Firefighting Resources Deployed To Assist California
Office of the Texas Governor | Greg Abbott | Press Release
Governor Greg Abbott announced today that he has directed the Texas Daivision of Emergency Management (TDEM) and the Texas A&M Forest Service to deploy additional resources, including highly trained firefighters, emergency management personnel, medical teams, fire engines, and specialized firefighting equipment to assist with wildfire response efforts in California. This decision comes following an official request for aid from CAL FIRE through the California Office of Emergency Services.
The devastating wildfires in California have displaced thousands of residents, destroyed homes, and placed significant strain on local emergency response teams. By deploying resources from Texas, the state aims to provide much-needed support to help combat the flames, ensure public safety, and assist in the recovery efforts.
“Our hearts grieve with the entire Los Angeles community as they continue to respond to these destructive wildfires,” said Governor Abbott. “Texans know all too well the devastation wildfires can cause to our
communities, and our country is stronger when we come together in times of crisis.
I directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to deploy firefighters, fire engines, and firefighting equipment to help our fellow Americans battle these wildfires.
I thank all the brave firefighters and first responders who are answering the call to help Californians in need as these fires continue to burn. Cecilia and I pray for the victims who lost their lives and their families, the heroic men and women of CAL FIRE, the Los Angeles Fire Department, and the entire state of California during this difficult time.”
This deployment reflects Texas’ ongoing commitment to national emergency response and mutual aid efforts, highlighting the importance of solidarity and cooperation among states in times of natural disasters. The teams from Texas include over 135 skilled personnel, comprising firefighters, medical responders, and emergency management specialists. They will be accompanied by a fleet of more than 45 fire engines, ambulances, command vehicles, and other essential firefighting equipment.
In addition to firefighting crews, medical task force members will be on-site to provide emergency medical care to both
responders and affected residents. These personnel are trained to handle the unique challenges presented by wildfires, including respiratory issues, heat exhaustion, and injuries sustained during evacuation efforts.
This mission has been organized under the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), a congressionally ratified agreement that facilitates mutual aid between states in times of emergencies. EMAC enables states to provide assistance quickly and efficiently, ensuring that resources such as personnel, vehicles, and equipment can be shared across state lines when local resources are overwhelmed. Crucially, EMAC also ensures that participating states are reimbursed for mission-related expenses, allowing them to offer assistance without bearing undue financial burden.
The Texas response team will work closely with CAL FIRE, the Los Angeles Fire Department, and other local emergency response agencies to coordinate firefighting strategies, manage evacuations, and mitigate the spread of the wildfires. This effort underscores the value of interstate cooperation and the dedication of first responders who risk their lives daily to protect communities in peril.
As wildfires continue to pose a significant threat to communities across California, the deployment of these additional resources is expected to bolster containment efforts and bring much-needed relief to overwhelmed local agencies. The deployment from Texas not only emphasizes the state’s expertise in handling large-scale wildfires but also reflects a deep-seated commitment to supporting fellow Americans during moments of crisis.
Governor Abbott concluded his statement by expressing his gratitude to the emergency responders involved in the mission. “I am incredibly proud of our Texas firefighters and emergency responders who are stepping up to assist California during this crisis. Their bravery and dedication exemplify the very best of who we are as Texans and Americans. Together, we will overcome this challenge and help our neighbors recover.”
For more information about the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, visit emacweb.org.
STHS Heart Encouraging RGV Community To Register For Annual Heroes With Heart 5k Walk/Run
Registration is now open for the 11th annual 5K run/walk that commemorates American Heart Month.
When is a business to blame for over-serving? Texas Supreme Court weighs the line in drunk driving case
UTRGV MEN’S BASKETBALL EARNS GRITTY WIN OVER EAST TEXAS A&M
The crowd of 1,286 roared as the East Texas A&M Lions dribbled the ball up the floor, trailing by two, with 12 seconds left.
STHS Heart Encouraging RGV Community To Register For Annual Heroes With Heart 5k Walk/Run
Registration is now open for the 11th annual 5K run/walk that commemorates American Heart Month and promotes the importance of heading a heart-healthy lifestyle.
Heart disease remains the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with one person succumbing every 33 seconds to cardiovascular issues.
Contrary to widespread belief, heart disease can affect people of all ages, including younger adults. While it’s more prevalent in older adults, with congestive heart failure occurring 10 times more often in people over the age of 75 than younger adults, per the American Heart Association, heart disease is the leading cause of death for people aged 45 and older.
Alarmingly, heart disease is on the rise
among younger adults in the United States – particularly heart failure and heart attacks – due to widespread obesity numbers across the country and mounting rates of hypertension.
In 2012, the heart failure-related mortality rate of about 82 deaths per 100,000 people began to rise, reaching 106 per 100,000 by 2021, according to a study published in JAMA Cardiology.
Meantime, heart attack deaths among people between 25 and 44 increased by 29.9% over the first two years of the pandemic, according to a study by Cedars Sinai hospital.
“In addition to the increasing obesity and high blood pressure rates among people of all ages, including those in their 20s, 30s and 40s, the disruptions and delays in medical care during the COVID-19 pandemic only added fuel to the fire,” says Deborah
Meeks, Chief Nursing Officer, South Texas Health System Heart, the Valley’s only freestanding cardiac hospital and dedicated heart emergency room. “Today, we’re seeing these young adults reporting to our emergency room experiencing issues usually found in older people! Early detection of heart disease is vital so that patients can begin receiving treatment to manage the disease. It’s the best way to improve outcomes and reverse this trend.”
To help raise awareness for heart disease in the Rio Grande Valley, highlight the rise in cases in people under the age of 65 and promote the importance of early intervention and leading a heart-healthy lifestyle, South Texas Health System Heart will dedicate its annual Heroes with Heart 5K to young adults who’ve survived and thrived in their battle with the life-threatening disease.
In observance of American Heart Month, this year’s Heroes with Heart 5K Walk/Run
will take place on Saturday, February 22, on the STHS Heart campus in McAllen.
“The increased prevalence of heart disease in young adults highlights the importance of promoting heart-healthy behaviors like eating a healthy diet, being physically active and maintaining a healthy weight at a young age,” says Tom Castañeda, System Director of Marketing & Public Relations, South Texas Health System. “Education is the key to preventing and treating heart disease and improving overall cardiovascular health, so we’re inviting the entire Rio Grande Valley to not only join us in taking those crucial steps toward healthy living at our Heroes with Heart 5K but help us educate the community about the importance of being heart smart!”
Registration for the run/walk is now open, but the early bird deadline is fast approaching. Those who haven’t yet committed to improving their heart health are encouraged to sign up before Friday, January 17, to receive the benefits of early registration, including confirmation of a race t-shirt, bib and medal for a fee of $25. The last day to register for the race is Thursday, February 20, at 12:00 p.m. for a fee of $35. But signing up after the early bird deadline doesn’t guarantee you’ll receive a shirt and medal.
To help Valley children understand the importance of heart-healthy living, all proceeds from this year’s Heroes with Heart 5K will benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Mission and the Boys & Girls Club of Weslaco.
For complete race details and to register, visit sthsactive.com. For more information, contact the STHS Marketing Department at 956-388-2020 or sthsmarketing@ uhsinc.com.
Who: What: When: Where: South Texas Health System Heart Heroes with Heart 5K Run/Walk Saturday, February 22 at 7:30 a.m.
South Texas Health System Heart 1900 South D Street McAllen, TX 78503
Date: January 18, 2025
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Exploring the Olmecs at IMAS
Location: International Museum of Art & Science (IMAS)
Join us at IMAS to celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of the iconic Olmec Colossal Head! Dive into the rich history of the Olmec civilization and other Mesoamerican cultures with a day full of engaging activities and educational experiences.
Event Highlights:
• Olmec Presentations: Gain insights into the fascinating world of the Olmecs through special presentations.
• Hands-on Workshops:
° Create your own rubber ball inspired by ancient Mesoamerican ball games.
° Weave a colorful bookmark using traditional techniques.
° Mold your own miniature version of the colossal Olmec head.
• Special Talks:
° Learn from IMAS Curator, Marcelo Ramirez Garcia-Rojas, at exclusive talks scheduled for 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
Admission:
Included with general admission. Free for IMAS Members.
About the Olmec Head at IMAS:
The Olmec Colossal Head at IMAS is a reproduction of the original sculpture housed at the Museum of Anthropology in Xalapa, Veracruz. This remarkable piece was donated to the City of McAllen, Texas, by Fidel Ferrera Beltran, Governor of Veracruz, and was officially received by Mayor Richard Cortez in January 2010.
The Olmec civilization, a prominent Pre-Columbian culture, thrived along the Gulf Coast of Mexico in present-day Veracruz and Tabasco from 1400 BC to 400 BC.
956 Hoops Showcase Ticket and Bobblehead Package
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and the Rio Grande Valley Vipers are partnering to offer the 956 Hoops Showcase package, which includes tickets to a Vipers game and a UTRGV women’s basketball game in addition to bobbleheads featuring the Vaquero mascot and the Vipers’ mascot, Fang.
Each of the 500 available packages includes a ticket to the Vipers game against Mexico City on Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. at Bert Ogden Arena, a ticket to the Vaqueros game against Incarnate Word on Feb. 13 at 6:30 p.m. at the UTRGV Fieldhouse, a Vaquero bobblehead prior to the Vipers game, and a Fang bobblehead prior to the Vaqueros game. Fans must place their orders by Feb. 9 to ensure their seats and bobbleheads.
Giveaway distribution begins when doors open one hour prior to scheduled tipoff. The bobbleheads will only be available to package holders.
956 Hoops Showcase packages are available for $30 each and can be purchased online at GoUTRGV.com/956Hoops.
Fans will also be able to purchase 956 Hoops hats for $7 and shirts for $13 when purchasing the ticket package.
All UTRGV tickets will be distributed via email. Fans can pick up their physical Vipers tickets at the Bert Ogden Arena box office on game day. Packages are non-refundable and cannot be exchanged for other games.
Questions can be directed to the UTRGV Athletics ticket office at (956) 665-4205 or tickets@utrgv.edu.
They are recognized for laying the foundational elements of later Mesoamerican civilizations. To date, 17 colossal Olmec heads have been discovered. The IMAS sculpture is a replica of Colossal Head 8 from the San Lorenzo site in Veracruz. The original is crafted from basalt (volcanic rock) and is on permanent display at the Museum of
Anthropology in Xalapa.
Scholars believe these colossal heads were created to honor Olmec rulers, symbolizing power and leadership.
Celebrate this legacy and explore the wonders of the Olmec world at IMAS!
Returning student’s to culinary success
Born into a culinary family, South Texas Culinary Arts student Daniela Gonzalez Garcia said she grew up in the restaurant industry in Mexico.
Every summer, Gonzalez said she would travel with her family to Guadalajara, a cultural hub in western Mexico, where she recalls helping an aunt as she operated her catering company in the city.
Then came the questions, she remembers. As an inquiring 7-year-old at the time, Gonzalez said she peppered her family with questions such as how much to spice to add or how long to bake.
But for Gonzalez, the answer she received was always the same. Love should be the main ingredient.
“My aunt taught me to cook with love. Whatever you feel the food needs is what you put in it. Nothing more and nothing less,” Gonzalez said. “This style of cooking followed me into my adult years and has always fueled my passion to cook.”
Soon after, Gonzalez said she arrived from Mexico as a Dreamer, children who are brought to the United States without documentation, in 2003. Gonzalez said her experiences in restaurants and especially the business sector in Mexico inspired her career choice when she was a teenager in high school and then later as a college student at the former University of Texas Pan American where she received a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in 2012.
Shortly after graduating from UTPA, and already operating her own catering
Jury convicts South Texan for transporting people in the tractor’s cab
U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Texas | Press Release
Acompany, Tesoro’s Cuisine, based in Pharr, Gonzalez said she looked to STC to begin developing her culinary skills, but quit after only one semester to focus on her business.
After a 12-year hiatus, Gonzalez has returned to STC while also employed as a Food Service Director at St. Paul Lutheran Church in McAllen.
“I told my mom that I wanted to go into Culinary Arts and I promised her then that I was going to make her proud,” Gonzalez said. “The heart of it all is the fact that I loved business, and I loved the culinary world, which I have been a part of since I was a little. I have just combined them.”
Gonzalez was among the 10 students who recently received a $500 scholarship from the Santa Fe Foundation, which was created to assist those in STC’s Culinary Arts program and propel them to future careers.
Now in her first semester back, Gonzalez said she is pursuing her Associate of Applied Science Degree in Culinary Arts and hopes to further her network with those in the industry while developing her business sense with the additional skills learned through the college.
“I want to keep growing. I want to keep expanding my network as well as my catering business here and maybe one day I’ll even decide to teach,” Gonzalez said. “I love explaining and talking about my experiences to students and young culinarians. I also take care in helping them find their passion, which is important in any career choice.”
Temporary Closure Of East 12th St.
The City of Brownsville’s Department of Engineering and Public Works Traffic Branch has announced the temporary closure of East 12th Street on Friday, January 17, 2025. The closure will affect the stretch between East Elizabeth Street and East Levee Street. This temporary measure is necessary to facilitate roof improvement work at the Samano Building, ensuring safety for both
workers and the public during the project. Motorists traveling in the area are urged to follow all posted traffic signs and detours to ensure a smooth traffic flow and avoid delays.
The City of Brownsville appreciates the public’s patience and cooperation as we work to improve infrastructure in our community.
26-year-old Edinburg man has been convicted of unlawfully transporting an undocumented alien, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
The jury deliberated for an hour and a half following a less than two-day trial before finding Lisandro Vasquez-Gomez guilty.
On Aug. 29, 2024, Vasquez-Gomez drove to the Falfurrias Border Patrol checkpoint where he told authorities he was hauling an empty trailer and was heading to Houston. He denied having any passengers in his vehicle. However, a K-9 alerted to the cab of the tractor where law enforcement located five people illegally present in the United States hidden behind the driver.
At trial, the jury heard from some of those being transported who explained that
smugglers had driven them to a remote area where a tractor-trailer was waiting. They did not see the driver, but the vehicle began moving shortly after they were concealed in the sleeper berth.
The defense attempted to convince the jury that authorities failed to fully investigate the smuggling attempt and that Vasquez-Gomez was simply hauling a decoy smuggling load. They did not believe those claims and found him guilty as charged on all three counts.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos presided over the trial and set sentencing for April 8, at which time Vasquez-Gomez faces up to five years in federal prison. He was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick Overman, Ashley A. Pruitt and Liesel Roscher prosecuted the case.
Edinburg doctor and son guilty in kickback conspiracy
U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Texas | Press Release
A75-year-old Edinburg physician and his 43-year-old son both pleaded guilty to conspiring to receive kickbacks in exchange for referring prescriptions to local pharmacies, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Dr. Tajul Shams Chowdhury, a licensed physician, owned and operated a medical practice in Edinburg called Center for Pain Management. His son, Mohammad Imtiaz
Chowdhury, worked as a purported marketer for a local pharmacy.
According to court documents, prescriptions for costly compound drugs were referred from Dr. Chowdhury’s clinic in exchange for kickback payments made from the pharmacy to Mohammad Chowdhury.
In total, Mohammad Chowdhury was paid $6.6 million in kickbacks as part of the scheme.
Both men were permitted to remain on bond pending their sentencing, which is currently scheduled for March 25 before Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane. The U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General (OIG), Department of Labor – OIG, FBI, Department of Defense – Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Department of Veteran Affairs – OIG, Department of Health and Human ServicesOIG and Texas Health and Human Services - OIG conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Swartz is prosecuting the case.
Flags To Full-Staff In Honor
Governor Greg Abbott ordered all flags to be raised to full-staff at the Texas Capitol and all state buildings on January 20, 2025, in honor of Inauguration Day. Pursuant to federal statute, the U.S. flag should be displayed “especially on...Inauguration Day, January 20.”
“Texas continues to mourn with our fellow Americans across the country over the passing of former President Jimmy Carter,” said Governor Abbott. “President Carter’s steadfast leadership left a lasting legacy that will be felt for generations to come, which together as a nation we honor by dis-
playing flags at half-staff for 30 days. On January 20, our great nation will celebrate our democratic tradition of transferring power to a new President by inaugurating the 47th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump. As we unite our country and usher in this new era of leadership, I ordered all flags to be raised to full-staff at the Texas Capitol and all state buildings for the inauguration of President Trump. While we honor the service of a former President, we must also celebrate the service of an incoming President and the bright future ahead for the United States of America.”
A 49-year-old woman has been sentenced for her role in conspiring to import nearly six kilograms of cocaine from Mexico, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Carmen Julia Carreon Segovia pleaded guilty June 12, 2024.
U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal has now ordered Carreon Segovia to serve 120 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, she is expected to face removal proceedings following her imprisonment.
“Even more insidious than smuggling a dangerous and highly addictive drug into the United States is bringing along your own minor child, exposing her needlessly to a dangerous underworld,” said Hamdani. “Segovia will now have 10 years in a prison cell to contemplate the consequences of her actions, actions that affect and endangered her teenage daughter.”
On Jan. 19, 2024, Carreon Segovia drove an SUV to the Juarez-Lincoln Interna-
tional Bridge in Laredo to apply for admission into the United States. Her 16-year-old daughter was riding as passenger. Authorities inspected the vehicle and found eight bundles containing 6.30 kilograms of cocaine with an approximate street value of $90,000. Law enforcement discovered the bundles hidden in the front fender areas of the SUV.
Carreon Segovia denied any knowledge of the drugs. After her arrest, authorities revoked her non-immigrant visa. She subsequently admitted to knowing the other co-conspirators concealed drugs somewhere within the vehicle for her to attempt to smuggle them into the United States.
Carreon Segovia will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose Homero Ramirez prosecuted the case.
Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson will today open proceedings in the Texas House of Representatives for the 89th Legislative Session at noon.
“I am committed to a fair and orderly process today as we begin the 89th Legislative Session,” said Secretary Nelson.
Texas Government Code directs the Secretary of State to preside at the organization of the House of Representatives.
Traditionally, the Secretary offers brief remarks. Secretary Nelson’s remarks will focus on service to the people of Texas. Secretary Nelson will preside until a Speaker of the House is selected. Before her appointment as Secretary of State, she served in the Texas Senate for 30 years and has extensive experience presiding over official functions.
The opening of the House will be livestreamed through House Media.
U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Texas | Press Release
OPINION
BY ANDRES OPPENHEIMER
Shame on Mexico, Brazil and Colombia. They validated Venezuela’s dictatorship
Theleft-of-center leaders of Mexico, Brazil and Colombia have just made a mockery of their claims to support democracy. Ignoring a diplomatic boycott by most Latin American democracies, they sent official envoys to the sham inauguration on Friday of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro for a new six-year term in office.
In other words, they gave an official bless-
ing to Maduro’s fraudulent power grab, even while some of them timidly recognized that Venezuela’s July 28 election was bogus.
Voting tallies made public by the opposition and certified as authentic by most experts show that opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia won the elections with 67% of the vote, against Maduro’s 30%. But the Venezuelan autocrat proclaimed himself the winner anyway, without ever showing official voting records.
Granted, the presidents of Mexico, Brazil and Colombia didn’t fly to Venezuela for the inauguration ceremony, nor did they send cabinet-level delegations. Instead, they ordered their respective ambassadors to be at the ceremony, which still amounted to an official recognition of Maduro’s installation.
Among the few visiting dignitaries attending Maduro’s inauguration were the dictators of Cuba and Nicaragua, who sat in the front row at the swearing-in ceremony.
To their credit, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Paraguay, Ecuador, Panama and several other countries condemned Maduro’s fraudulent re-election and did not send any representatives to his inauguration. The United States, Argentina, Uruguay, Ecuador, Perú, Panamá and Costa Rica have recognized Gonzalez Urrutia as Venezuela’s legitimate president.
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum, who recently claimed that Mexico “is the most democratic country,” announced shortly before Maduro’s inauguration that she had instructed Mexico’s ambassador in Venezuela to attend the event. She argued that Mexico’s constitution calls for non-intervention in other countries’ internal affairs.
That’s a pathetic excuse, or at the very least a very misleading interpretation of Mexico’s Constitution.
Article 89 of Mexico’s charter calls on the president to follow a foreign policy guided by both the principle of “non-intervention” in other countries’ affairs and “the respect, protection and promotion of human rights.” Sheinbaum chose to focus on the first guideline, and to ignore the second one.
In Venezuela’s case, Maduro not only shamelessly stole the most recent elections, but has since unleashed a massive wave of repression.
In the months following the July 28 elections, Maduro’s security forces caused “at least 25 deaths, more than 2,000 arbitrary detentions, forced disappearances and other grave human rights violations,” according to a Jan. 7 report by the Organization of American States’ Inter-American Human Rights Commission.
Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio “Lula” da Silva has voiced doubts about Venezuela’s election results, saying that “Maduro owes explanations” about them. But the Brazilian president nevertheless sent his ambassador to attend the inauguration ceremony claiming that Venezuela’s problems “are for the Venezuelan people to resolve.”
In a similar display of political inconsistency, Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro admitted in his social media account that Venezuela’s election results were “not free,” but sent his ambassador anyway to Maduro’s swearing-in ceremony.
Asked about Petro’s wishy-washy stance, Venezuela’s most important opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, told Colombia’s NTN24 network that “you can’t be in good standing with God and with the devil”— the Spanish-language equivalent of “you can’t have your cake and eat it, too.”
Machado is right. Recognizing Maduro as Venezuela’s legitimate leader is not only a
moral blunder, but also a serious economic miscalculation by the leaders of Mexico, Brazil and Colombia.
These countries are likely to be among the most affected by the massive migration from Venezuela that is likely to follow Maduro’s latest power grab, as Venezuela’s economic crisis will probably worsen amid new U.S. and European Union sanctions.
In a recent interview, Machado told me that if Maduro was inaugurated for a new term, “three, four, five, six million more” Venezuelans would be leaving the country. She may not have exaggerated; nearly eight million have already left since Maduro took office in 2013, according to United Nations numbers, and polls show that many Venezuelans are planning to leave.
Where are they likely to go? With President-elect Trump vowing to close the U.S. border to all undocumented migrants, including Venezuelans, they will probably head for neighboring Colombia and Brazil, and some to Mexico. And Venezuelan criminal organizations such as the Tren de Aragua gang are likely to expand across Latin America.
In a nutshell, the presidents of Mexico, Brazil and Colombia are shooting themselves in the foot. They should follow the steps of Chile’s leftist president Gabriel Boric, who said Jan. 9 that “as a leftist, I’m saying that Maduro’s government is a dictatorship.”
In addition, they should recognize Gonzalez Urrutia as the legitimate president of Venezuela, and prioritize democratic principles and regional stability over outdated ideologies. Otherwise, their claims to support democracy sound like a joke, and the economic consequences of Venezuela’s collapse into a full-blown narco-dictatorship will hurt them — and countries across the Americas — badly.
When is a business to blame for over-serving? Texas Supreme Court weighs the line in drunk driving case
By Pavan Acharya, The Texas Tribune
“When is a business to blame for over-serving? Texas Supreme Court weighs the line in drunk driving case” was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.
The Texas Supreme Court heard arguments Monday on a case about whether a business can be held liable under state law for drunk driving-related injuries caused by a customer, even if other attendees at that business said the customer did not appear to be physically intoxicated.
Barrie Myers is suing Cadot Restaurant in Dallas for allegedly over-serving alcohol to a Texas man, Nasar Khan, who rear-ended her vehicle in November 2018 while intoxicated. When taken to a near-
by hospital later that night, Khan’s blood alcohol content was found to be 0.139%, higher than the 0.08% required to be legally intoxicated. Khan later testified that a few hours before the crash, he had three or four drinks while dining at Cadot with a friend.
Myers is seeking for the case to go to trial. A favorable ruling for Myers could further strengthen an existing state law meant to hold businesses accountable for over-serving alcohol to already intoxicated patrons.
Myers sued Cadot under the Texas Dram Shop Act, a law passed in 1987 that allows drunk driving victims to sue businesses that serve alcohol to a person that is “obviously intoxicated to the extent that he presented a clear danger to himself and others.” Texans who have been victims of drunk driving incidents have sought relief under the state law for decades, sometimes being awarded large sums.
The Texas Dram Shop Act also protects those who suffer a “personal injury or property damage” as a result of an intoxicated individual’s actions. Texas is one of 42 states with similar laws. Washington, D.C. has one as well.
In September 2021, a district court in Dallas sided with Cadot and ruled out a trial. But almost two years later in July 2023, a state court of appeals reversed the lower court’s decision saying Myers’ question of whether Khan was “obviously intoxicated” while dining at Cadot was a valid one.
Cadot then petitioned the case to go to the Texas Supreme Court, asking the justices to reverse the court of appeals’ decision allowing the case to go to trial.
Oral arguments on Monday at the Supreme Court centered on whether it was reasonably apparent that Khan was intoxicated while he was at Cadot.
Steven Knight, a Houston-based lawyer
representing Cadot, argued that “everybody who saw [Khan] at the restaurant testified that he exhibited no signs of drunkenness.”
He also pressed that liability under the Texas Dram Shop Act is based on how an individual appears when they were served alcohol, not the number of drinks they were served during a given period. Several justices were skeptical of this argument, including newly appointed Justice James Sullivan.
“Suppose that the Cadot bartender lined up 100 shots of tequila, or some other bad idea, lined them all up and watched Khan drink every single one of them,” Sullivan said. “Why is that not enough within the meaning of the statute, to make it apparent to the provider that the individual was obviously intoxicated to the extent that he presented a clear and present danger to himself and others?”
Matthew Kita, an attorney representing Myers, argued that Khan’s intoxication would have been more than apparent given his high blood alcohol content recorded hours later. “Something can be apparent and also be ignored,” he said.
Kita added that an individual bartender who has received training from the state could fully understand the impact different levels of alcohol can have on a person and that they could “also be lying about what they saw when they served the drink.” He also cited deposition testimony in which Khan said he was over-served that November evening and that the person serving him at Cadot should have observed he was intoxicated.
In addition, Kita raised doubts about whether Khan had just three to four drinks at Cadot. A petition Kita filed to the Court in late 2023 argued that Khan would have had to have 11 to 19 “standard drinks” to reach the blood alcohol content recorded later that night. Khan has previously testified that he did not drink alcohol anywhere besides Cadot that evening.
“The evidence that he obtained additional drinks is the fact that it’s impossible for him to have only had four drinks in that window and have a blood alcohol content at .13 at 3 o’clock in the morning,” Kita said.
The Supreme Court of Texas is expected to rule on the case before its term wraps up at the end of June.
This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune.
The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org.
UTRGV Men’s Basketball Earns
Gritty Win Over East Texas A&M Athletics Set for Four Monday Madness
Thecrowd of 1,286 roared as the East Texas A&M Lions dribbled the ball up the floor, trailing by two, with 12 seconds left. Stout defense by The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) forced a shot from beyond the arc that went wide left as the clock expired giving UTRGV a 57-55 win that can only be described as Monday Madness.
Junior Howie Fleming Jr. shined as he recorded his fourth double-double of the season with a game-high 16 points and a game-high 11 rebounds while dishing four assists for the Vaqueros (11-6, 3-3 SLC). Senior Cliff Davis dropped 15 points with four rebounds and two assists.
Tay Mosher led the Lions (2-15, 0-6 SLC) in scoring with 11 points while grabbing four rebounds.
The Lions jumped out to a quick 13-2 lead before that saw three threes go through the bottom of the net. Fifth year senior K.T. Raimey used his speed and toughness to drive into the lane and hit a contested layup.
Trailing 15-5, Fleming Jr. created two
Upcoming competitions
open looks for the Vaqueros, the first assist coming off an offensive rebound where he found sophomore Tommy Gankhuyag underneath for the layup. On the second assist, Fleming Jr. drove in and found a wide-open graduate student DK Thorn at the wing for a three as the shot clock expired.
After a scoreless 3:10, Davis delivered from the corner after great ball movement from senior Hasan Abdul-Hakim and Thorn to cut the lead to two.
The Vaqueros and Lions exchanged baskets before Gankhuyag got a steal underneath that turned into a tough, fastbreak layup from Fleming Jr. and the student section erupted.
The Lions answered with a three before Davis responded with a three of his own. The two teams exchanged layups as the Lions took a 27-26 lead into the half.
Agwa started the half with a dunk before the Lions rattled off eight unanswered points to stretch the lead to seven. Abdul-Hakim responded by hitting his first three of the game.
Trailing 40-32, junior Trey Miller used
his touch to hit contested layups on back-toback possessions before a steal by Thorn led to a fastbreak three when Miller hit Davis in the right corner to trim the deficit to one.
The Lions hit consecutive layups out of the timeout before the Vaqueros responded with a corner three from Davis. However, the Lions continued to work the paint as they scored on a dunk, an and-one layup, and a post hook to extend the lead to nine.
The Vaqueros answered with a Fleming Jr. scored eight of the next 10 points for the Vaqueros, hitting a three, a second-chance dunk, and a coast-to-coast layup to take the lead.
Fleming Jr. continued his dominating end to the game as he was fouled trying to get in position, going 1-2 from the free throw line, before hitting a contested layup to extend the lead to 55-51. Fleming scored 11 of the final 15 points for the Vaqueros.
Up next, the Vaqueros will visit Houston Christian Saturday at 3:30 p.m. Fans can watch on ESPN+.
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced on Wednesday a new promotion for the remaining Monday night games of the 2024-25 men’s basketball season.
UTRGV is excited to bring the fanfare from the fan-favorite UTRGV Madness event held annually in October into a game environment.
As part of the promotion, UTRGV will bring a DJ for pregame and in-game festivities, party lights that will be featured throughout the night, and glow sticks that will be distributed to the fans.
During the player introductions, the under-four media timeout in the first half, and the end of halftime, the lights in the UTRGV Fieldhouse will shut off as the party lights and glowsticks illuminate the gym.
Below are the dates and games of the Monday Madness promotion:
Jan. 13 vs East Texas A&M
Jan. 27 vs Nicholls
Feb. 17 vs Incarnate Word
March 3 vs Southeastern
Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at GoUTRGV.com/Tickets. The party starts in Schlotzky’s Vaquero Village at 5:30 p.m. All fans need to follow the clear bag policy, details of which can be found at GoUTRGV.com/ClearBag.
Spring Season Preview: Men’s Tennis
Abbott anuncia más de $15 millones en subvenciones para formación profesional en Texas
trabajo que se está haciendo en la Comisión de la Fuerza Laboral de Texas y en nuestras instituciones educativas en Texas asegura que los texanos tengan oportunidades que les lleven a un mejor trabajo y a un salario más alto”, expresó el mandatario texano. Estos $15 millones en subvenciones de formación profesional darán a los estudiantes de Texas la oportunidad de obtener licencias, certificados o títulos universitarios que conduzcan a empleos con salarios elevados. Sólo en el primer año, los nuevos equipos ayudarán a formar a más de 6,900 estudiantes.
• Academy ISD: una subvención de 330,535 dólares para formar a 218 estudiantes como enfermeras prácticas licenciadas y enfermeras vocacionales licenciadas. Una subvención de 135,027 dólares para formar a 50 estudiantes como soldadores.
Austin, Tx, (Debate N).- - El gobernador de Texas, Greg Abbott, dio a conocer que 60 subvenciones de formación profesional, por un total de más de 15 millones de dólares, han sido otorgadas a instituciones de educación superior y distritos escolares independientes (ISD, por sus siglas en ingles), de Texas para capacitar a estudiantes para trabajos bien rumenerados y de alta demanda después de graduación.
Estas subvenciones de Empleo y Educación para Texanos (JET) otorgadas por la Comisión de la Fuerza Laboral de Texas (TWC, por sus siglas en inglés) ayudarán a las universidades públicas junior, estatales y técnicas; distritos escolares y escuelas subvencionadas de matrícula abierta a comprar equipo para la formación profesional y
técnica (CTE, por sus siglas en inglés) programas que ayudarán a los estudiantes a entrar en industrias de alta demanda, entre las instituciones educativas beneficiadas se encuentran varias del Valle de Texas.
“Mientras la economía de Texas continúa creciendo, es crítico que invirtamos en nuestra fuerza laboral,” dijo Abbott. “Estos $15 millones en becas de formación profesional apoyarán programas de formación profesional y técnica para miles de estudiantes de Texas en nuestro gran estado.
“Agradezco a la Comisión de la Fuerza Laboral de Texas por su continua asociación con las escuelas secundarias, colegios y universidades de Texas para que los estudiantes puedan lograr empleos bien remunerados y de alta demanda después de graduarse. El
“A medida que crece la economía de Texas, también lo hace la demanda de mano de obra cualificada,” dijo por su parte el presidente de la TWC, Bryan Daniel. “El programa de becas JET ayuda a satisfacer esa demanda ofreciendo oportunidades para que los tejanos adquieran una experiencia valiosa y práctica que les preparará para entrar en esas carreras de alta demanda.”
De las subvenciones JET 2024 se destinarán a la compra e instalación de equipos se encuentran varias del sur de Texas, entre ellas las siguientes:
• Texas Southmost College: una subvención de 84,614 dólares para formar a 30 estudiantes como soldadores.
Las subvenciones JET concedidas en 2024 se utilizarán para adquirir e instalar equipos en los siguientes distritos escolares y escuelas subvencionadas de matrícula abierta de Texas:
• Corpus Christi ISD: una subvención de 57,312 dólares para formar a 30 estudiantes como tecnólogos y técnicos en ingeniería eléctrica y electrónica.
2010 to 2013. Even while a member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), UTRGV played most of the SLC teams it’ll battle with this year often.
• Cotulla ISD: una subvención de 350,000 dólares para formar a 25 estudiantes como enfermeras prácticas licenciadas y enfermeras vocacionales licenciadas.
• Edinburg CISD: una subvención de 350,000 dólares para formar a 505 estudiantes como enfermeras prácticas licenciadas y enfermeras vocacionales licenciadas.
• Roma ISD: una subvención de 216,226 dólares para formar a 100 estudiantes como enfermeras prácticas licenciadas y enfermeras vocacionales licenciadas.
• South Texas ISD: una subvención de 215,184 dólares para formar a 50 estudiantes como asistentes médicos, y
Rival Texas A&M-Corpus Christi has been on the schedule twice per year for eight years, and the teams will battle twice in 2025 too – once in a non-conference match, due to the South Texas Showdown, and the second counting toward the conference slate. Lamar and Incarnate Word have been regular opponents who make for exciting, tight, tense matchups. Nicholls and NJIT have been on the schedule during Robinson’s tenure, too. The only “new” opponents, really, will be New Orleans and Bryant.
• Weslaco ISD: una subvención de 308,490 dólares para formar a 1.455 estudiantes como auxiliares de enfermería. A través de los fondos proporcionados por la Legislatura de Texas cada bienio, la TWC utiliza las subvenciones JET para sufragar los costos de puesta en marcha para desarrollar programas de educación profesional y técnica para universidades públicas comunitarias, estatales y técnicas, distritos escolares y escuelas subvencionadas de matrícula abierta. Los equipos financiados a través de las subvenciones JET deben utilizarse para formar a los estudiantes para empleos en ocupaciones de alta demanda.
“Our guys are extremely excited to get started in the Southland and get to compete against those schools not in January or February, but in April when it really matters. There’s a lot of familiarity there and those matches against UIW, Lamar, Corpus are always extremely fun, feisty, combative matches. The regional feel and the overall intensity with those matches will make conference feel like what conference is supposed to be.”
T* Anima a proteger información personal confidencial al comenzar
wire to the eventual conference champion.
— El Servicio de Impuestos Internos y sus socios de la Cumbre de Seguridad advirtieron a los contribuyentes a que hagan sus compras para la época festiva con extrema precaución porque los estafadores
he members of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) men’s tennis team are laser-focused on one thing – getting a ring. Winning a conference championship is often the goal teams set before their respective seasons start. The Vaqueros haven’t gotten there yet under head coach Nathan Robinson, who is heading into his fourth spring at UTRGV. But they felt like they got really close last year, dropping a 4-3 match in the semifinals that went down to the
With four contributors back from last season’s squad in Ivo Isqueiro, Santiago Serrano, Paolo Bonaguro and Will Roberts and the return of redshirt junior Sam Whitehead to the top half of the lineup, the Vaqueros have a secure foundation in place. The fall season showcased growth and potential from the returners and newcomers alike, and further proved how determined the student-athletes are.
también están comprando información personal de su próxima víctima. “La temporada de compras y la temporada de impuestos que se acerca rápidamente crean un objetivo tentador para los ladrones de identidad y estafadores,” dijo el comisionado del IRS, Danny Werfel. “Los contribuyentes deben tener especial precaución en esta temporada para proteger su
“There’s a kind of aura around this
Enrique Caceres M.D.
Lunes a Viernes 9:00am - 6:00pm S ábado de 9:00 am-12:30 pm
team and you can feel that it’s trying to be special,” Robinson said. “It’s really hard to quantify, but there’s just a feeling when you’re around this group that I’ve felt before with some pretty special teams. It’s how locked in they are, how much they enjoy being around each other and competing and how much they really want to be that group. Now it’s just a matter of them going out and capitalizing on where their focus is.”
Heading into the spring season with such a confident bunch presents a new and exciting challenge for Robinson and assistant coach Ekaterina Vorobeva. The coaching staff doesn’t have to push the student-athletes to be focused or accountable, since they’re so self-driven, so instead, they’re finding ways to balance the hard work with fun.
IRS advierte sobre estafas durante época festiva
valiosa información personal y financiera, ya sea comprando en línea o haciendo clic en enlaces en correos electrónicos y otros mensajes. Un poco de precaución adicional puede proteger la información confidencial de los contribuyentes y reducir el riesgo de robo de identidad en la próxima temporada de presentación de declaraciones de impuestos.”
As has been the norm under Robinson, UTRGV loaded its non-conference schedule with big name opponents. The Vaqueros will start the season at #1 Texas and will play plenty of perennial powers and contenders from across the state, including Baylor, Texas Tech, SMU, Rice and UTSA.
“We’re not shying away from tough matches early on. We’re going to play a bunch of top 20, 30 schools right out of the gate, including #1 in the country. In those matches, our big goal is to play our styles and compete against those top-end guys and see how we match up. That way, when we transition into the mid-major level, we’ve already seen what the top echelon does and how our ball works against that level,” Robinson said.
en nada desconocido, incluso si acaba de pedir regalos y espera que los paquetes lleguen a su puerta pronto. Vuelva a verificar antes de hacer clic.”
“Since our guys are so locked-in on a goal, the big thing is to make sure they’re not losing the fact that they get to play a sport. We’ve been making sure our practices are competitive but fun. Our job is to keep it fun for them and make sure they’re enjoying this process of growth they get to go through,” Robinson said.
Las estafas abundantes que están viendo el IRS y los socios de la Cumbre de Seguridad incluyen correos electrónicos de phishing cada vez más sofisticados y en constante evolución y ataques relacionados contra los desprevenidos. Los contribuyentes pueden ser engañados para que, sin saberlo, entreguen su información tributaria y financiera confidencial. Las posibles víctimas también podrían ser engañadas para que revelen sus direcciones, números de Seguro Social, números de cuentas bancarias, números de tarjetas de crédito o contraseñas, lo que puede dar lugar a fraude y robo de identidad relacionado con los impuestos. Otra estafa común que se espera que se intensifique pronto involucrará correos electrónicos que pretenden ser del IRS u otros en la industria tributaria. Con frecuencia se trata de buenas noticias inesperadas, como un reembolso de impuestos. "La gente debe tener mucho cuidado durante esta temporada y la temporada de impuestos,” dijo Werfel. “Los ladrones de identidad y estafadores de impuestos son astutos y se aprovechan de lo que la gente piensa, especialmente durante las épocas más ocupadas del año, como la temporada festiva. Recuerde, no haga clic
With clear goals in mind and the right type of competitors on the roster, the Vaqueros have set their expectations high for the upcoming season, and they’re pushing themselves to meet those. It won’t always be easy, but it’ll always be worth it because of the team-first mentality of every individual.
The men’s tennis program will be making its return to the Southland Conference (SLC) after competing as a member from
“They’re an extremely talented group, probably the most talented top-to-bottom since I’ve been here, but it’s overall their infections energy and joy that makes them different. It’s a group that loves to compete with each other and for each other,” Robinson said. “There’s not a day that goes by that they’re not mentioning their goals. They don’t just think they should, but they expect that they’re going to.”
What To Do If You Choke While Alone
Finding yourself in a medical emergency with no one around can be a very scary thing. Knowing what to do in these situations can save your life. If you are enjoying a meal by yourself and begin choking, do you know what to do? In this article, we’ll explore ways you can help yourself in a choking emergency!
What to do when you’re alone and choking
If you begin to choke on something when you are alone, don’t panic! Here are the steps to take to perform the Heimlich Maneuver on yourself when you’re alone and choking.
1. Call 911 and leave the phone off the hook
The dispatcher will send someone to help even if they hear no talking on the other end.
2. Try to cough up the object
If you can cough or make any sound, your airway is not completely blocked. Try clearing the object with forceful coughing. Do not try to drink anything as this can compound the problem.
3. Perform the Self-Heimlich
This is essentially the same Heimlich maneuver that you would perform on another person, but instead, you will perform it on yourself. Make a fist with
one hand and put the thumb side between your belly button and rib cage. Place your other hand on top of that. Push as hard as you can in a quick motion straight into your abdomen. This will put pressure on the bottom of your diaphragm, which will compress your lungs and force the remaining air to push up through your trachea, hopefully with enough force to dislodge the object.
4. Seek medical help
Once you dislodge the obstruction, you should go to the emergency room or urgent care. The Heimlich maneuver can cause internal damage and you should
be examined for any complications. The doctor will also check your lungs to be sure you have not aspirated any foreign substance into your lungs which could cause infection or other complications.
Alternative choking maneuvers
If the object still will not come out after trying the methods mentioned above, you can use the back of a chair to increase the pressure that you are able to exert. Keep your hands in the same position as with the Heimlich maneuver, but lean your torso over the back of a chair. This should allow you to increase the amount of pressure and dislodge the object.
Another alternative option to try if the abdominal thrusts did not work is a technique that was developed by Fireman and Paramedic, Jeff Rehman, and made popular on YouTube. It looks a lot like a push-up, but with a little more upward momentum than is typical and allowing yourself to fall with your arms straight in front of you. This will push the air out of your lungs and hopefully dislodge any obstruction with it. You can watch a demonstration of the technique on YouTube.
Pregnant, alone, and choking
Keep in mind that the maneuvers we discuss in this article will not apply to pregnant women. If you are pregnant, you should place your hands higher than usual, under the breast bone. Another alternative maneuver is to slam your back into a wall while coughing.
Conclusion
Following the steps we’ve outlined could save your life. To review: (1) call 911; (2) try coughing the object up; (3) self-administer the Heimlich maneuver or use a chair to increase the force of the pressure; (4) if necessary, try alternative maneuvers; and (5) seek medical attention.
Preparation in an emergency situation can make all the difference.
STHS Commemorates 10-Year History Of Providing Critical Care In The Mid-Valley
During a special celebration on Thursday, January 9, STHS and the Weslaco Area Chamber of Commerce partnered to recognize the 10th anniversary of STHS ER Weslaco, the first of STHS’ seven freestanding emergency departments providing 24/7 close-to-home critical care
During a medical emergency, timely action is necessary, with access to nearby trauma and critical care services essential for positive patient outcomes.
In the Mid-Valley, South Texas Health System has provided thousands of patients
with 24/7 emergency medical attention in the last decade at STHS ER Weslaco, the first of the healthcare system’s seven freestanding emergency departments (FEDs) in the region.
Opened in December 2014 and fully operational by January 2015, STHS ER Weslaco – part of the STHS Trauma & Critical Care Institute, the largest integrated network of trauma and critical care in the Rio Grande Valley –STHS ER Weslaco began providing close-to-home emergency care to residents of Weslaco and the surrounding communities.
Ten years later, STHS ER Weslaco has provided quality, compassionate care to 197,832 patients and counting, including 74,603 children and 24,888 elderly residents, when they needed it most.
“STHS ER Weslaco has been, and continues to be, a pillar of healthcare for our residents and surrounding communities,” says Mayor Adrian Gonzalez, City of Weslaco. “Our communities deserve the best and, thanks to South Texas Health System, having access to high-quality healthcare in our own backyard ensures our residents receive that care.”
Unlike an urgent care center or night clinic, STHS ER Weslaco provides the same round-the-clock care available through South Texas Health System’s hospital-based emergency rooms, improving access to care for trauma patients in the rural areas of the Mid-Valley, including the cities of Donna, Elsa and Mercedes. The first freestanding emergency department in the state of Texas and second in the nation to earn a cardiac care certification by the American College of Cardiology, the facility is currently certified in chest pain management and designated an Acute Stroke Ready Hospital by The Joint Commission. Additionally, STHS ER Weslaco has earned a Level 3 Geriatric Emergency Department accreditation from the American College of Emergency Physicians.
For STHS’ parent company, Universal Health Services Inc., STHS ER Weslaco was the first facility of its kind serving as the model for the nearly 30 facilities like it now operating across the country.
“For the last 10 years, STHS ER Weslaco has helped meet the healthcare needs of the people in the Mid-Valley by providing round-the-clock care,” says Doug Matney, Vice President – Freestanding Emergency Departments, Universal Health Services Inc., who was instrumental in launching the first of its kind facility for the company in the Rio Grande Valley. “The success of the freestanding emergency department model has allowed us to bring care closer
to home for our patients across the country, addressing a need for additional healthcare options driven by patient choice.”
To commemorate STHS ER Weslaco’s 10th anniversary, South Texas Health System hosted a special milestone celebration on Thursday, January 9, which helped shine a spotlight on the decade of exceptional emergency care and outpatient services provided for infants, children and adults by the facility.
The milestone celebration featured the participation of STHS leaders and City of Weslaco officials speaking about the facility’s impact and its commitment to the healthcare needs of residents of Weslaco and the surrounding communities.
During the ceremony, STHS leadership honored two STHS staff members – Josie Chavira and Eddie Arevalo, who not only helped open the facility, but still work there today.
“Being a Mid-Valley native, I take such pride in being a part of STHS ER Weslaco’s rich history,” says Arevalo, the lead vascular ultrasound technologist responsible for the sonography services across STHS’ seven freestanding emergency departments. “It’s so gratifying to know that we’ve been able to provide quality, compassionate care to hundreds of thousands of patients when and where they need it most.”
In addition to providing 24/7 close-tohome emergency care, STHS ER Weslaco also offers convenient outpatient services with limited wait times, including mammograms, imaging and laboratory services.
In the last 10 years, the facility has performed 109,938 X-rays, 46,943 computed tomography (CT) scans, 1,988 MRIs, and 10,055 mammograms, as well as a staggering 2,206,606 lab studies.
“We’re honored to have served Weslaco and the surrounding communities for the last 10 years and look forward to continuing to deliver on our promise of quality, compassionate care for the residents of the Mid-Valley,” says Brenda Ivory, Chief Executive Officer, STHS Heart, who also oversees STHS FEDs. “Our sincerest gratitude to everyone who has entrusted STHS ER Weslaco with their healthcare needs in the last decade.”
For more information on the services provided by STHS ER Weslaco, visit southtexashealthsystem.com.
With lawsuits and legislation, Texas Republicans take aim at abortion pills
By Eleanor Klibanoff, The Texas Tribune
“With lawsuits and legislation, Texas Republicans take aim at abortion pills” was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.
Since the U.S. Supreme Court allowed states like Texas to ban nearly all abortions, the number of pregnancy terminations in the United States actually increased. This paradox, which pleases abortion advocates as much as it frustrates their conservative counterparts, hinges mostly on pills.
An average of 2,800 Texans receive abortion-inducing medications through the mail each month from states that still allow abortion, according to #WeCount, a tracking project from the Society of Family Planning.
Until recently, abortion-ban states like Texas mostly gnashed their teeth and railed against their blue state counterparts for allowing this underground enterprise to
flourish. But now, they’re using lawsuits and legislation to more directly attack these abortion pill providers.
In December, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a first-of-its-kind civil lawsuit against a New York doctor for allegedly prescribing abortion pills to a Texas resident, setting up a conflict between Texas’ abortion ban and New York’s shield laws. Legislators are filing bills for the upcoming session that would give the state more tools to try to root out this practice. And they do all of this knowing the incoming Trump administration has their back.
“We’re getting to the point where, if we don’t start swinging, start adopting new tools, these websites and the 20,000 abortion pills coming into the state [each year] are going to become the new status quo,” said John Seago, the president of Texas Right to Life. “I don’t judge legislators for trying something that doesn’t work. But we are demanding that they start swinging.”
The lawsuit strategy
In 2023, on the eve of the first anniversary of the Dobbs decision, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law a sweeping set of protections for abortion providers. The shield law meant New York wouldn’t cooperate with another state’s efforts to “prosecute, penalize, sue one of our health care providers who prescribed abortion medication,” Hochul said.
“You can continue hell-bent down your path on continuing this radical behavior,” she said, addressing anti-abortion states like Texas. “But we’ll be just as hell-bent on stopping you.”
Almost immediately, providers in New York joined those in Massachusetts, California and other shield law states in providing abortion pills via telehealth appointments and mail-order pharmacies to patients in abortion-ban states. The health care they provided was fully legal in the state they were based in, but clearly illegal in the states their patients are based in, and they undertook this work knowing they were courting legal challenges.
If anything, it’s a surprise how long it took, said Mary Ziegler, an abortion legal historian at UC Davis School of Law.
“Everyone has been expecting this and preparing for this,” Ziegler said. “And it’s no surprise that it’s Texas that brought this first suit.”
In mid-December, Paxton filed a lawsuit in Collin County alleging Dr. Maggie Carpenter, the founder of the Abortion Coalition for Telemedicine Access, provided a Texas woman with abortion pills in violation of state law.
Carpenter’s group not only provides direct patient care but also advises other shield providers on technical and legal support. The group was co-founded by Carpenter, Dr. Linda Prine and Julie Kay, a former ACLU attorney who led the lawsuit that overturned Ireland’s abortion ban.
“This is someone who is part of a network, part of a movement,” Ziegler said. “They’re prepared for this test of the shield law.”
But Texas was prepared, too, and legal experts are not certain how exactly this will play out. Nothing in New York’s shield law prevents a Texas court from hearing a case against a New York doctor, said Paul Schiff Berman, a law professor who specializes in conflicts of state law at the George Washington University law school.
If Carpenter doesn’t show up to the hearing, Paxton’s office will likely ask the court for a default judgement. If that is granted, Paxton can ask a New York state court to enforce it, which is where the shield law may come into play.
But much of the shield law’s protections are about protecting doctors from criminal investigations and regulatory consequences, like losing their medical licenses. In a civil suit, like the one Paxton has filed, it’s much harder for one state to undermine another’s ruling, Berman said. The U.S. Constitution specifically requires that a civil judgement issued in one state, like Texas, is enforceable in all states, regardless of their other laws.
This clause applies most clearly to private lawsuits — if a court orders you to pay someone you’ve harmed to make them whole, that judgement is enforceable no matter where you live.
“You don’t want it to be that if I sue you and win in Texas, and you flee to New Mexico, that I have to sue you all over again in New Mexico, and then you flee to California and it starts again,” Berman said.
But when it’s a state, not an individual, bringing the lawsuit, the judgement may not be as easily enforced. There’s an exception for “penal judgements,” when one state is using a civil lawsuit to try to enforce their state laws.
“This is clearly not just one random person suing another random person,” Ziegler said. “New York’s best argument is that this is the state of Texas enforcing its abortion policy through a lawsuit, which is a penal judgement, and they wouldn’t have to deal with that.”
But this is a rarely litigated question the federal courts haven’t meaningfully waded into in decades. Complicating matters further is a provision in New York’s shield law that would allow Carpenter to sue Texas right back, opening the door to more questions about sovereign immunity and state-on-state litigation.
It is, put simply, “a mess,” Ziegler said.
“If New York wins, as in they don’t have to enforce the judgment, that doesn’t mean that the state 100% would know what happens with other types of defendants,” she said. “And if Texas wins, I don’t think that’s going to be the end of abortion pills,
or necessarily a guarantee that Texas’s abortion rate will plummet. There are no quick fixes.”
Seago, with Texas Right to Life, agrees. He sees the Carpenter lawsuit as a “very encouraging step,” but said there’s no one legal strategy that will bring the practice of mailing abortion pills into Texas to a stop.
“There’s a long list of areas of law that have not been tested, and areas where we need to start getting precedent,” he said. “We need to start getting some specific fact patterns before judges for them to determine whether some of the laws we already have on the books apply.”
Some of these lawsuits will be brought by Paxton’s office, but Seago said he anticipates private wrongful death lawsuits, as well as lawsuits against people who “aid or abet” in illegal abortions, as prohibited by Texas’ ban on most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy.
“There’s no silver bullet,” he said. “These are really difficult cases because these websites are run by individuals and others in other countries, their websites, their domains are out of our jurisdiction, the pharmacies they are using are outside of the country as well.”
The legislative approach
Last legislative session was the quietest in decades for abortion. After successfully banning nearly all abortions, Republicans were wary about continuing to push an issue that is widely unpopular with voters.
This session, coming off a Republican rout in November, Seago is hopeful that lawmakers will feel more empowered to continue restricting abortions, and especially abortion pills.
“Texas is uniquely positioned to lead on these cutting-edge pro-life issues,” Seago said. “Some of our friends in red states are still playing defense. They’re fighting off constitutional amendments. They’re still fighting off exceptions to their laws. We’re in a solid place to start fighting back.”
Texas has no mechanism to put a constitutional amendment to increase abortion access on the ballot without the approval of lawmakers, and while Democrats have filed bills to add more exceptions to the abortion laws, they are once again expected to not get any traction.
But whether conservative efforts to further restrict abortion pills will take hold also remains to be seen. Rep. Nate Schatzline, a conservative Republican from Fort Worth, has filed House Bill 1651, which would make it a deceptive trade practice to send abortion pills through the mail without verifying that they were prescribed by an in-state doctor after an in-person exam.
Another bill, HB 991, filed by Republican Rep. Steve Toth of The Woodlands, would allow lawsuits against websites that provide information about obtaining abortion pills. Elisa Wells, co-founder of Plan C, an information repository about
telehealth abortion access, said they expect any challenge to their work to run afoul of free speech protections.
“Texas is a state that values free speech, but despite that, they’re taking action to try and limit free speech with respect to abortion,” she said. “It’s a bit hypocritical.”
Wells said they take seriously any legislation that might further restrict access to abortion in states like Texas. But she said even if all the domestic access routes were shut off by lawsuits and legislation, there are international providers prepared to keep providing pills to people who need them.
“It’s ironic that a lot of these legal actions and court decisions and attempts to restrict access are what is shining a spotlight on … the fact that abortion pills are available by mail,” she said. “Every time there’s a decision like that, we just see the traffic to our site just exponentially increase. These anti-choice actions are the best advertisement.”
The federal allies
After the overturn of Roe v. Wade, the Biden administration took steps to shore up abortion access and protect providers and patients in states where the procedure remained legal. The incoming presidential administration is expected to undo most of those protections and more vociferously go after entities that are attempting to help people skirt state abortion laws.
One open question is whether Trump will direct the Food and Drug Administration to revoke the approval of mifepristone, a common abortion-inducing drug that conservatives tried to get moved off the market. The U.S. Supreme Court rejected those efforts, but nothing about that ruling would stop a new FDA from reviewing that approval.
Additionally, many are watching to see whether the Trump administration will issue new guidance on the Comstock Act, a 19th-century zombie law that hasn’t been enforced in decades. The Comstock Act prohibits mailing anything that could be used to facilitate an illegal abortion, which legal experts say could wreak havoc across the medical supply chain.
While trying to enforce the Comstock Act would spark significant legal challenges, it is a much more direct route to shutting down the infrastructure these shield providers have built, Ziegler said.
“This lawsuit [from Texas] isn’t likely to change much of these shield providers’ behavior, because they’ve been expecting this,” she said. “But there’s much more anxiety about the possibility of Comstock prosecutions, because those would be federal charges.”
This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune.
The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org.
SBA Disaster Declaration For Laredo Water Supply Issue
Office of the Texas Governor | Greg Abbott | Press Release
Governor Greg Abbott announced that he requested a disaster declaration from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for Webb County following prolonged boil water notices caused by a water connection issue in Laredo in October.
“Since last October when Laredo was impacted by prolonged boil water notices, Texas continues working with local officials to ensure there are no unmet needs for Texans in Webb County and the surrounding area,” said Governor Abbott. “To help our fellow Texans in South Texas, I issued a disaster declaration in October to surge all available resources to the impacted border communities, including more than 60 truckloads of bottled water. We must do more to provide support to Texas businesses still working to recover. That is why I requested a disaster declaration from the U.S. Small Business Administration to ensure Texans
in Webb County have access to low-interest loans to help their business financially move forward.”
A survey of affected business determined that a qualifying number of small businesses in Webb County suffered substantial economic injury as a result of the disaster and need financial assistance not otherwise available on reasonable terms.
If the state’s request is approved, the SBA would provide low-interest loans through its disaster programs to qualifying small businesses who were affected by the water supply situation.
Governor Abbott issued a disaster declaration in October after E. coli was identified in Laredo’s water system. During the disaster, Texas delivered more than 60 truckloads of bottled drinking water and deployed the Texas A&M Public Works Response Team to assist local officials with service restoration.
U.S. Attorney Hamdani announces resignation
U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Texas | Press Release
U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani has announced he will resign as chief law enforcement officer for the Southern District of Texas (SDTX) effective midnight Jan. 19.
“Serving as the 24th Presidentially Appointed U.S. Attorney for this incredible district has been the honor of a lifetime,” said Hamdani. “Over the past two years, we have made significant strides across multiple fronts, strengthening our community, upholding justice and ensuring safety for all citizens.”
Hamdani was responsible for prosecuting and defending the interests of the United States in one of the largest districts in the country - covering 44,000 square miles and representing over nine million people. He oversaw over 400 employees, including approximately 200 Assistant U.S. Attorneys who cover the seven offices across the district.
In just over two years as U.S. Attorney, Hamdani led the office in approximately more than 10 thousand criminal cases against over 12 thousand defendants while maintaining an average 95% conviction rate. From fentanyl to the cartels, crimes involving children to human smuggling and white collar crime to cybercrime, Hamdani worked to ensure justice was served every day and the SDTX was a safe place to live.
The Civil Division filed more than 2,500
cases in fiscal years 2023-2024, which included a historic $85 million settlement against a cardiac imaging company.
“Patients deserve care based on their medical need and not on a doctor or company’s financial interest or gain,” Hamdani said. The Texas Medical Center also agreed to pay a record $15 million for allegations of concurrent billing claims for critical surgeries.
The office was at the forefront of numerous new and ongoing issues to include violent crime, which was at record levels when he took office. He made several announcements on numerous cases against felons illegally in possession of firearms to those involving known gang members. As part of those efforts, the office partnered with the Department of Justice’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section as part of the Department’s Violent Crime Initiative which contributed to a reduction in violent crime over the past two years.
He also worked with the three other Texas U.S. Attorneys in a coordinated announcement on a statewide effort targeting machine gun conversion devices.
Hamdani placed particular emphasis on cases linked to Mexican cartels, often noting how their violence spreads into the district. This included a matter out of the Galveston Division which saw the arrest of 23 in a poly-drug indictment. Noting that “Fentanyl-laced pills disguised as something else are killing our kids,” Hamdani and his office targeted those dealing the drug that destroys lives and families and anyone who
provided it to others. As part of the effort, Hamdani also announced charges against a Chinese national for his alleged part in a conspiracy involving the importation of what is believed to be the largest amount of fentanyl precursors - chemicals used to make fentanyl - in the SDTX.
He also targeted cybercrime, often speaking and participating in numerous conferences on the topic. In one matter of note, the office helped disrupt a botnet that used hundreds of U.S.-based small office/home office routers so that People’s Republic of China state-sponsored hackers could monitor key parts of American infrastructure.
Spending much of his career prosecuting cases involving national security matters, Hamdani continued that focus as U.S. Attorney, from those attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization to another who allegedly exported U.S. technology to Iran.
Hamdani’s office also targeted deadly human smuggling organizations, including a Brownsville matter that saw the conviction of six men who were charged in an alien smuggling ring which resulted in the death of eight people. To further combat the issue, the office also participated in Joint Task Force Alpha, which the Attorney General created to marshal and combat the rise in prolific and dangerous smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. And just a few weeks ago, as part of that mission, the office unsealed charges against several defendants for the death of over 50 migrants in an overturned trailer in Chiapas, Mexico.
A similar issue due to the proximity to the border is human trafficking, and the office continued its efforts to combat this troubling crime throughout the district and provide for victims, such as a woman who received 30 years for forcing young girls to engage in commercial sex.
A father himself, Hamdani also sought to make sure those committing crimes against children were held accountable. One such criminal was recently sentenced to 100 years in prison for raping two children. On the other end of the spectrum, he emphasized protecting the elderly from those who take advantage of them, such as those who tricked a WWII veteran out of $300,000 to many that are involved in Indian call centers who often target the elderly.
The office increased efforts to hold those committing white collar crime and health care fraud accountable, such as a Houston man who was convicted in a $160M Medicare fraud scheme. Another significant matter and a focus of the office was a company charged with violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act who agreed to pay $160 mil-
lion. “Prosecuting and investigating this type of crime is an important role our office takes seriously in order to ensure fair and equal playing fields for U.S. companies and consumers,” Hamdani noted.
In October 2023, Attorney General Merrick Garland picked Hamdani to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee. Hamdani, along with 13 other U.S. Attorneys, advised the Attorney General on behalf of the U.S. Attorney community. While in this role, he also led the Border and Immigration Law Enforcement Subcommittee which included U.S. Attorneys along the Northern and Southern borders working together to secure both those borders from transnational criminal organizations, cartels, gun, drugs and human smuggling.
During his tenure, Hamdani made it a priority to get the news of the office’s important work to the people, so as to inform some and deter others from committing crime. He used multiple platforms, including the use of social media clips, to ensure these messages were heard.
He is proud to have run his office under the “mama rule.” Citing his own mother’s history as a poor migrant and her age, his mantra was that you treat and protect others as you would your own “mama.”
Hamdani was the first Asian in Texas that was presidentially appointed and senate confirmed as U.S. Attorney. He was born in England to Indian parents who had moved there from India. The family immigrated to Texas when he was 10. He received his J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center in 1999 and his B.B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin in 1993.
Hamdani joined the SDTX in 2014, but has been with the Department of Justice since 2008. As an AUSA with the SDTX, he was primarily responsible for the investigation and prosecution of national security and official corruption crimes. From 2010 to 2014, Hamdani served in the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, holding the position of deputy chief from 2012 to 2014. Before that, he was an AUSA in the Eastern District of Kentucky.
Prior to his government service, Hamdani was in private practice.
He is married and is a proud father of two teenagers, a University of Texas Longhorn and Bellaire High School Cardinal.
As he departs the office, he is reminded of the privilege he enjoyed to lead a group of dedicated public servants who work every day to make Texas safer, noting that “we love mercy, walk humbly and always, always, seek justice.”