Austin, TX
A pregnant Texas woman asked a court for permission to get an abortion, despite a ban. What’s next?
AUSTIN, Texas — Kate Cox, a mother of two in Texas, became pregnant again in August but soon after learned devasting news: Her baby has a fatal condition and is likely to either be stillborn or die shortly after birth.
The tragic circumstances have thrust Cox, 31, into the center of an unprecedented challenge over abortion bans that have altered the landscape for women in the U.S. A Texas judge gave Cox permission this week to receive an abortion, but the state’s highest court put that decision on hold Friday night.
Whether Cox, who is 20 weeks pregnant, can legally receive an abortion under narrow exceptions to the state’s ban is now in limbo while the Texas Supreme Court considers her case. The court, which is made up of nine Republican justices, gave no timetable on when it might rule.
Her lawsuit is believed to be the first since Roe v. Wade was overturned last year asking a court for permission to get an abortion. A pregnant Kentucky woman has since filed a similar challenge.
“ With our client’s life on the line, the State of Texas is playing despicable political games. This fight is not over,” the Center for Reproductive Rights, which is representing Cox, posted Saturday on X.
Here’s what to know:
Cox lives in the Dallas area with her husband and two children, ages 3 and 1. Neither pregnancy was easy and she had a cesarean surgery for both deliveries, according to her lawsuit filed this week in Austin.
In October, doctors told Cox that her fetus was at a high risk for a condition known as trisomy 18, which has a very high likelihood of miscarriage or stillbirth, and low survival rates, according to the lawsuit. Her attorneys say Cox has been to the emergency room at least four times, including this week, and that her health is put increasingly at risk the longer her pregnancy lasts.
Doctors have told Cox that inducing labor or carrying the baby to term could jeopardize her ability to have another child in the future.
“I really would love another baby,” Cox told NBC News this week after a lower court judge granted her permission for an abortion, “So, I’m hopeful for my health, our family.”
Republican Texas Attorney General Kan Paxton, who is leading efforts to prevent the abortion, says Cox does not meet the requirements for a medical exception under the state’s ban. His office argues that Cox did not demonstrate that the pregnancy has put her life at imminent risk and notes that she was sent home following her visits to hospital emergency rooms.
Texas’ ban makes no exceptions for fetal anomalies. There are no recent statistics on the frequency of terminations for fetal anomalies in the U.S. but experts say it’s a small percentage of total procedures.
“The Texas Legislature did not intend for courts to become revolving doors of permission slips to obtain abortions,” Paxton’s office wrote in a filing to the state Supreme Court.
Texas is one of 13 states that rushed to ban abortion at nearly all stages of pregnancy after Roe was overturned. Texas has long been at the forefront of strict abortion laws in the U.S., and even now, there are ongoing efforts to make it harder for pregnant women to leave Texas for states where the procedure is legal.
Under Texas’ bans, doctors who provide an abortion can face criminal charges that carry punishments of up to life in prison. They could also face lawsuits from private citizens, who are empowered to sue a person who helps a woman obtain an abortion, such as the doctor’s staff. The laws do not threaten the mother with any legal consequences.
Fewer than 50 women in Texas have received abortions since the ban took effect last year, according to state health data. None is known to have resulted in criminal charges or lawsuits.
Who qualifies for a medical exception under Texas’ ban has become one of the biggest legal questions since Roe was overturned. A separate case before the Texas Supreme Court argues that lawmakers made the requirements too vague, leaving doctors fearful of providing abortions under virtually any circumstance.
A ruling in that case is likely still months away.
Hours before the Texas Supreme Court put Cox’s case on hold Friday, a woman in Kentucky who is eight weeks pregnant also demanded the right to an abortion in state court.
Unlike Cox’s case, the Kentucky lawsuit seeks class-action status to include other women who are or will become pregnant and want to have an abortion. Republican state Attorney General Daniel Cameron, whose office has defended the state’s anti-abortion laws, has said his office is reviewing the lawsuit.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Cade Klubnik carved up Texas’ defense Saturday night like nobody else this season, just not enough to complete a spectacular homecoming.
Klubnik, Clemson’s junior quarterback from Austin, passed for 336 yards — the most by a Texas opponent this season — and three touchdowns. He directed a second-half comeback that gave No. 12 seeded Clemson a chance to overtake No. 5 Texas after falling behind by 18 at halftime.
But the Tigers fell short, losing the College Football Playoff game 38-24.
“I’m hurting a lot,” Klubnik said. “It was fun to come home, but it was not a vacation. It was time to come win a football game, and we didn’t do that.”
Klubnik led the Tigers (10-4) on a four-play, 55-yard touchdown drive in the third quarter, the final 25 on a pass to running back Jarvis Green that left Clemson trailing 31-17.
He directed a 64-yard touchdown drive early in the fourth quarter. His 7-yard pass to T.J. Moore, on fourth-and-6 left Texas ahead by just a touchdown, 31-24.
“We put ourselves in a position to win,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “That young man (Klubnik) has grown into an amazing leader. You’re never out of a game with him.”
Texas (12-2) made Klubnik’s job a lot tougher when Jaydon Blue raced 77 yards for a touchdown on the Longhorns’ first possession after Moore scored.
Nevertheless, Klubnik led Clemson 74 yards to the Texas 1, connecting with Moore three times, including completions covering 29 and 30 yards.
But Klubnik was stopped by Texas safety Michael Taaffe on third down and Keith Adams was stuffed on fourth by Bill Norton and Barryn Sorrell.
Clemson’s comeback attempt was over when Klubnik’s pass on fourth down was broken up by Taaffe at the Longhorns’ 25 with 1:16 left.
Taaffe and Klubnik were teammates at Westlake High School when they won the 2020 Texas state high school championship together. The quarterback they beat that day? Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers.
That history and rivalry added some extra spice to Klubnik’s trip home.
Another Westlake teammate, Texas defensive end Ethan Burke, sacked Klubnik in the first half Saturday.
Earlier in the week, Taaffe said Klubnik was his “best friend” on the Westlake team when they won that state championship.
“We were definitely sharing words back and forth, that was fun,” Taaffe said. “He’s a great guy. He had a great game.”
Another body was found in the popular Lady Bird Lake in Austin, Texas, where other deceased individuals were found recently.
The latest body found joins the growing mystery after at least 6 additional bodies were found throughout the year in the lake in 2024. On Friday, police were called to investigate reports of a dead person in the water near 1st Street Bridge and the 300 block of Cesar Chavez.
The Austin Police Department (APD) said that they do not suspect foul play as the body showed no signs of trauma, but are investigating the incident.
Despite APD attempting to quell community fears, questions and speculation have run rampant. Police have attributed most of the deaths to accidental drowning due to the lake’s proximity to nightclubs and bars.
BODY FOUND IN SAME AUSTIN LAKE WHERE OTHER DECEASED INDIVIDUALS DISCOVERED IN RECENT MONTHS
Mounted police patrolling down Rainey Street after several bodies appeared in a nearby lake. (Matteo Cina/Fox News Digital)
The most recent body was found on December 1. The victim was recently identified as 73-year-old Thi Lang Nguyen. Austin police said that there is nothing connected to the other deaths this year.
TEXAS PARENTS OF ONLYFANS MODEL IN DEADLY MIAMI STABBING ARRESTED
In September, a man was behaving erratically near East Cesar Chavez and Nueces Streets. He then went into the water and did not resurface. He was later pulled out and pronounced dead.
WATCH:
Back in February, a woman’s body was found in the water about 20 feet from the north shore and in April, a fisherman spotted another person floating in the water.
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In July, a man was suffering from blunt force trauma on the trail near Rainey Street. The man was pronounced dead a short time later.
In September, a body was found along a trail near the lake off Pleasant Valley Road.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the APD for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
Born and Braised, a food trailer specializing in native wild game meats and seasonal food, recently opened at the Sign Bar in Austin at 9909 FM 969, Building 3. Chef and owner William Woodland, a.k.a. Woody, is looking forward to his new venture and serving wild game meats and other special menu items to Austinites.
Menu items customers will enjoy includes birria tacos, birria ramen, venison frito pie, pulled pork Cubano tortas, venison bratwurst, venison smash burger, and sides like braised greens, beans, and street corn.
Born and Braised started at Lustre Pearl in 2022. The food trailer moved to Sage Brush for over a year. The trailer worked at Bastrop, but now it operates in East Austin at the Sign Bar.
Born and Braised hours include Tuesdays through Fridays from 4 pm to 2 am, and Saturdays from 11 am to 2 am, at Sign Bar Austin (9909 FM 969, Bldg. 3).
Vitals
- Address: 9909 FM 969, Bldg. 3, Austin, TX
- Website: https://bornandbraisedatx.square.site/
Map to Born and Braised
Featured image from Born and Braised Instagram page
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