Will Texas workers ever get a break from the summer heat?

A long-awaited hearing on a proposed OSHA heat protection rule is set for June 16, but workers are uncertain to get relief under Trump.

by Josephine Lee, The Texas Observer June 7, 2025July 31, 2025

A long-awaited hearing on a proposed OSHA heat protection rule is set for June 16, but workers are uncertain to get relief under Trump.

News

Messages from Jess’s last days — a social autopsy

A close reading of the last week of Jessica Witzel’s life reveals predictable failures by public agencies, facilitated by the dehumanization that housed residents often direct at their unhoused neighbors.

by Marisol Cortez, Deceleration January 18, 2025May 19, 2025

News

Her body was 126 degrees after she died; Bexar County Medical Examiner blames drugs

Jessica Witzel’s autopsy report raises an important question: How many other heat-related deaths among unhoused residents are being erased by the failure to collect and report accurate data on climate-related mortality?

by Marisol Cortez, Deceleration January 11, 2025February 15, 2025

News

SeaWorld San Antonio launches policy letting visitors reschedule due to bad weather

The new policy covers early closures for roasting summer days when the heat index reaches over 110 degrees.

by Brandon Rodriguez August 22, 2023June 12, 2024

News

Limited regulations make Texas workers responsible for preventing on-the-job heat injuries

In triple-digit temperatures, drinking water frequently and resting in the shade are minimum safety measures for avoiding injuries and deaths. But they are not applied to every job site.