Texas school districts can disregard Gov. Greg Abbott's (R) emergency order forbidding any government entity to require masks, at least for now, after the Texas Supreme Court on Thursday declined to overturn a lower court's ruling and the Texas Education Agency (TEA) said it will suspend enforcement of Abbott's order during ongoing litigation.
Among the various legal challenges from Texas cities, counties, and school districts, a disabilities rights group sued in federal court to overrun the ban and President Biden instructed Education Secretary Miguel Cardona on Wednesday to "protect our children" from COVID-19 "using all of his oversight authorities and legal action if appropriate against governors who are trying to block and intimidate local schools officials and educators."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
About 58 school districts and eight counties have instituted mask requirements, either challenging or ignoring Abbott's directive, according to a list kept by Paxton. Some school districts have been creative, The Texas Tribune reports. "In a novel approach, Paris Independent School District made mask-wearing a part of the school dress code for students and employees."
-
Political cartoons for October 18Cartoons Saturday's editorial cartoons include conversion therapy, Russ Vought, and more
-
President Trump: ‘waging war’ on ChicagoTalking Point Federal agents are carrying out ‘increasingly aggressive’ immigration raids – but have sanctuary cities like Chicago brought it on themselves?
-
Crossword: October 18, 2025The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
FDA OKs generic abortion pill, riling the rightSpeed Read The drug in question is a generic version of mifepristone, used to carry out two-thirds of US abortions
-
The new Stratus Covid strain – and why it’s on the riseThe Explainer ‘No evidence’ new variant is more dangerous or that vaccines won’t work against it, say UK health experts
-
RFK Jr. vaccine panel advises restricting MMRV shotSpeed Read The committee voted to restrict access to a childhood vaccine against chickenpox
-
Texas declares end to measles outbreakSpeed Read The vaccine-preventable disease is still spreading in neighboring states, Mexico and Canada
-
RFK Jr. shuts down mRNA vaccine funding at agencySpeed Read The decision canceled or modified 22 projects, primarily for work on vaccines and therapeutics for respiratory viruses
-
Measles cases surge to 33-year highSpeed Read The infection was declared eliminated from the US in 2000 but has seen a resurgence amid vaccine hesitancy
-
Kennedy's vaccine panel signals skepticism, changeSpeed Read RFK Jr.'s new vaccine advisory board intends to make changes to the decades-old US immunization system
-
Kennedy ousts entire CDC vaccine advisory panelspeed read Health Secretary RFK Jr. is a longtime anti-vaccine activist who has criticized the panel of experts
