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This is a tale of nepotism and corruption at the top of Texas government

Editorial Board, Corpus Christi Caller-Times Published 7:00 a.m. CT Feb. 21, 2019

This is how people in charge of government use it to con the people they govern:

There's a bill in the Texas Senate. It's supposed to help Texas grow its financial tech industry. That would be a good thing, right?

And what better way to do it than to remove an onerous regulation?

That's what this bill is purported to do. It would let investment advisers sell stock in these companies without having to register with the Texas State Securities Board like all the other investment advisers. They'd still get permission to sell, but the permission would come from the Texas Attorney General's consumer protection division. And they wouldn't have to follow all the securities board rules.

What's wrong with this picture?

If this sounds like a license to dupe gullible investors, maybe so, maybe not. Frankly, it would be a lot harder to argue that it's not.

But that may not even be the worst thing about this bill. What's worse is that It appears to be nothing more than an attempt to get one specific individual off the hook for duping investors.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (Photo11: John C. Moritz/USA Today Network)

That specific individual is Ken Paxton, the Texas Attorney General. The bill would give Paxton the ultimate oversight over this kind of securities trading.

Paxton faces trial on felony charges accusing him of selling securities in a tech company without being registered and without bothering to tell the investors that he represented the company and would receive commissions for the sales.

Can it get worse?

Yes. The bill's sponsor is his wife, Sen. Angela Paxton, R-McKinney. She's a freshman first-time officeholder sworn in in January. Her previous work experience is as a counselor at a religious-affiliated school. If you're wondering how she got to be so savvy about the financial tech industry, so are we.

Angela Paxton's bill wouldn't retroactively make the charges against Ken Paxton go away. It can't.

But if it were to become law, how can a jury convict the Texas attorney general of a crime that isn't even a crime anymore? What a sweet gift to his criminal defense team, some of the best lawyers money can buy.

If what Angela Paxton is trying to do were actionable in any way, it's safe to say that she'd have nothing to fear from the Texas Attorney General's Office or from anyone who has cause to fear the attorney general.

Investment adviser is, to say the least, an interesting sideline for Ken Paxton, a lawyer by trade and a politician whose previous offices were state representative and the Senate seat now occupied by Angela Paxton. He has claimed repeatedly that the criminal case against him is a politically motivated witch hunt. But the case against him involves a purely private-business interest. Its only political connections are the awesome advantages that being an elected official gave Paxton, and that one of his accusers is a former Texas House colleague. 

What else is wrong?

In case you're wondering whether Angela Paxton's bill might be a good thing with only a bad optic, think again. Less oversight of securities sellers isn't its only problem. The bill gives the attorney general's office a duty way outside its bailiwick. It's not exactly a financial or economic development institution. Nor should it be made into one. Not ever. But especially not now, considering the compromised individual in charge of it. Texas already has a securities board versed in how to oversee securities traders. 

The potential for a new state senator whose husband is the attorney general to encounter conflicts of interest is huge. Angela Paxton wasted no time living up to that potential. This is what corrupt government looks like. Her Senate colleagues need to take a stand against it and kill this bill. And the voters of her district and the state of Texas need to hold both Paxtons accountable.

Read or Share this story: https://www.caller.com/story/opinion/2019/02/21/tale-nepotism-corruption-top-texas-government/2929548002/

Here's what you need to know about hepatitis A in Kentucky

The Courier Journal Published 8:17 a.m. ET Feb. 21, 2019

We answer all of your questions about hepatitis A, the highly contagious liver infection. Nikki Boliaux, Louisville Courier Journal

What is it?

Hepatitis A is a highly contagious liver infection caused by a virus. It can range in severity from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a severe illness lasting several months. For vulnerable patients, such as those with compromised immune systems, it can be deadly.

How common is it?

In 2016, there were an estimated 4,000 cases of hep A in the United States. But Kentucky is one of several states experiencing outbreaks. Since the state declared an outbreak declared in November 2017, it has had nearly 4,100 cases and 40 deaths. Previously, Kentucky saw an average of about 20 cases a year.

How is hep A different from other types of hepatitis?

Hep A, B and C are caused by three different viruses. They cause similar symptoms but have different modes of transmission and can affect the liver differently. Hep A is usually a short-term infection and does not become chronic. Hep B and C can remain in the body in some people and result in long-term liver problems. There are vaccines against hep A and B but no vaccine against hep C.

How is hep A spread?

It usually spreads when someone unknowingly ingests the virus from objects, food or drinks contaminated by small, undetected amounts of stool from an infected person. It can spread when people who are infected don't wash their hands properly after going to the bathroom and then touch objects or food. It can also spread during close personal contact, such as sex or caregiving, with an infected person.

Who's at risk?

Recent outbreaks in Kentucky and other states have been focused among people who use drugs (injection or noninjection) and those who are homeless. Other groups at higher risk for hep A include men who have sex with men, travelers to countries where hep A is common, families of children recently adopted from those countries, people with clotting-factor disorders such as hemophilia, people working with nonhuman primates, and people in direct contact with someone who has hep A. 

What are the symptoms?

They include jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, diarrhea, clay-colored stool and joint pain.

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Can you get hep A more than once?

No. Once you recover from hep A, you develop antibodies that protect you for life.

How can you protect yourself?

The best way to prevent hep A is to get vaccinated. Experts recommend the vaccine for all children over a year old, those at high risk, and people with medical conditions. The vaccine is given as two shots six months apart. Insurance generally covers it, and certain people at high risk can get the vaccine even if they don't have insurance. It's available at doctors' offices, pharmacies and local health departments. Public health officials also advise frequent and thorough handwashing with soap and water.

What if you've already been exposed?

If you haven't yet been vaccinated, you might still benefit from the hep A vaccine or immune globulin within two weeks of the exposure.

What if you ate at a restaurant that had a hep A case?

Call your health professional or health department; they can help you learn if you were recently exposed and might benefit from the vaccine or immune globulin. Federal health officials say transmission from food handlers to restaurant patrons has been extremely rare because of sanitation practices.

Sources: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Kentucky Department for Public Health; local health departments in Kentucky.

Read or Share this story: https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/investigations/2019/02/21/hepatitis-a-in-kentucky-what-you-need-to-know/2568631002/

Brexit takes a bite out of Barclays earnings

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