The changes to the budget proposal come after lawmakers and advocates protested the previous plan would hurt vulnerable Texans.
Shannon Najmabadi
Shannon Najmabadi was a reporter at the Tribune from 2017 to 2021, most recently covering women's health. Her stories — on higher education and other topics — have prompted lawmakers to change three state laws, including one involving a very narrow definition of the word “pickle.” She is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley and Columbia University.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Texas officials change how the state reports positivity rate after testing backlogs skewed coronavirus data
The Texas Department of State Health Services said it will now rely on a calculation that takes into account the date on which a coronavirus test was administered, rather than when it was reported.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Texans with developmental disabilities in state homes still don’t have visitors. Their parents worry they don’t know why.
Across Texas, families with loved ones in state supported living centers are desperate for in-person visits after months have ticked by with coronavirus restrictions in place.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Dallas and Harris county judges criticize Gov. Greg Abbott’s coronavirus response for putting politics ahead of science
At The Texas Tribune Festival, Clay Jenkins and Lina Hidalgo, both Democrats, said local officials and health experts stepped into a leadership vacuum left by state and federal leaders.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Five health experts on the state’s coronavirus data backlog
The state disclosed a backlog of more than 850,000 tests this month, which were delayed in part because of coding or formatting errors and a lengthy onboarding process needed to receive reports from laboratories.
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Coronavirus in Texas
“We’re all holding our breath”: Health experts on school reopenings in Texas
The Texas Tribune spoke to experts about what the state can expect as schools and universities start school remotely or in person.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Texas officials want to cut funding for women’s health services while preserving an anti-abortion program
An August budget document shows funding for the anti-abortion program would be maintained, but reduced for doctors and clinics that provide reduced-cost contraception and health screenings.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
A South Texas chaplain prayed with his hospice patients. Then the coronavirus came for him.
The hospital where he had previously ministered to terminally ill patients was full when Adolfo Alvarado Jr. neared death in his Mission home. He was finally admitted, and his daughter watched on her laptop as he died.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Local health authority resigns in Texas border county battered by coronavirus
Dr. Jose Vazquez resigned from his position as health authority after members of the commissioners court rejected increasing his pay from $500 a month to $10,000.
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Demographics
Texas lifts tampon ban at bar exam after complaints over discriminatory policy
The state’s board of law examiners said in late July that test takers will be allowed to bring feminine hygiene products in clear plastic bags with them to the grueling, multiday exam that’s needed to obtain a law license.
