The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - July 5, 2024

Starting point is 00:00:00 Howdy folks, today is Friday, July 5th, and you're listening to the Texans Daily Rundown. I'm the Texans Marketing and Media Manager Daniel Friend, and here's the rundown of today's news in Texas politics. First up, state officials warned in a press conference that the Category 2 hurricane barrel is expected to hit Texas near Brownsville by Monday morning. The storm is expected to make landfall in Texas on the coastline between Brownsville and Corpus Christi in the coming days. A Friday morning update from the National Hurricane Center reads, quote, There is an increasing risk of hurricane-force winds, life-threatening storm surge, and flooding from heavy rainfall in portions of northeastern Mexico

Starting point is 00:00:43 and the lower and middle Texas coast late Sunday and Monday. Next, Texas Health and Human Services has released monthly abortion numbers that show just six, quote, medically necessary abortions were performed in February of this year, and zero elective abortions were performed. Ten medically necessary abortions were performed in January, all of which happened in a hospital. In the months of January and February, HHS reports that just one of the medically necessary abortions was performed on a woman between the 21st and 25th weeks of pregnancy. Eight abortions were performed in the 17-20 week range, four between 15 and 16 weeks, two between 13 and 14 weeks, and one at 8 weeks or less. Texas Alliance for Life presented data on abortion trends after the Supreme Court's

Starting point is 00:01:25 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson that, quote, reported elective abortions plummeted from thousands each month to zero. Following the Dobbs decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade and thus returned the authority to regulate abortions to the states, the Texas Human Life Protection Act, also known as the Trigger Ban, immediately went into effect. In federal news, a judge in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas has temporarily blocked the Federal Trade Commission's new rule against non-compete agreements. Judge Ada Brown granted a stay of preliminary injunction in a case brought by the Texas Business Association, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the Longview Chamber of Commerce. Ryan LLC, a Dallas-based

Starting point is 00:02:04 tax service, also filed a lawsuit against the rule. The of Commerce. Ryan LLC, a Dallas-based tax service, also filed a lawsuit against the rule. The judge wrote that, quote, a plain reading of the act does not expressly grant the commission authority to promulgate substantive rules regarding unfair methods of competition. The FTC announced the new rule in April and was immediately met with legal challenges. In other news, House Bill 4 went into effect on Monday, July 1st, with the aim of protecting Texans' personal information collected through third-party entities. Representative Giovanni Capriglione introduced the Texas Data and Privacy Security Act in the 88th legislative session, where it passed. Senator Brian Hughes worked in tandem

Starting point is 00:02:39 with Capriglione to pass the legislation. The act establishes a set of rights for internet users regarding their personal data. Users can now be informed when their personal data is collected, decline the sale of their personal data, provide safeguards for said data, and view a detailed report of the data collected. Internet users will also be able to request their personal data be deleted. Hughes stated in a press release, quote, For too long, companies have profited off of Texans' personal data without their consent. I was honored to work alongside Chairman Capriglione to pass the strongest data privacy law in the nation. This bill ends the practice of profiteering while giving Texans the right to control their personal data.

Starting point is 00:03:16 Also, three home health agencies and their previous owner have agreed to pay $4.5 million to settle allegations of violating the False Claims Act by providing illegal kickbacks. The accused parties, servicing multiple Texas areas, Guardian Healthcare Incorporated, Gem City Home Healthcare LLC, and Care Connection of Cincinnati, allegedly provided illegal financial benefits to healthcare providers in exchange for Medicare referrals. The False Claims Act, originally enacted in 1863, holds that any person who quote, knowingly submits or causes to submit false claims to the government is liable for three times the government's damages, as well as additional fees related to inflation. The home

Starting point is 00:03:56 health agencies allegedly violated the FCA by dealing out kickbacks such as sports tickets, meals, wellness health services, lease payments, and certain health care providers in order to receive Medicare beneficiary referrals. The agencies subsequently charge Medicare for their provision of quote, home health services for the aforementioned referred beneficiaries. Last but not least, be sure to check out our latest history article in the Texan from Kim Roberts, who dives into the history of newspapers in Texas. From the Gaceta de Tejas in 1813 to the publications that sprouted amid the Texas Revolution, learn more about the publications that now color Texas history. Thanks for listening. To support The Texan,

Starting point is 00:04:35 please be sure to visit thetexan.news and subscribe to get full access to all of our articles, newsletters, and podcasts.

The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - July 5, 2024

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