ABBOTT

Former President Donald Trump is still slated to speak, although Texas Gov. Greg Abbott will now send a pre-recorded messsage and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick will not attend.

President Biden is delivering the commencement speech for the 2022 graduating class.

Governor Greg Abbott will no longer make an in-person appearance at the NRA convention in Houston Friday due to him being scheduled to hold a news conference in Uvalde.

In continuing this conversation, we hear from those who have had their lives universally changed by this event and others like it. In sharing their stories, we learn how grief can be turned into action.

FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf said it will take about two months for shelves to be full with formula again.

A spokesperson for Abbott said he had previously committed to the event but all...

Commissioner Robert Califf admitted the agency's reaction was "too slow," while a formula maker exec apologized to parents.

It's perhaps the one proposal that seems to have real bipartisan prospects. But Republicans' uneasy handling of it shows how dim those prospects are.

FDA Commissioner Robert Califf will answer questions from House lawmakers about what's caused the formula shortage.

The House Oversight and Investigations subcommittee hearing will begin at 11 a.m.

Robert M. Califf is expected to be aggressively questioned over shortage that has left some children hospitalized for lack of food.

Frank Yiannas, the FDA’s deputy commissioner for food policy and response, didn’t learn about a whistleblower complaint alleging safety issues at a baby formula plant until four months later, according to Yiannas and and others knowledgeable about the case.

The head of the Food and Drug Administration faced a congressional grilling over a months-long delay in inspecting the plant at the center of a nationwide baby formula shortage.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A massive recall is getting most of the blame for the U.S.[San Marcos, TX] [Hays County news] News San Marcos News, San Marcos Record [Texas State]

The woman has maple syrup urine disease, which requires her to consume formula to prevent her brain from swelling.

A massive recall is getting most of the blame for the U.S. baby formula shortage, but experts say the products have long been vulnerable to this type of crisis.

"We're sorry to every family we've let down," wrote CEO Robert Ford. The shuttered plant at the heart of the shortage will reopen in June, but it may take months before production is back to normal.

Lawyers representing families under investigation said they heard from the agency Thursday about continuing the investigations that had previously been halted by a statewide injunction.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The head of the Food and Drug Administration told lawmakers Thursday that a shuttered baby formula factory could be up and running as soon as next week, though he sidestepped questio[San Marcos, TX] [Hays County news] News San Marcos News, San Marcos Record [Texas State]

The Abbott Nutrition formula plant in Michigan will re-open, pending safety upgrades and certifications.

The Abbott manufacturing facility in Sturgis, Michigan, on May 13, 2022. President Joe Biden on Wednesday invoked the Defense Production Act to increase baby formula manufacturing to ease a nationwide shortage caused by the closure of a key plant in Michigan. Biden is requiring suppliers of ingredients used in baby formula to direct those goods to key manufacturers before any other customers. The president has also directed the Health and Human Services Department and Department of Agriculture to use aircraft from the Defense Department to pick up infant formula from overseas that meets U.S. health and safety standards. Please check back for updates.

The House is expected to take up the emergency spending measure later this week.

Many questions remain about the shuttered Abbott baby formula plant at the center of a nationwide shortage.

The funding bill follows an agreement between the FDA and Abbott on the steps the formula manufacturer must take to reopen its Michigan plant.

Abbott, one of the largest formula-makers in the U.S., has reached an agreement with the government to bring a closed factory back on line. And the FDA is easing some restrictions on imported formula.

Abbott came under scrutiny after the FDA began investigating four bacterial infections among infants who consumed the plant's powdered formula.

The plant could reopen within two weeks once the consent decree is approved. Product would be on the shelves in six to eight weeks after.

President Joe Biden's administration has announced new steps to ease the national shortage of baby formula, including allowing more imports from overseas.

America’s current crisis has been in the works for decades.

The state’s poorest mothers are paying hundreds of dollars out of pocket when they find baby formula because they say they can’t risk waiting for the exact brand and size container covered by Texas’ Women, Infant and Children program.

States have been asked to increase accessibility of baby formula for recipients of the low-income program. And the Food and Drug Administration is looking at ways to make it easier to import formula.

Co-hosts Brandon Rottinghaus and Jeronimo Cortina delve into the latest news in national and local politics.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden stepped up his administration's response to a nationwide baby formula shortage Thursday that has forced frenzied parents into online groups to swap and sell to ea[San Marcos, TX] [Hays County news] News San Marcos News, San Marcos Record [Texas State]

The president isn't invoking the Defense Production Act, at least for now.

Bacteria, a virus, a trade policy—and a lesson

WASHINGTON (AP) — Parents across the U.S.[San Marcos, TX] [Hays County news] News San Marcos News, San Marcos Record [Texas State]

Pediatricians and health workers are urging parents who can’t find formula to contact...

Parents across the U.S. are scrambling to find baby formula because of supply disruptions and a massive safety recall by manufacturer Abbott.

The president plans to address inflation, one of his biggest liabilities, during remarks from the Oval Office. Meanwhile, Nebraska and West Virginia are holding primary elections.

Co-hosts Brandon Rottinghaus and Jeronimo Cortina delve into the latest news in national and local politics.

The Houston Matters panel of non-experts weighs in on stories from the week’s news and decides if they’re good, bad, or ugly.

Jen Psaki on Wednesday said it is “nice” of the state of Texas to bus illegal immigrants from the border to Washington, D.C., hours after the first bus out of Texas arrived.

The transport is part of Abbott’s plan to expand Operation Lone Star and came in response to the Biden Administration’s decision to end Title 42 – a pandemic-era rule that rapidly expels migrants from the U.S.

The traffic stop seemed legitimate at first, but the woman quickly grew suspicious.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner joins Texas Governor Abbott and officials from other states to proclaim April 23 – 29 as “Disability Book Week,” which will highlight authors worldwide with disabilities. It also includes books that have a leading character with a disability shown in a positive way.

Co-hosts Brandon Rottinghaus and Jeronimo Cortina delve into the latest news in national and local politics.

"This sheds a little more light on what went wrong, but we still don't have all the answers," said one public health advocate.

Gov. Greg Abbott held a roundtable discussion on Texas’ thriving business climate on Thursday in Houston.

Maj. Gen. Thomas M. Suelzer will take over as the military department’s new leader. He replaces Maj. Gen. Tracy Norris, who was criticized for her handling of Operation Lone Star, as adjutant general of the Texas Military Department.

Ever since Gov. Greg Abbott directed the state’s child welfare agency to investigate parents who provide gender-affirming care to their children, LGBTQ-affirming family lawyers statewide have been deluged with calls.

Here’s what to know about “safety folders,” and how they relate to the latest directive in Texas to investigate gender-affirming care for trans youths as “child abuse.”

Biden said Abbott's actions “callously threaten to harm children and their families just to score political points.”

The plant that made all four brands of recalled formula has a history of FDA-documented safety problems.

Parents are encouraged to check their formula.

Texas' S.B.1 is a newly implemented sweeping election integrity law passed by the Republican-majority state legislature and signed by Gov. Abbott.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, has directed state agencies to investigate the application of certain gender-affirming treatments as "child abuse."

Officials say bacterial contamination has been detected in certain lots of Similac, Alimentum and EleCare.

U.S. health officials warned parents on Thursday not to use three popular powdered infant...

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it's investigating certain powdered baby formula following reports of children contracting serious infections.

The powder formulas were distributed across the country, and possibly exported to other countries, the FDA said.

The powder formulas were distributed across the country, and possibly exported to other countries, the FDA said.

Television

Co-hosts Brandon Rottinghaus and Jeronimo Cortina delve into the latest news in national and local politics.

As a strong artic cold front moves across Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott held a press conference Thursday, providing an update on the severe winter weather.

Texas faces a new winter storm a year after a deadly freeze left millions without power. Here’s the latest.

Starting Tuesday, “outside dogs” in Houston will hopefully be a little healthier and happier, thanks to a new law that will protect them.

It’s unclear whether the local mandate, which requires businesses to post signs outlining their safety guidelines, is in conflict with Gov. Greg Abbott’s previous pandemic orders.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Attorney Christian Menefee spoke out on Thursday at a news conference after the State Court of Appeals announced they upheld the county’s ability to impose mask mandates.

Holiday season could strain COVID-19 home test supplies as more Americans try to screen themselves before Thanksgiving and other family gatherings.

Before ending the special session Tuesday, Texas lawmakers reached a deal to allocate roughly $3.3 billion to higher education institutions for capital projects. The price tag went up from the Senate's original proposal.

The borders were closed to nonessential travel in March 2020, which hurt businesses in Texas border cities that rely on Mexican shoppers.

Abbott has faced pressure from his right to prioritize property tax relief. One of his challengers in the Republican primary has slammed him for not including it earlier in the agenda, and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick called it his top priority this session.

On top of redistricting, Abbott wants lawmakers to take up bills on restrictions for transgender student athletes and the allocation of billions of dollars in federal COVID-19 relief funds.

After two months, the donations had petered out around $1 million. But the effort saw a major boost in August.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has extended the border disaster declaration for 43 counties in South Texas.

The bill would nearly triple border security funding from the last biennium. The legislation needs one more vote of approval from the House before moving to the Senate.

Fort Bend Independent School District announced Saturday that its mask mandate for students and staff has been lifted.

Biden said he will use the U.S. Department of Education’s civil rights enforcement authority to deter states from blocking mask mandates in classrooms.

The barrier in Eagle Pass is the first glimpse into how much a state-funded border wall could cost. But Abbott’s office says it’s a “concrete barrier” that is separate from his border wall push.

Reynolds is among the Texas House Democrats who fled to Washington, D.C., last month to block a state voting restrictions bill.

Monica Abbott's 13-strikeout night helped the Americans walk-off in the bottom of the eighth to move to 4-0 and move closer to the gold-medal game.

Veteran pitcher Cat Osterman brought her A-game again as the United States moved to 3-0 in pool play with a 2-0 defeat of Mexico on Saturday.

The United States notched an opening-round victory against Canada behind a clutch pitching performance by Monica Abbott.

Not many days after Lisa Torry Smith died in 2017, after family members learned it was not a crime in Texas to drive into someone in a crosswalk, they decided the law needed to change.

Houston Newsmakers: Harris County Democrats elect new party chair

The governor said Texas needs to build a border wall to reduce migrant apprehensions and fentanyl seizures. But immigration and drug treatment experts say Abbott's oversimplifying the issue.

Houston Newsmakers: Texas Dems stymie GOP voting bill…for now

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott will hold a press conference on Thursday in Fort Worth to provide an update on the state's efforts to secure the border.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott told the U.S. Department of Labor on Monday that Texas will opt out of further federal unemployment compensation related to the COVID-19 pandemic, effective June 26, 2021.

(Harris County planned to send out applications to request a mail-in ballot, not the actual ballots.) Harris County officials quickly fired back at Republicans’ proposals in their own press conference. Ad“These kinds of attempts to confuse, to intimidate, to suppress are a continuation of policies we’ve seen in this state since Reconstruction,” Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said. In a previous interview, Harris County’s election administrator Isabel Longoria said she hoped those initiatives would become permanent for future elections. Election officials and even former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr also said there was no evidence to back Republican claims.

HOUSTON – Masks will no longer be mandatory at Texas businesses starting Wednesday, March 10, per Gov. “Tomorrow I am not going to be enforcing the mask mandate because I think it’s up to the individual,” Contello said. AdShe added that customers can still choose to wear a mask if it would make them more comfortable while shopping. “If you want to stay home, stay home and be safe,” she added. Let’s get our life back on track.”Joseph said he hopes people who may not agree with his stance, not take it out on his restaurant’s employees.

FILE - Dr. Joseph Varon hugs and comforts a patient in the COVID-19 intensive care unit (ICU) during Thanksgiving at the United Memorial Medical Center on November 26, 2020 in Houston, Texas. HOUSTON – The city of Houston reached a grim milestone of the weekend. Officials said the death toll for COVID-19 has crossed 2,000 people, only a few days after the one-year anniversary of the first Houston-area COVID-19 case. In addition, he reported nearly 500 new COVID-19 cases and 11 deaths on Sunday. Turner did thank business owners and customers that have continued to wear masks, social distance and practice other COVID-19 safety precautions.

All rights reserved)President Joe Biden arrives at Kalamazoo Battle Creek International Airport to visit a Pfizer manufacturing site, Friday, Feb. 19, 2021, in Portage, Mich. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)President Joe Biden declared a major disaster in Texas after extreme winter weather caused power outages and water disruptions for millions in the state. Abbott requested the Major Disaster Declaration on Thursday, requesting individual assistance and public assistance in each of the state’s 254 counties. Abbot requested the Major Disaster Declaration in order to provide individual assistance, public assistance, and hazard mitigation for individuals and communities impacted by the severe winter weather. The Biden administration approved the request for individual assistance in 77 counties and for public assistance in all 254 counties. “I thank President Biden for his assistance as we respond to impacts of winter weather across our state,” said Abbott in statement.

Investigating the Texas power gridThe forecast was for record breaking cold for Texas, including Houston. KPRC Investigates reporter Robert Arnold takes a deep dive into what went wrong and is a guest on this week’s Houston Newsmakers with Khambrel Marshall. After his second impeachment acquittal, former president Trump may have a renewed ability to play a pivotal role in the future of the Republican Party but to what end? “He has the ability to make life very difficult for the Republican party, particularly in seats that are competitive seats where they want some moderate or centrist moderate candidates,” Jones said. “I think that he’s going to be the butt of national jokes for a while,” Professor Rottinghaus said.

Greg Abbott on Tuesday declared the reform of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas an emergency item for the upcoming 2021 legislative session. “The Electric Reliability Council of Texas has been anything but reliable over the past 48 hours,” Abbott said in a statement Tuesday. “Far too many Texans are without power and heat for their homes as our state faces freezing temperatures and severe winter weather. I've asked the House State Affairs and Energy Resources Committees to convene a joint hearing on Feb. 25 about the factors that led to sustained power outages across Texas. Governor Dan Patrick also expressed his concerns over ERCOT’s handling of the power outages, announcing that the Senate Business & Commerce committee would move forward with hearings to assess the ERCOT’s operations.

Health care worker Mary Carreon administers a COVID-19 vaccine to an elderly patient in Laredo on Feb. 1. During an emergency city council meeting last week, Laredo officials passed a motion to request that the federal government send National Guard troops to help distribute vaccines. Treviño, the Laredo health authority, has repeatedly argued against stricter measures because of the economic damage they can cause. Martinez, the city council member, said many residents live paycheck-to-paycheck and don’t have savings to help them survive a city lockdown. “The little carnita asadas, the barbecues — as a result, we have high numbers of infections, and so one begets the other.”Richard Chamberlain, the city’s health director, said the best way out of the city’s COVID-19 crisis is through vaccinations.

HHSC received federal approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to extend the maximum, allowable amount of SNAP benefits to recipients based on family size. The emergency March allotments are in addition to the more than $2.5 billion in benefits previously provided to Texans since April 2020. AdAdministered by HHSC, SNAP is a federal program that provides food assistance to approximately 1.6 million eligible low-income families and individuals in Texas. Texans in need can apply for benefits, including SNAP and Medicaid, at YourTexasBenefits.com or use the Your Texas Benefits mobile app to manage their benefits. “Providing emergency SNAP benefits is critical to our state’s ongoing COVID-19 response because it ensures that Texas families can continue to put healthy meals on the table,” said Governor Abbott.

Nearly a quarter-million doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine arrived at hospitals and health care facilities around Texas this week. Questions remain about who will be first in line for the vaccine once healthcare workers and long-term care residents have had their chance to be inoculated. Decisions on how vaccines are allocated are made by a state panel of advisers — composed of lawmakers, local and state health officials, and medical experts and researchers — and finalized by Hellerstedt. Texas is participating in the Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program, a federal program to vaccinate residents and staff of long-term care facilities. Vaccine doses will be distributed free to those facilities, which are set to receive them starting on Monday, Abbott’s office said last week.