PNS Daily Newscast - February 21, 2019
Signs that the Mueller Trump/Russia probe could wrap up in the next week. Also on our Thursday rundown: A death penalty repeal likely to pass in New England. Plus, cancer survivors rally for tougher smoking laws in Tennessee.

Public News Service - TX: Health Issues

HOUSTON – Despite confusion over recent congressional efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, shorter enrollment periods and reduced advertising and outreach, the overall number of Texans with health coverage is on the rise, according to a new report by the Episcopal Health Foundation. Br

AUSTIN, Texas – Texas ranks 43rd in child well-being – which makes it one of the ten worst states for kids, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation's 2018 KIDS COUNT Data Book. The report ranks states for indicators of health, education, economic well-being and family and community.

HOUSTON – Texas has the highest rate of uninsured people in the nation, according to census data. So one nonprofit is launching a big effort to try to get more Texans access to health services. The Episcopal Health Foundation is investing $10 million in dozens of health programs in Texas. A

AUSTIN, Texas – There are more than 300 medically under-served communities in Texas that some groups say could be better served by a change in regulations. Advanced Practice Registered Nurses, known as APRNs, are fully trained to treat and diagnose acute and chronic illnesses, and practice f

HOUSTON - Can building a library improve the health of the people who use it? Information in a new study shows that investments in those kind of social services can bring communities a significant "health dividend." The report finds that when local governments in Texas increase spending for public

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – More than 1 million uninsured Texans are in limbo, waiting for Congress to approve funding for the neighborhood clinics known as Community Health Centers. Lawmakers face a Thursday deadline to approve a new budget to avoid another federal government shutdown. The Feder

HOUSTON – Some community clinics in central and southeast Texas are being asked to "improve health – not just health care" in their areas. A new grant program aims to help the clinics address the underlying conditions in their communities that cause health problems. The grants from the

HOUSTON – A Trump administration plan to protect healthcare workers who refuse to provide services on religious grounds is raising the concerns of civil rights advocates. A presidential order has authorized the creation of a "Conscience and Religious Freedom Division" of the Department of He