Today's edition of my ongoing community-building diary series starts with a few of my favorite comments from yesterday about Houston, Texas the nation's fourth largest city. Thanks to everyone of you for your comments and continued encouragement. I didn't have time yesterday to respond, but wanted to acknowledge the positive mojo.
You'll also hear from a Texas reporter who was fired last week after he aired excerpts of an interview with a woman who was "forced to undergo several medically unnecessary transvaginal sonograms to obtain an abortion" due to the new Texas sonogram law.
“I love seeing positive things written about Houston, especially considering how much needs improving state-wide. Keep up the good work!”
“Houston has a bizarre history, as a cow-town exploded into megalopolis, with no planning. It has a bizarre present, as I understand it, as a Democratic bastion in the heart of Texas, with a lesbian mayor, a thriving lbgt community, and excellent Mexican food.”
“…what I wouldn't give for a plate of tacos al carbon from the original Ninfas.”
“…mom-and-pop greasy spoons at lunchtime...ate some of the most amazing Mexican food I've had in my life.”
“Dumbfounded me, first of all, that Houston HAD a port. Who knew? Second of all, I found the weather weird and amazing, given the beach-front surroundings. I mean, it's right on the Gulf of Mexico, right? But it was 80 degrees and humid when I got out of the car.”
There is a war on journalism and free speech going on in this country - and Scott Braddock is the latest victim. Braddock - a well-known Texas news radio reporter - was fired last week after he aired excerpts of an interview with a woman who was "forced to undergo several medically unnecessary transvaginal sonograms to obtain an abortion" due to the new Texas sonogram law.
Braddock's employer - KROI News 92 FM - says he was fired for filling in for another reporter on a competing radio station -But Braddock claims that's not the case. Scott joins us now from Texas to talk more about the situation - and why he really may have been fired.
COMMUNITY
Free tax help for eligible Houston-area residents
Hundreds of Houstonians received free help Saturday to keep the taxman at bay. We went to Memorial Assistance Ministries in Spring Branch to find out more. Neighborhood Tax Centers is offering free tax preparation services at 15 locations around Houston, Stafford, Pasadena and Clear Lake. Families earning up to $70,000 and individuals earning up to $40,000 are eligible. Neighborhood Tax Centers offers this free service from until tax day -- April 17. Visit their website for more information or call 211.
http://abclocal.go.com/...
1.2 million Texas children still without insurance
More than 1 million Texas children remain without health insurance, and those kids are not getting the care they need. The startling condition of the state's children came into vivid focus last week with the release of the annual Kids Count survey. The analysis of official state and federal data by the non-partisan Center for Public Policy Priorities found that 1.2 million Texas children have neither private nor public health insurance.
http://www.chron.com/...
Malian girl's cry for help reaches Houston law school class
The Human Trafficking Clinic, contacted by Catholic Charities, quickly began exploring legal routes for asylum. But at each turn, it seemed, roadblocks emerged. First, the law students considered a political asylum request. But that applies only to those fearing persecution in their home countries; the girl's persecution occurred here. Next, they looked at the Violence Against Women Act, which protects victims of domestic abuse. But that applies only to the spouses, parents or children of U.S. citizens; the girl's abuser was her aunt.
http://www.chron.com/...
Folklife Project Preserves Voices Of The Port Of Houston
The Port of Houston will turn 100 years old in 2014. As part of the observance, a local arts organization is recording the stories of people who've worked at the port over the years. The aim of this 100 interview project is to tell the stories of the individual people behind one of Houston's biggest industries, with everyone from executives to deck hands.
http://app1.kuhf.org/...
BUSINESS
Teen Unemployment Could Put Disadvantage On Future Job
The unemployment rate for 16-to-19 year olds climbed to 25% in March, up more than a percentage point from February. The situation for Texas' teens may be even worse. The state-by-state breakdown for teen unemployment is running a month behind the available national numbers. The results for Texas show teen unemployment exceeding 25% in February, when the U.S. rate was still just under 24%.
http://app1.kuhf.org/...
Walmart Private Plan Stirs Concern Over Workers' Compensation System
When Walmart, one of Texas’ largest private employers, dropped out of the state’s workers’ compensation system, it was a heavy blow to advocates of the system who have watched more large companies offer private injury benefits. Texas is the only state in the country that allows employers of any size to decline to carry state-regulated workers’ compensation coverage. Businesses administer their own injury benefit programs, reaping big cost savings in exchange for exposing themselves to heightened liability risks. Target, for example, began administering its own injury care policy in 2005.
http://www.texastribune.org/...
TSA budget cuts likely mean even longer airport waits
Yet checkpoint lines threaten to grow longer for the nation's 650 million air travelers, with the deficit-conscious White House and Congress reluctant to add equipment and staff, the TSA imposing budget cuts and the likelihood that more people will be flying as the economy improves. The TSA faces a no-win dilemma: Spend more money to reduce the lines or suffer passengers' criticism for doing too little.
http://www.chron.com/...
Work Centers Nationwide Struggle As Funding For Job Training Dries Up
Across the country, work force centers that assist the unemployed are being asked to do more with less as federal funds dwindle for job training and related services. The Labor Department announced on Friday that employers had added only 120,000 new jobs in March, a disappointing gain after three previous months of nearly twice that level. But with 12.7 million people still searching for jobs, the country is actually spending less on work force training than it did in good times. Federal money for the primary training program for dislocated workers is 18 percent lower in today’s dollars than it was in 2006, even though there are six million more people looking for work now.
http://www.nytimes.com/...
NONPROFIT / OTHER
Medical board's proposed stem-cell policy under fire
Texas' proposed adult stem-cell regulations, up for approval this week, are under fire for circumventing the Food and Drug Administration and making the experimental therapy commercially available before it's been proven safe and effective. The policy, thought to be the first of its kind, would allow Texas doctors to provide the unlicensed therapy as long as they have approval from a review panel that assesses the cells' use for patient safety, as is customary in clinical trials. But unlike most clinical trials, in which experimental therapy is provided free, the policy would allow Texas doctors to charge for it, typically tens of thousands of dollars.
http://www.chron.com/...
For-Profit Schools Under Fire For Targeting Veterans
Hundreds of thousands of veterans have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan in recent years, eager to get an education under the new post-Sept. 11 G.I. Bill. Many vets looking for a school find they are inundated by sales pitches from institutions hungry for their government benefits. Now, lawmakers are looking for ways to protect vets without narrowing their education choices.
http://www.npr.org/...
5 Social Entrepreneurship Startups You Should Know Right Now
By harnessing the power of digital technology, these five companies have offered resources to citizens in need, helped to eliminate landfill junk and funded social entrepreneurs who will effect real change on a global scale. While the companies are diverse, they share a common thread — a passionate leader who’s devoted to improving lives. Here’s a roundup of featured programs from the last week, including exclusive video interviews.
http://mashable.com/...