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2020 Election: Center Tackles Transparency, Political Violence

Share May 12, 2021 On Nov. 3, 2020, at a polling site in Manhattan, New Yorkers cast their votes in the U.S. election. (Photo: Ron Adar/Shutterstock.com) The 2020 U.S. election was like none before it. Polarization was at an all-time high, with many on both sides mistrusting each other and the process itself. The pandemic introduced further complications, challenging election officials to find ways to ensure accessibility while keeping voters safe. Because of this, The Carter Center chose to do something it had never done before get involved in a U.S. election. “We saw that democracy in the U.S. was backsliding and facing unprecedented threats,” said David Carroll, director of the Democracy Program, “and we wanted to try to counter that, using techniques we’ve seen be effective in some of the 39 countries where we’ve observed elections.”

Houstonians with unique perspectives react to Biden's plan to remove troops from Afghanistan

Houstonians with unique perspectives react to Biden s plan to remove troops from Afghanistan KTRK Replay Video Mumtaz Raofi is all-too familiar with the Taliban. Raofi is a native of Afghanistan who currently lives in Houston. He said he spent five years under Taliban rule, and that amount of time had a lasting impact on him. He recalled a period when the Taliban would hang human limbs at an intersection in Kabul as a way to show Afghans what would happen to anyone who committed a crime. I was young, but I still remember that time, Raofi said. With President Joe Biden s announcement that all United States troops will leave Afghanistan by Sept. 11, 2021, many are concerned that the absence of U.S. firepower will lead to a reemergence of the Taliban.

Winterizing Texas power infrastructure won't be easy

Winterize. That’s the directive Gov. Greg Abbott gave to power companies and lawmakers Thursday when he called for a law and funding to better prepare Texas’ essential power infrastructure for the kind of extreme winter weather that created multiple crises this week. Energy experts said that in some cases, retrofitting plants to withstand cold could be extremely difficult and expensive in Texas. Many of those plants already skimped on such upgrades due to the infrequency of prolonged and widespread subfreezing temperatures in the state. That’s despite a 2011 winter storm that also caused power outages. Building new “winterized” infrastructure, though, often adds little to the overall cost of a new project, experts say.

Winterizing Texas power infrastructure won't be easy

Gov. Greg Abbott wants power companies to "winterize." Texas' track record won't make that easy.

Gov. Greg Abbott wants power companies to “winterize.” Texas’ track record won’t make that easy. David J. Phillip/AP Power lines are shown Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021, in Houston. More than 4 million people in Texas still had no power a full day after historic snowfall and single-digit temperatures created a surge of demand for electricity to warm up homes unaccustomed to such extreme lows, buckling the state s power grid and causing widespread blackouts. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) By: ERIN DOUGLAS and last updated 2021-02-21 15:10:16-05 Winterize. That’s the directive Gov. Greg Abbott gave to power companies and lawmakers Thursday when he called for a law and funding to better prepare Texas’ essential power infrastructure for the kind of extreme winter weather that createdmultiplecrises this week.