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u.s. news Dialuna 26 September 2022

Texas vow to 'eliminate all rapists' rings hollow at clinics

(AP) — When Texas' new of Public Safety. That was
abortion law made no ex- slightly down from the year
ceptions in cases of rape, before and consistent with a
Republican Gov. Greg Ab- decline in other violent crime
bott defended it with an figures across the state.
assurance: Texas would
get to work eliminating Crisis centers in Texas say
rapes. the number of rape victims
they've accompanied to hos-
One year later, Lindsey LeB- pitals for exams is rebound-
lanc is busy as ever helping ing since the pandemic re-
rape victims in a college town strictions kept advocates
outside Houston. from entering. The Women's
Center in Fort Worth has
The constant caseloads in made more than 650 visits to
Texas are another example counsel victims undergoing
of how Republicans have exams in the past year com-
struggled to defend zero-ex- pared to about 340 in the year
ception abortion bans that are prior, said Alisha Mathenia,
unpopular in public polling, the assistant director of crisis
have caused uproar in high- services at the center.
profile cases and are inviting
political risk heading into The majority of sexual as-
November's midterm elec- incest or if the health of the tions were banned in Texas saults are never reported to
tions. A year since Texas' law Republican U.S. Sen. Lind- pregnant person is endan- except if it would save a police, making any available
went into effect in September sey Graham, also of South gered. Even Republicans are mother's life. data an incomplete picture.
2021, at least a dozen states Carolina, allowed exceptions seeing it as a line with some And about 8 out of 10 sexual
also have bans that make no under the proposed national voters. Asked what Abbott has done assaults are committed by a
exceptions in cases of rape or abortion ban he introduced in the past year to eliminate person known to the victim,
incest. last week. The proposal has In Texas, the blowback was rape, spokeswoman Renae according to the Rape, Abuse
virtually no chance of pass- swift when Abbott said last Eze highlighted older mea- & Incest National Network.
The absence of exceptions ing, with even GOP leaders September: "Texas will work sures to clear rape test kit
has caused divisions among not immediately backing it, tirelessly to make sure that backlogs, a law signed in June At The SAFE Alliance in
Republicans, including in reflecting how Republicans we eliminate all rapists from aimed at coordinating and Austin, where sexual as-
West Virginia, where a new have broadly struggled to the streets." Critics called it expanding sexual assault re- sault victims can get exams
law signed this month allows navigate the issue of abortion detached from reality. A sexu- sources and a task force his and medical care at its Eloise
a brief window for rape and with voters since the U.S. al assault hotline in Houston office launched in 2019 to House, senior director Juli-
incest victims to obtain abor- Supreme Court overturned has answered almost 4,800 address the issue. ana Gonzales said it's admira-
tions only if they report to law Roe v. Wade this summer. calls through August this ble for Texas to work on rape
enforcement first. Recently, year — putting it on track to More than 14,000 rape crimes prevention. "But I also think
South Carolina Republicans Overwhelming majorities of exceed last year's volume of have been reported in Tex- it's important for the state to
scuttled a proposed ban after voters think their state should 4,843. as since the law took effect live in the reality that we have
failing to get enough GOP generally allow abortion in last year, according to data to respond to sexual assault,"
support. specific cases, including rape, As of this summer, all abor- from the Texas Department she said.

Tropical Storm Ian strengthens as it heads to Cuba, Florida

(AP) — Authorities and coordinate disaster relief and
residents in Florida were provide assistance to protect John Cangialosi, a senior
keeping a cautious eye lives and property. The presi- hurricane specialist at the
on Tropical Storm Ian dent postponed a scheduled Miami-based center, said in
as it rumbled ominously Sept. 27 trip to Florida due to an interview Sunday that it
through the Caribbean on the storm. is not clear exactly where Ian
Sunday, likely to become will hit hardest in Florida.
a major hurricane on its A hurricane warning was in Residents should begin prep-
path toward the state. effect Sunday for Grand Cay- arations, including gathering
man and the Cuban provinc- supplies for potential power
Gov. Ron DeSantis has de- es of Isla de Juventud, Pinar outages, he said.
clared a state of emergency del Rio and Artemisa.
throughout Florida and
urged residents to prepare for
the storm to lash large swaths
of the state with heavy rains,
high winds and rising seas. or early Monday and eventu- United States later this week.
ally become a major hurri- The agency advised Florid-
Forecasters are still unsure of cane before reaching western ians to have hurricane plans
exactly where Ian could make Cuba. in place and monitor updates
landfall, with current models of the storm’s evolving path.
plotting it toward Florida’s Flash and urban flooding
west coast or panhandle re- is possible in the Florida President Joe Biden also de-
gions, he said. Keys and Florida peninsula clared an emergency, autho-
through midweek and then rizing the Department of
The National Hurricane heavy rainfall was possible Homeland Security and the
Center said the tropical storm for north Florida, the Florida Federal Emergency Manage-
was expected to strengthen panhandle and the southeast ment Agency, or FEMA, to
into a hurricane late Sunday