This is TPR's roundup of the latest headlines and news developments. It provides a succinct and clear summary of the stories TPR is following.
Today's weather: Expect a high today of 85 and a low of 61. The coming days will be warmer but the evenings will remain pleasantly cool.
The tropics: The National Hurricane Center continues to monitor two systems — one off Nicaragua's Caribbean coast and the other northeast of Puerto Rico. The one off Nicaragua's coast is expected to strengthen over the next several days. The Atlantic hurricane season ends on Nov. 30.
Election 2024: Early voting in the November election begins on Oct. 21 and ends on Nov. 1. The ballot includes the presidential ticket as well as several statewide and local races. There will be nearly 50 polling locations open across Bexar County, including libraries, community centers, and universities. Polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Hours will vary over the weekend. View a sample ballot here.
Last-minute legal moves prevent Roberson execution
With about two hours remaining on Robert Roberson’s death warrant and four hours after he had been set to die, the Texas Supreme Court stepped in. It granted a Texas House of Representatives' emergency motion and issued a stay, which halted the execution.
Roberson had been ordered to be put to death by lethal injection at 6 p.m. on Thursday for the 2002 murder of his 2-year old daughter Nikki.
Anderson County prosecutors said Roberson killed Nikki by violently shaking her. However, medical experts later determined the toddler died from severe pneumonia.
But appeals to the courts never fully considered the new evidence, and it seemed to many that Roberson was heading toward a wrongful execution.
In an unusual move to prevent that, on Wednesday, Texas lawmakers subpoenaed Roberson to testify at an upcoming hearing on capital punishment.
And a Travis County judge granted a temporary restraining order (TRO) halting the execution just 90 minutes before it was to be carried out.
But then Texas Attorney General’s office immediately appealed to the Texas Criminal Court of Appeals, which lifted the TRO.
The lawmakers then appealed to the Texas Supreme Court, which found the subpoena question to be a civil matter that needed to be worked out in the lower courts. It then issued a stay, thus saving Roberson’s life for now.
Three dogs in fatal attack to be euthanized
A judge has ordered the three dogs involved in the fatal attack of a 1-year-old child to be euthanized.
The dogs attacked the child and his babysitter's 13-year-old daughter after she left them without supervision. The baby died from his injuries last week.
The Express-News reported Thursday's hearing occurred because the dog's owner, Heather Rodriguez, only surrendered one dog at the scene. Deputies later seized the two other dogs.
Rodriguez faces several charges, including injury to a child with intent.
AG Paxton sues doctor for providing gender-affirming care
Attorney General Ken Paxton announced on Thursday that he sued a North Texas doctor who he alleged provided gender-affirming care to minors after the state's ban took effect.
The lawsuit claimed Dr. May Lau of UT Southwestern prescribed testosterone treatment to 21 patients between the ages of 14 and 17. Lau allegedly wrote prescriptions that were filled or refilled after the state's ban took effect last September.
Paxton also accused Lau of falsifying diagnoses and billing codes to fill patients' prescriptions. He called Lau a "radical gender activist" in the lawsuit.
Lau was previously associated with GENECIS, one of the only clinics in the Southwest that provided holistic care for trans youth. Lau's specialties include gender dysphoria, and she has contributed to research around the subject.
International Paper closing San Antonio plant
Memphis-based International Paper Company is shuttering its San Antonio plant and laying off 89 workers. The Texas Workforce Commission was notified of the layoffs.
The local job cuts were part of the slightly more than 1,000 job cuts planned company wide. The company said the layoffs will make it more profitable.
The company is a producer of sustainable packaging, pulp, and fiber-based products.
It has around 39,000 employees around the world and had reported sales of nearly $19 billion.
Hundreds of students enjoy reading rally
The San Antonio Local Organizing Committee hosted the NCAA’s Read to the Final Four rally with hundreds of third grade students from public and private schools across the city.
Elementary aged students from private and public schools joined the rally on Thursday. The comprehensive reading program challenges the kids to read 25 minutes a day.
Elena Wells, the executive director of the San Antonio Local Organizing Committee, said the goal is to use March Madness to get students excited to read.
"As they advance through the challenge, she said, "they'll win prizes and books for their schools and their classrooms."
The final four students will attend The Final Four Fan Fest, and the winning class will be awarded a $5,000 library makeover for their school.
IVF one more battlefield in political war
In vitro fertilization (IVF) has become a political topic intertwining with issues of reproductive freedom.
Dr. Francisco Arredondo, an expert in fertility treatment and owner of San Antonio based Pozitivf Fertility, explained to TPR's "The Source" on Thursday that he wants to bring affordable IVF treatments to families.
He said he doesn’t want it to be a political topic. He just wants those who want the care to be able to start their families.
"The most important thing here is that the common American — they just want a baby. They just want a family," he added. "They don't want to get the tangled into all this politics. And frankly, that's one of the things that we have seen in the late political debate. We welcome the discussion. We welcome the the importance that IVF has taken in the narrative."
He said that the fertility rate in the United States is dropping, and IVF is a way to help combat that issue.
Laredo continues boil water notice
The City of Laredo will remain in a boil water notice despite no longer testing positive for E. Coli.
The city said all but one water sample taken during recent tests have returned with negative results for bacterial contamination. Only one sample out of numerous tests showed high levels of bacteria.
City officials said Laredo will voluntarily stay on the boil water notice on Friday out of an abundance of caution.
The notice was first issued on Oct. 10 after E.coli was detected in the water supply.
KERA's Kailey Broussard contributed to this report.
