https://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/stephen-simpson/The latest news by Stephen Simpson.enWed, 30 Apr 2025 15:14:06 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/30/texas-social-media-ban-warning-label/The Texas House passed onto the Senate a proposed ban Tuesday, alongside another bill that would require a social media warning label for minors.By Stephen SimpsonWed, 30 Apr 2025 15:14:06 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/30/texas-social-media-ban-warning-label/Bonham Middle School students walk between classes on Sept. 13, 2023 in Odessa.Bonham Middle School students walk between classes Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023 in Odessa.Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/25/texas-hospitals-undocumented-immigrants-cost/Policy experts say undocumented immigrants' cost to hospitals is a small fraction of the total cost from uninsured Texans.By Stephen SimpsonFri, 25 Apr 2025 18:25:30 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/25/texas-hospitals-undocumented-immigrants-cost/Medical equipment lines the walls of a Central Texas hospital room on March 13, 2024.Medical equipment lines the walls of a Central Texas hospital room on Mar. 13, 2024.Maria Crane for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/22/texas-measles-outbreak-update/Three more counties – Upshur, Eastland and Hardeman – report their first cases of measles in the ongoing historic outbreak.By Terri Langford, Yuriko Schumacher and Stephen SimpsonTue, 22 Apr 2025 11:36:43 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/22/texas-measles-outbreak-update/This tracker will update twice a week, as the Texas Department of State Health Services releases new data.An editorial art for the West Texas measles outbreak tracker.Yuriko Schumacher/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/18/Texas-hemp-farmers-oppose-THC-ban/As lawmakers work to close loopholes that allow minors access to cannabis consumables, hemp farmers warn a total THC ban would strangle a once-hailed crop.By Stephen SimpsonFri, 18 Apr 2025 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/18/Texas-hemp-farmers-oppose-THC-ban/A bin of processed hemp at Bingham Family Vineyards outside Meadow on April 10, 2025.bin of proccessed hemp at Bingham Family Venards outside Meadow, TX.Trace Thomas for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/04/texas-prison-air-conditioning-bills/Weeks after a federal judge declared hot conditions in Texas prisons unconstitutional, a bill requiring air conditioning in those facilities by 2032 has gained traction in the House.By Pooja Salhotra and Stephen SimpsonFri, 04 Apr 2025 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/04/texas-prison-air-conditioning-bills/About two thirds of Texas’ prison inmates reside in facilities that are not fully air conditioned in housing areas, and indoor temperatures routinely top 100 degrees Fahrenheit.Mountain View prison in Gatesville on September 19, 2019.Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/31/texas-maternal-health-care/Experts talk to The Texas Tribune about the challenges of providing maternal health care in rural parts of the state and how they can be addressed.By Stephen SimpsonTue, 01 Apr 2025 13:07:55 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/31/texas-maternal-health-care/https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/27/texas-paxton-medicaid-superior-healthplan-spying-investigation/Superior HealthPlan’s CEO, whom lawmakers grilled about the company’s alleged hiring of private investigators, was reportedly fired after the inquiry was announced.By Stephen SimpsonThu, 27 Mar 2025 16:44:02 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/27/texas-paxton-medicaid-superior-healthplan-spying-investigation/Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton at a rally at the Tarrant County Republican Party Headquarters in Fort Worth on Jan. 6, 2025.Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton addresses the crowd during a rally at the Tarrant County Republican Party Headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025.Emil T. Lippe for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/21/texas-measles-vaccine-new-mexico-oklahoma-us/Public health experts say Texas needs better messaging on vaccinations and quarantining and more people conducting contact tracing to contain the spread.By Stephen SimpsonFri, 21 Mar 2025 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/21/texas-measles-vaccine-new-mexico-oklahoma-us/https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/20/texas-greg-abbott-trump-education-department/Gov. Greg Abbott dismissed concerns that federal funding and civil rights could be jeopardized by the reduction of the department.By Matthew Choi and Stephen SimpsonThu, 20 Mar 2025 16:56:08 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/20/texas-greg-abbott-trump-education-department/https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/18/texas-covid-pandemic-readiness/Five years after Texas’ first COVID death, the state spends less on public health, vaccination rates have dropped and a distrust of authority has taken hold.By Terri Langford, Jayme Lozano Carver, Pooja Salhotra, Eleanor Klibanoff and Stephen Simpson, Graphics by Dan Keemahill and Yuriko SchumacherTue, 18 Mar 2025 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/18/texas-covid-pandemic-readiness/Illustration by Diana Branzan for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/14/texas-next-public-health-crisis/Public health advocates said the state needs to analyze what happened during the pandemic to better tackle inevitable emergencies.By Stephen SimpsonFri, 14 Mar 2025 12:54:36 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/14/texas-next-public-health-crisis/https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/07/texas-recovery-homes-accreditation/A new law was meant to uphold standards at homes where substance abusers are trying to rebuild their lives. But compliance is proving difficult.By Stephen SimpsonFri, 07 Mar 2025 05:00:00 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/07/texas-recovery-homes-accreditation/House of Extra Measures residents during a meeting at a recovery home in Houston on March 2, 2025.House of Extra Measures residents during a meeting at a home in Houston, Texas, on March 2, 2025.Danielle Villasana for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/06/texas-dementia-research-institute/The legislation would require voters to approve the $3 billion start-up cost, and then the fund would be maintained at no more than $300 million annually.By Stephen SimpsonThu, 06 Mar 2025 14:30:24 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/06/texas-dementia-research-institute/State senators discuss a piece of legislation with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on the Senate floor on June 28, 2023.State Senators discuss a Point of Order on an amendment to the SJR 1 property tax bill to include a bonus for Texas teachers, with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on the Senate floor during the first day of the second special session at the state Capitol in Austin on June 28, 2023.Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/19/texas-mental-health-therapist-dei-licensing/Officials say the motive for the change to the rule requiring mental health providers to receive cultural diversity or competency training for license renewals has been misunderstood.By Stephen SimpsonWed, 19 Feb 2025 17:46:35 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/19/texas-mental-health-therapist-dei-licensing/Psychotherapist Monrovia Van Hoose's office on Friday, Mar. 11, 2022.Psychotherapist Monrovia Van Hoose's office on Friday, Mar. 11, 2022.Lauren Witte/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/18/texas-measles-outbreak-climbs/Two more counties, Potter and Parmer, have reported a measles case. The outbreak has cost state taxpayers $4.5 million to pay for immunization, testing and a public awareness campaign.By Terri Langford, Stephen Simpson, Eleanor Klibanoff and Pooja SalhotraTue, 18 Feb 2025 19:30:14 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/18/texas-measles-outbreak-climbs/Covenant Children's Hospital located in Lubbock on Feb. 26, 2025. The hospital has been treating patients who have fallen ill with measles.Covenant Childrens hospital located in Lubbock on Feb. 26, 2025. Covenant has addd a patient screening check before entering the children's emergency entrance.Trace Thomas for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/07/texas-medicaid-mental-health-yes-waiver/Despite a long waitlist, the number of children served in the YES Waiver program has declined because of provider shortages.By Stephen SimpsonFri, 07 Feb 2025 05:00:00 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/07/texas-medicaid-mental-health-yes-waiver/Quin Heston and his mother Nidia Chairez Heston, who were recipients of the YES Waiver, stand outside their home in Austin on Jan. 27, 2025.YES Waiver Participant Quin Heston and his mother, Nidia Chairez Heston, stand outside their home in Austin on Jan. 27, 2025.Julia Zeddies for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/30/texas-measles-vaccinations-schools/Two of the four cases are in Lubbock, which hasn’t seen a case in more than 20 years. Meanwhile, measles vaccination rates in Texas have fallen over the last four years.By Stephen Simpson, Dan Keemahill and Jayme Lozano CarverThu, 30 Jan 2025 14:25:46 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/30/texas-measles-vaccinations-schools/https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/27/texas-youth-mental-health-needs-social-media/Social media’s danger on youth mental health has captured the attention of Texas lawmakers, at times, eclipsing focus on bigger threats — provider shortages and funding cuts to programs.By Stephen SimpsonMon, 27 Jan 2025 05:00:00 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/27/texas-youth-mental-health-needs-social-media/https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/16/texas-health-license-compact-proposal/Advocates say interstate compacts, which allow professionals to use their work licenses in multiple states, can solve Texas’ workforce shortage. Skeptics fear Texas would send more workers than it would receive.By Stephen SimpsonThu, 16 Jan 2025 05:00:00 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/16/texas-health-license-compact-proposal/The New Opportunities for Wellness (NOW) Clinic, where this photo of resources was taken, provides San Antonio with quick and reliable behavioral health services.Scenes from UT Health San Antonio’s NOW Clinic on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, at the NOW Clinic in San Antonio, Tx. The New Opportunities for Wellness (NOW) Clinic provides San Antonio with quick and reliable behavioral health services from professionals.Olivia Anderson/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/06/texas-988-suicide-hotline-funding-deficit/The state’s 988 suicide had the nation’s fifth highest rate of abandoned calls in August, the latest data available, amid a multi-million funding deficit that could worsen as federal dollars expire this year.By Stephen SimpsonMon, 06 Jan 2025 05:00:00 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/06/texas-988-suicide-hotline-funding-deficit/A sign for 988, the national suicide and crisis hotline number, is posted at a North Austin parking lot on Jan. 3, 2025.A sign for the national suicide and crisis hotline number, 988, is posted at a North Austin parking lot, on Friday, Jan. 3, 2025.Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune