The state said EMPOWER needed more time to improve conditions after two children died under the contractor’s care over the years.
Health care
In-depth reporting on public health, healthcare policy, hospitals, and wellness issues shaping communities across Texas, from The Texas Tribune.
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Health care
Hours after statewide ban is reinstated, smokeable hemp is temporarily back on Texas shelves, court rules
After a dizzying string of court actions on smokeable hemp this week, Texas 15th Court of Appeals agreed to allow the sale of the drug until May 14.
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Health care
What to know about the federal rule that Texans have used to mail in abortion pills
In 2023, the Food and Drug Administration started allowing mifepristone to be delivered by mail. The federal courts are deciding whether to pull that permission.
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Health care
Rule that lets Texans obtain out-of-state abortion pills can continue for now, Supreme Court says
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that mifepristone must be obtained in person, a decision the country’s highest court has temporarily blocked.
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Health care
Texas wants to ban in-home ketamine and add more physician oversight during treatment
Ketamine industry leaders say Texas Medical Board’s proposal to require physician supervision or limit treatments to two people at a time will force clinics to close.
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State Government
Texas child abuse investigations over gender-affirming care no longer blocked
The Texas Supreme Court lifted temporary injunctions protecting three families and members of PFLAG, Inc., after CPS cases were dropped.
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Health care
Texas’ foster care system is more likely to move children away from their communities
In 2025, one in three children placed in foster care was sent to a different region, sometimes hundreds of miles away, a Texas Tribune analysis of state data shows.
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Health care
Michael and Susan Dell become UT Austin’s first $1 billion donors
The couple’s latest $750 million investment will help build a new Austin medical center that will provide specialized care, such as MD Anderson cancer treatment, and integrate AI into care.
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Health care
Texas will launch its own clinical trials into ibogaine psychedelic after failing to find a drug company to help
The state’s effort will get a boost from the federal government thanks to a new executive order from President Donald Trump.
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Health care
Trump taps Texas’ top public health official as CDC chief medical officer
Jennifer Shuford, an infectious disease physician who oversaw the country’s largest measles outbreak in 30 years, is among a slate of CDC nominations with no apparent ties to the anti-vaccine movement.