Texas News & Current Events | Public News Service

Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the 50-year ruling that guaranteed the right to abortion, emboldened conservative groups now want the courts to impose further restrictions. (Inna/AdobeStock)

Monday, December 5, 2022

Anti-Abortion Groups Ask Texas Judge to Ban Mailing Abortion Pills

By Carrie Baker for Ms. Magazine.Broadcast version by Roz Brown for Texas News Service reporting for the Ms. Magazine-Public News Service …

Two-thirds of U.S. households that give to a charitable organization donate an average of 4% of their income. (RawPixel.com/AdobeStock)<br />

Nonprofits Hope for Holiday Charitable Giving Boost Despite Inflation

Economic uncertainly created by the pandemic did not stop Americans from boosting charitable donations to record numbers in 2020 and overall giving in…

Wages for healthcare workers in the U.S., primarily women of color, are among the lowest in the nation, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. (DraganaGordic/Adobe Stock)

DOL Recovers Over $1 Million in Back Wages for TX, LA Healthcare Workers

Women of color working in health care are the most likely to lose out on wages they have earned because employers fail to pay what they owe, …

AARP Texas State Director Tina Tran presents Charles Ray Guidry, Jr. with the Andrus Award. (AARP)

AARP Texas Honors Champion for the Homeless

Charles Ray Guidry Jr. spent years being homeless, often sleeping on cardboard in church parking lots. Now, he's a champion for others struggling to …

Texas leads the nation in wind-powered electricity generation, producing nearly 26% of the U.S. wind energy, according to the Texas Comptroller's website. (nordroden/Adobe Stock)

How Texas Could Benefit from the Inflation Reduction Act

The U.S. is moving toward net-zero emissions energy goals under the Inflation Reduction Act, but an independent research group believes some regions …

Only 3% of Americans considering adoption say they would consider adopting a teenager, according to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. (shock/Adobe Stock)

Ample Options Await Adoptive Parents in Texas

Adopting a child is a big, important decision, but there also are misperceptions about the complexity of the process - which might mean thousands of …

Early voting in Texas showed a 31% turnout, compared with 40% in the 2018 midterm elections, according to the Texas Secretary of State's office. (AdobeStock)

Midterms Arrive: Texas Voters Choose Next Governor

A Texas academic expects Republicans to do well in today's midterms, but worries some candidates who lose could claim fraud, eroding trust in future …

The City of Corpus Christi says seawater desalination plants would create a new water source with a low impact to ratepayers, but a lawsuit and the EPA could be obstacles to getting them built. (wikipedia)

Groups Charge Desalination Plants Are Wrong for Corpus Christi

A Texas environmental group is sounding the alarm about seawater desalination plants proposed for Corpus Christi Bay, warning they could have …

Following the first week of early voting, the Texas Secretary of State website showed a 15% lower turnout compared to 2020 and 2018. (Adobe Stock)

Early Voting in Texas Gets Off to Lackluster Start

Days remain before the midterm election, and so far, Texas voter turnout has been lackluster. As of Sunday, Tarrant County turnout was 20% lower …

Early voting for the Nov. 8 election is under way in Texas and will continue until Nov. 4.

Midterm Elections Could Be Test for Democracy

Early voting is underway in Texas, and many of the candidates on the midterm ballot still refuse to accept the 2020 presidential victory of Joe Biden …

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 includes provisions to lower prescription drug costs for people with Medicare coverage, including those who take insulin. (cdc.gov)

Texans Reminded to Get the Most Out of Medicare Coverage

Some 65 million people on Medicare have about six weeks to review and make changes to their health-care plans and prescription drug coverage…

Scientists say ephemeral streams across the United States, including those in Texas, have become less reliable over the past 40 years, likely as a result of climate change. (usgs.gov)

Conservation Groups: Far-Reaching Clean Water Protections in Peril

Fifty years ago this week, Congress passed the Clean Water Act, allowing policymakers in the 50 states to limit pollution, prosecute polluters and …

More than a quarter of Texans surveyed by the Episcopal Health Foundation about nonmedical health factors that affect well-being said they don't have access to affordable and healthy food. (LudaKot/Pixabay)<br />

Study: Issues Beyond the Doctor's Office Impact Texans' Health

Across the board, Texans say they'd be healthier if the state put more resources, including money, toward nonmedical factors for their well-being…

New statistics on breast cancer show continued racial disparities in mortality rates between Black women and white women, according to the American Cancer Society. (Waldryano/Pixabay)<br /><br />

Doctors Encourage Post-Pandemic Breast Cancer Screenings

Like many other annual screenings, mammography tests for breast cancer were delayed during the pandemic, and this month doctors are calling attention …

The U.S. Army had its highest number of active duty personnel in 2020, according to Statista.com. (PatouRicard/Pixabay)

TX Writer: Low-Income Youths Targeted for Military Service

By Aina Marzia for Yes! Media.Broadcast version by Roz Brown for Texas News Service reporting for the YES! Media-Public News Service Collaboration …

To help keep them in school, Texas community college students say information about registration, orientation and payment should be easier to understand, according to a CCCSE study at the University of Texas at Austin. (Myriams-Fotos/Pixabay)

Report: College Students 'Walk a Tightrope' Toward a Degree

A new report shows community colleges need to be more persistent if they want to keep students enrolled. The Center for Community College Student …

Methane released into the atmosphere is responsible for at least 25% of current global warming, according to the Environmental Defense Fund. (permianmap.org)

Report: Oil-Field Flaring Emits More Methane than Previously Known

Ahead of revised methane regulations expected from the federal government, a new study shows that gas flaring in oil-producing states such as Texas …

Aging baby boomers expected to retire could mean a deficit of 15,900 nurses in Texas by 2030, according to nurse.com. (RafaelUrdanetaRojas/Pixabay)

Health Equity Work Continues Amid Texas Nurse Shortage

The pandemic took a toll on the nursing profession, resulting in shortages across the nation and especially Texas, ranked the second-hardest-hit …

Texas families can keep up with vaccine records at ImmTrac2, the Texas Immunization Registry. (OmarMedina/Pixabay)

Winter is Coming: Is Your Child's Health Protected?

COVID upended many routines, including Texas parents getting kids in for regularly scheduled childhood vaccines. Data from the Texas Department of …

A new poll from Quinnipiac University shows Texas voters say the border, at 38%, ranks first as the most urgent issue facing Texas, followed by abortion and inflation. (Wikilmages/Pixabay)

Border Issues Reign for Texas Voters, Immigration Advocates

A Texas human-rights advocacy and immigration-reform group opened two new community centers this week to help residents better understand their freedo…

The last day for Texans to register to vote or change their address before the Nov. 8 election is Oct. 11. (Larisa/Pixabay)

As Midterm Elections Approach, What Are the Risks?

Ahead of the November midterms, the Texas Secretary of State outlined details last week for a campaign aimed at educating voters before the November …

From July 2021 to June 2022 across the nation, there were 2,532 instances of individual books being banned, affecting 1,648 unique book titles, according to Pen America. (prettysleepyart/Pixabay)

TX ACLU Promotes 'Students' Rights Hub' During Banned Books Week

Ahead of Banned Books Week, the ACLU of Texas published what it calls a Students' Rights Hub. Kate Huddleston, attorney for the ACLU of Texas…

If you put faith in predictions by the Old Farmer's Almanac, expect record-breaking cold in the eastern half of the United States this winter and above-average snow totals. (Claudia/Pixabay)

Old Farmer's Almanac Predicts 'A Tale of Two Winters' for 2023

Fall arrives in Texas next week, which means winter and its challenges will be right behind. But never fear, the Old Farmer's Almanac says it will be …

Between 2003 and 2017, the suicide rate among Black girls increased an average of 6.6% each year, according to the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, which reports nearly 40% were ages 12 to 14. (kassoum_kone/Pixabay)

Parents, Teachers Advised to Stay Alert for Mental-Health Issues

For some Texas kids, heading back to school creates a lot of anxiety, and experts urge early intervention to solve a youth mental-health crisis …

Congress passed historic legislation to battle climate change last month, but researchers say the average American badly underestimates support by their fellow citizens. (Niklas/Pixabay)

Study: Perception Versus Reality about Climate-Change Distress

If you protest in the streets of Texas about climate change and your neighbor doesn't, you may think they don't care about the issue. But new …

Without a will, the state determines where your assets go, making the process more difficult and much more expensive for your family. (texaslegal.org)

What is a 'Will' and Do I Need One?

August is National Make-a-Will Month, and if you still have not started, experts say there is no good reason to put it off. End-of-life planning can …

In March, the Dallas County Jail failed its state inspection for the second year in a row, with the agency noting it had been out of compliance for about three months. (fau.org)

Group Fears New Dallas Jail Could Stall Justice Reform

Members of a Texas group working to end mass incarceration thought they were making headway, but now they're not so sure. Faith in Texas has ideas …

One in 16 African Americans of voting age is disenfranchised, a rate 3.7 times greater than that of non-African Americans, according to The Sentencing Project. (themarshallproject.org)

Report: 'Unlock the Vote' at U.S. Jails Shows Progress, Obstacles

Every election, thousands of people are disenfranchised from voting because they are incarcerated. But Houston's Harris County Jail has shown the two …

More than 4,700 college students in New York and New Jersey reported that the pandemic affected their mental health, with students of color disproportionately affected by financial stressors, according to a 2022 study conducted by Montclair State University. (PeterCurcio/Pixabay)

College Students Seek Mental-Health Services Amid COVID, Monkeypox

Universities across the country lost enrollment to COVID-19. As students return, Texas A&M is making sure adequate mental-health services are in …

The Inflation Reduction Act contains $369 billion in new spending to fight global warming from the oil and gas industry and boost clean energy. (Mike/Pixabay)

New Climate Bill to Tackle Texas Methane Emissions

Included in the Inflation Reduction Act is a provision aimed at cutting methane emissions from oil and gas drilling, but it remains to be seen …

Texas kids are some of the least likely in the nation to receive adequate health care, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation. (everytexan.org)

2022 Report: Texas Ranks 45th for Child Well-Being

When it comes to child well-being, Texas is slipping further behind, according to the 2022 Kids Count Data Book, compiled by the Annie E. Casey …

The Episcopal Health Foundation recently announced grants totally $21 million to help community-based organizations and clinics address non-medical, social factors that impact health. (episcopalhealth.org)

Going Beyond the Doctor's Office to Treat Community Health Needs

The new leader of Houston's Episcopal Health Foundation says the COVID pandemic, and now monkeypox, shine a light on Texas populations that are …

A shortage of good jobs makes the ladder to a middle-class lifestyle a steep climb for Latino workers, according to a study by the Center for American Progress. (GerdAltmann/Pixabay)

Economic Success Ladder a Harder Climb for U.S. Latinos

Hispanic and Latino workers have high employment rates in the U.S. but continue to experience a shortage of jobs paying enough to lift them into the …

The migratory monarch butterfly is known for its annual journey of up to 3,000 miles across the Americas. (Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy)

Habitat Loss, Climate Change Threaten Iconic Monarch Butterfly

An insect species which can evoke childhood memories is in trouble, and has just been added to the Red List of Threatened Species compiled by the …

In a survey of educators this summer, more than seven in 10 said they're dissatisfied with their current working conditions and would not recommend teaching as a profession. (GerdAltmann/PIxabay)

Texas Schools Warn of Teacher Shortage

A teacher shortage is expected in many parts of the country this fall, and Texas is no exception. The Texas chapter of the American Federation of …

More than a billion young people are at risk of developing hearing loss, according to UnitedHealthcare. (snsforyou/Pixabay)

Keep Your Hearing: Know How Loud is Too Loud

Distraction has been a coping mechanism during the pandemic, but one method can have a lasting impact on health. Listening to music via headphones or …

Experts say getting regular physical activity and having a strong social circle can improve quality of life and well-being, especially in older adults. (aarp.org)

Exercise Delivers Big Returns for Brain Health

Cognitive decline is a fear as people age, but experts say daily exercise can boost brain health and even improve quality of life for those diagnosed …

Texas' House Bill 1280, soon to take effect, makes it a second-degree felony

Texas Abortion Poll: Lawmakers Out of Step With Constituents

Texas soon will enact one of the strictest abortion bans in the country - and a majority of voters don't like it. Three out of four - 77% of the …

One in five election officials who withstood the 2020 pres�sure campaign said they plan to leave before the 2024 elec�tion, according to a recent Bren�nan Center survey. (PeteLinforth/Pixabay)

Will MAGA Election Deniers Upend Midterms?

The midterm election on Nov. 8 will be a referendum on President Joe Biden and Democrats, but also a preview of what could happen at polling places …

Before the pandemic, CDC statistics showed about 700 women died each year of pregnancy-related complications, with Black and American Indian/Alaska Native women about three times more likely to die compared to white women. (parentingupstream/Pixabay)

Study: Maternal Deaths Would Skyrocket with Nationwide Abortion Ban

Texas is home to one in 10 Americans of reproductive age, and mandated births due to the state's abortion ban will increase the number of maternal …

Black communities bear disproportionate hardships of the environmental crisis, but have historically been left out of the environmental movement. (upstreamsolutions.org)

Environmentalists: Education, Empowerment Needed Post-Juneteenth

Juneteenth celebrations this month commemorated freedom, but Black and Brown people are still disproportionately impacted by environmental injustices …

The share of crimes in the United States committed by young people has fallen by more than half over the past two decades, according to The Sentencing Project. (ThomasR�desheim/Pixabay)

Reports of Youth Crime Wave Debunked by Latest Research

New research by The Sentencing Project shows a drop in youth crime over the past 20 years, which debunks a so-called "false narrative" of a youth …

Texas' Hispanic Serving Institutions Consortium, which includes the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, has grown from 43 in 2005 to 100 in 2021. (utsystem.edu)

Boosting Higher-Ed Success at Hispanic-Serving Institutions

Society benefits when colleges and universities enroll and graduate traditionally underserved students, but some schools are better than others in …

Pregnant women in Texas are more likely to be uninsured and less likely to seek early prenatal care than the rest of the country. (SzilardSzabo/Pixabay)

High Court's Abortion Ruling Sets Up Texas Ban, Criminalization

The ruling on abortion by the U.S. Supreme Court has returned the issue to the states, fulfilling long-held goals of Republican lawmakers in Texas to …

When Category 4 Hurricane Harvey made landfall on Texas and Louisiana in August 2017 it killed more than a hundred people. (army.mil)

It's Hurricane Season in Texas – Do You Have a Plan?

State agencies gathered in Austin last week for hurricane exercises. They emphasize that all Texans need to prepare before the next disaster…

Even ass the U.S. celebrates the second observance of the Juneteenth National Independence Day, more states have passed legislation prohibiting schools from teaching about the country's legacy of racism. (WynnPointaux/Pixabay)

Celebrations Mark 2nd Nationwide Juneteenth Independence Day

The 95-year-old Texan known as the "grandmother of Juneteenth" will celebrate this weekend, as she has for the past nine decades, but with the added …

Texas is one of 12 states that has not adopted the Medicaid expansion under the 2010 Affordable Care Act. (Stocksnap/Pixbay)

Poll: Texans' Support for Medicaid Reaches All-Time High

Despite opposition from the GOP-led state government, Texans continue to support expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, according to a …

A Kaiser Family Foundation survey shows many Latinos with mixed immigration status remain skeptical about giving personal information to health authorities offering COVID-19 vaccinations. (Diocese of Pennsylvania)<br />

Lagging in Vaccinations, TX Latinos Offered COVID Shots at Church

Promoting the theme "unity in community," the Hispanic Access Foundation has partnered with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to bring …

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