Texas psychologistsโ board pushes back on costly new national licensing exam, considers crafting a cheaper state test
Faced with a nagging mental health provider shortage, the state psychologistsโ licensing board is looking into whether the state should devise its own exam to get professionals licensed more quickly.
Years ago, Texas hustled to get kids on state health care. Now itโs kicking them off.
Texasโ recent unwinding of Medicaid and CHIP has been criticized, dropping more than a million people eligible for the health insurance programs. Decades ago, Texas officials got kids health insurance in record time.
Expuestos y en el olvido: El aire tรณxico en una comunidad latina de Texas revela los fallos del sistema estatal de control de calidad del aire
Los datos pรบblicos de una red de monitores de la calidad del aire alrededor del Canal de Navegaciรณn de Houston son difรญciles de interpretar y a menudo son insuficientes, dejando a vecindarios de mayorรญa latina, como Cloverleaf, sin saber si el aire que respiran es seguro.
Neglected and exposed: Toxic air lingers in a Texas Latino community, revealing failures in stateโs air monitoring system
Public data from a network of state air monitors around the Houston Ship Channel is hard to interpret and is often inadequate, leaving Latino-majority neighborhoods like Cloverleaf unaware of whether the air they breathe is safe.
5th Circuit upholds Texas law requiring minors to obtain parental consent for contraception
A three-judge panel in New Orleans ruled that a Texas law requiring minors to obtain parental consent to obtain birth control does not conflict with the goals of the federally-funded Title X program, which has given teens birth control confidentially.
Does UT Tyler Health Science Centerโs deal with private equity shield doctors from malpractice suits?
A lawsuit claims UT Tyler Health Science Center is trying to pull the veil of governmental immunity over doctors who do all of their work for a for-profit, private equity-backed health care system.
Texas passes on $450 million summer lunch program for low-income families
The USDA estimates the families of 3.8 million children could have received $120 per child to cover summer lunches if the state participated in the new $2.5 billion program launching this summer. Texas is one of 15 states opting out.
Feds asked to overhaul school discipline at North Texas school district after students jailed
The complaint claims Bonham ISD and a city court discriminated against both Black students and disabled students by creating a hostile environment at school. The groups also filed a separate complaint against Corpus Christi ISD with the Texas Education Agency.
Child care costs in Texas pose a major challenge. These panelists discussed potential solutions.
At a Texas Tribune event held with the LBJ School of Public Affairsโ Urban Lab, experts discussed a unified approach to working with the Texas Legislature to secure funding that would benefit employers, working parents and the broader Texas economy.
Emergency rooms not required to perform life-saving abortions, federal appeals court rules
The Biden administration reminded hospitals of their obligation to perform life-saving abortions under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act after the overturn of Roe v. Wade. Texas sued, arguing it was an overstep that mandated abortions.
Vouchers, border security, abortion: The issues you heard about in 2023 will continue to be hotly debated in 2024
After nearly a yearโs worth of legislative sessions, several issues are poised to dominate Texas politics this year. Hereโs a look at how things ended on several fronts last year โ and where theyโre headed next.
After pause, this Texas city is set to reconsider banning travel to access an abortion
A handful of local governments have already put the legally dubious bans in place. The news that Amarillo will take the issue up again comes shortly after a Dallas woman left the state for an abortion after losing a legal battle to obtain one here.
As suicide rate increases, gun safety advocates call for more firearm regulations
A recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report showed a new record for people using firearms in suicides. Texas gun safety and mental health advocates say the report highlights a need for gun laws the state does not have.
Judge considers holding state in contempt a third time over foster care conditions
U.S. District Judge Janis Jack on Monday considers whether stateโs foster care agency has made progress caring for most vulnerable children or should be held in contempt for the third time in an ongoing 2011 lawsuit.
In Texasโ Panhandle, a long-awaited oasis for mental health care is springing up
The region that includes Amarillo, a Panhandle city of more than 200,000 people, and surrounding towns has long been a mental health care desert. Officials hope a new $159 million hospital can help reduce a massive spike in suicide attempts.
Watch Texas Tribune journalists discuss their experience on a rural reproductive health project
Reporter Eleanor Klibanoff and photojournalist Shelby Tauber talked with Tribune editor Terri Langford about their reporting on a story of a 26-year-old Texan who was told her twin sons had a zero percent chance of survival after childbirth.
โPeople arenโt thinking about usโ: How new ban on COVID-19 vaccine mandates impacts medically-vulnerable Texans
The ban applies to all private businesses, including health care facilities like hospitals, which can jeopardize the health of those with compromised immune systems or other underlying conditions.
Appeals court considers whether Texas teens should be allowed contraception without parental consent under federal program
Last year, Judge Matthew Kacmsaryk closed off one of the only avenues for Texas teens to get confidential contraception. The 5th Circuit will hear arguments on the controversial case Monday.
Texas cities and counties are destroying expired Narcan. Some say it could still be used to save lives.
The state has given tens of thousands of doses of a drug that can reverse opioid deaths to local governments. It can still save lives after its expiration date, but some government agencies are destroying older doses.
Ban on COVID vaccine mandates by private businesses, including health care facilities, passes Texas Senate
The bill offers no exceptions for doctorsโ offices, clinics or other health facilities. Senators agreed to let those entities require unvaccinated employees to wear personal protective gear or take other โreasonableโ measures to manage the spread.
For Texans with long COVID, specialized centers can provide more effective treatments โ if they can access them
Long COVID clinics in Texas are few and far between, often with months-long waitlists. But these centers can provide care that validates stigmatized patients, offers unique treatments and teaches physicians more about the new condition.