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Thursday, March 28, 2024

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Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

TX: Poverty Issues

As of Oct. 2023, the average teacher salary was $68,000 a year, which is 8% less than the average for U.S. workers overall. (Drazen/Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

University of Texas El Paso targets teacher shortage

It's estimated that nearly half of all schools in the country don't have enough teachers. To help change that, the University of Texas in El Paso …

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The National Center for Education Statistics reports that 43% of public school students attend schools where a majority of them are eligible for free or reduced-price meals. (Adobe Stock)
Texas food bank, schools team up to help needy families

To reach more hungry families, one Texas nonprofit is setting up mini food markets in schools. The Tarrant Area Food Bank in North Texas provides 60…

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Neighborhoods lacking sidewalks can discourage people from getting exercise which could improve their health. (JacobLund/AdobeStock)
TX health foundation broadens focus beyond the doctor's office

There are Texas ZIP codes where people with lower incomes and few health services have a 20-year difference in life expectancy than those who are more…

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Los datos federales sugieren que al menos siete de cada 10 personas han perdido su cobertura de Medicaid por motivos de procedimiento, como el incumplimiento de plazos, la pérdida de documentación en el correo o la lentitud en la tramitación por parte de las agencias estatales. (zimmytws/Adobestock)
'Unwinding' de Medicaid cobra alto precio a niños de Texas

Durante la pandemia, aún más niños estadounidenses tuvieron seguro médico, pero ahora que los estados están obligados a …

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Texas is among 17 states with the lowest public school spending per student, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. (wavebreak3/Adobe Stock)
Texas Senate makes school vouchers its priority in education funding

Public schoolteachers in Texas say the state desperately needs to boost its overall investment in students and education programs. Instead, lawmakers …

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The number of Texans who skipped or postponed some sort of health care because of cost has reached an all-time high, according to a new survey by the Episcopal Health Foundation. (Malik/peopleimages.com/AdobeStock)
Poll: Texans skip, delay medical care as affordability, access worsens

More than half of those who responded to a new Texas health care poll said it is becoming more difficult to afford, and the number of those who do …

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President Joe Biden does not believe the U.S.-Mexican border wall built by his predecessor was effective, but cited a 2019 congressional appropriation of funds as the reason for new border wall in the Rio Grande Valley. (AerialStockFootage/Adobe Stock)
South Texas opponents of new border wall promise resistance

Opponents of previous efforts to build a border wall in South Texas are reeling from the Biden administration's announcement last week to resume…

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Due to service disruptions caused by the three-year pandemic, the Social Security Administration plans to implement a new telephone platform for its toll-free number by the end of 2023. (Vitalii Vodolazskyi/Adobe Stock)
Many Texans May Be Unaware They're Eligible for SSI Benefits

Most people eligible for Social Security know what's required to access the program, but another federal program aimed at underserved communities …

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The overall number of Americans without health insurance dropped to a record low in the first three months of 2023, a number expected to rise as Medicaid rolls are purged post-pandemic. (NewAfrica/AdobeStock)
Texans Navigate the Post-Pandemic Medicaid Purge

A nationwide purge of Medicaid rolls is underway after a three-year pause during the pandemic. And in Texas, most of those dropped are children…

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Families of at least 3.7 million Texas children would have been eligible for summer federal food assistance that the state declined to pursue.  (highwaystarz/Adobe Stock)
Texas Families Lose Out on Summer Food Assistance

Many Texas families are still struggling financially post-COVID. Nonetheless, the state turned down millions of dollars in federal aid for summer …

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The lack of nearby and affordable child care in the U.S. affects job opportunities and costs the economy $122 billion annually, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation. (mmg1design/Adobe Stock)
Report: Texas Ranks 44th in Nation for Child Well-Being

Child well-being in Texas is on the ropes, with a new study showing significant declines in third grade reading, eighth grade math proficiency and …

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For every $1 invested in ARRIBA - El Paso's workforce development program - the local economy receives $28 back, according to a 2021 study by the Hunt Institute for Global Competitiveness. (Rob/Adobe Stock)
TX Model Transforms Low-Income Students Into Skilled Professionals

For more than two decades, a workforce development program in El Paso has invested in the economically disadvantaged to help them attain the …

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