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Tesla sales tumble 13% as Musk backlash, competition and aging lineup turn off buyers

NEW YORK (AP) — Tesla sales fell 13% in the first three months of the year, another sign that Elon Musk’s once high-flying car company is struggling to attract buyers.

The leading electric vehicle maker has faced a growing backlash from Musk’s embrace of right-wing politics and his role in the Trump administration. Opponents have staged protests at Tesla showrooms in the U.S. and in Europe, where the sales declines have been steeper.

Tesla’s line-up is aging, and some consumers may have held off from buying its bestselling Model Y while waiting for an updated version. The Austin, Texas, company also faces fierce competition from other EV makers offering vastly improved models, including those of China’s BYD.

Tesla reported deliveries of 336,681 globally in the January to March quarter. The figure was down from sales of 387,000 in the same period a year ago. The decline came despite deep discounts, zero financing and other incentives and could be a warning that the company’s first-quarter earnings report later this month could disappoint investors.

Dan Ives of Wedbush said Wall Street financial analysts knew the first quarter was likely bad, but turned out even worse than expected. He called the sales results a “disaster on every metric.”

“The brand crisis issues are clearly having a negative impact on Tesla…there is no debate,” he said.

Musk has been President Donald Trump’s point man in his effort to cut government spending. As criticism of Musk mounted and Tesla’s sales and stock price slumped, Trump last month held an extraordinary press conference outside the White House in which he praised Tesla, blasted boycotts against the company and bought a Tesla himself while TV cameras rolled.

Tesla investors have complained Musk’s work at the Department of Government Efficiency has diverted his focus from running Tesla. On Tuesday, New York City’s comptroller overseeing pension funds holding Tesla stock called for a lawsuit accusing a distracted Musk of “driving Tesla off a financial cliff.”

After falling as much as 6% in early Wednesday, Tesla stock shot up more than 5% on indications that Musk may soon return his attention to Tesla. Politico, citing anonymous sources, reported Trump has told Cabinet members that Musk will step back from his role at DOGE in coming weeks.

Tesla’s stock has plunged by roughly half since hitting a mid-December record as expectations of a lighter regulatory touch and big profits with Donald Trump as president were replaced by fear that the boycott of Musk’s cars and other problems could hit the company hard. Analysts are still not sure exactly how much the fall in sales is due to the protests or other factors.

Still, even bullish financial analysts who earlier downplayed the backlash to Musk’s polarizing political stances are saying it is hurting the company, something that Musk also recently acknowledged.

“This is a very expensive job,” Musk said at a Wisconsin rally on Sunday, referring to his DOGE role. “My Tesla stock and the stock of everyone who holds Tesla has gone roughly in half.”

Tesla cars have been smashed and set on fire in recent weeks, and protests have been staged at hundreds of Tesla dealerships. Owners have put bumper stickers on their cars saying, “I bought this before Elon went crazy.”

Europeans have also balked at buying Tesla, especially Germans upset after Musk publicly supported a far-right party in national elections and gave what many say was a Nazi-like salute at a Trump inauguration rally in January.

Tesla is expected to report earnings of 48 cents per share for the first quarter later this month, up 7% from a year earlier, according to a survey of financial analysts by research firm FactSet.

Nearly all of Tesla’s sales in the quarter came from the smaller and less-expensive Models 3 and Y, with the company selling less than 13,000 more expensive models, which include X and S as well as the Cybertruck.

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AP Business Writer Michelle Chapman contributed to this report from New York.

Police say a 17-year-old was fatally stabbed by another student at a Texas track meet

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — A 17-year-old student was fatally stabbed by another student during an altercation at a high school track meet in suburban Dallas on Wednesday, police said.

The suspect, 17-year-old Karmelo Anthony, was taken into custody and charged with murder, according to police in Frisco, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of Dallas. Bond had not yet been set.

A police spokesperson said Anthony was being held at the city jail and would be transferred to Collin County jail. The spokesperson also said he did not know whether Anthony had an attorney yet.

Efforts to find contact information for family members to speak on Anthony’s behalf were not immediately successful.

The Frisco Independent School District said the stabbing happened at a meet where student athletes from eight of the district’s 12 schools were competing.

The student who was killed was Austin Metcalf, an 11th grader at Memorial High School, according to an email the principal sent to parents Wednesday.

Details on what led to the stabbing were not immediately released. Frisco police asked for anyone with information to come forward.

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This story has been updated to correct the age of the student who was killed to 17. Police said previously that he was 16.

Oncor: All power restored in Tyler after transformer failure

UPDATE: An Oncor representative said that as of 1:35 p.m., all power has been restored.

TYLER — According to our news partner KETK, multiple traffic signals are without power throughout the city including several on Broadway Avenue. The traffic operations department has deployed generators however some intersections will remain without power. According to an Oncor representative, a transformer fell at a substation at the intersection of Grande Boulevard and Broadway Avenue.

“Drivers should treat a ‘dark’ traffic signal as a four-way stop—each vehicle comes to a complete stop and takes its turn to proceed through the intersection,” city officials said.

Oncor said power should be restored at around 1:30 p.m. and about 6,300 customers have been affected.

How to register for May elections in Texas

TYLER — A reminder from our news partner KETK, Texans have until April 3 to register to vote for the upcoming May elections. Early voting begins April 22 and runs through April 29 while Election Day is May 3.

How to check if you’re registered to vote: Residents are encouraged to contact their county voter registrar since voting in Texas is county-based and Texan residents can go to Am I registered? to see if they’re eligible to vote. Residents who have recently changed their name can update their registration status here.

How to register to vote: To register to vote in Texas, residents must be U.S. citizens, at least 18 years old on Election Day, and a resident of the county in which they plan to vote. They must also not be convicted of any felonies, unless their rights have been restored.

Voters can register by completing a voter registration form online through the Texas Secretary of State’s website or by obtaining a form from their local county voter registrar’s office. Once completed, the form must be mailed to the registrar’s office. Continue reading How to register for May elections in Texas

What’s in Trump’s sweeping new tariff plan?

(WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump unveiled sweeping new tariffs on Wednesday, which the White House dubbed "Liberation Day."

"This is one of the most important days in my opinion in American history," Trump said during a press conference at the Rose Garden, outside the White House. "It's our declaration of economic independence."

The fresh round of tariffs marked a significant escalation from previous levies slapped on some foreign goods in recent weeks.

The new tariffs feature two key policies: A uniform 10% tariff for all imports and "reciprocal" tariffs imposed on many nations that place duties on U.S. imports.

The universal 10% tariff amounts to a wide-ranging trade barrier that will touch every product that enters the U.S.

Trump said the measure would ensure foreign firms pay a price for benefits derived from the purchasing power of U.S. consumers.

"Foreign nations will finally pay for the privilege of access to our market," Trump said.

In addition to the universal tariff, Trump said, the U.S. will impose tariffs on many countries that levy U.S. goods. Trump described such duties as "reciprocal tariffs," though he noted that the U.S. would impose tariffs at half of the level of the trade barriers slapped on U.S. products.

"We will charge them approximately half of what they are and have been charging us," Trump said. "We're kind people." He added later in his remarks, "This is not full reciprocal. This is kind reciprocal."

The move departs from statements made by Trump in recent days vowing to impose reciprocal tariffs that match the trade barriers of other countries.

The reciprocal tariffs will target roughly 60 countries identified by the Trump administration as the "worst offenders," White House officials said, noting that Canada and Mexico would be excluded from the reciprocal tariffs.

The White House calculated the cumulative cost of trade barriers imposed by each of the target nations, including tariffs as well as non-monetary measures. In each case, the U.S. will impose a reciprocal tariff rate at 50% of the level attributed to a given country.

For instance, Trump said, the U.S. estimated a total trade barrier rate of 67% for China, meaning the U.S. would impose a 34% tariff in response. The U.S. assessed a European Union trade barrier rate of 39%, Trump said, adding that the U.S. reciprocal tariff would register at 20%.

The universal 10% tariff is set to take effect on the morning of April 5, and the reciprocal tariffs will hit products on the morning of April 9, White House officials said.

Economists widely expect tariffs to raise prices for U.S. consumers, since importers typically pass along a share of the tax burden in the form of higher costs.

"For decades, the U.S. slashed our trade barriers on other countries while those nations placed massive tariffs on our products," Trump said.

"This all happened with no response from the United States of America -- none whatsoever," Trump added. "But those days are over."

After 6 months, 5 people still missing in North Carolina following Hurricane Helene

(NORTH CAROLINA) -- Six months after Hurricane Helene destroyed communities across the Southeast, five people remain missing in North Carolina due to the storm, according to officials.

The missing include one person from Avery County, one from Mitchell County and three from Yancey County -- all of whom have not been in contact since the Category 4 hurricane hit North Carolina in September, officials confirmed to ABC News.

Alena Ayers from Mitchell County has been missing since the hurricane's start, according to Sheriff Donald Street.

Yancey County Sheriff Shane Hilliard said Lenny Widsawski, Yevhenii Segen and Tetyana Novitnia have also been missing since Helene devastated the area.

Avery County Sheriff's Office could not confirm the name of the individual missing since the beginning of the storm.

Names continue to be removed from the list of missing, with one found as recently as last week.

On March 28, an individual who had been missing since Helene's destruction was found and identified as 66-year-old Russell Wilber, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services confirmed on Wednesday.

Wilber was recovered in Avery County after he had "washed into the Toe River from a campground," officials said.

As of Tuesday, there have been 107 "verified storm-related fatalities in North Carolina," officials said.

On the six-month anniversary of the hurricane, North Carolina Rep. Dudley Greene filed "Alena's Law," which allows for a "presumption of death in instances where the disappearance and continued absence of a person coincides with a disaster declaration," the bill said. It is still working its way through the House before a vote.

Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida's Big Bend region on Sept. 26 as a Category 4 hurricane. Days later, in Asheville, North Carolina, the storm caused historic flooding that devastated roads, bridges and structures.

The storm also ravaged through Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee.

More than 230 people have died from the storm, which has become the deadliest mainland hurricane since Katrina in 2005.

On March 27, "Good Morning America" returned to Asheville and announced $3 million in donations to the community from corporate sponsors including Lowe's, Food Lion, Samsung, BetterHelp, Bojangles, Red Ventures, Armstrong Flooring, 84 Lumber, Family Dollar, Honeywell, Starbucks and Hanes.

Democrats vow to fight Trump’s tariffs ‘tooth and nail’ as they slam ‘chaotic trade war’

(WASHINGTON) -- Democrats on Wednesday vowed to fight President Donald Trump's tariffs "tooth and nail" and criticized his policies as having started an "absurd, crazy, chaotic trade war."

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer held a news conference just hours before Trump's big tariff reveal, where he urged Republicans to join Senate Democrats on a measure to block tariffs on Canadian goods.

"They know they're a tax hike on the American people," he said. "They know that the stock market is in turmoil, risking people's retirements. They know that consumer confidence is down and the odds of a recession --- something people hate, it's harder to find a job, keep a job, maintain your weekly budget if a recession occurs -- and now our greatest financial prognosticators are saying the chances of recession because of these tariffs, this tariff tax, goes way up.

"So, we're going to fight these tariffs tooth and nail. Trump's done a lot of bad things. This is way up there," Schumer said.

Sen. Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat who introduced the resolution to block Trump's tariffs on Canada, said he expected a vote to occur between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET.

Unlike most legislation in the Senate, the resolution will only need a simple majority to pass. Just a handful of Republicans would need to side with Democrats to hit that vote threshold.

President Trump, in an early morning post on his social media platform, pressured Republicans to oppose the measure -- going so far as to call out some specific members of his party by name.

"Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Rand Paul, also of Kentucky, will hopefully get on the Republican bandwagon, for a change," he wrote on his social media platform.

The president added the bill "is just a ploy of the Dems to show and expose the weakness of certain Republicans, namely these four, in that it is not going anywhere because the House will never approve it and I, as your President, will never sign it."

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries also preemptively slammed Trump's tariffs, saying they will make goods more costly.

"This is not Liberation Day. It's Recession Day in the United States of America," Jeffries said. "That's what the Trump tariffs are going to do."

Top House Republicans, meanwhile, expressed confidence in President Trump ahead of this Rose Garden unveiling. Though they admitted their may be some "short-term pain" as a result.

"I trust the president's instincts," Speaker Mike Johnson said when asked by ABC News if he's concerned. "We are fully supportive of his initiatives, and we'll see how it all shakes out."

"The president talked in the State of the Union that that may be some short-term pain, ultimately, long term we're going to get more things made in America, and we're going to get fair treatment of America by other countries," said Majority Leader Steve Scalise.

ABC News' Lauren Peller contributed to this report.

Over 40 arrested at Texas home in Tren de Aragua investigation

HAYS COUNTY – The Texas Department of Public Safety, working with federal agencies on a joint investigation into a Venezuelan gang, arrested more than 40 people and seized drugs after serving a search warrant on an undisclosed Hays County residence, the state agency and the FBI announced Wednesday.

A DPS and FBI news release said the warrant was executed after FBI agents “developed intelligence” earlier this week about a gathering of individuals tied to Tren de Aragua, a gang that started in Venezuelan prisons and has become a target of state and federal officials. DPS did not elaborate on how the dozens of detained people may be linked to the gang.

President Donald Trump’s administration has targeted the criminal organization as part of its broader vow to deport millions of immigrants. But relatives of Venezuelans who have been detained and deported elsewhere in the country say they are not gang members.

It was not clear what potential crimes authorities believe the individuals had committed to be taken into custody. State and federal prosecutors plan to review evidence obtained during the execution of the search warrant to determine potential criminal charges, according to DPS and the FBI.

DPS, the FBI, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Hays County Sheriff’s Office, which participated in the operation, did not immediately return requests for comment Wednesday.

It was not immediately clear where the dozens of people taken into custody are being held.

The San Antonio Police Department helped with an investigation leading up to the operation, but not with the execution of the search warrant, a department spokesperson said, declining to comment further because it is “part of a larger ongoing case.” The DPS release said several local, state and local law enforcement agencies have been investigating members and associates of the gang for more than a year.

This is a developing story.

Article originally published by The Texas Tribune. To read the originally published article, click here.

Massachusetts county debuts jail program with focus on older adults

Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images

(MIDDLESEX, Mass.) -- To step inside the Older Adult Re-Entry unit, or OAR, at the Middlesex County, Massachusetts, jail is unlike entering any jail in the United States.

The walls are adorned in a soothing paint color, and there is fitness equipment, specially designed beds in cell units, better lighting so older inmates do not fall and a puzzle-making table to "stimulate the mind cognitively," according to Middlesex County Sheriff Peter Koutoujian.

OAR is designed for inmates who are over the age of 55 and need to get ready to reenter the public, but Koutoujian said older inmates have different needs than younger ones who get released into the community.

"We designed this unit from the ground up with the unique needs of this population in mind, from treatment programs focused on specific needs of this population, cognitive behavioral treatment, social enrichment, education and occupational therapy," he said, adding that the Middlesex Sheriff's Office worked with researchers from Boston University to have the older inmate population's best interests in mind.

Older inmates make up about 10% of the jail's population, and entry into the program is voluntary. OAR serves both those who are awaiting trial and those who are set to be released in the next few months or years. There are 20 inmates currently in the unit, which just launched in March.

He said OAR helps stimulate inmates minds with different classes and activities to prepare for their reentry into society.

"This is much more than just: This is how to get a job, this is how to get your driver's license back, this is how to do these basic things that we deal with everywhere in our facility," he explained. "This is about how to live your life so that you can live more happily, more safely and longer. [It] is much different than any other unit in the entire country for those very reasons."

In working with researchers, Koutoujian found that older men need friendships to live healthy lives.

"We've seen much more research recently showing especially men, as they age, become more socially isolated. It impacts them mentally and physically and affects their mortality," he said.

"I'm trying to make sure that they are more aware of so that it's not just the fact that we're giving them this lesson, but what are the activities they can engage in?" he added. "They can build new relationships, new friendships, new support systems, healthier social networks. That is a critical part to this population's reentry."

The sheriff said he believes the program, with the research and data OAR is collecting, can be replicated throughout the country.

"What do the incarcerated individuals in the unit get out of it? They get a great deal out of it, and let's just say, what do the officers that are involved in this unit get out of it? They get a feeling of well-being, of partnership, of doing something good," he said.

More cities, counties start to remove fluoride from public drinking water

(NEW YORK) -- More cities and counties across the U.S. are moving to ban fluoride in public drinking water after Utah became the first state in the country to do so.

The Miami-Dade County commissioners voted 8-2 on Tuesday to stop adding fluoride to the public water supply.

Commissioner Roberto Gonzalez, who sponsored the legislation, referred to fluoride as a "neurotoxin" and that studies show it "should not be in the water."

Florida surgeon general Dr. Joseph Ladapo has previously recommended removing fluoride from public water supplies, citing potential harms, according to local ABC News affiliate WPLG.

In a statement last year, Ladapo claimed that "more research is necessary to address safety and efficacy concerns regarding community water fluoridation."

Opponents, including Mayor Daniella Levine-Cava, argue fluoride is safe and essential for dental health.

"Miami-Dade County has been adding fluoride to the water for 60 years. It has been constantly verified, scientifically and medically, that it is safe. We know that it provides protection for dental care and prevents cavities. We use a very, very low level, well within the guidelines," she said before the meeting, according to WPLG.

The measure also calls for the mayor "to create and implement a countywide public service campaign focused on dental hygiene and alternate sources of fluoride available in dental health products."

The county has 30 days to halt fluoride use. It's unclear whether or not the mayor will veto the legislation.

Local reports indicate that a town in Virginia has also voted unanimously to bar adding fluoride to its town water supply.

Meanwhile, an Ohio state representative has also proposed a bill prohibiting adding fluoride to public water systems.

Fluoride is a mineral that naturally occurs in water sources such as lakes and rivers, and is even naturally present in some foods and beverages, according to the American Dental Association (ADA).

It is added to some dental products, such as toothpaste, to help prevent cavities.

High-quality studies show fluoride prevents cavities and repairs damage to teeth caused by bacteria in the mouth. Fluoride makes tooth enamel stronger and rebuilds weakened tooth enamel, the ADA says.

Fluoride also replaces minerals lost from teeth due to acid breakdown, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

However, influential skeptics, such as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., have long raised doubts about the benefits of fluoride.

In an interview with NPR in November 2024, Kennedy doubled down on his promise of persuading local governments to remove fluoride from their water supplies.

He has claimed that fluoride in drinking water affects children's neurological development and that other countries that have removed fluoride from their water supplies have not seen an increase in cavities.

A large review paper published in January 2025 suggested a link between fluoride and lower IQ in children, but much of the underlying data was pulled from other countries, where fluoride exposure is far higher than levels used in drinking water in the U.S.

Some health professionals have also expressed concerns about excessive fluoride intake and potential toxicity.

Many doctors and dental associations, however, argue that fluoride in water is still a crucial, low-risk/high-reward public health tool, especially for children and adults who may not be able to practice regular dental hygiene.

The association calls community water fluoridation "the single most effective public health measure to prevent tooth decay."

"Studies prove water fluoridation continues to be effective in reducing dental decay by at least 25% in children and adults, even in the era of widespread availability of fluoride from other sources, such as fluoride toothpaste," the ADA states on its website. "So, by simply drinking fluoridated water, you are doing something good for your oral health."

ABC News' Sony Salzman and Jason Volack contributed to this report.

Filming for ‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ to begin in July

Filming for the next Hunger Games film, Sunrise on the Reaping, is set to begin in July.

Francis Lawrence, who has directed each Hunger Games film since Catching Fire in 2012, will be returning to direct the upcoming project.

Lawrence, who attended CinemaCon on Tuesday, spoke to attendees about the new film and said that they're working on casting.

"We're very excited," he said. "We've been working on this draft for a year. We start shooting in July."

Additionally, a promotional clip for the film was shared on Instagram. It features Woody Harrelson's character, Haymitch Abernathy, saying at the end, "I think the games are going to be different."

Sunrise on the Reaping is based on author Suzanne Collins' novel of the same name. The book was released in March 2025 and "revisits the world of Panem twenty-four years before the events of The Hunger Games," according to a press release from Scholastic.

The novel begins on the morning of the reaping of the 50th Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell. It follows a young Haymitch, whose name is called to participate in the games, according to a synopsis.

In a statement shared in the Scholastic press release, Collins said, "With Sunrise on the Reaping, I was inspired by David Hume's idea of implicit submission and, in his words, 'the easiness with which the many are governed by the few.' The story also lent itself to a deeper dive into the use of propaganda and the power of those who control the narrative. The question 'Real or not real?' seems more pressing to me every day."

Sunrise on the Reaping will arrive in theaters Nov. 20, 2026.

Christian Menefee threatens lawsuit if Abbott delays Texas District 18 election

HOUSTON – The Houston Chronicle reports that Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee announced on Monday that he will file a lawsuit against Gov. Greg Abbott if he fails to set an election date for Texas’ 18th Congressional District. Menefee called the governor out during a press conference, urging the governor to set the special election for June to fill the congressional seat left vacated after the late Houston mayor and Congressman Sylvester Turner’s death. Per Texas law, Abbott has the sole authority to call a special election. He has done this in the past, most recently when the seat was left vacant after the death of late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee last July. “The governor knows this, and in fact, in the four instances where a seat has become vacant since he’s become governor, he’s gotten to it straight away, sometimes in 16 days, sometimes in 18 days, and once in four days,” Menefee said. “He knows how important it is that people have representation in Congress.”

‘The Simpsons,’ ‘Family Guy,’ ‘Bob’s Burgers’ and ‘American Dad!’ renewed for four seasons

Everything's coming up Milhouse!

Fox has ordered unprecedented four-season renewals for four of its animated TV shows. The Simpsons, Family Guy, Bob's Burgers and American Dad! have all been renewed for four additional seasons.

All four shows will continue their runs on Fox through the 2028-29 TV broadcast cycle and come from 20th Television Animation.

American Dad! returns to the network for four new seasons after an 11-year break. Created by Seth MacFarlane, Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman, the show premiered in 2005 and was part of Fox's programming through 2014.

The Simpsons has been renewed for seasons 37 through 40, extending its run as the longest-running scripted primetime series in the history of TV.

“This new deal celebrates the eternal popularity of these iconic comedies, as well as the enduring, prolific relationship we continue to enjoy with our friends at 20th Television Animation and the brilliant creators — that goes double for Seth [MacFarlane] this time around — and incredible voices behind these contemporary classics,” Michael Thorn, the president of Fox Television Network, said in a statement.

Marci Proietto, head of 20th Television Animation, called the renewals historic and truly monumental for these iconic animated series.

"We are so proud that these legendary shows will continue for hundreds of more episodes, allowing new and longstanding fans to watch, rewatch and experience more of The Simpsons, Family Guy, American Dad and Bob’s Burgers for years to come,” Proietto said.

Disney is the parent company of 20th Television Animation and ABC News.

Major North Texas healthcare provider dropped from Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance

DALLAS – WFAA reports that one of the biggest healthcare providers in North Texas is no longer in Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas’ network, officials said. Contracts between Southwestern Health Resources – which includes Texas Health Resources and UT Southwestern – and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas expired April 1, according to a statement from the insurance company. North Texas-based Southwestern Health Resources has 31 hospitals, more than 7,000 providers and 650 outpatient facilities and clinics. Blue Cross Blue Shield officials in a statement said the company has “worked closely with SWHR to negotiate new contracts,” but an agreement to “protect the interests of our members and customers” hasn’t been reached yet.

Southwestern Health Resources officials in a statement said Blue Cross Blue Shield “remained unwilling to accept Southwestern Health Resources’ requests for equitable reimbursement to cover the rising costs of providing quality care.” “Our goal is to minimize any disruption to patient care and help guide patients affected by this transition to in-network providers,” the statement said. Starting Tuesday, April 1, Southwestern Health Resources hospitals, doctors and facilities were no longer in-network with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas. The impacted Blue Cross plans include: ParPlan, Blue Choice PPO, Blue Essentials, Blue Advantage HMO, Medicaid, Blue Cross Medicare Advantage (PPO), and Blue Cross Medicare Advantage (HMO). Patients with MyBlue Health coverage will remain in-network for Southwestern doctors and hospitals, according to Blue Cross.

Texas moves closer to banning chips, soda and candy from food stamp program

AUSTIN – The Houston Chronicle reports tat food stamp recipients could soon be barred from using their benefits to buy chips, sodas and other types of junk food under a bill that passed the Texas Senate. “This bill isn’t about limiting personal choice,” State Sen. Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston said. “But taxpayer dollars should not subsidize unhealthy eating habits that contribute to preventable health conditions and place additional strain on Texas’ health care system.” Middleton said the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is supposed to provide nutritious food that is essential to the health and well-being of Americans. Yet, he said about 20% of SNAP benefits are being spent on things like cookies, candy, chips and soda.

“They don’t just lack nutritional value, they are bad for you,” Middleton said during a debate over the bill late Monday. The bill passed 22-8 in the Texas Senate on Monday night and now goes to the Texas House. If it passes without any changes there, it would go to Gov. Greg Abbott who can let it become law. State Sen. Borris Miles, D-Houston, said he supports the goal but worries Middleton’s bill will put more burdens on retailers that accept SNAP benefits and potentially lead to more dropping out of the program. Miles said while everyone may want to have healthy food, there are people in urban and rural areas who don’t have access to the type Middleton wants them to eat. He said food deserts that already exist in poor urban areas could grow because of Senate Bill 379. “There are some unintended consequences to this bill that we may not be thinking of,” said Miles, who voted against the measure. “Something to eat is better than nothing to eat.” State Sen. Nathan Johnson, D-Dallas, voted in favor of the bill but also pushed back, saying if the Legislature is really concerned about Texans getting proper nutrition, it should double the value of food stamps for things like fresh produce so benefits could buy more of the health products and give retailers incentive to stock more of it.