Public Health

Medication abortion continues to play a major role as the decades-long battle over reproductive rights rages on in the U.S.

Medication abortion continues to play a major role as the decades-long battle over reproductive rights rages on in the U.S.

A troubling number of people in Texas prisons and jails who have been approved for release on parole are dying in custody before they ever step foot outside prison gates, according to a new report...

"Despite the glaring polarization in our country today, we all want security, good health and the opportunity to succeed," write LBJ's Jacqueline Angel and Juan Fernando M. Torres-Gil. "The challenge is overcoming the differences amplified by the social and economic disparities exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"When it rains, it pours. This well-known phrase summarizes the experiences of the Hispanic population during our current coronavirus pandemic," write LBJ's Jacqueline Angel and Juan Fernando M. Torres-Gil in the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. "There is nothing inherent about Hispanic physiology, but accumulated lifelong disadvantages increase exposure to the disease. In fact, it is well known that Hispanics are more likely than non-Hispanic whites to experience health conditions tied to poverty, low levels of educational attainment, and inadequate retirement income.

"We know that most older adults prefer to continue living in their communities and their homes for as long as they can," write LBJ's Jacqueline Angel and Stipica Mudrazija in the Waco Tribune-Herald. "A home is more than an asset. It is a shelter for our bodies and our memories. Our attachment to a community where we have lived most of our lives is a powerful one. Staying in the family home for most is preferable to moving in with the children or certainly living in a nursing home.

This week we welcomed Anne-Marie Slaughter, CEO of New America and the Bert G. Kerstetter '66 University Professor Emerita of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton University. Dr. Slaughter is the first woman to serve as director of policy planning for the United States Department of State (2009–11) and served as dean of Princeton University's School of Public and International Affairs (2002–09). She was joined by LBJ School Associate Professor Dr. Sheena Chestnut Greitens to discuss her barrier-breaking career and what she's learned about leadership from working in top roles in government, academia and the private sector.

All agree that artificial intelligence will continue to transform human life in the 21 st century. But whether that transformation will be for good or ill — or both — relies heavily on decisions made by humans. On this week's LBJ In the Arena, theoretical neuroscientist, technologist and entrepreneur Dr. Vivienne Ming (a multiple Ph.D. who prefers the labels "self-appointed do-gooder" and "mad scientist") summed up the AI conundrum, and offered a roadmap for leaders shaping its course. Dr. Ming was in conversation with Dr. Varun Rai, LBJ School Associate Dean for Research and the director of the Energy Institute at The University of Texas.

As we celebrate the LBJ School's 50th anniversary this week, we look back on President Lyndon B. Johnson's 1964 State of the Union address, where he declared an "unconditional war" on poverty. That war established a range of new programs designed to reduce poverty and inequality in the United States and laid the foundation for today's anti-poverty programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); Medicare; Medicaid; Head Start; and expanded Social Security benefits. As the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to greatly increase the proportion of Americans suffering from serious economic distress, the LBJ School is launching a limited speaker series, "Poverty Now," which will look at the reasons behind the persistence of poverty and inequality in the United States and will examine a range of policies intended to address these problems.

We are only a few weeks from a historic presidential election. The two candidates will face off on Tuesday, Sept. 29 for the first of three presidential debates, where topics will include: Trump's and Biden's records, the Supreme Court, COVID-19, the economy, race and violence in U.S. cities, and the integrity of the election. Assistant Dean for Civic Engagement Dr. Victoria DeFrancesco Soto led a roundtable discussion and analysis of the debate and each candidates' policies and performance with LBJ School and UT faculty.