Today is
Saturday April 19, 2025
BERKLEY, CA (AP) – Real estate software company RealPage filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday against Berkeley, California — the latest city to try to block landlords from using algorithms when deciding rents. Officials in many cities claim the practice is anti-competitive and is driving up the price of housing.
Texas-based RealPage said Berkeley’s ordinance, which goes into effect this month violates the company’s free speech rights and is the result of an “intentional campaign of misinformation and often-repeated false claims” about its products.
“Berkeley is trying to enact an ordinance that prohibits speech — speech in the form of advice and recommendations from RealPage to its customers,” RealPage attorney Stephen Weissman told reporters on a conference call.
The Department of Justice sued Realpage in August under former President Joe Biden, saying its algorithm combines confidential information from each real estate management company in ways that enable landlords to align prices and avoid competition that would otherwise push down rents. That amounts to cartel-like illegal price collusion, prosecutors said. RealPage’s clients include huge landlords who collectively oversee millions of units across the U.S.
In the lawsuit, the DOJ pointed to RealPage executives’ own words about how their product maximizes prices for landlords. One executive said, “There is greater good in everybody succeeding versus essentially trying to compete against one another in a way that actually keeps the entire industry down.”
San Francisco, Philadelphia and Minneapolis have since passed ordinances restricting landlords from using rental algorithms. The DOJ case remains ongoing, as do lawsuits against RealPage brought by tenants and the attorneys general of Arizona and Washington, D.C.
Berkeley’s ordinance, which fines violators up to $1,000 per infraction, says algorithmic rental software has contributed to “double-digit rent increases … higher vacancy rates and higher rates of eviction.”
RealPage said all these claims are false, and that the real driver of high rents is a lack of housing supply.
The company also denies providing “price fixing software” or a “coordinated pricing algorithm,” saying its pricing recommendations — higher, lower or no change — align with whatever property-specific objectives the housing providers want to achieve using the software.
And since landlords already are incentivized to maximize revenue, RealPage argues that real estate management software can show them how best to maintain high occupancy, and this in turn reduces constraints on the supply of homes.
The lawsuit accuses American Economic Liberties Project, an advocacy group that opposes monopolistic practices, of spreading falsehoods that have caused local officials to pursue misguided policies.
“AELP’s false narrative has taken root in certain municipalities that are particularly eager to find a scapegoat for their own hand in impeding the housing supply,” the lawsuit said.
Weissman said RealPage officials were never given an opportunity to present their arguments to the Berkeley City Council before the ordinance was passed and said the company is considering legal action against other cities that have passed similar policies, including San Francisco.
A spokesperson for Berkeley City Council did not comment on the lawsuit and said officials had not been formally served with the complaint. A spokesperson for the AELP did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
AUSTIN – The Texas Senate, with the bare minimum number of votes, approved the nomination of a formerly indicted Austin police officer to a law enforcement watchdog agency on Wednesday, despite a Democratic effort to block his confirmation over misconduct allegations.
Justin Berry, a senior Austin Police Department officer who had been indicted on charges of aggravated assault during the racial justice protests in 2020, was confirmed Wednesday, 21-10, to serve a second term on the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, which sets standards for police training and conduct.
Senate Democrats, whose ranks had the potential to tank Berry’s nomination if they stayed united, had urged their colleagues to reject Berry on the floor Wednesday.
But state Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa — a Democrat from McAllen in South Texas, a region that has recently surged toward the right — broke with his party to provide the critical vote needed to confirm Berry to a second term. Hinojosa is one of the more conservative Democrats in the Senate.
In an interview, Hinojosa said that he “didn’t take the vote lightly,” and had reviewed the allegations against Berry and met with him one-on-one on Tuesday before deciding to approve his confirmation.
Hinojosa found insufficient evidence backing the accusations of misconduct, he said, and had spoken to other members of the law-enforcement commission who described Berry’s work on the board so far as “competent and professional.” Hinojosa alerted the Senate Democratic Caucus chair, Sen. Carol Alvarado of Houston, of his decision Wednesday morning.
“I didn’t feel there was any criminal behavior that would rise to the level of rejecting his nomination,” Hinojosa said, adding that he thought rejecting Berry would make him a “scapegoat” for failures at higher levels of police command. “It’s not an easy one, but at the same time, I’m not here to second guess the governor.”
Berry’s confirmation marked another failed attempt by Democrats to exercise power in a state government long dominated by Republicans. Gov. Greg Abbott nominated Berry in January 2024 for a second term, and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who tightly controls the Senate, was determined to win a confirmation vote.
In opposing Berry’s confirmation, Democrats cited past allegations against Berry that said he used excessive force and misused his police power. The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, according to Abbott’s announcement of Berry’s nomination, “establishes and enforces standards to ensure that the people of Texas are served by highly trained and ethical law enforcement, corrections, and telecommunications personnel.”
Abbott’s announcement of Berry’s nomination cited his over 16 years of experience in law enforcement and the “numerous awards, medals and commendations” he had received, including the Austin Police Department Honorable Conduct Medal and the Austin Police Department Meritorious Service Medal.
Before the confirmation vote, Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, D-Austin, said: “The governor’s selection of an officer with his history is evidence of a growing intolerance of dissent at the highest levels of our government. … There are more than 8,000 peace officers in the state of Texas. Why did the governor pick one with this very public record?”
Berry, who twice ran for the Legislature as a Republican, was indicted on charges of aggravated assault in February 2022 related to an incident in which a Black Lives Matter protester was shot in the face with “less-lethal” munitions. Austin District Attorney Jose Garza dropped the charges against Berry and most of the other 18 officers who were indicted on use of excessive force a year later.
Eckhardt, who led the effort to block Berry’s confirmation, said her teenage daughter was at the protest and witnessed the shooting.
“This incident alone should cause some question regarding his fitness to set the standards of conduct and training for peace officers in Texas,” she said during a committee hearing Monday, adding that other allegations against Berry of employing excessive force or misusing his police power over the past two decades caused her “additional concern.”
The political fight over Berry’s confirmation began when he did not appear for questioning before the Senate Nominations Committee at its March 10 hearing — when his nomination was listed on the agenda — as Democrats had requested.
All 11 Senate Democrats then signed onto a March 19 letter to state Sen. Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels and the committee chair, requesting that Berry appear for questioning.
“We are unaware of any prior instance in which a sitting committee member’s request for a nominee to appear has been denied,” the lawmakers said, adding that Berry’s nomination is “not uncontroversial,” and citing three individuals who were seriously injured by munitions during the 2020 protests and $18 million in civil settlements paid by the city of Austin to protesters as a result of police conduct.
“Although most of the indictments have been dismissed (four indictments remain active), questions regarding Mr. Berry’s actions that day go to the heart of his fitness to serve on the commission,” they said.
Berry later met privately with the committee’s three Democrats — Eckhardt, Alvarado and Borris L. Miles of Houston — but did not appear before the larger committee, whose Republican members on Monday unanimously sent his nomination to the full Senate.
On Monday, Eckhardt said that Patrick denied Democrats’ request last week that Berry appear before the committee.
“Senators offer their advice and consent through their deliberations and vote,” Patrick said in a Wednesday statement before the vote. “I will not allow any nominee to be subjected to an unfair process outside of that scope.”
Eckhardt had “made it clear she wanted to turn a committee room into a courtroom,” he added. “That is clearly outside the scope of offering advice and consent.”
The tension over Berry’s nomination came to a head in committee on Monday, as Eckhardt began explaining her concerns with his record and describing a packet of documents she had compiled and shared with lawmakers on the allegations against him.
Campbell quickly interjected. “Senator Eckhardt, you can make these very brief. You will have time to express your concerns on the mic, on the floor,” she said.
Eckhardt continued, and less than a minute into her remarks, Campbell cut her off again and tried to move the hearing forward. The two spoke over each other before Eckhardt, appearing exasperated, concluded.
Berry’s second term is set to conclude in August 2027.
Article originally published by The Texas Tribune. To read the originally published article, click here.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
HOUSTON – The Houston Chronicle reports that for years, Texas politicians have fretted: What will it take for companies to build more natural gas power plants for the state’s strained power grid? As it turns out, for a growing number of developers, even the Texas government handing out taxpayer-backed loans is not sufficient. Four companies have pulled their projects from consideration from the $5 billion Texas Energy Fund, citing various financial and logistical challenges. Another project was denied loans last fall after one company listed on the application accused the other sponsoring company of fraud. In total, nearly a third of new project capacity advanced to the fund’s due diligence review process has left the program.
State lawmakers created the Texas Energy Fund in 2023 and set aside the bulk of the money to give companies low-interest loans towards building new gas-fired generation for the Electric Reliability Council of Texas power grid. The fund was advertised to voters, who approved the program as a constitutional amendment, as a way to bolster the grid after the February 2021 winter freeze caused statewide outages and killed hundreds. Then, last year, ERCOT forecasted an unprecedented increase in electricity demand in the near future as the state’s population and economy grow. Policymakers became even more adamant that Texas needs much more gas-fired power generation for use when wind or solar power isn’t available, even though natural gas is a fossil fuel contributing to climate change. At first, the Texas Energy Fund seemed popular. So many companies applied for loans that state lawmakers — at the urging of Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick — are considering appropriating another $5 billion to the program in the ongoing legislative session, so that it totals $10 billion.
LUBBOCK — The Texas House gave initial approval Tuesday to a set of bills aimed at mitigating wildfire risks and improving the state’s response to emergencies.
The bills, filed by Ken King, R-Canadian, cover separate issues. However, both were filed in response to the devastating wildfires last year that engulfed the Texas Panhandle. More than 1 million acres burned, 15,000 head of cattle and three people died.
House Bill 13 would create the Texas Interoperability Council, which would be tasked with creating and coordinating the implementation of a statewide plan for the use of emergency communication. The council would set up a network that connects all first responders and state agencies. They would also administer a grant program to help local governments purchase the equipment and construct the infrastructure needed to connect to that system.
The Interoperability Council is one of the recommendations from the report by the House Investigative Committee, which King led last April. The initial cost is expected to be about $500 million.
“My goal is to ensure every first responder that puts their life on the line to battle these fires and other disasters have the tools to communicate effectively with those around them,” King said.
King’s second bill, House Bill 143, addresses one of the common causes for wildfires in the Texas Panhandle: unmaintained electrical lines for oilfield equipment. The House committee that investigated the wildfires last year concluded that unmaintained lines started at least two of the fires. This includes the Smokehouse Creek Fire, which became the largest fire in Texas history and ignited after a decayed power pole snapped and landed in dry grass, according to the report.
King’s bill would require the Texas Railroad Commission, which oversees the oil and gas industry, and the Public Utility Commission to notify electric utilities when the RRC identifies electrical hazards during inspection. The Panhandle lawmaker said the agencies developed a Memorandum of Understanding — a non-binding agreement — that allows them to work together.
State Rep. Caroline Fairly, R-Amarillo, spoke in favor of the bill. Both lawmakers live in the Panhandle, where state data shows power lines have caused roughly 60% of wildfires since 2006.
“I’m thankful to the Texas House that we realize how important it is that we pass legislation that affects and protects rural areas from wildfires,” Fairly said.
The House will take up the bills one more time before passing them to the Senate for consideration.
The Legislature is also considering House Bill 2063 to create a database of firefighting equipment that is readily-available, and Senate Bill 34. That is a sweeping priority bill by state Sen. Kevin Sparks, R-Midland, that also includes increased funding for rural volunteer fire departments.
Article originally published by The Texas Tribune. To read the originally published article, click here.
DALLAS (AP) – Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone, whose 1991 film “JFK” portrayed President John F. Kennedy’s assassination as the work of a shadowy government conspiracy, called Tuesday for a new congressional investigation of the killing during a hearing that aired conspiracy theories about it.
WEST TEXAS (AP) – Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico reported new measles cases Tuesday, with the outbreak expanding for the first time into central Texas.
Already, the U.S. has more measles cases this year than in all of 2024, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said. Other states with outbreaks — defined as three or more cases — include New Mexico, Kansas, Ohio and Oklahoma. Since February, two unvaccinated people have died from measles-related causes.
The multi-state outbreak confirms health experts’ fears that the virus will take hold in other U.S. communities with low vaccination rates and that the spread could stretch on for a year. The World Health Organization said last week that cases in Mexico are linked to the Texas outbreak.
Measles is caused by a highly contagious virus that’s airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It is preventable through vaccines, and has been considered eliminated from the U.S. since 2000.
Here’s what else you need to know about measles in the U.S.
How many measles cases are there in Texas and New Mexico?
Texas’ outbreak began two months ago. State health officials said Tuesday there were 22 new cases of measles since Friday, bringing the total to 422 across 19 counties — most in West Texas. Erath and Brown counties, in the central part of the state, logged their first cases. Forty-two people have been hospitalized since the outbreak began.
New Mexico announced four new cases Tuesday, bringing the state’s total to 48. New Mexico health officials say the cases are linked to Texas’ outbreak based on genetic testing. Most are in Lea County, where two people have been hospitalized, and two are in Eddy County.
A school-age child died of measles in Texas in late February, and New Mexico reported its first measles-related death in an adult on March 6.
How many cases are there in Kansas?
Kansas has 23 cases in six counties in the southwest part of the state. Kiowa and Stevens counties have six cases each, while Grant, Morton, Haskell and Gray counties have five or fewer.
The state’s first reported case, identified in Stevens County on March 13, is linked to the Texas and New Mexico outbreaks based on genetic testing, a state health department spokesperson said. But health officials have not determined how the person was exposed.
How many cases are there in Oklahoma?
Oklahoma logged one new measles case Tuesday — for a total of eight confirmed and two probable cases. The first two probable cases were “associated” with the West Texas and New Mexico outbreaks, the state health department said.
A state health department spokesperson said measles exposures were confirmed in Tulsa and Rogers counties, but wouldn’t say which counties had cases.
How many cases are there in Ohio?
Ohio has 10 cases of measles in Ashtabula County in the northeast corner of the state, nine of those newly reported this week. The first case was in an unvaccinated adult who had interacted with someone who had traveled internationally.
And in central Ohio, Knox County officials are tracing exposures from person who visited while contagious with measles. A measles outbreak in central Ohio sickened 85 in 2022.
Where else is measles showing up in the U.S.?
Measles cases also have been reported in Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, and Washington.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines an outbreak as three or more related cases. The agency counted five clusters that qualified as outbreaks in 2025 as of Friday.
In the U.S., cases and outbreaks are generally traced to someone who caught the disease abroad. It can then spread, especially in communities with low vaccination rates. In 2019, the U.S. saw 1,274 cases and almost lost its status of having eliminated measles.
Do you need an MMR booster?
The best way to avoid measles is to get the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old.
People at high risk for infection who got the shots many years ago may want to consider getting a booster if they live in an area with an outbreak, said Scott Weaver with the Global Virus Network, an international coalition. Those may include family members living with someone who has measles or those especially vulnerable to respiratory diseases because of underlying medical conditions.
Adults with “presumptive evidence of immunity” generally don’t need measles shots now, the CDC said. Criteria include written documentation of adequate vaccination earlier in life, lab confirmation of past infection or being born before 1957, when most people were likely to be infected naturally.
A doctor can order a lab test called an MMR titer to check your levels of measles antibodies, but health experts don’t always recommend this route and insurance coverage can vary.
Getting another MMR shot is harmless if there are concerns about waning immunity, the CDC says.
People who have documentation of receiving a live measles vaccine in the 1960s don’t need to be revaccinated, but people who were immunized before 1968 with an ineffective measles vaccine made from “killed” virus should be revaccinated with at least one dose, the agency said. That also includes people who don’t know which type they got.
What are the symptoms of measles?
Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and a rash.
The rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and then spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. When the rash appears, the fever may spike over 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the CDC.
Most kids will recover from measles, but infection can lead to dangerous complications such as pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and death.
How can you treat measles?
There’s no specific treatment for measles, so doctors generally try to alleviate symptoms, prevent complications and keep patients comfortable.
Why do vaccination rates matter?
In communities with high vaccination rates — above 95% — diseases like measles have a harder time spreading through communities. This is called “herd immunity.”
But childhood vaccination rates have declined nationwide since the pandemic and more parents are claiming religious or personal conscience waivers to exempt their kids from required shots.
The U.S. saw a rise in measles cases in 2024, including an outbreak in Chicago that sickened more than 60.
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AP Science Writer Laura Ungar contributed to this report.
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
DALLAS (AP) – Forecasters are warning of potentially deadly flash flooding and strong tornadoes as more rounds of thunderstorms are poised to strike parts of the Midwest and South.
The potent storm system will bring the threat of “significant, life-threatening flash flooding” starting Wednesday, according to the Weather Prediction Center, a part of the National Weather Service.
The new flood threat also comes as residents in parts of Michigan continue to dig out from a weekend ice storm.
Floods could inundate towns, sweep cars away
Thunderstorms with multiple rounds of heavy rain are expected in parts of Texas, the lower Mississippi Valley and the Ohio Valley beginning at midweek and lasting through Saturday. Forecasters warn the storms could track over the same areas repeatedly and produce heavy rains and dangerous flash floods capable of sweeping cars away.
Parts of Arkansas, west Tennessee, western Kentucky and southern Indiana are at an especially high risk for flooding this week, the weather service said.
Rain totaling up to 15 inches (38 centimeters) is forecast over the next seven days in northeastern Arkansas, the southeast corner of Missouri, western Kentucky and southern parts of Illinois and Indiana, the weather service warned.
Rainfall could be a once-in-a-quarter-century event
“We’re potentially looking at about two months of rain in just a handful of days,” said Thomas Jones, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Little Rock’s monthly average rainfall for March is just under 5 inches (12.7 centimeters). The rainfall that eastern and northeastern Arkansas could see is something only expected once every 25 to 50 years.
The copious amount of rain in the forecast is rare, Jones said, and moisture from the Gulf is boosting the amount of precipitation the thunderstorms could release.
Strong tornadoes could slam the Midwest on Tuesday
Storms could spin up tornadoes in Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri on Tuesday, forecasters said.
The National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, said intense thunderstorms, including a few supercells, are possible Tuesday evening and overnight from central and southern Oklahoma up into central Kansas and western Missouri.
The primary risks are for very large hail — 2 inches (5 centimeters) in diameter or greater — as well as a few tornadoes, some of which could be strong, and severe wind gusts. The area at greatest risk for a strong tornado includes Oklahoma City, and the Kansas cities of Wichita and Topeka. The risk of large hail extends from Fort Worth, Texas, to Kansas City.
43 million people at risk for severe weather on Wednesday
On Wednesday, a large swath of the nation from northeast Texas to Michigan will see the potential for high winds and tornadoes. The area at highest risk for severe weather includes 43 million people and many of the nation’s largest cities. including Chicago, Indianapolis, St. Louis and Memphis, Tennessee.
Dallas, Detroit, Milwaukee, and Nashville, Tennessee, will also be at risk for severe storms on Wednesday.
Earthquake center prepared for floodings
The heaviest rains are forecast to fall in the New Madrid Seismic Zone, where researchers constantly monitor earthquake activity in the nation’s most active area for earthquakes east of the Rocky Mountains. Centered in southeast Missouri, the seismic zone extends to several nearby states, including Arkansas and Tennessee. It’s famous for a series of powerful earthquakes in 1811 and 1812 that were felt in a large part of the Midwest and South. Experts say another devastating earthquake in the zone is possible.
Scientists have learned lessons from Mississippi River flooding to be vigilant about where they locate monitoring equipment, said Mitch Withers, a research professor at the Center for Earthquake Research and Information at the University of Memphis. About 70 stations in the area should be protected from flooding, and “we’ll still be getting our data and monitoring for earthquakes,” he said.
Wintry mix blasts Upper Midwest
In Michigan, crews were trying to restore power Tuesday after a weekend ice storm toppled trees and power poles. Nearly 200,000 customers were without power in Michigan, plus another 25,000 in Wisconsin, according to PowerOutage.us, which tracks outages nationwide.
In the mitten-shaped Lower Peninsula of Michigan, schools in several counties were closed for a second day on Tuesday. Sheriff’s deputies used chain saws to clear roads. Drivers waited at gas stations in lines that stretched for blocks.
More wintry precipitation is in store for the region: A mix of sleet and freezing rain could keep roads treacherous Tuesday night into Wednesday across parts of Michigan and Wisconsin, the weather service said.
Heavy, wet snow was forecast for Tuesday night into Wednesday across the eastern Dakotas and parts of Minnesota.
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Associated Press Writers Isabella O’Malley in Philadelphia; Ed White in Detroit; and Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis contributed.
AUSTIN – Legislation that would more than double the amount of money the state spends to lure film and television production to Texas was passed unanimously Monday by a bipartisan group of Texas senators.
Senate Bill 22, filed by Houston Republican Sen. Joan Huffman, would direct the comptroller to deposit $500 million into a new Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Fund every two years until 2035. That figure is more than state lawmakers have ever allocated for media production since they first started funding a film incentive grant in 2007.
The bill would make Texas more attractive to producers who have opted to film their projects in other states, such as New Mexico and Georgia, that have historically offered larger and more stable incentives, Huffman said during a star-studded Senate Finance Committee hearing attended by Texas-born actors Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson.
The committee voted 11-0 to pass the bill, a representative for Huffman’s office said. It now goes to the full Senate for consideration.
“Producers who want to film in Texas often have difficulty convincing the capital management side of film production companies to allow filming here when presented with more robust and consistent incentives being offered in other states,” Huffman said.
Since 2007, lawmakers have funded the film incentive program at varying levels, with $50 million during one legislative session followed by $45 million the next. A then-historic $200 million came during the most recent session.
The variability has left producers tentative to film in Texas for fear that the money might vanish at lawmakers whim.
The program has boosted economic activity in Texas, producing a 469% return on investment, according to the Texas Film Commission, though economists and some House lawmakers have criticized that metric and denounced film incentives as wasteful spending.
Fueled by endorsements from famous names in Hollywood, SB 22 appears to have widespread support. Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers praised the film commission for what they said is a rigorous program that audits film production’s spending and only offers rebates on money spent within Texas. Eligible expenses include Texas workers’ wages, meals purchased from local restaurants, and airfare on Texas-based airlines.
Flanked by Harrelson, McConaughey told lawmakers that increased funding would allow them and other actors to tell Texas stories in Texas. Seated behind the duo was Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who has declared SB 22 one of his top pieces of legislation.
By committing to 10 years of sizable funding, McConaughey said, Texas could grow into a media hub with facilities dedicated to post-production editing, along with a pipeline of film crew, including makeup artists, hair stylists, lighting experts and set designers.
“There’s going to be a point where we are not going to need financial incentives from the state because the infrastructure will be in place, and that will be a major game changer,” McConaughey said.
Despite showing overall support for boosting Texas filmmaking, some lawmakers questioned whether productions that aren’t “family-friendly” should be supported by taxpayer dollars.
Both Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, and Sen. Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels, suggested shows and movies that use profanities be ineligible for grants. Bettencourt singled out “Landman,” a popular television series centering a West Texas oil company executive played by Billy Bob Thornton.
“It’s not functionally correct, it doesn’t explain what a landman does, and no offense, having Billy Bob Thornton f-bomb every sentence is not Texas values,” Bettencourt said of the show produced by Taylor Sheridan whose second season is expected next year. “It simply is a bad product and not something the Texas taxpayers would want to be supporting.”
The Texas Film Commission limits what types of projects are eligible for funding, and SB 22 would codify additional rules into statute. The bill would prohibit, for example, funding pornography or obscene material, local events or religious services, and casino-type video games. The law does not propose specific rules about foul language, but the governor’s office has broad discretion to designate a project as ineligible for a grant.
Adriana Cruz, executive director of the Texas Economic Development and Tourism office, said in response to Bettencourt that the office would look to state law and its own rules to determine whether to approve a project.
Stephanie Whallon, the director of the Texas Film Commission, previously told The Texas Tribune that some projects had been rejected but didn’t specify why.
In addition to pumping more money into film incentives, SB 22 would make smaller films eligible for larger grants. Currently, projects that spend between $1 million and $3.5 million in Texas are eligible for a 10% rebate, and projects with a greater than $3.5 million spend can receive a 20% grant. The bill proposes a larger, 25% grant for feature films and television programs that spend at least $1.5 million.
“I’m excited about lowering some of these sliding scale boundaries or limitations because I think a lot of family-friendly, faith-based projects fall into that tier,” said Chad Gundersen, producer of “The Chosen,” a television show about the life of Jesus Christ and his disciples that is mostly shot in the town of Midlothian, about 25 miles southwest of Dallas.
Gundersen said during the hearing that his project was not initially eligible for a grant because it was too small. He added that it has since grown and resulted in more than $75 million spent in Texas.
Campbell urged lawmakers and the film commission approving projects to remember that Texas is “still in the Bible Belt,” and she praised “The Chosen” as “the greatest story ever told.”
Texas’ film incentive program offers an additional 2.5% incentive to productions that are shot in certain “underutilized” or “economically distressed areas,” as well as those that hire veterans as 5% of their total paid crew.
SB 22 would create a new special boost to projects labeled “Texas Heritage Projects,” as determined by the governor’s office. The law would ask the office to consider whether the project promotes “family values” and “portrays Texas and Texans in a positive fashion.”
Identical legislation, House Bill 4568, filed by Rep. Todd Hunter, R-Corpus Christi has not yet received a committee hearing.
Article originally published by The Texas Tribune. To read the originally published article, click here.