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Houston Matters

Full Show: Spike In Teen Pregnancy, And The Good, Bad And Ugly Of The Week’s News (Aug.18, 2017)

On Friday’s Houston Matters: A new study suggests a rise in teen pregnancy and birth rates corresponds with funding cuts from the Texas government. We discuss The Good, The Bad And The Ugly of the week’s news. And we tour an exhibit of Islamic art at Houston City Hall.

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On Friday’s edition of Houston Matters: Teen pregnancy and birth rates are seeing a downward trend nationwide. However, in Texas, the data show that this downward trend has slowed dramatically over a four-year period. This happens to correlate strongly with the state's broad defunding of family planning services, including Planned Parenthood. Those cuts began in earnest in 2011 under then-Gov. Rick Perry. A new study examines the connection, and we learn more from researcher Analisa Packham from Miami University (Ohio).

Also this hour: Our panel of non-experts discusses The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of this week’s news — from the debate over removing Confederate statues from city property, to the end of the special session, to the sale of a particularly expensive estate near Austin. Plus Michael Hagerty takes us on a tour of Islamic art on display at City Hall.

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