Austin, TX
Lina Hidalgo criticizes Texas’ abortion ban after study estimates thousands of rape-related pregnancies | Houston Public Media
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One of the Houston area’s top elected officials criticized Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and other state leaders after a recent study published in a peer-reviewed medical journal estimated that more than 26,000 Texas women became pregnant by rape after abortion was banned in the state, which offers no exceptions for cases of rape or incest.
The study, published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, examined rape-related pregnancies in the 14 U.S. states that have implemented total abortion bans since a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 2022 overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade decision from 1973. Texas was estimated to have the most rape-related pregnancies among those states, accounting for about 40% of the total.
“When the Texas legislature passed its abortion ban with no exceptions for rape or incest, Governor Abbott vowed to ‘eliminate all rapists from the streets,’” Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said Thursday night in a statement released by her office. “What our state leaders have done instead is create a public health emergency in communities across Texas, including Harris County.”
The study, the findings of which were first reported locally by the Houston Chronicle, used FBI crime reports as well as survey results from the Bureau of Justice Statistics and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Researchers used prior rape-related pregnancy rates to estimate the number of rape survivors who had become pregnant, determining state-level data by factoring in the number of months in which their abortion bans were in effect (16 months in Texas’ case).
Dr. Samuel Dickman of Planned Parenthood of Montana, the study’s lead author, noted that rapes typically are underreported and that “such highly stigmatized experiences are difficult to measure accurately in surveys.”
“Our estimates have limitations,” he wrote in the study.
A total of 519,981 estimated rapes were associated with 64,565 pregnancies during the 4- to 18-month period during which abortion bans had been in effect in the 14 states, five of which offer exceptions for rape or incest. An estimated 5,586 rape-related pregnancies occurred in those five states, compared to an estimated 58,979 in the other nine states, the study found.
After the June 2022 Supreme Court ruling, 10 or fewer legal abortions per month occurred in each of the 14 states with abortion bans, according to the study, which says that suggests that “rape exceptions fail to provide reasonable access to abortion for survivors.
“Survivors of rape who become pregnant in states with abortion bans may seek a self-managed abortion or try to travel (often hundreds of miles) to a state where abortion is legal, leaving many without a practical alternative to carrying the pregnancy to term,” Dickman also wrote in the study.
Hidalgo, in her statement, indicated that Texas’ abortion law should at least make exceptions for rape and incest.
“I know firsthand that surviving rape is one of the most traumatic things a person can experience,” she said. “At its core, rape and sexual assault are about taking away a woman’s agency. Denying that woman the option of an abortion is cruel and only adds more trauma. We have to change this, and it begins with leaders who prioritize women’s wellbeing over politics.”
An outbreak of cyclosporiasis, an intestinal illness that can cause explosive diarrhea, has been confirmed in Texas, prompting health officials to urge extra precautions when handling fresh produce.
The Texas Department of State Health Services has confirmed 48 cases of cyclosporiasis across 10 Texas counties. State health officials say there have been no deaths linked to the outbreak so far.
There are no reported cases in Southeast Texas at this time, and Port Arthur officials say they have not received any reported cases from area hospitals or health care providers. Still, health officials say now is the time to take extra precautions.
Judith Smith, Port Arthur’s director of health services, said cyclosporiasis is caused by “a microscopic parasite that is usually found in contaminated food and contaminated water.”
Smith said contamination typically stems from floodwater or sewage water when produce is harvested, allowing parasites to transfer to produce long before it reaches consumers.
“I have not heard of an outbreak like this. It’s been a while. It might have been 2023, 2024, and so, you know, and of course, Texas is not immune,” Smith said.
Smith said foods that are eaten raw can pose a higher risk. “Those foods that are not cooked are the ones that really make you more at risk,” she said.
Health officials recommend washing raw produce, including lettuce, cilantro, raspberries and basil. They also recommend cleaning cutting boards, refrigerating fresh goods and throwing away any remaining produce after experiencing symptoms.
Symptoms can include watery diarrhea, fatigue, lack of appetite and a low-grade fever. “Those individuals that may have that watery diarrhea or really just more than two to three days should seek medical attention,” Smith said.
Testing can confirm the parasite, and early treatment can help prevent more serious complications, especially for children and elderly relatives. Health care experts recommend contacting a health care provider as soon as possible if persistent stomach cramps and other symptoms develop after eating fresh produce.
The Texas Longhorns are less than two months away from starting their regular season slate of the 2026 schedule.
Just like last season, the Longhorns have been given unrealistic expectations by some, but will look to avoid the slow start that had everyone counting them out in September. On paper, the Longhorns should be a lot better than they were last season.
A national championship run should be on the table for head coach Steve Sarkisian and his team. One of the reasons that is a possibility is due to the Longhorns have something in common with previous national championship winners.
Legacy Year
Last season, the college football world was enamored by the Indiana Hoosiers. A program that no one saw ever winning the national championship, was hoisting the trophy at the end of the season.
Now, the Hoosiers had a talented roster from top to bottom. But the play of starting quarterback Fernando Mendoza was the leading factor in this team reaching the mountaintop.
Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning has the chance to make that same impression this season. After his first full season as the starting quarterback in Austin last year, there is a growing confidence that Manning is going to be on another level in 2026.
Last season, Manning threw for 3,163 yards and 26 touchdown passes. If you were to compare those numbers to Mendoza’s last season, the Hoosiers quarterback threw for 3,535 yards and an impressive 41 touchdown passes.
Those numbers make it clear that Manning will have to elevate his performance this season. With a revamped offensive line, the Longhorns quarterback may have the time to rival the numbers of Mendoza from this past season.
But another key piece to the Longhorns’ 2026 roster is a massive wide receiver addition.
It’s going to take the whole village, and Coach Sarkisian went out and got one of the most talented wide receivers in the transfer portal with Cam Coleman.
Coleman had two solid years with the Auburn Tigers and now will look to be the deep field threat for Manning and the Longhorns. The junior receiver’s addition to the roster could take this offensive unit to being one of the top units in the country.
All championship teams have a quarterback who could lead them to victory. Manning could very well be the next elite quarterback to hold a national championship trophy.
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Join several Austin labor unions and community members to honor Lorenzo Salgado Araujo’s life and the countless immigrants who have been impacted by ICE.
The community vigil will take place at the Wildflower Church on Saturday, July 11th starting at 6 PM. All are welcome to bring flowers and candles as we honor the loss of life and grieve the separation of families.
Community Vigil Details
🗓️ July 11, 2026 | 6:00 – 8:00 PM
🗺️ 1314 E Oltorf St, Austin, TX 78704
🚗 Public transit and rideshare encouraged! Limited parking available and overflow parking may be available at Travis High School.
Please consider donating to the family’s GoFundMe if you are able: https://bit.ly/atx4lorenzo
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