

A shortage of bus drivers is complicating the start of a new school year already facing a surge in COVID-19 cases and conflicts over whether masks should be required in school buildings.

A shortage of bus drivers is complicating the start of a new school year already facing a surge in COVID-19 cases and conflicts over whether masks should be required in school buildings.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has been criticized for efforts to ban mask mandates and vaccine passports.

Republican U.S. Sen. James Lankford would seem to have all the conservative credentials he’d need to coast to reelection in deep-red Oklahoma.

Texas Republican lawmakers are still showing up at the state Capitol even though more than 50 Democrats who bolted for Washington say they have no plans to return soon.

Former Florida Congressman Allen West says he’ll challenge Texas Gov. Greg Abbott for the Republican nomination next year.

As states end their coronavirus restrictions, very few are creating systems to help businesses verify whether customers have been vaccinated against COVID-19.

Texas GOP Chairman Allen West is stepping down after a short but combative run of using the job to antagonize top Republicans in America’s biggest red state.

Former Texas congressman and presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke is contemplating a new political decision.

Republican lawmakers around the country are pressing ahead with efforts to tighten voting laws, despite growing warnings from business leaders that the measures could harm democracy and the economic climate.

The nation’s next big voting battle is underway in Texas.

These are busy days for Republican state attorneys general, filing repeated lawsuits that claim President Joe Biden and his administration are overstepping their authority on immigration, climate change, the environment and taxes.

That increased the state’s totals to 839,334 confirmed cases and 16,912 confirmed deaths. Ad___RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazil accounts for a quarter of the daily coronavirus global deaths, more than any other nation. AdThere have been 12.4 million confirmed cases and more than 307,000 confirmed deaths in Brazil, second only to the United States. AdPakistan has reported 649,824 total confirmed cases and 14,158 confirmed deaths. The nation of 10.7 million had 1.5 million confirmed cases with 25,639 deaths.

FILE - In this Monday, June 8, 2020, file photo, local residents and alumni of Jack Yates High School take part in a candlelight vigil to honor George Floyd, in Houston. The George Floyd Act was scheduled to get its first hearing in the Texas Capitol on Thursday, March 25, 2021. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)AUSTIN, Texas – Outside of George Floyd's public memorial last summer in Texas, Republican Gov. Earlier this month in Congress, House Democrats passed the most ambitious effort in decades to overhaul policing nationwide under the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. Ad___Find AP’s full coverage of the death of George Floyd: https://apnews.com/hub/death-of-george-floyd

FILE - The Texas Rangers and Colorado Rockies line the foul lines of Globe Life Field before an opening day baseball game in Arlingtn, Texas, in this Friday, July 24, 2020, file photo. Greg Abbott’s order took effect allowing businesses in the state to operate at 100% capacity, Rangers CEO Neil Leibman said Wednesday that the team hopes to be at that for the April 5 opener against the Toronto Blue Jays. AdThe Houston Astros announced in January that they would allow fans to attend games at 25% capacity this season, which would allow about 10,300 fans. A team spokesman said it was “still being worked on" when asked about capacity on Wednesday. The Rangers' stadium hosted about 50 high school graduation ceremonies last summer, the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in December and a college baseball tournament last month.

Tate Reeves decided to eliminate mask requirements, limits on seating in restaurants and most other binding restrictions. AdAlabama’s state health officer on Friday advised residents to keep following standard infection-prevention recommendations even though the governor is letting the state’s mask mandate expire next month. AdThe National Retail Federation, the largest retail trade association in the U.S., issued a statement Wednesday encouraging shoppers to wear masks. McDonald’s cook Cornejo, 43, said the end of Texas’ mask mandate next week alarms her because several of her co-workers already were lax about keeping their faces covered. Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee, said individuals who wear masks still risk infection from unmasked shoppers and diners.

state Rep. Todd Hunter, a Republican, demanded of witnesses during hours of testimony at the Texas Capitol. But energy executives, including those whose companies lavishly donate to Abbott and lawmakers, made clear that the fault is far wider. “How can a power plant be at the bottom of the list of priorities?” Morgan said. Ad“You-know-what hit the fan, and everybody’s going, ‘You’re turning off my power plant?'" Of Texas' power generators that were not operational during the storm, Magness said the freeze was responsible 42% of the failures.

As temperatures plunged and snow and ice whipped the state, much of Texas' power grid collapsed, followed by its water systems. As temperatures plunged and snow and ice whipped the state, much of Texas’ power grid collapsed, followed by its water systems. The community deserves answers.”___Around 2 a.m. Monday, the full measure of the crisis Texas faced began to be apparent. Most people did not yet know that Texas’ power grid had been on the brink of total failure. AdThe Texas grid isn’t walled off, but there are only a few, small interconnection points with the Eastern U.S. grid and Mexico.

It was also a harbinger of what social service providers and governments say will be a surge of increased needs for society’s most vulnerable as climate and natural disasters worsen. More than 100 million people live in areas under winter weather warnings, watches or advisories, and blackouts are expected to continue in some parts of the country for days. Climate change also is hurting military readiness. “The cost associated with addressing climate change and improving our infrastructure’s resilience is always going to be less than the cost of rebuilding or failing to act,'' Carper said. Modifying the turbines slightly to withstand freezing temperatures is one step needed to confront climate change, said Roy McCann, professor of electrical engineering at the University of Arkansas.

Houston and several surrounding cities are under a boil water notice as many residents are still without running water in their homes. But the crisis was far from over in parts of the South, where many people still lacked safe drinking water. The next phase of the state’s disaster response will be to test drinking water from systems knocked offline by the cold. Power was cut to a New Orleans facility that pumps drinking water from the Mississippi River and generators were used until electricity was restored. Drinking water was made available at fire stations throughout Jackson and officials also planned to set up bottled water pickup sites.

It was also a harbinger of what social service providers and governments say will be a surge of increased needs for society’s most vulnerable as climate and natural disasters worsen. More than 100 million people live in areas under winter weather warnings, watches or advisories, and blackouts are expected to continue in some parts of the country for days. Climate change also is hurting military readiness. Ad“The cost associated with addressing climate change and improving our infrastructure’s resilience is always going to be less than the cost of rebuilding or failing to act,'' Carper said. Modifying the turbines slightly to withstand freezing temperatures is one step needed to confront climate change, said Roy McCann, professor of electrical engineering at the University of Arkansas.

FILE - This Jan. 6, 2021, file photo, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks in Washington, at a rally in support of President Donald Trump. That’s the real litmus test,” said Republican state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, who pointed toward the deportation lawsuit and challenges last year to mail-in ballot applications around his Houston district. Paxton's budget requests may yet force Republican lawmakers to consider the exodus from his office. Greg Abbott — who has previously said the accusations raise “serious concerns” — and Paxton also did not respond to questions. He has pleaded not guilty to allegations that he defrauded investors in a tech startup before becoming attorney general.

SPRING, Texas – Tech giant Hewlett Packard Enterprise said it is moving its global headquarters to the Houston area from California, where the company's roots go back to the founding of Silicon Valley decades ago. Hewlett Packard Enterprise was created in 2015 when the computer hardware pioneer Hewlett-Packard Inc. broke into two parts after years of struggling to keep up with industry trends, such as consumers’ shift away from personal computers. The split left one new company, HPE, concentrated on the business of selling data center hardware and business software, while another new company, HP Inc., kept the legacy PC and printer operations. HP Inc. is still headquartered in Palo Alto, California, and remains the bigger of the two companies in terms of revenue. “We are incredibly committed to Silicon Valley,” he said.

___HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:— US reaches 12 million total coronavirus cases— Italy hits nearly 35,000 new daily virus cases— Calif Gov. ___PORTLAND, Ore. -- Oregon has reported a record number of coronavirus cases for the second day in a row. California had a record 13,000 new cases on Thursday and more than 1 million total confirmed cases. Overall, Russia has recorded more than 2,064,000 confirmed cases and 35,778 confirmed deaths. ___NEW DELHI — India has reported 46,232 new confirmed coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, with the situation particularly alarming in New Delhi.

And the number of people in the hospital with COVID-19 hit another all-time high at more than 80,000. California ordered a 10 p.m.-to 5-a.m. curfew starting Saturday, covering 94% of the state’s 40 million residents. COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. are at their highest level since late May, when the Northeast was emerging from the first wave of the crisis. “It’s really, really throwing gasoline on a fire,” said Temasamani, 52, who was skeptical that police will enforce the curfew. The move came as health officials reported more than 4,000 additional COVID-19 cases for the second consecutive day.

(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)HOUSTON – A federal judge on Monday rejected another last-ditch Republican effort to invalidate nearly 127,000 votes in Houston because the ballots were cast at drive-thru polling centers established during the pandemic. The lawsuit was brought by conservative Texas activists who have railed against expanded voting access in Harris County, where a record 1.4 million early votes have already been cast. Another 20,000 or more voters were expected to use drive-thru polling locations Tuesday, said Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins, the county's top elections official. Harris County offered 10 drive-thru locations as an option for its nearly 5 million residents amid worries of spreading the coronavirus. More than 40% of Harris County residents are Latino, and about one in five residents are Black.

“But on balance, yes, if we reach 12 million voters we’ll win this election.”Republicans don’t buy it. Whereas the vast majority of states are allowing widespread mail-in voting because of coronavirus fears, Texas is only one of five that refused, choosing instead to expand early voting by one week. That extended period helps explain Texas’ huge numbers so far with still a week of early voting to go. “My job, everybody’s job,” said Bailey, 60, ticking off his worries outside one of the more than 100 early voting centers around Houston, which is three times as many as a normal election year. “We’re not making a lot of money.”___AP’s Advance Voting guide brings you the facts about voting early, by mail or absentee from each state: https://interactives.ap.org/advance-voting-2020/

“But on balance, yes, if we reach 12 million voters we’ll win this election.”Republicans don’t buy it. Whereas the vast majority of states are allowing widespread mail-in voting because of coronavirus fears, Texas is only one of five that refused, choosing instead to expand early voting by one week. That extended period helps explain Texas’ huge numbers so far with still a week of early voting to go. “My job, everybody’s job,” said Bailey, 60, ticking off his worries outside one of the more than 100 early voting centers around Houston, which is three times as many as a normal election year. “We’re not making a lot of money.”___AP’s Advance Voting guide brings you the facts about voting early, by mail or absentee from each state: https://interactives.ap.org/advance-voting-2020/

Women peel potatoes outside a snack bar amid the new coronavirus pandemic in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Friday, Oct. 9, 2020. — Queen Elizabeth II honors the work of doctors, nurses, delivery drivers, fundraisers and volunteers during the coronavirus pandemic. The health department on Sunday reported 613 new cases for a total of 92,833 confirmed and probable cases. ___BRATISLAVA, Slovakia — Slovakia is imposing new restrictive measures in hopes of curbing a surge in coronavirus infections. This past week, Slovakia reported new highs for confirmed coronavirus cases for four straight days, with a record 1,887 Friday.

Ron DeSantis lifted limits on indoor seating at restaurants, saying they can operate at 100% in municipalities with no restrictions and that other local governments can't restrict indoor seating by more than 50%. Greg Abbott’s orders, and restaurants can hold up to 75% of their capacity, while face covers are required throughout the state. Though Florida’s governor generally wears a mask when arriving at public appearances and has allowed municipalities to impose mask rules, he has declined to impose a statewide mandate. Gimenez has been consulting with attorneys and staff on what rules local governments could continue to enforce without violating new state orders. Store managers told him some customers have been defying their mask rules after DeSantis’ new order and he hasn’t seen any local enforcement in the past week.

A review by The Associated Press finds that while local governments have trimmed police budgets over the past four months, the cuts have been mostly modest. Soon after Floyd was killed, the majority of the City Council pledged to dismantle the police department. The City Council approved something much more modest — cuts equal to less than 1% of the police budget and shifts of some money to community programs. In North Carolina, the Asheville City Council this past summer gave police and other city departments only one-fourth of their annual funding. Larger cities, including San Francisco and Los Angeles, have settled on relatively small police budget reductions and boosts to other programs.

Gloria Guillen, the mother of slain Army Spc. Vanessa Guillen, meets with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House on Thursday, July 30, 2020, in Washington.

Vanessa Guillen, meets with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House on Thursday, July 30, 2020, in Washington. The truth will come out whether they like it or not, said Lupe Guillen, the younger sister of Vanessa Guillen, said ahead of the meeting with the president. John Wittman, a spokesperson for Abbott, said the governors office has not heard from the Guillen family but is prepared to help. Governor Abbott's heart aches for the Guillen family and he and the First Lady keep them in their prayers, Wittman said in a text message. And if I can help you out with the funeral, Ill help you out, financially, Ill help you, Trump said.

Allen Heath surveys the damage to a private marina after it was hit by Hurricane Hanna, Sunday, July 26, 2020, in Corpus Christi, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas A downgraded Hanna continued charging across the borderland of South Texas and northeastern Mexico, where flooding remained the biggest threat Monday in a region that was already reeling from a surge in cases of the coronavirus. Myrle Tucker, 83, tried to ride out the storm in a powerboat docked in a Corpus Christi marina. They carried me like a box of napkins.More than 150,000 customers lost power Sunday throughout South Texas, including Corpus Christi, Harlingen and Brownsville, utility officials said. Corpus Christi is in Nueces County, where 60 babies tested positive for COVID-19 from July 1 to July 16.

In contrast, Ducey shut down all bars for 30 days, including in Scottsdale, where employees and young customers crammed into nightclubs without wearing masks or practicing social distancing. Arizona has seen skyrocketing infections this month after Ducey allowed his stay-at-home order to expire on May 15. Preparing for an influx of patients, hospitals are activating plans to add more beds and staff. Nurses caring for coronavirus patients take a significant amount of time suiting up to protect themselves and can't quickly jump from room to room, he said. Its bringing nurses from underutilized hospitals in its system to Arizona and hiring traveling nurses and respiratory therapists throughout July.

A business executive and his wife, a former journalist, were each sentenced to a month in prison Tuesday for paying $125,000 to rig their daughter's college entrance exams in a scandal involving dozens of wealthy and sometimes famous parents. They follow five other parents who have been sentenced so far, with prison sentences ranging from 14 days to five months. Meanwhile, the case's lead prosecutor said he plans to recommend longer prison sentences for "Full House" star Lori Loughlin and other parents contesting the charges against them. "Let's say she goes through to trial: If it's after trial, I think certainly we'd be asking for something substantially higher. The "Desperate Housewives" star was sentenced Sept. 13 after she admitted to paying $15,000 to rig her daughter's SAT score.