The Texas Tribune: Terri Langfordhttps://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/terri-langford/The latest news by Terri Langford.enFri, 27 Jun 2025 17:22:43 -0500“It will affect all families”: Challenges await Texas parents if birthright citizenship endshttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/27/texas-parents-challenges-citizenship-donald-trump/The U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for President Donald Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship to take effect in certain states in 30 days.By Uriel J. García, Berenice Garcia, Carlos Nogueras Ramos and Terri LangfordFri, 27 Jun 2025 17:22:43 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/27/texas-parents-challenges-citizenship-donald-trump/Gov. Greg Abbott vetoes funding for federal summer lunch program for low-income childrenhttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/23/texas-summer-lunch-ebt-greg-abbott-veto/Abbott cited uncertainty over federal funding of the program as his reason for rejecting the state’s participation.By Terri LangfordMon, 23 Jun 2025 13:05:07 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/23/texas-summer-lunch-ebt-greg-abbott-veto/Students eat lunch in the cafeteria at Chapa Middle School in Kyle on Aug. 24, 2021.Students eat lunch in the cafeteria at Chapa Middle School in Kyle on Aug. 24, 2021.Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas TribuneMeals On Wheels waiting lists grow as Texas braces for federal funding cutshttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/20/texas-seniors-meals-on-wheels-funding/State chapters of the nonprofit group that provide meals to seniors are waiting to hear from Washington how much of a hit their battered budgets will take.By Terri LangfordFri, 20 Jun 2025 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/20/texas-seniors-meals-on-wheels-funding/Henry Van de Putte, CEO of Meals on Wheels Central Texas, preps to-go meals for a Meals on Wheels food drop-off in Austin on Wednesday. Van de Putte has been leading the nonprofit organization since 2022.Henry Van de Putte, CEO of Meals on Wheels Central Austin preps to go meals for a Meals on Wheels food drop off in Austin on Wednesday June 18, 2025.Ronaldo Bolaños/The Texas TribuneTexas clarified when abortions are OK and aligned with RFK Jr. on health this legislative sessionhttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/13/texas-legislature-health-bills-abortion-vaccines/Amid a quiet legislative session for health, lawmakers’ priority legislation reinforced the U.S. health secretary’s agenda.By Terri Langford, Stephen Simpson and Eleanor KlibanoffFri, 13 Jun 2025 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/13/texas-legislature-health-bills-abortion-vaccines/Texas public health departments brace for another $119 million in federal cutshttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/12/texas-dshs-public-health-funding-cuts/Three months ago, Texas lost $700 million in unspent federal pandemic-era funding.By Terri LangfordThu, 12 Jun 2025 15:48:49 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/12/texas-dshs-public-health-funding-cuts/Texas Department of State Health Services Laboratory staff members test mosquitoes for the West Nile virus, among other diseases, on May 1, 2025.Mosquitoes are studied and tested for West Nile Virus, among other diseases, at the Texas Department of State Health Services Labortory, on May 1, 2025.Ilana Panich-Linsman for The Texas TribuneTexas foster care agency chief to step down this summerhttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/09/texas-family-protective-services-commissioner-stephanie-muth/Two years after Stephanie Muth became Department of Family and Protective Services commissioner, staff turnover is down and the number of children without a placement has dropped.By Terri LangfordMon, 09 Jun 2025 21:19:49 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/09/texas-family-protective-services-commissioner-stephanie-muth/Stephanie Muth, Department of Family and Protective Services commissioner, listens to agency updates during a DFPS Council Meeting in Austin in 2023.DFPS Commissioner Stephanie Muth listens to agency updates during a DFPS Council Meeting in Austin on March 10, 2023.Eddie Gaspar/The Texas TribuneTexas will begin a summer lunch program in 2027, but only if feds don’t raise costshttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/06/texas-summer-lunch-school-ebt/The program would give low income families an extra $120 per child for summer lunches, but federal debate about food benefits could endanger the program.By Terri LangfordFri, 06 Jun 2025 10:35:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/06/texas-summer-lunch-school-ebt/Bonham Middle School employees watch as students begin to gather for lunch in the school’s cafeteria on Sept. 13, 2023 in Odessa.Bonham Middle School employees watch as students begin to gather for lunch in the school’s cafeteria Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023 in Odessa.Eli Hartman/The Texas TribuneSodas, candy to be banned from Texas food stamp purchaseshttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/04/texas-lone-star-card-snap-food-stamps-sugar-sodas/Buoyed by the Trump administration's willingness to place restrictions on food assistance programs, Texas moves to limit junk food.By Terri LangfordWed, 04 Jun 2025 10:31:10 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/04/texas-lone-star-card-snap-food-stamps-sugar-sodas/Local convenience store and meat market El Torito serves residents living along U.S. Highway 281 in San Benito, pictured on June 29, 2018. .Local convenience store and meat market El Torito serves residents living along U.S. Highway 281 in San Benito, on June 29, 2018.Reynaldo Leal for The Texas TribuneHow RFK Jr., Democrats and Republicans found common ground over food labels in Texashttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/02/texas-maha-food-labels-vaccines-robert-kennedy/Texas is poised to lead the country in an initiative to inform denizens of what’s in their food. Food industry experts say it’s going too far.By Terri Langford and Jess HuffMon, 02 Jun 2025 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/02/texas-maha-food-labels-vaccines-robert-kennedy/A woman pushes her shopping cart down an aisle at a Brookshire Brothers grocery store in Buffalo, Texas, on June 29, 2023.A woman pushes her shopping cart down an aisle at a Brookshire Brothers grocery store in Buffalo, Texas, on June 29, 2023. According to clients of The Lord’s Pantry of Leon County, Brookshire Brothers is the only grocery store in the county which they describe as a food desert.Joe Timmerman/The Texas TribuneTexas Legislature approves making vaccine exemption process easierhttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/25/texas-vaccine-form-download/Instead of waiting for the state to send them one, parents would be able to print out vaccine exemption forms at home if they want to skip school-required shots. Critics believe the bill would increase infections.By Terri LangfordSun, 25 May 2025 20:39:20 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/25/texas-vaccine-form-download/A lab employee works in the Tropical Medicine Lab at the Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development on Oct. 5, 2021 in Houston.A lab employee works on tissue cultures for research in the Tropical Medicine Lab in the Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development on Oct. 5, 2021, in Houston.Justin Rex for The Texas TribuneMore Texas children are getting vaccinated early against measleshttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/22/texas-measles-babies-vaccine/Fear of babies contracting the contagious and potentially deadly virus has spurred the surge in vaccinations amid Texas’ historic measles outbreak.By Terri LangfordThu, 22 May 2025 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/22/texas-measles-babies-vaccine/Bill requiring Texas hospitals to report the citizenship status of patients killed in Househttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/13/texas-hospitals-undocumented-immigrants-patients/It is unclear whether the House bill could come back as an amendment to another measure before the legislative session ends June 2.By Terri LangfordTue, 13 May 2025 19:25:29 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/13/texas-hospitals-undocumented-immigrants-patients/An Austin-Travis County EMS vehicle parked near a hospital's emergency entrance in Austin on July 7, 2020.An Austin-Travis County EMS unit parked near a hospital's emergency entrance in Austin on July 7, 2020.Allie Goulding/The Texas TribuneBill that would make vaccine exemptions easier to obtain clears Texas Househttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/01/texas-vaccine-exemption-form/The bill would allow a vaccine exemption form to be downloadable. Currently, a form must be requested from the state and mailed to the recipient.By Terri LangfordThu, 01 May 2025 20:58:19 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/01/texas-vaccine-exemption-form/A nurse administers a dose of the Pfizer COVID vaccine at a clinic organized by the Travis County Mobile Vaccine Collaborative at Rodriguez Elementary School on July 28, 2021.A nurse administers a dose of the Pfizer COVID vaccine at a clinic organized by the Travis County Mobile Vaccine Collaborative at Rodriguez Elementary School on July 28, 2021.Sophie Park/The Texas TribuneWeary from COVID deaths, Hispanic Texans embraced vaccines. It saved their lives.https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/01/texas-hispanics-covid-19-deaths/In the deadly summer of 2020, Hispanics in Texas were half of all COVID-19 deaths, spurring many to vaccinate. Today, in a startling flip, Hispanics make up less than a quarter of deaths from the disease.By Dan Keemahill, Terri Langford and Yuriko SchumacherThu, 01 May 2025 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/01/texas-hispanics-covid-19-deaths/Delia Ramos and her children hold photos of husband and father Ricardo in Brownsville on March 7, 2021. Ricardo died from COVID-19 in July 2020.Delia Ramos, center, holds a photo of her and her husband Ricardo with her daughter, right, and son tk. Ricardo died in July 2020. Brownsville on March 7, 2021.Eddie Gaspar for The Texas TribuneFired state employees breached the personal data of 33,529 more Texanshttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/30/texas-hhsc-data-breach-snap-medicaid/So far, nine Texas Health and Human Services Commission employees have been fired for improperly accessing Texans’ data.By Terri LangfordWed, 30 Apr 2025 17:26:01 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/30/texas-hhsc-data-breach-snap-medicaid/A Texas Health and Human Services client application on April 24, 2018.A Texas Health and Human Services client application on April 24, 2018.Pu Ying Huang for The Texas TribuneIn visit to Texas, RFK Jr. said autism, diabetes deserve more attention than measleshttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/29/texas-measles-robert-kennedy-autism/During a visit to College Station, the U.S. health secretary said Europe has a worse track record with the virus, which gets too much media attention.By Terri LangfordTue, 29 Apr 2025 17:21:33 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/29/texas-measles-robert-kennedy-autism/U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins looks on as U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks at a press conference during a visit to the Texas A&M AgriLife Phenotyping Greenhouse in College Station on Tuesday, April 29, 2025.U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brook Rollins looks on as Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks at a press conference during a visit to the Texas A&M AgriLife Phenotyping Greenhouse in College Station on Tuesday, April 29, 2025.Ishika Samant for The Texas TribuneTexas will ask voters to approve $3 billion to study dementiahttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/28/texas-dementia-research-funding/State lawmakers have been pushing the dementia fund for years, modeling it after a state fund for cancer research.By Eleanor Klibanoff and Terri LangfordMon, 28 Apr 2025 13:11:35 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/28/texas-dementia-research-funding/Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick at a press conference at the Capitol in Austin on April 23, 2025.Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick at a press conference at the Capitol in Austin on April 23, 2025.Kaylee Greenlee for The Texas TribuneBill to create dementia research institute approved in House, but could face $3 billion funding hurdlehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/23/texas-legislature-dementia-brain-research-fund-house/Some Republicans have bristled at the hefty cost of the bill, and Democrats could reject the funding for it over the school voucher dispute.By Terri LangfordWed, 23 Apr 2025 17:02:23 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/23/texas-legislature-dementia-brain-research-fund-house/The facilities of El Faro Health and Therapeutics come with an infusion room to treat patients with Alzheimer’s disease in Rio Grande City, pictured here on Nov. 13, 2021.The facilities of El Faro Health and Therapeutics clinical research facility count with an infusion room to treat patients with Alzheimer’s disease in Rio Grande City on November 13, 2021.Brenda Bazán for The Texas Tribune.Texas measles cases remain steady at 750. Track the spread here.https://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/22/texas-measles-outbreak-update/An outbreak is considered over if there are no new cases reported in 42 consecutive days.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 TribuneEarly Texas hospital data shows millions spent in care for non-U.S. citizenshttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/21/texas-hospitals-undocumented-patients/A state employee testified Monday that tens of thousands of people in the U.S. unlawfully were treated, but it was unclear how long the data had been collected.By Terri LangfordMon, 21 Apr 2025 22:01:38 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/21/texas-hospitals-undocumented-patients/Last summer, Gov. Greg Abbott ordered Texas hospitals to begin asking all patients to disclose whether they were “lawfully in the United States.”An Austin-Travis County EMS vehicle parked outside of an emergency room in Austin on July 7, 2020.Allie Goulding/The Texas Tribune