Tag Archives: Texas

Spectrum News reports: DSHS reported eight of the cases are school-aged children and two are children under the age of 5. Health officials say seven of the patients have been hospitalized. According to data from the state, Gaines County has one of the highest percentages of vaccine exempt students from kindergarten through 12th grade. The South Plains Public Health District …

Reuters reports: Elon Musk told investors in late January that Tesla would roll out “autonomous ride-hailing for money” by June in Austin, Texas — a state where the company faces almost no regulation, raising questions about how much safety and legal risk Tesla is willing to take on as it deploys unproven driverless technology on public streets. Tesla has long …

Ars Technica reports: As of mid-day February 7, the outbreak total reached nine confirmed measles cases in the South Plains Public Health District (SPPHD) that includes Gaines County, according to Zach Holbrooks, Executive Director for SSPHD. In an interview with Ars, Holbrooks reported that there were three additional probable cases that are linked to the confirmed cases. Gaines County has …

Houston’s NPR affiliate reports: A Houston man released from federal prison in Colorado last month, after being pardoned for his crimes during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, was arrested Thursday on a charge of online solicitation of a minor dating back to 2016. Andrew Taake, 36, was sentenced to six years in prison in June 2024 after pleading guilty to …

Jacksonville, Texas’s NBC affiliate reports: A Longview gymnastics instructor is accused of sexually assaulting a minor. 52-year-old Matthew Orban is charged with sexual assault of a minor. According to the indictment, the incident involving Orban occurred on or around March 1, 2016, when he “intentionally and knowingly caused the penetration of the sexual organ” of a child younger than 17 …

Jacksonville, Texas’s NBC affiliate reports: The Wood County Sheriff’s Office announced on Sunday that Timothy Nall has been arrested. On Friday, the sheriff’s office said Nall was wanted for sexual assault of a child. This is reportedly the sheriff’s office second warrant for Nall for a similar offense but with a different child victim. In 2023, KETK reported that Nall …

The Texas Tribune reports: A coalition of legal organizations on Thursday called on Texas school district leaders to reject the adoption of a recently approved state curriculum heavily infused with references to Christianity and biblical teachings. The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Center for Inquiry and the Freedom From Religion Foundation …

The Christian News reports: A Texas megachurch pastor retired last month following an arrest for solicitation of prostitution at a massage parlor. The Rev. John F. Fiedler led the 15,000-member Highland Park United Methodist Church in Dallas, until his retirement on Dec. 31, 2024, church records show. Police documents allege that Fielder was caught in a prostitution bust carried out …

The Texas Tribune reports: Republicans are filing bills which aim to claw back vaccine requirements. There is even a House joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Texas Constitution that would preserve Texans’ right to refuse a vaccination. The proposal is among more than 20 bills endorsed by Texans For Vaccine Choice that have been filed, most of them before …

Fort Worth’s NBC affiliate reports: Fort Worth Independent School District said it’s investigating a social media post allegedly made by a substitute teacher that encouraged Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE, to come to North Side High School. The alleged post by the substitute stated: “Y’all should come to Fort Worth, TX to Northside High School. I have many students who …

From my June 2024 report: A Houston doctor has been indicted for obtaining the records of pediatric patients at Texas Children’s Hospital who were not under his care and without authorization, according to U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. The indictment alleges Ethan Haim, 34, illegally accessed patient names, treatment codes and attending physicians “under false pretenses and with intent to …

Newsweek reports: Florida’s 24-hour snowfall record has been surpassed as a “historic” winter storm swept along the Gulf Coast. According to The National Centers for Environmental Information, the previous Florida record for the most snow in 24 hours was set in Milton, Santa Rosa County, on March 6, 1954, when four inches was recorded. This record was smashed after more …

Houston’s CBS affiliate reports: A judge in Texas ruled Thursday that three other states can move ahead with their effort to roll back federal rules and make it harder for people across the U.S. to access the abortion drug mifepristone. The states of Idaho, Kansas and Missouri made the request in U.S. District Court in Amarillo, Texas. The only judge …

The Austin Statesman reports: Austin real estate investor Nate Paul on Wednesday pleaded guilty to a charge of making false statements to a financial institution as part of a deal with prosecutors, ending a six-year legal saga. All other counts against Paul will be dropped under the terms of the agreement. He faces up to six months in prison. Paul …

The New York Times reports: Several members of the Supreme Court’s conservative majority seemed deeply skeptical of a challenge to a Texas law that seeks to limit minors’ access to pornography, peppering a lawyer for the challengers with exceptionally hostile questions. The lawyer, Derek L. Shaffer, said the law violated the First Amendment by requiring age verification measures like the …

The Roys Report reports: The former pastor of a now-shuttered Calvary Chapel congregation in south-central Texas has been sentenced to two years in prison for possessing child sex abuse material. On Tuesday, Judge Phil Grant of the 9th District Court of Texas sentenced Bruce Hollen, 63, to two years in state prison, according to court records. For several years, Hollen …

The Texas Tribune reports: Two hours after Rep. Dustin Burrows of Lubbock was elected Texas House speaker on Tuesday, Christian worshippers gathered in a Capitol meeting room to prepare for “spiritual war” and protect lawmakers from demonic forces. “Pray for the fear of the Lord to come into this place,” Landon Schott intoned from the stage as a small band …

The Associated Press reports: A Texas anti-pornography law is going before the Supreme Court on Wednesday in a collision of free speech rights, regulation of online content and the protection of children. Texas is among more than a dozen states with similar laws aimed at blocking young children and teenagers from viewing pornography. The adult-content site Pornhub has stopped operating …

The Hill reports: A Texas lawmaker got down on one knee and proposed to his longtime partner on the statehouse floor during the first day of the 89th legislative session. Texas Rep. Venton Jones (D-Dallas) popped the question to Gregory Scott Jr. on Tuesday, right before other lawmakers were set to be sworn in. “In a time when our love …

CBS News reports: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has directed that American flags on state property be flown at full staff to mark President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration next week, bypassing the national mourning period for former President Jimmy Carter. The move has sparked both praise and criticism on social media. On Dec. 29, President Biden ordered flags across the country to …