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Karen Brooks Harper reported on the state budget and health and human services from 2020 to 2024. An alumna of the Missouri School of Journalism, Karen arrived in Texas in 1995 to join the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, spent several years in Laredo and Mexico covering immigration and the drug war for Knight-Ridder newspapers, and has covered Texas politics for more than two decades for news organizations including the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the Dallas Morning News and Reuters.
The vaccine isn’t widely available yet and testing levels are low. That’s driving concern about a virus that is expected to keep spreading. Full Story
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No criminal charges have been filed under two current Texas laws restricting abortion, but abortion opponents are looking to build on the momentum of recent victories, including the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. Full Story
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For some parents of kids under 5 who want to vaccinate them, the wait has been excruciating, fraught with delays and close calls. Others are hesitant to have their young children vaccinated. Full Story
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A federal agency estimates that about 75 trucks are reported nationally each year with copied or stolen state and federal ID numbers, which industry experts say is likely a significant undercount. Full Story
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The victims included migrants from Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras. Most were men; five were minors. Full Story
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The U.S. Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade will not fall equally. Texans most likely to seek out abortion care in the past are now the least likely to be able to afford it. People of color will be most disproportionately affected. Full Story
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The senators said they would support proposals like raising the age to legally own an assault weapon from 18 to 21, creating red flag laws and regulating private gun sales. Full Story
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After the May 24 school shooting, mental health help is now pouring into Uvalde, where a fourth of residents are uninsured and counseling options are few and far between. Full Story
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Uvalde offers mental health resources for the victims and considers rebuilding the school where the shooting took place as the community tends to its invisible wounds. Full Story
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Created in 2019, the Texas Child Mental Health Care Consortium identifies distressed students and refers them to mental health services. Full Story
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