Federal cuts may impact how Texans get their weather news

TEXAS – KUT Radio reports the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has laid off hundreds of employees as part of a federal workforce reduction initiative under the Trump administration. According to the agency’s former head of research, these cuts could reduce the accuracy of weather forecasting in Texas, a state frequently affected by severe weather events. According to Craig McLean, former assistant administrator for research at NOAA who says he’s been in contact with people “at all levels of the agency,” between 600 to 800 people were fired last week, including meteorologists and staff from the National Weather Service (NWS), a subsidiary agency of NOAA. McLean says these firings could lessen the accuracy of severe weather warnings, prevent storm hunters from making routine flights, and overburden “the existing number of forecasters who are on the job,” leading to “greater risk for the American people.”

“When the system is stressed, the quality of those forecasts is then put in jeopardy and the ability of the public to take early and appropriate action will be compromised,” McLean said. “We’re diminishing the capacity, the skill level and we’re also delaying the technical delivery of many advances that we know we can be producing.” Texas is no stranger to devastating weather events. In 2017, Hurricane Harvey made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane, causing catastrophic flooding in Houston. The storm left more than 100 people dead and about $125 billion in damages. In 2021, an arctic blast knocked out power for millions throughout the state – more than 200 people died. Hurricane Beryl resulted in more than 40 deaths in the Houston area last summer. Before all of these storms, the NWS provided up-to-date forecasts hours, and even days, in advance – a practice that’s now being threatened by recent federal firings, according to McLean. This could impact local news forecasts as well. Meteorologists primarily rely on NWS data, along with other government and private sources. The layoffs come amid a broader wave of federal job cuts under billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has moved to reduce federal staffing across multiple departments, citing budget and efficiency concerns. Thousands of government employees have already been fired.

Texas health official warns against ‘measles parties’

AUSTIN – The Dallas Morning News reports that a Texas health official is warning against “measles parties” as an outbreak grows in West Texas, resulting in the death of at least one unvaccinated school-aged child. In a press briefing Friday, Dr. Ron Cook, chief health officer for the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock, urged families to avoid such gatherings and instead get vaccinated. “We can’t predict who is going to do poorly with measles, being hospitalized, potentially get pneumonia or encephalitis, or potentially pass away from this,” he said, according to multiple news reports. “It’s a foolish thing to go have measles parties.” It is not known if measles parties are actually popping up in West Texas. Asked for more information, Cook said, “It’s mostly been … social media talk.”

Measles parties echo chicken pox parties from decades ago, when people would deliberately expose themselves or others to someone with a confirmed case in an attempt to spread the virus in a controlled environment. The chicken pox vaccine was introduced to the public in 1995, largely ending the practice. Measles is one of the most contagious viruses in the world and spreads mostly among unvaccinated people. Symptoms include a cough, fever, red eyes and the telltale skin rash. Since late January, 146 cases of measles have been identified in Texas, including 20 hospitalizations and one death. Of the 146 cases in Texas, 141 were in people who were either unvaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. No cases of measles have been reported in Dallas or Fort Worth. Local health officials in Rockwall County — just east of Dallas — reported a single case, but they said it does not appear to be connected to the West Texas outbreak. Doctors said they’re preaching the same thing to every concerned parent: Make sure you and your children are vaccinated. “The most robust way that we have to prevent measles is by the vaccination,” said Dr. Carla Garcia Carreno, the medical director for Infection Prevention and Control at Children’s Medical Center Plano. “It’s a very effective vaccine and it’s a very safe vaccine.”

Smith County storm damage report

SMITH COUNTY – Smith County storm damage reportSmith County residents who suffered property damage due to Tuesday morning’s storms are being asked to report them the Texas Division of Emergency Management. Smith County Emergency Management Coordinator Brandon Moore reported that a couple of mobile homes in The Grove at Brook Hollow, located off Rhones Quarter Road, had trees that fell through them. The Smith County Road and Bridge Department reported a partial wash out of County Road 165, also known as Henry Moore Road, southwest of Tyler.

Road crews also responded to trees down on County Roads 134, 135, 168, 2115 and 2116. To report downed trees or wash outs of county roads, please call Smith County dispatch at 903-566-6600. To report property damages caused by the storm on March 4, 2025, click here. The Tyler-Smith County Tornado and Severe Weather Response Plan for 2025 as been released and can be found here.

Tariffs take aim at US and Texas farm exports

TEXAS (AP) – President Donald Trump’s long-threatened tariffs against Canada and Mexico went into effect Tuesday, putting global markets on edge and setting up costly retaliations by the United States’ North American allies. Starting just past midnight, imports from Canada and Mexico are now to be taxed at 25%, with Canadian energy products subject to 10% import duties. The 10% tariff that Trump placed on Chinese imports in February was doubled to 20%, and Beijing retaliated Tuesday with tariffs of up to 15% on a wide array of U.S. farm exports. It also expanded the number of U.S. companies subject to export controls and other restrictions by about two dozen. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his country would slap tariffs on more than $100 billion of American goods over the course of 21 days. Mexico didn’t immediately detail any retaliatory measures.

The U.S. president’s moves raised fears of higher inflation and the prospect of a devastating trade war even as he promised the American public that taxes on imports are the easiest path to national prosperity. He has shown a willingness to buck the warnings of mainstream economists and put his own public approval on the line, believing that tariffs can fix what ails the country. “It’s a very powerful weapon that politicians haven’t used because they were either dishonest, stupid or paid off in some other form,” Trump said Monday at the White House. “And now we’re using them.” The Canada and Mexico tariffs were supposed to begin in February, but Trump agreed to a 30-day suspension to negotiate further with the two largest U.S. trading partners. The stated reason for the tariffs is to address drug trafficking and illegal immigration, and both countries say they’ve made progress on those issues. But Trump has also said the tariffs will only come down if the U.S. trade imbalance closes, a process unlikely to be settled on a political timeline. The tariffs may be short-lived if the U.S. economy suffers. But Trump could also impose more tariffs on the European Union, India, computer chips, autos and pharmaceutical drugs. The American president has injected a disorienting volatility into the world economy, leaving it off balance as people wonder what he’ll do next.

Abbott, RFK Jr. slow to push measles vaccine as Texas outbreak spreads

TEXAS – The Houston Chronicle reports that U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he’s spoken directly with Gov. Greg Abbott about the measles outbreak in Texas, but neither are telling Texas families to get the vaccine that can stop the spread of the highly contagious respiratory illness. Kennedy said while the vaccines can protect children and contribute to community immunity, the ultimate decision to vaccinate should still be with parents. “All parents should consult with their healthcare providers to understand their options to get the MMR vaccine,” Kennedy said in an op-ed published Sunday on Fox News. “The decision to vaccinate is a personal one.”

His comments come after the Texas Department of State Health Services reported on Friday that the state has now had 146 cases of measles since late January, mostly in the South Plains near Lubbock. Twenty patients have been hospitalized, and one child has died. Houston health officials were investigating two possible measles cases on Friday, ahead of the rodeo. And an infant too young to be vaccinated tested positive on Friday for measles in Austin, public health officials announced. Kennedy said he promised Abbott and Texas health officials any support they need to “bring this outbreak to an end.” Abbott’s office said it had a “productive” call with the federal health agency. “The state of Texas will continue working with the federal government and explore all resources to help keep Texans safe and healthy,” Abbott spokesman Andrew Mahaleris said. Abbott issued his first public comments on the situation on Friday, posting on social media that he’s been in regular contact with state health officials, and that the state “will deploy all necessary resources to ensure the safety and health needs of Texans.” But the governor stopped short of pushing for people to get vaccinated. DSHS officials have been more direct on that front. “The best way to prevent getting sick is to be immunized with two doses of a vaccine against measles, which is primarily administered as the combination measles-mumps-rubella vaccine,” the agency says in a statement. “Two doses of the MMR vaccine are highly effective at preventing measles.”

Uber teams up with Waymo to start selling driverless rides in Austin

AUSTIN (AP) – Uber will shift into a new gear in Austin, Texas, on Tuesday when its ride-hailing service will begin dispatching self-driving cars to pick up passengers.

The autonomous option is being provided through a partnership that brings together Uber and robotaxi pioneer Waymo, which already sells self-driving vehicle rides through its own app in Phoenix, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Waymo is now trying to expand into more cities by teaming up with Uber — an alliance that was announced last September.

The partnership begins in Austin and will, later this year, expand to offer robotaxi rides in Atlanta.

Waymo’s robotaxis will be hitting the streets of Austin ahead of Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s goal of launching a fleet of electric self-driving cars later this year.

Uber’s network of human-driven cars will continue to give rides in Austin, too, but tapping into Waymo’s robotaxis will give it another selling point that could be popular among passengers eager to try out a cutting-edge technology.

“With Waymo’s technology and Uber’s proven platform, we’re ready to bring you the ride of the future, today,” Uber crowed about the robotaxis coming to Austin.

Although there is no way passengers can guarantee that a ride ordered through Uber’s app in Austin will be provided by one of Waymo’s robotaxis, they can increase their chances of getting a self-driven car by going into their settings and turning on the autonomous vehicle preference.

When it sends a Waymo car to pick up a passenger, Uber’s app will send a notification that the ride will be provided by a self-driving car while also offering the option to switch to a human-controlled vehicle instead.

Originally started as a secret project within Google, Waymo has been making major inroads since its robotaxis first began charging for rides in Phoenix nearly five years ago. Waymo’s robotaxis are now averaging 200,000 paid rides per week, up from about 10,000 weekly rides two years ago, according to a recent post by Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, who runs the Mountain View, California, company that owns Google as well as Waymo.

After expanding into Austin and Atlanta this year as part of the Uber partnership, Waymo also plans to begin offering rides in Miami next year through its own app, mirroring how it already runs its service in Phoenix, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Waymo, so far, has avoided a major traffic accident or other safety problems that might give regulators second thoughts about allowing its robotaxis to remain on the road.

Automaker General Motors tried to compete against Waymo in San Francisco with a robotaxi service operated by its Cruise subsidiary, but had its California license suspended in October 2023 after one of its self-driving cars dragged an injured pedestrian about 20 feet before coming to a stop.

Uber also struck a deal last year to eventually deploy Cruise’s robotaxis in cities that were never identified before General Motors pulled the plug on its fleet of self-driving cars.

West Texans, Mennonites at center of measles outbreak choose medical freedom over vaccine mandates

SEMINOLE — Measles had struck this West Texas town, sickening dozens of children, but at the Community Church of Seminole, more than 350 worshippers gathered for a Sunday service. Sitting elbow-to-elbow, they filled the pews, siblings in matching button-down shirts and dresses, little girls’ hair tied neatly into pink bows.

Fathers shushed babbling toddlers as their wives snuck out to change infants’ diapers.

A little girl in this mostly Mennonite congregation was among those who’d fallen ill with the highly contagious respiratory disease, senior pastor Dave Klassen said — but she’s doing fine, and she happily played through her quarantine. He heard that at least two Mennonite schools shut down for a bit to disinfect.

What he hasn’t heard: Any direct outreach from public health officials on what to do as the number of those sickened with measles has grown to 146 and a school-age child has died. And though Klassen is a trusted church and community leader, his congregants haven’t asked about whether they should vaccinate their kids – and he wouldn’t want to weigh in.

“With this measles situation, I can honestly just tell you we haven’t taken any steps as a church,” he said. “We did leave it up to the mothers.”

As measles — a preventable disease the U.S. considered eliminated in 2000 — spreads through West Texas’ rural expanse, Klassen is sticking to an approach on vaccines that is a key tenet for Mennonites. Family leaders are the top decision-making authority — not outside recommendations, certainly not government mandates.

Alongside measles in this region, where voters overwhelmingly supported President Donald J. Trump, there’s another outbreak: one of misinformation about vaccines, distrust of local public health officials and a fear of governmental authority overruling family autonomy. And on the national stage, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the country’s top health official and an anti-vaccine activist, dismissed the Texas outbreak as “not unusual.”

“Do I trust all the vaccines? No,” Klassen said. “And I get from (Kennedy) that he doesn’t trust all the vaccines, either. And he is very well educated in that; I’m not.”

In an opinion piece for Fox News Digital, Kennedy wrote about the value of the measles vaccine but stopped short of calling on families to get it, saying the decision is “a personal one.” He urged parents to speak to their health care providers about options.

Vaccine skepticism has also been spurred by state lawmakers who this year filed more than a dozen bills that would strengthen or expand vaccine exemptions, which Texas already allows for “reasons of conscience, including a religious belief.”

At hospitals in Lubbock, 80 miles to the north and on the front lines of the outbreak, babies with measles are struggling to breathe.

Dr. Summer Davies, a Texas Tech Physicians pediatrician, said she has treated about 10 of the outbreak’s patients, most very young or teens. She said children have had to be intubated, including one younger than 6 months old. Others come in with such high fevers or severe sore throats that they refuse to eat or drink to the point of dehydration.

“It’s hard as a pediatrician, knowing that we have a way to prevent this and prevent kids from suffering and even death,” she said. “But I do agree that the herd immunity that we have established in the past isn’t the same now. And I think kids are suffering because of that.”

In Lubbock County, 92% of kindergarteners are up to date on their measles, mumps and rubella shots, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. That’s lower than the 95% threshold experts say is needed to prevent measles from spreading. Gaines County, which includes Seminole, has an 82% MMR vaccination rate, though rates for homeschooled or private school students may be much lower. The vaccine series is required for kids before entering kindergarten in public schools nationwide. Many Mennonite families don’t send children to public schools.

All of the children admitted with measles to Covenant Children’s Hospital in Lubbock were unvaccinated, officials said last week. Dr. Lara Johnson, the hospital’s chief medical officer, told The Associated Press that Covenant has seen more than 20 patients, including children, teens and pregnant mothers, since the outbreak began in late January.

News of a measles case in Seminole, population 7,200, put doctors on a “shared high alert,” said Dr. Martin Ortega, a family physician for Texas Tech Physicians in Odessa, about an hour away. The small towns of West Texas may look completely isolated on a map, with little between them beyond oil and gas facilities and sprawling desert. But the region is connected by its people, who regularly travel long distances to grocery stores, hospitals and houses of worship.

Many doctors are seeing measles cases for the first time in their careers. In Lea County, New Mexico, 30 minutes west of Seminole, nine measles cases with no clear connection to the Texas outbreak, rattled doctors and parents. An unvaccinated infant in Austin also tested positive for measles after an overseas vacation.

It’s “a little bit surreal,” said Dr. Rumbidzai Mutikani, a pediatrician at Nor-Lea Hospital District’s Hobbs Medical Clinic. Parents were so concerned “our phones were just ringing,” Mutikani said.

Katherine Wells, director of Lubbock’s public health department, said West Texas’ rural landscape is a major challenge, not just in getting to patients and transporting test samples, but also in getting the word out.

A lot of the messaging is word of mouth, she said, but they are working on public-service announcements featuring trusted Gaines County residents, putting up billboards about measles, handing out flyers and posting in WhatsApp groups.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused “a lot of distrust in public health” and government requirements, Wells said. On Facebook, people have accused her of making up the measles outbreak. They hope her department loses its funding.

It’s “really hurtful stuff,” she said. “We’re really working to help encourage vaccines for our community and help those kids that are infected to make sure they get medical treatment so that we don’t end up with another death.”

The reality on the ground can be nuanced, however.

Brownfield Mayor Eric Horton is pro-Trump, he said, but also pro-MMR vaccine.

His county was hard-hit by COVID-19, Horton said, with nearly 90 deaths. So when measles cases came to his town of 8,600, Horton feared for his community. He said the local hospital has been busy administering vaccines since the outbreak started.

“Out here on the south plains of Texas, we are conservative people, but we also are not anti-vaxxers,” he said.

Across the region, people echoed this sentiment about routine childhood vaccinations in interviews with the AP and The Texas Tribune. Often, though, they are less supportive of COVID-19 and flu shots.

“It’s frustrating that (Mennonites) don’t vaccinate, and they put other people’s families and children at exposure for it,” said Stephen Spruill, a 36-year-old trucker from Seminole.

But “this is America. People have the right to choose.”

Macey Lane, 31, of Hobbs, said: “I do support Donald Trump. I don’t support not requiring vaccines.”

All of Lane’s kids are vaccinated. Praising Sen. Mitch McConnell’s vote against Kennedy’s nomination, she said the fact that “the only Republican that went against RFK was a polio survivor says a lot.” But she said she voted off other issues: her religious beliefs, stance on abortion and who would be best for the region’s oil and gas industry.

“As far as RFK being an anti-vaxxer, this is the most important thing: People have to make a decision for themselves and be as informed as they possibly can,” Horton said.

But in doctors’ offices throughout the region, pediatricians see the consequences of that stance.

Mutikani, the Hobbs pediatrician, said she’s seen vaccine hesitancy increase in recent years as parents come to her with worries that line up with what’s trending on social media. “Virulent” misinformation is especially worrisome in rural areas with few news sources or where many people who don’t regularly see doctors live, she said.

And having “these really big, respected public figures openly going against the grain, going against research and what we know, it makes it really, really difficult,” she said.

Most Texans are still vaccinating their kids, including Jennifer Sanchez, a 26-year-old Odessa resident. She took her 6-year-old and 1-year-old to the local public health department on Monday to get the measles vaccine.

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

East Texas Senator files bill to protect teachers

East Texas Senator files bill to protect teachersMINEOLA — Texas Republicans are making moves that they say will protect teachers. A bill filed by State Senator Bryan Hughes, of Mineola, would give protection to school workers who are facing complaints from transgender students, upset over being misidentified in the classroom. He says teachers should not be pressured to support something that conflicts with their deeply held religious beliefs.

The bill faces opposition from several civil rights groups, which testified at a hearing this week. They fear it will lead to bullying in the classroom.

Electrical issue forces evacuation of Downtown Tyler building

Electrical issue forces evacuation of Downtown Tyler buildingTYLER — Our news partner, KETK, reports that staff were evacuated at People’s Petroleum in Tyler Monday afternoon after smoke was coming from the building.

According to Tyler Fire Department Assistant Chief Kelly Adkinson, when firefighters arrived they found no smoke but made the decision to evacuate people to investigate the situation. Adkinson said after Encore arrived they determined it was an electrical issue with an underground transformer located under College Street. Due to a strong smell of smoke, firefighters performed ventilation to help clear the smell out.

Officials said there were no injuries reported and staff and patrons were allowed to reenter the building after around 30 minutes.

Kemp man charged with sexual abuse

Kemp man charged with sexual abuseHENDERSON COUNTY – Our news partner, KETK, reports that a 21-year-old from Kemp has been arrested for continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14 in Henderson County.

On Feb. 10, an investigator with the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office’s Crimes Against Children Task Force was shown a forensic interview of a child at the Maggie’s House children’s advocacy center in Athens.

According to arrest documents obtained by KETK, the child was interviewed after they made an outcry at school which was reported to Child Protective Services. The child said they had earned a dollar bill by “doing something nice” to a man named Ian. Continue reading Kemp man charged with sexual abuse