FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

The value of a household’s vehicles disqualified nearly 55,000 people seeking federal food assistance in 2022. House Bill 1287 increases the threshold of car values that lead to SNAP applicants being denied aid.

Gov. Greg Abbott, who requested a federal disaster declaration for 23 counties, called it a critical first step in the recovery.

The ruling from U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Amarillo could potentially upend access to medication abortion nationwide.

President Joe Biden is taking new steps to address racial inequality throughout the federal government.

The judge warned the state could be held in contempt of court for not following through with three mandates: youths not knowing their rights, not adequately responding to abuse allegations and still having too many children without placement.

A federal judge in North Texas has struck down the loan forgiveness program President Joe Biden unveiled in August, citing a failure to provide borrowers with an opportunity for public comment.

Federal monitors will be on the ground in Harris, Dallas and Waller counties on Election Day as part of the department’s regular deployment for major elections.

The Biden administration is also creating a pathway to allow “qualified” Venezuelans into the country. Venezuelans have been fleeing their home country in record numbers, and the number crossing the U.S.-Mexico border has surged.

Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin accepted the Naming Commission’s change and announced it would take place by Jan. 1, 2024.

His campaign promise to end fossil fuel development on public lands was thwarted by U.S. courts, high gas prices and Russia’s domination of Western European energy.

Texas has been using coronavirus relief money to help pay for the multibillion-dollar deployment.

Hospitals and other health care providers in Texas, which has the lowest rate of insurance coverage in the nation, have gotten some $1.8 billion in federal help for uninsured COVID-19 patients.

Scientists say a study that estimated far more golden-cheeked warblers in Texas than previously thought has been attacked and taken out of context as the state and federal government battle over the bird’s endangered status.

Housing advocates worry some Texans won’t get the help they need as the state enters the cold winter months.

The federal government will now send a first shipment of more than a million doses destined for children in that age group to providers in nearly half of the state's counties.

While some universities in other states that hold federal contracts have mandated vaccines for all employees, many Texas universities, which collectively have billions in federal contracts, are still reviewing the executive order before it goes into effect Dec. 8.

The department says it’s looking into whether the Texas Juvenile Justice Department provides “reasonable protection from physical and sexual abuse by staff and other residents, excessive use of chemical restraints and excessive use of isolation.”

Plaintiffs say the governor’s order denies children with disabilities, who are at a high risk of illness and death from the coronavirus, access to public education.

Cientos de miles de tejanos han presentado una solicitud de desempleo desde que la pandemia llegó a Texas en marzo de 2020. En esta entrevista la Comisión de la Fuerza Laboral de Texas respondió las preguntas más frecuentes.

The Biden administration also issued memorandums detailing two federal statutes officials says they would enforce to provide protection for patients who may need an abortion and health care providers who assist pregnant patients in certain situations.

Garland provided no details of how federal officials may challenge one of the nation’s strictest bans on abortion. His statement came days after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to block the law, at least for now.

A federal attorney claims an order from Gov. Greg Abbott violates the U.S. Constitution’s Supremacy Clause and said legal action could follow if the state carries through with plans to pull licenses from the federally contracted facilities.

Dr. Ghyasuddin Syed, who runs a pain management clinic in Baytown, is scheduled to report to prison in July after pleading guilty to “conspiracy to defraud the federal government.”

“At a time when the words “government takeover” may not be the most popular, that is exactly what’s being called for by Congresswomen Sheila Jackson Lee, (D) 18th as it relates to vaccine distribution. The Oath Keepers is just one of several far-right groups that has the FBI and Homeland Security officials concerned. His book is: Oath Keepers, Patriotism and the Edge of Violence in a Right-Wing Anti Government Group. More Information: Houston Newsmakers airs Sundays at 10:30am. U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D), 18th Congressional District· Website: https://kevinbrady.house.gov/· Twitter: @JacksonLeeTX18AdSam Jackson, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity, University at Albany· Website: https://www.albany.edu/cehc/faculty/sam-jackson· Website: https://sjacksonphd.wordpress.com

HOUSTON – The Federal Emergency Management Agency ended the Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) program, which provided an additional $300 a week to qualified unemployment recipients impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, according to a press release. FEMA previously approved TWC funding requests for the benefits weeks between Aug. 1 to Sept. 5. Recipients will continue to receive normal weekly benefit amounts for any benefit weeks for which they are eligible. The Lost Wages Assistance Program was a temporary provision established after the expiration of the $600 Federal Pandemic Assistance Program, a part of the CARES Act. For more information on eligibility requirements, available benefits and questions about the unemployment process, visit TWC’s COVID-19 FAQ page.

If Congress doesn’t extend the $600 benefit, that will leave many Texans getting anywhere from $69 to $521 per week in unemployment benefits. Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz opposes extending the weekly $600 payments. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn’s office said the Texas senator supports extending unemployment assistance but did not specify whether he supports extending the weekly $600 payments. “And that's not good.”Economists say the end of the weekly $600 payments will lead to Texans with less spending money to fuel an economic recovery. Mason fears what will happen if the weekly $600 payments end Saturday and he is still working reduced hours.

HOUSTON – Elizabeth Swift Copeland did something Wednesday she hasn’t done in over 30 years of owning a business—apply for a loan. “I just hope the government will act quickly and respond to my application for a loan,” said Swift Copeland. “We need money fast,” said Swift Copeland. “I mean for small business; timing is everything. He believes the federal government should mandate banks to delay payments to small businesses hurt by the coronavirus.

A majority of Texans believe the state is on the right track, while a plurality thinks the country is on the wrong track, according to a new University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll.