Texas

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas CEO Bill Magness was removed from his post Wednesday. He informed the organization he will not accept his $800,000 severance.

"The last thing — the last thing — we need is Neanderthal thinking that in the meantime, everything's fine, take off your masks. Forget it, it still matters," Biden said.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says his order ensures "that all businesses and families in Texas have the freedom to determine their own destiny." Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves tweeted: "It is time!"

The Texas blackout is a reminder that climate-driven extreme weather stresses the U.S.'s power system in many ways. Much is needed to harden the grid for the future as the number of outages increase.

Cristian Pavon died last Tuesday when the local temperature was 12 degrees, according to a relative who set up a fundraising page for his family.

Texas allows companies to sell electricity at wholesale prices. When the price of electricity skyrocketed last week, that meant exorbitant bills for many residents who had been trying to save money.

What began as a call for donations to help Texas residents hurt by the storm grew into millions of dollars that will go to several local charities. Ocasio-Cortez visited a Houston food bank Saturday.

Many Texans were getting the electricity back on, but millions still face either no water at all or are having to boil it to make it safe to drink.

The Texas weather calamity is an "absolutely awful nightmare," says City Council member Natasha Harper-Madison. "We're desperately waiting for state and federal cavalry to come a runnin'."

Houston area residents are reporting exorbitant prices of food, water, and hotel rooms while the state continues to deal with shortages of essential items after a winter storm hit the state.

The Texas Democratic Party is calling for the resignation of Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, who went on a family vacation in the middle of a deadly winter storm. He returned, calling the trip "a mistake."

Amid power and water shutdowns, the extreme cold is disrupting the food supply. Customers are finding empty grocery shelves across Texas and people desperate to stock up are forming long lines.