The Young Democrats of Collin County have asked John Stafford to withdraw his bid for a county commissioner seat in a statement on social media. Stafford, a Democratic political consultant in North Texas, is facing a criminal charge amid allegations that he sent misleading communications during the 2021 Plano City Council election. About 44,000 text messages were sent to Plano residents during …

A COVID-19 vaccine developed by researchers at the Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development at the Baylor College of Medicine has been authorized for use in India. The vaccine, which the Houston-based research center dubbed “the world’s COVID-19 vaccine,” was designed to be a lower-cost alternative to the COVID-19 shots that are currently available, according to the research center. …

The Dallas Zoo has welcomed two more Sumatran tiger cubs in another win for the endangered species. The twin cubs, a male and female that have yet to be named, were born Dec. 6 to mom Sukacita and dad Kuasa, the zoo said in a Facebook post this week. The same tigers also produced Sumini, a cub born at the …

Health officials moved Dallas County’s COVID-19 threat level up to red — representing the most-severe level of risk of contracting the coronavirus — on Tuesday in response to a recent rise in cases fueled by the highly transmissible omicron variant. Just a week prior, county health officials had said the county would stay in the orange level but warned that the rapid …

LAS VEGAS — Harry Reid, the former Senate majority leader and Nevada’s longest-serving member of Congress, has died. He was 82. Reid died Tuesday, “peacefully” and surrounded by friends “following a courageous, four-year battle with pancreatic cancer,” Landra Reid said of her husband in a statement. “Harry was a devout family man and deeply loyal friend,” she said. “We greatly …

The omicron variant continues to power the nation’s — and North Texas’ — latest major surge of coronavirus, and recent data shows that children and young adults are bearing the brunt of new cases. “With omicron, we’ve been waiting to see the exponential increase,” said Steve Miff, president and CEO of the Parkland Center for Clinical Innovation. “This past week …

Dallas County’s public health committee has raised the COVID-19 threat level to red, or “high risk of transmission,” in response to a spike in cases and hospitalizations due in part to the omicron variant. Last week, the committee chose to keep the threat level at orange but hinted that it may change as cases increased. The threat level issues guidance …

Xavier Domingo Gonzalez was in love — that deep, consuming, fist-around-your-heart type of love that only a 14-year-old with his first girlfriend could find himself in. “He loved her,” said Xavier’s cousin, Savanah Gonzalez. “Every single time we would talk about her, he would have the biggest smile on his face.” Christmas was Xavier and his girlfriend’s anniversary, and to …

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Starting in January landlords must abide by a new law warning renters of the potential flood risk for a property. The bill authored by Texas Representative Armando Walle was signed by Gov. Greg Abbott this summer “All we want to do is empower communities, empower tenants of their rights and one of those rights is a …

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A Houston police officer involved in a crash that killed a 75-year-old man has been relieved of duty pending the outcome of the investigation. The crash, caught on surveillance video, happened Sunday at noon on 4600 N. Shepherd Drive. Police say the HPD officer was driving a marked SUV unit northbound on N. Shepherd when the …