Page 5 - MIN JUS 5 DEC 2015
P. 5
U.S. NEWS A5
Saturday 5 December 2015
Planned Parenthood clinics are open, on guard after shooting
KRISTEN WYATT “There a vitriol, there’s a
hate speech in our coun-
Associated Press try going on right now that
could be causing more vio-
DENVER (AP) — Bulletproof lence than we might other-
wise see.” But the clinic in
glass and armed security Colorado Springs remains
closed, heavily damaged
are nothing new at medi- during an hours-long stand-
off last Friday.
cal clinics that provide The FBI sent a bulletin in
September warning such
abortions. But in the wake clinics that “it is likely crimi-
nal or suspicious incidents
of a deadly shooting last will continue to be direct-
ed against reproductive
week at a Planned Parent- health care providers, their
staff and facilities.”
hood clinic in Colorado, There have been 11 mur-
ders and more than 220
clinics nationwide are re- bombings and arson at-
tacks at abortion facilities
doubling security efforts, in the U.S. since 1977, ac-
cording to the National
checking surveillance Abortion Foundation.
NAF President Vicki Saporta
cameras and reviewing said her group sent adviso-
ries to clinics and hospitals
evacuation plans. providing abortions to be
on heightened alert follow-
Police say they’re adding ing the Colorado shooting.
patrols to clinics to guard
against those who might
be inspired to mimic a A sign in support of Planned Parenthood stands south of a clinic in northwest Colorado Springs,
Colo. Bulletproof glass and armed security are nothing new at medical clinics that provide abor-
shootout that killed three tions. But in the wake of a deadly shooting last week at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado,
clinics nationwide are redoubling security efforts, checking surveillance cameras and reviewing
people and injured nine. evacuation plans.
For the folks who work in (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
the nation’s 400 or so clin-
ics that provide abortions,
it’s a time of resolve and
also reflection about the
dangers they face.
“It is an unusual time,”
said Vicki Cowart, CEO for
Planned Parenthood in the
Rocky Mountain Region.
Federal funds frozen, child-support
data contractors fired in Texas mess
DALLAS (AP) — Texas Attor- the state’s Legislative Bud-
ney General Ken Paxton’s get Board of the federal
office says the federal gov- move on Friday. The con-
ernment has frozen funds tractors and at least one di-
and the state has dismissed rector had been dismissed
11 technology contractors in recent weeks, the Dallas
amid delays in upgrading Morning News reported.
the state’s child support The dismissals came after
data system reports of failures by state
The shakeup comes as officials and vendor, Ac-
state House members are centure, to deliver prom-
set to begin an investiga- ised work on time.
tion into how the costs The project was launched
for a project known as T2 by Paxton’s predecessor,
climbed to $310 million. Gov. Greg Abbott.
Initial estimates said the Late Friday, Accenture said
project would cost just over that it was selected for the
$202 million. project through a competi-
The project was supposed tive bid process in 2010 with
to streamline the data sys- an original contract worth
tem used to process child- $69 million that later was
support payments and sup- revised to $79 million — but
port investigations. that it had only been paid
Paxton’s office informed $25 million to date.q
