https://graciekirschner.journoportfolio.comRSS Feed for Gracie KirschnerenFri, 04 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://www.reportingtexas.com/texas-is-one-step-closer-to-banning-thc-heres-what-that-might-look-like/By Gracie KirschnerReporting TexasThe Texas Senate passed a statewide ban on March 19 on all forms of THC, the primary psychoactive compound found in cannabis or marijuana. Senate Bill 3 was named one of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s priority bills for this session and aims to crack down on the state’s booming consumable hemp market.  This comes after Texas lawmakers legalized the commercialization of hemp in 2019 by passing legislation that allowed products with THC levels under 0.3% to be sold in Tex...Fri, 04 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://www.reportingtexas.com/texas-is-one-step-closer-to-banning-thc-heres-what-that-might-look-like/https://www.reportingtexas.com/texas-is-one-step-closer-to-banning-thc-heres-what-that-might-look-like/By Gracie KirschnerReporting TexasThe Texas Senate passed a statewide ban on March 19 on all forms of THC, the primary psychoactive compound found in cannabis or marijuana. Senate Bill 3 was named one of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s priority bills for this session and aims to crack down on the state’s booming consumable hemp market.  This comes after Texas lawmakers legalized the commercialization of hemp in 2019 by passing legislation that allowed products with THC levels under 0.3% to be sold in Tex...Fri, 04 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://www.reportingtexas.com/texas-is-one-step-closer-to-banning-thc-heres-what-that-might-look-like/https://www.kxan.com/news/texas-politics/matthew-mcconaughey-and-other-stars-push-senate-to-make-texas-next-film-haven/AUSTIN (Nexstar) – Monday evening the Texas Senate Committee on Finance approved Senate Bill 22, which would increase the amount of money the state provides to attract film and television projects to Texas. The 11-0 vote sets the stage for the bill to be considered by the full Senate in the coming days. The vote came hours after committee members heard testimony from special guest Matthew McConaughey in support of SB 22. The legislation would set aside $500 million every two years for the n...Mon, 31 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://www.kxan.com/news/texas-politics/matthew-mcconaughey-and-other-stars-push-senate-to-make-texas-next-film-haven/https://www.reportingtexas.com/not-my-presidents-day-protests-take-place-at-texas-state-capitol-across-u-s/By Gracie KirschnerReporting TexasProtests have erupted across the United States since President Donald Trump took office this January. Austin is no stranger to these protests, and President’s Day was no exception.  On a day meant to celebrate our nation’s leaders, thousands of protesters gathered at the Texas State Capitol to protest the Trump administration and Elon Musk’s influence on U.S. policy. This protest and others like it are part of the “No Kings on Presidents’ Day” or “Not my Preside...Fri, 07 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://www.reportingtexas.com/not-my-presidents-day-protests-take-place-at-texas-state-capitol-across-u-s/https://www.kxan.com/news/texas-politics/texas-senate-considers-total-thc-ban-where-they-are-so-far/AUSTIN (Nexstar) — The Senate State Affairs Committee began its discussion on a bill that would ban all forms of THC, the primary psychoactive ingredient in marijuana on Monday. Texas Senate Bill 3 was named one of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s priority bills for this session in January and aims to address concerns that unregulated THC products are being sold across the state.  This comes after Texas lawmakers legalized the commercialization of hemp, including products with THC levels under 0.3%,...Mon, 03 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://www.kxan.com/news/texas-politics/texas-senate-considers-total-thc-ban-where-they-are-so-far/https://www.kxan.com/news/political-news/bill-filed-after-bail-bond-reform-named-priority-for-texas-lege/AUSTIN (KXAN)- Bail bond reform was named one of Gov. Greg Abbott’s emergency items for the 2025 legislative session, which he announced on Sunday at the State of the State address.  “Activist judges simply have too much discretion to let repeat offenders out on bail only to see them harm more Texans,” Abbott said in his address. Abbott claims that these judges have contributed to repeat offenders returning to the streets by frequently setting their bail at low amounts. By declaring this an...Mon, 03 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://www.kxan.com/news/political-news/bill-filed-after-bail-bond-reform-named-priority-for-texas-lege/https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/faith-and-food-how-an-east-austin-woman-is-fighting-food-insecurity/AUSTIN (KXAN) — Jeannette Valdez Duran lived on the streets of north Austin between 2006 and 2009. Finding food to eat during those times was difficult and sometimes proved to be impossible. Famished one night, she mustered up the courage to approach the night manager of a local convenience store and ask for the day’s leftovers. His kindness inspired Duran to change the trajectory of her life. Now, she’s using her good fortune to give back through her nonprofit Mobile Blessings from the Heart...Fri, 24 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/faith-and-food-how-an-east-austin-woman-is-fighting-food-insecurity/https://www.kxan.com/news/texas-politics/trump-expands-on-texas-gov-greg-abbotts-border-policies/AUSTIN (NEXSTAR) – Only minutes after being sworn in as the 47th President of the United States, President Donald Trump praised Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s border security policies and promised Texas would have support from Washington now that he was in office. “He was a very popular governor and now he’s an unbeatable governor because of [his] border policies,” Trump said of Abbott in remarks at the Capitol following his inauguration. To back this up, the president signed 10 immigration-rela...Thu, 23 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://www.kxan.com/news/texas-politics/trump-expands-on-texas-gov-greg-abbotts-border-policies/https://www.kxan.com/news/texas-abortion/texas-abortion-legislation-could-deplete-womens-health-care-in-the-state-ob-gyns-say/AUSTIN (KXAN) — Abortion laws in Texas are stressing the state’s already overworked women’s health care workforce and depleting numbers of doctors entering and staying in the state, according to a study by Manatt Health. More than 70% of practicing OB-GYNs in Texas feel the near-total ban is prohibiting them from providing high-quality, evidence-based care for patients and negatively impacting their ability to practice, according to the study released in October.  In 2022, after the U.S....Wed, 11 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000https://www.kxan.com/news/texas-abortion/texas-abortion-legislation-could-deplete-womens-health-care-in-the-state-ob-gyns-say/https://www.kxan.com/news/texas/texas-counties-seek-state-ems-funding-as-costs-rise/AUSTIN (KXAN) — Counties across Texas are using part of their budget to pay for their own fleet of ambulance services or they’re contracting them out. These services require large portions of county budgets and, as costs for emergency services continue to rise, leaders are turning to the state for help. Terri Langford, the health and human services reporter at The Texas Tribune, joined KXAN’s Will DuPree to discuss the reasons behind these rising costs and why there’s a growing need for th...Wed, 13 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000https://www.kxan.com/news/texas/texas-counties-seek-state-ems-funding-as-costs-rise/https://www.kxan.com/news/university-of-texas-students-receive-settlement-in-juul-class-action-lawsuit/AUSTIN (KXAN)- Some Juul users are receiving hundreds, even thousands of dollars as part of a $300 million class action settlement. Juul and Altria, which owns 35% of Juul, were accused of misleading customers about the product’s addictiveness and health impacts. They were also charged with unlawfully marketing to minors. Juul agreed to a settlement in 2022, but the Altria settlement, which was needed to kickstart the payouts, was not approved until earlier this year. As of March, more than 1...Wed, 23 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0100https://www.kxan.com/news/university-of-texas-students-receive-settlement-in-juul-class-action-lawsuit/https://www.kxan.com/news/university-of-texas-students-receive-settlement-in-juul-class-action-lawsuit/AUSTIN (KXAN)- Some Juul users are receiving hundreds, even thousands of dollars as part of a $300 million class action settlement. Juul and Altria, which owns 35% of Juul, were accused of misleading customers about the product’s addictiveness and health impacts. They were also charged with unlawfully marketing to minors. Juul agreed to a settlement in 2022, but the Altria settlement, which was needed to kickstart the payouts, was not approved until earlier this year. As of March, more than 1...Wed, 23 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0100https://www.kxan.com/news/university-of-texas-students-receive-settlement-in-juul-class-action-lawsuit/https://www.kxan.com/news/university-of-texas-students-receive-settlement-in-juul-class-action-lawsuit/AUSTIN (KXAN)- Some Juul users are receiving hundreds, even thousands of dollars as part of a $300 million class action settlement. Juul and Altria, which owns 35% of Juul, were accused of misleading customers about the product’s addictiveness and health impacts. They were also charged with unlawfully marketing to minors. Juul agreed to a settlement in 2022, but the Altria settlement, which was needed to kickstart the payouts, was not approved until earlier this year. As of March, more than 1...Wed, 23 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0100https://www.kxan.com/news/university-of-texas-students-receive-settlement-in-juul-class-action-lawsuit/https://www.kxan.com/in-depth-insight/insight-austin-counselor-gives-tips-on-how-to-tell-kids-about-dangers-of-swatting/AUSTIN (KXAN)- The beginning of the school year in Central Texas has been accompanied by an influx of reported safety threats. Just last week, San Marcos High School went into lockdown after police looked into a swatting incident there. Swatting occurs when someone reports a fake crime to cause a large police response. Now, local law enforcement are urging parents to talk to their children about the severity of inciting a swatting incident.  Megan Butler, a licensed professional counselor...Tue, 01 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0100https://www.kxan.com/in-depth-insight/insight-austin-counselor-gives-tips-on-how-to-tell-kids-about-dangers-of-swatting/https://www.kxan.com/state-of-texas/newsmaker-interviews/texas-mom-who-lost-son-not-backing-down-in-fight-for-fentanyl-education/AUSTIN (Nexstar) – Fentanyl poisonings continue to kill thousands of people across Texas. But the latest statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show an encouraging sign. The numbers show a slight decrease in deaths in Texas, mirroring a nationwide decline that started showing up earlier this year. Part of the credit for the decline can be attributed to increased awareness of the dangers of the drug, DEA officials say. Last year, Texas took a new step towards fentanyl...Sun, 29 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0100https://www.kxan.com/state-of-texas/newsmaker-interviews/texas-mom-who-lost-son-not-backing-down-in-fight-for-fentanyl-education/https://www.kxan.com/news/local/hays/hays-county-doj-reach-agreement-on-ada-compliant-polling-places/AUSTIN (KXAN) — The U.S. Justice Department reached an agreement with Hays County to ensure access to polling places for voters with disabilities this November. This agreement follows an investigation into Hays County’s compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act where investigators surveyed the 14 polling places the county used during last year’s election.  During this investigation, the DOJ found the county’s polling places had barriers to access for voters with disabilities. So...Tue, 24 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0100https://www.kxan.com/news/local/hays/hays-county-doj-reach-agreement-on-ada-compliant-polling-places/https://www.kxan.com/in-depth-insight/insight-expert-explains-ut-automatic-admissions-drop-to-5-for-texas-students/AUSTIN (KXAN)- The University of Texas Austin announced Monday it will drop the percentage of Texas high school students automatically admitted to the university from 6% to 5%. The school said in a statement that the change is necessary in order to meet the state’s requirement that 75% of the Texas residents in each freshman class are admitted based on high school class rank. This change is expected to impact admissions for Fall 2026.  Dale Price, the Founder and CEO of Access College America...Tue, 17 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0100https://www.kxan.com/in-depth-insight/insight-expert-explains-ut-automatic-admissions-drop-to-5-for-texas-students/https://www.kxan.com/in-depth-insight/insight-expert-explains-ut-automatic-admissions-drop-to-5-for-texas-students/AUSTIN (KXAN)- The University of Texas Austin announced Monday it will drop the percentage of Texas high school students automatically admitted to the university from 6% to 5%. The school said in a statement that the change is necessary in order to meet the state’s requirement that 75% of the Texas residents in each freshman class are admitted based on high school class rank. This change is expected to impact admissions for Fall 2026.  Dale Price, the Founder and CEO of Access College America...Tue, 17 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0100https://www.kxan.com/in-depth-insight/insight-expert-explains-ut-automatic-admissions-drop-to-5-for-texas-students/https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/u-s-marine-talks-about-2006-iraq-injury-recovery-nonprofit-helps-injured-veteransATLANTA - Andrew "Andy" Robinson has always been a fighter. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps ready to face any challenges that came with the job. His attitude did not waver when he was deployed to Iraq not once, but twice. "I went to Iraq twice, once in 2004 and then another time in 2006. It's war, so you don't really know what to expect or what it's like. But it wasn't extremely scary. At that point, you're a trained professional and this is your line of work. So going to do that is somethi...Wed, 31 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0100https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/u-s-marine-talks-about-2006-iraq-injury-recovery-nonprofit-helps-injured-veteranshttps://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/singer-rachel-hale-releases-new-song-titled-just-breathe-daddys-songATLANTA - Singer-songwriter Rachel Hale has many talents. Born in Prescott, Arkansas, a small town with only 3,500 people, music opportunities were limited. Despite that, she had always dreamed of becoming a singer. But, she didn’t expect her journey to begin on "American Idol."  After trying out for the show at age 16, the judges told her to come back when she had grown in her abilities. At age 20, her dreams came true. She was one of the top 20 female finalists in "American Idol: Season 12." H...Wed, 03 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0100https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/singer-rachel-hale-releases-new-song-titled-just-breathe-daddys-songhttps://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/beware-borg-doctor-talks-about-drinking-trend-college-campusesATLANTA - BORG, also known as "blackout rage gallon," is becoming a popular drinking trend among Gen-Z on college campuses. This term refers to a concoction made in a gallon jug filled with liquor (such as vodka), water, and a flavored electrolyte enhancer. These drinks are typically consumed during day parties, also known as "darties." The drink can be extremely dangerous, according to health experts.  "Because it’s all in one jug or container, people tend to drink a lot more than they normally...Tue, 11 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0100https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/beware-borg-doctor-talks-about-drinking-trend-college-campuses