LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - A deep layer of gulf moisture, along with rising motion in the atmosphere associated with waves in the upper level wind flow will produce tall rain clouds. There is the potential of rains falling faster than it can drain away, prompting a Flood Watch until Friday morning. Drier air with higher temperatures and clearing skies will follow beginning Friday. 

(Stacker) - Republicans who control Congress are reportedly weighing cuts to Medicaid, the popular federal-state insurance program that provides health and long-term care to millions of Americans. Lawmakers have indicated the cuts would help pay for President Donald Trump’s tax policy, which is expected to include permanent tax breaks for wealthy Americans.

On Jan. 31, Trump said he would “love and cherish” Social Security and Medicare—two programs that disproportionately provide financial support and care for older Americans—as well as Medicaid.

“We’re not going to do anything with that, unless we can find some abuse or waste,” the president said. “The people won’t be affected. It will only be more effective and better.”

Nearly two weeks later, The 19th reports, House Republicans formally tasked lawmakers who oversee the Medicaid budget to slash at least $880 billion in spending over 10 years.

Medicaid serves about one in five Americans, and its supporters note it was not a key policy discussion between the major party candidates during the 2024 presidential campaign.

On the receiving end of potential reductions to Medicaid are people: families—in particular pregnant people, mothers, caregivers and children. Some of these children also have complex medical needs and disabilities that advocates say could be impacted if the federal government halts some of its existing financial support.

As the future of Medicaid funding continues to be a part of the national conversation, here’s what you need to know about how it currently ensures quality health and long-term care for large swaths of people.

How many people are on Medicaid, and who are they?

About 72 million people are enrolled in Medicaid, a program created by law in 1965 that is funded by both the federal government and states to provide health insurance to low-income people, children, individuals with disabilities and some older Americans. Enrollees pay little to no money in premiums or fees because they struggle to afford health care.

In addition, there is the Children’s Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, which ensures children whose parents earn too much to qualify for Medicaid—but are also priced out of affordable private insurance—are still able to access health care. That group represents about 7.2 million children, for a total of just under 80 million people on Medicaid.

Combining Medicaid and CHIP enrollment, nearly half of all people on Medicaid, 37.6 million, are children.

Here is a breakdown of other enrollees, according to available data:

• Parents and other adults under 65: 27.8 million

• People with disabilities: 7.8 million

• Individuals who are 65 and over: 5.6 million

The impact of Medicaid on women’s health is in the data. The program covered 19 percent of adult women ages 19 to 64 in 2023, compared to 14 percent of men. One in five non-elderly women in the United States are enrolled in Medicaid. Low-income parents who are on Medicaid are disproportionately women, according to Joan Alker, executive director of the Center for Children and Families at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy.

“There’s a lot of ways in which gender, and women in particular, are at risk when we have these kinds of proposals for broad cuts,” she said.

What services does Medicaid offer for pregnant people and new parents?

Medicaid provides health care coverage to low-income pregnant and postpartum people, a staple of the program since its inception nearly 60 years ago. Under Medicaid, pregnant people who need prenatal care are generally able to access vitamins, doctor’s visits and ultrasounds—benefits that improve the health of mothers and other caregivers.

“People of reproductive age really can benefit from having that steady coverage and going into pregnancy healthier,” said Laura Harker, a senior policy analyst with the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. “So we really look at Medicaid across the reproductive journey.”

The program is credited with covering more than 40 percent of all births in the country. There are many variables to how much an uninsured person will actually pay for a birth, but experts estimate that a person with private insurance incurs an average of nearly $19,000 in health costs related to pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum care—and that can translate to nearly $3,000 in out-of-pocket costs.

In short, Medicaid has served families for decades.

“It’s really hard to overstate the importance of Medicaid for kids and families,” said Maddie Twomey, communications director with Protect Our Care, a health care advocacy group. “You could rely on it at any point in your life.”

Under a provision in former President Joe Biden’s 2021 American Rescue Plan Act, states have recently been able to provide postpartum coverage for 12 months—up from a mandatory 60 days that had led about 45 percent of postpartum people to become uninsured shortly after the birth of a child.

More than half of pregnancy-related deaths in America occur in the first year after a birth, and these disparities disproportionately impact Black women.

To date, most states have agreed to expand postpartum coverage, which experts believe could help address health disparities that cause pregnancy-related deaths. A year of postpartum coverage can also help parents address postpartum depression, which may not appear for months, as well as medical debt.

Some policy experts caution about drawing definitive conclusions yet on the effects of the extended postpartum coverage period but agree that the U.S. maternal mortality rate remains stubbornly high—one estimate by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put it at 23 deaths per 100,000 births between 2018 and 2022—compared to other countries.

Health advocates worry that general cuts to the Medicaid program would inevitably impact whether as many states offer extended postpartum coverage as they try to offset the federal government reducing any matching funds it has provided.

What does Medicaid do for children?

Through Medicaid and CHIP, millions of the nation’s children are able to access a range of health care: checkups and emergency care, dental and vision, laboratory and X-ray services, vaccine immunizations, mental health and other services.

That results in better overall health as children age into adulthood. There are other benefits, too: a lower high school dropout rate, higher college enrollment and completion rates and higher wages later in life. “It’s one of these things that works so well, it’s ultimately a really good investment,” Twomey said.

Medicaid also plays a major role in care for children with complex medical needs and disabilities. Data from 2019 estimated there are 13.9 million children with special health care needs in the country. Medicaid covers almost half of them, according to KFF, a health policy research nonprofit.

Children (and adults) with such special health needs may require what’s known as long-term services and supports—which includes home and community-based services. Those services can include attendant care, assistive technology, case management and private duty nursing which allows children to live at home with their families instead of institutionalized care. Depending on the state, Medicaid pays for many of those services when private insurance often does not.

“It is the lifeline for children with complex medical needs and disabilities, unless you’re independently wealthy,” said Elena Hung, executive director and co-founder of Little Lobbyists, a national advocacy organization for children with such needs.

School districts also use Medicaid dollars to provide certain medically necessary services to eligible students under a federal disability law aimed at addressing education needs. Medicaid dollars pay for professionals like speech-language pathologists, audiologists, occupational therapists, school psychologists and school social workers who provide services to eligible students.

How else does Medicaid impact overall caregiving?

Medicaid covers half of all long-term care spending, according to KFF. That care is key for women, who live longer than men. In 2021, 20 percent of women were dually enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid, a supplemental coverage setup that helps them and others pay for more of their care needs.

Medicaid pays for more than 60 percent of long-term care residents in nursing homes, a population that is heavily women. Many in the care workforce are also women, and largely women of color. Their low wages mean many rely on Medicaid for their own health care coverage.

“It’s permeating so many different aspects of our health care system that relate to caregiving,” said Alker, who noted just over half of Medicaid spending goes to seniors and people with disabilities.

Over several years, most states and the District of Columbia have also expanded who qualifies for their Medicaid programs under the Affordable Care Act. Getting rid of that expansion is among the proposed cuts by congressional Republicans, to the tune of $561 billion over 10 years. Alker said overall reductions to the program is likely to impact all enrollees and that it would be detrimental to children.

“They’re not protecting children by pulling out hundreds of billions of dollars from the most important program there is for children’s health, because states would not be able to make up for these kinds of losses,” she said. “States would be left in an extremely untenable position. So fiscally, it’s a huge risk to children.”

Is Medicaid popular?

Yes, it’s a popular program among a majority of Americans, according to KFF polling that was conducted in January ahead of Trump’s inauguration. The findings show 77 percent of respondents view the Medicaid program favorably. That included 63 percent of Republicans.

The poll also found nearly half of all people say the federal government is not spending enough on Medicare and Medicaid.

Is there fraud in Medicaid?

There are reports that Elon Musk, designated by Trump to cut the size of the federal government even though those efforts so far include trying to halt the flow of money already appropriated by Congress, has been given access to technology and spending information on Medicare and Medicaid—programs housed under the federal health department. Musk claimed on X: “Yeah, this is where the big money fraud is happening.”

The scope of fraud in health care is nuanced but is not often committed by regular people who are Medicaid enrollees. According to an estimate by the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families, 95 percent of Medicaid payments are proper payments for care. There are also already systems in place, including through the federal government, to catch and prosecute fraud and forms of mismanagement.

(AP) - Thirty years ago, music legend Selena Quintanilla-Pérez was killed by her fan club’s president, Yolanda Saldívar. For the last three decades, Saldívar has served her life sentence in Texas.

Now 64, Saldívar has a petition for parole under review, according to Texas Department of Criminal Justice online records. On Sunday, she is up for parole for the very first time.

According to a spokeswoman for the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, her case will be voted on or around then, but there’s no exact date for the decision to be released.

Here’s everything you need to know about Selena, Saldívar and the parole process in Texas:

Who was Selena Quintanilla-Pérez?

Born in 1971, Quintanilla-Pérez demonstrated an incredible vocal gift in childhood, fronting Selena y Los Dinos with her siblings A.B. and Suzette Quintanilla.

Her superstardom arrived in the early 1990s, with her unique blend of Tejano, pop, cumbia and other musical styles manifesting in huge hits like “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom,” “Como la Flor,” “Amor Prohibido,” “No Me Queda Mas” and “Tu Solo Tu.”

Known the world over as The Queen of Tejano, or even more simply just as Selena, she broke barriers for women in Latin music. She opened the floodgates for a new generation of contemporary artists of Latin descent who would go on to enjoy huge popularity with mainstream American audiences. She often sang in Spanish and spoke in English, reflecting a cross-cultural identity that resonated with listeners.

She won her first Grammy in 1994 for best Mexican/Mexican-American album for “Live,” becoming the first female Tejano artist to win the category. She was just 23 when she was killed the following year. But her legacy endures for Mexican Americans, Mexicans, Texans, Latinos and beyond.

Her posthumous English-language crossover album released a few months after her death, “Dreaming of You,” topped the Billboard 200, featuring hits like “I Could Fall in Love” and “Dreaming of You.” In 1997, a biographical film about her life, “Selena,” would quickly become a classic, further launching the career of lead Jennifer Lopez.

In 2017, she received a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. At the time, according to a Hollywood Chamber of Commerce spokesperson, the crowd was the largest-ever for a Walk of Fame ceremony, breaking a 1998 record set by onlookers at the unveiling of the star for Mexican singer Vicente Fernández.

In 2021, she received a posthumous lifetime achievement award from the Grammys. There was no tribute.

FILE -- This combination of photos shows Yolanda Saldívar, who is serving a life sentence at the Patrick L. O'Daniel Unit prison in Gatesville, Texas, left, and Tejano music star Selena posing in Corpus Christi, Texas on March 7, 1995. (Texas Department of Criminal Justice via AP, left, and Paul Howell,/Houston Chronicle via AP)(AP)

Who is Yolanda Saldívar?

Yolanda Saldívar, a former nurse, was the founder and president of Selena’s fan club. She was also a manager of Selena’s clothing boutiques, Selena Etc., but was fired in early 1995 after money was discovered missing.

How did Selena die?

On March 31, 1995, Selena went to Saldívar’s room at the Days Inn motel in Corpus Christi, Texas, to pick up business records she needed for a tax filing, according to court testimony. A confrontation followed.

Selena was shot in the back with a .38-caliber revolver in the motel room, ran outside and collapsed in the lobby. She was rushed to a nearby hospital and pronounced dead about an hour later.

Motel employees testified Selena named “Yolanda” in “room 158” as her attacker.

“I didn’t mean to do it. I didn’t mean to kill anybody,” a sobbing Saldívar said during a 9-hour standoff with police, during which she held a gun to her head. She told police she had bought the .38-caliber revolver to kill herself.

What happened at Yolanda Saldívar’s trial?

The trial was moved to Houston because of heavy publicity.

Prosecutors contended that Saldívar shot the 23-year-old after the singer’s family suspected her of embezzling $30,000. The defense argued the gun went off accidentally.

On October 23, 1995, the jury convicted Saldívar of first-degree murder. She was sentenced to life in prison, with the possibility of parole after 30 years — beginning in 2025.

Saldívar did not face the death penalty because the crime contained none of the aggravating circumstances required under Texas law, such as a multiple murder or a murder committed during a robbery.

In 1999, the Court of Criminal Appeals in Austin turned down Saldívar’s first plea for a new trial. In 2000, her lawyer Bill Berchelmann asked the state to revisit the trial. He argued that prosecutors wrongly dismissed potential jurors because of race, did not disclose the criminal record of a witness and made improper comments in court. He said police also violated Saldívar’s rights by interrogating her after she asked for an attorney.

In 2009, Saldívar lost an appeal because it was filed in the wrong county. She had asked the court to order an appeal filed nine years earlier in Nueces County to move forward, but the state’s highest criminal appeals court said it should have been filed in Harris County, where she was tried and convicted.

She’s incarcerated at the Patrick L. O’Daniel prison unit in Gatesville, Texas, about 90 minutes north of Austin.

How does parole work in Texas?

In Texas, the parole division of the state’s Department of Criminal Justice identifies inmates six months before the date of their initial parole eligibility and pulls their case file for review. Notice of an inmate’s eligibility for parole is sent to officials involved in the trial, any victims and victims’ family members.

An institutional parole officer with the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles interviews an inmate and prepares a summary for the board. The victim or the victim’s family members can provide a written statement and can appear in person before board members.

The inmate’s file is then sent to the parole board and voted on by a three-person panel. The panel will vote on a case just prior to the inmate’s parole eligibility date and a majority of two votes is needed for a final decision.

In Texas, the board does not conduct public parole hearings. Parole release decisions are made independently by each panel member.

Representatives for members of Quintanilla-Pérez’s family did not immediately respond to The Associated Press’ request for comment this week.

What happens if Saldívar’s parole is denied? What if it is approved?

A denial by the panel will include the date of the next time an inmate will be eligible for parole.

Saldívar was convicted of first-degree murder, one of the crimes where state law dictates that the next review after a denial can be done anywhere from one to five years from the date of the denial.

An approval by the panel could include special conditions the inmate will have to follow while on parole. Processing time for a release differs from case to case.

Once a release certificate with an approved residence plan is issued, it will be audited by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s Classification and Records Department and a release date is calculated. Typically, these processes can take two to six weeks to complete.

The governor cannot veto a parole decision by the pardons board. The governor, upon recommendation by a majority of the pardons board, can grant clemency. That includes pardons, commutations and reprieves.

___

Associated Press reporter Juan A. Lozano contributed to this report from Houston.

LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - Laredo police ramped up enforcement efforts during spring break, issuing 471 citations between March 7 and March 24 as part of the Impaired Driver Mobilization Grant.

Funded by TxDOT, this initiative focuses on enforcing DWI laws by identifying and arresting intoxicated drivers while also addressing other traffic violations.

During this period, LPD officers made:

• 10 DWI arrests

• 3 additional arrests

• 471 total citations issued

Authorities continue to emphasize the importance of having a designated driver to ensure safety on the roads.

LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - A man believed to be affiliated with the Cartel del Noreste will serve five months in federal prison and face deportation for possessing ammunition.

20-year-old Chabrel Garza Macias pleaded guilty to smuggling ammunition across international borders in October 2024. According to court documents, authorities discovered approximately 4,800 rounds of ammunition inside a vehicle during a traffic stop in July of last year.

Macias admitted that he was hired to buy 20,000 rounds of ammunition to smuggle into Mexico for the cartel in Nuevo Laredo.

He will remain in federal prison for a little over five years and is expected to face deportation immediately after his sentence.

LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - The City of Laredo Environmental Services were actively clearing sewers and removing branches, leaves and trash ahead of the rainy weather.

These actions prepared sewers to contain the heavy rainfall and prevent roads from flooding. Additionally, the Laredo Fire Department advised drivers to be on high alert, as road conditions may have been impacted.

They recommend that community members drive carefully, slow down and wear seatbelts.

According to Sebastian Valero with LFD, “If you see an area of the roads or highways that seem a little bit flooded, avoid the areas if possible, and be careful because you might get stuck and cause an accident. We’re always ready for any rescues, but hopefully, we don’t have to do that.”

The fire department is ready to provide shelters if needed.

LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - A march to honor civil rights leader César Chávez will occur in downtown Laredo on Saturday, March 29.

The César Chávez Memorial Alliance of South Texas is hosting the 22nd Annual March for Justice to celebrate his life and work. Chávez fought to improve conditions for migrant and farm workers in the 1960s.

The march will start at 10 a.m. at Bruni Plaza and end at San Agustín Plaza. Victor Treviño Jr. will be the main speaker.

The event is open to the public, and organizers invite the community to join.