Health

A new report from the Commonwealth Fund found Texas has worse racial and ethnic health disparities than other states in the Southwest.

Dr. Francesca Filbey, psychology professor and Bert Moore Chair in BrainHealth at UTD, shares what her research on hemp usage has found.

Saturday, May 2 is Election Day for Lubbock County’s cities and school elections. You can find more on the races and polling locations here. Our Samantha Larned reports early voting had its lowest participation in 20 years. Texas advocates and families pleaded with the state this week to improve capacity and access in state hospitals that provide psychiatric care. The public hearing was part of assembling a long-range plan that would guide state hospitals for the next six years.

This Saturday, the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center is hosting a free Women’s Health Day clinic for those without medical insurance. Our Samantha Larned reports it will offer free pap smears, breast and pelvic exams, mammogram and colposcopy referrals, STI testing, pregnancy testing, and blood work. The event is Saturday May 2 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Lubbock Impact. Uninsured women aged 18 to 64 can schedule an appointment by calling 806-370-7472. You can also find this information on The Free Clinic Facebook page.

The United States has lost about 90% of its food animal veterinarians since the 1940s, according to a 2023 Johns Hopkins study.

The Texas Supreme Court ruled Friday the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality does not have to produce thousands of documents related to carcinogenic emission limits requested by the Sierra Club.

Texas has a 91% Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, accuracy rate — which could mean the state will be responsible for more than $700 million in benefits costs. If Texas has to cover part of the benefits costs, it would be the first time since the program started in the 1960s.

Most of the state’s measles cases reported so far this year are inside the West Texas Detention Facility in Hudspeth County, where four infected El Paso residents worked.

The Supreme Court will examine claims that allege Bayer failed to include a cancer risk warning on its popular weedkiller. If Bayer wins, it could prevent others from suing over the failure to provide health warnings.

The 2026 Farm Bill has been approved by the House Agriculture Committee, with expansions on crop insurance and the establishment of new research programs. Next, the bill heads to the full U.S. House of Representatives for a vote. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued an Emergency Use Authorization for a new topical treatment to combat the spread of New World Screwworm. Texas Public Radio's Marian Navarro explains it's one of many drug and treatments the FDA has recently approved to address the spread of the parasite.