Failed food stamps vote, immigrants medical care, newspaper attack: Your Friday morning roundup

June 29,  2018 By Carla Solórzano Good morning! Here is a look at the top headlines as we start the day. 🌞 Weather: Today is predicted to be mostly sunny and hot with a high of 98 degrees. 🔎 Prefer the online view? It's [here](. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, left, speaks while fellow Sen. John Cornyn R-Texas, listens as federal officials, lawmakers and local officials hold a roundtable at the U.S. Border Patrol station in Weslaco. (Joel Martinez/The Associated Press) Politics Cornyn, Cruz led failed Senate push for work requirements for food stamps Amendments by Texas Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz to the Senate farm bill requiring food stamp recipients to work or be enrolled in job training [failed to make it into the final legislation, which passed 86-11 late Thursday afternoon](. Amendments by the senators mirrored a provision in a controversial House bill that passed by two votes last week. The bill now heads to a conference committee to work out differences in the two pieces of legislation. Cruz's amendment would have required able-bodied adults 18 to 59 without dependents to work or participate in job training for 100 hours a month to qualify for food stamps. Recipients who did not meet the requirement faced a reduction of benefits proportionate to the number of hours they failed to work or a complete termination of benefits. Cornyn's amendment would have required those same adults to work or be in job training for 20 hours a week to qualify. It increased that amount to 25 hours a week in 2026 to equal the 100 hours per month that Cruz proposed. Recipients who failed to prove compliance were to become ineligible to receive food stamps for a year, with subsequent violations resulting in a three-year suspension. [The amendment — which didn't get a vote — closely matched what was approved in the House.]( Meanwhile: [A Plano City Council member's effort to challenge the petition behind his recall election is flawed](, according to a response filed by the city. Also: What does Justice Anthony Kennedy’s retirement [mean for abortion access in Texas](? University of Texas-Dallas pre-med student Ashtyn Tayler applies some ointment to Andy Silva's cut lip as they waited for transportation at the Central Station bus terminal in downtown McAllen, Texas, Sunday, June 24, 2018. (Tom Fox/Staff Photographer) Immigration At the border, doctors, advocates worry medical care for immigrants is lacking Doctors who have traveled to the Rio Grande Valley to check on the condition of immigrant children separated from their parents says [children leaving Border Patrol processing centers are coming out ill and may not be getting the care they need while in federal custody](. "I saw children malnourished, with respiratory infections and fevers. None of them received any antibiotics to treat bacterial infections," said Dr. Aaron Bodansky, a senior resident in Pediatrics at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston. "Others had severe diaper rashes as it appears many hadn't have the diapers changed for a long time." His views and those of other medical professionals were buttressed this week by an announcement that the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services would conduct a review of health and safety conditions at shelters for immigrant children. [Minors, travelling alone or separated from family, are usually sent to about 100 shelters in the U.S. after leaving border processing centers](. Also: [Nearly one out of four cases of white supremacist propaganda reported on U.S. college campuses]( this school year occurred in Texas, according to a Jewish civil rights group. Meanwhile: Immigrant children as young as 3 [are being ordered into court for their own deportation proceedings](, according to attorneys in Texas. The 888 Bestgate Road building is seen after police received reports of multiple people being shot at The Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis, Md. (Jose Luis Magana/The Associated Press)  Maryland attack Gunman who killed 5 at Maryland newspaper had made threats on social media, police say [A man armed with smoke grenades and a shotgun attacked a newspaper in Maryland's capital Thursday, killing four journalists and a staffer]( before police quickly stormed the building and arrested him, police and witnesses said. The shooting came amid months of verbal and online attacks on the "fake news media" from politicians and others from President Donald Trump on down. It prompted New York City police to immediately tighten security at news organizations in the nation's media capital. Police in Annapolis said a white man in his late 30s was in custody after the rampage at The Capital Gazette. A law enforcement official said the suspect was identified as Jarrod W. Ramos. The official wasn't authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity. Lt. Ryan Frashure of Anne Arundel County Police read the names of those killed at a news conference Thursday night. [They are: Wendi Winters, John McNamara, Gerald Fischman, Rebecca Smith, and Rob Hiaasen.]( Editorial: "The free press is an institution that will continue to serve this country by producing independent news," [writes our editorial board](. Advertisement (Carly Geraci/Staff Photographer)  Photo of the Morning Girls play with a bucket of water during Splash Day at Family Place in Dallas on June 28. The event was hosted by the ExxonMobil Community Summer Jobs Program which pays college students to volunteer at nonprofit organizations in North Texas. Around The Site - Business: AT&T to pay $5.25 million fine after FCC investigation into [outages that left 12,600 calls to 911 unable to get through in March 2017](. - Happy 4th: Here are three North Texas bars and restaurants [serving patriotic cocktails for Independance Day](. - Science: Thanks to a team led by a physics professor at UT-Arlington, [a “new physics” could revolutionize nuclear power](. - Crime: [Dallas police are seeking the public's help]( in finding a vehicle that hit a pedestrian in Vickery Meadow on Thursday. - Tyler man charged: A father who admitted to police that he had been abusing his infant [has been charged with capital murder](. - Technology: [A Dallas federal court may have saved Facebook $250 million]( in a lawsuit over the rights to virtual reality technology. - Potted plants: Port Arthur residents [have planted trees in potholes in an attempt to both warn drivers and express their displeasure]( to officials. Thistle Floral Design owner Jan Barstad trims the stems of flowers. (Jason Janik/Special Contributor) Finally... 'It's almost like a drug': How flower arranging is helping people relieve stress In our chaotic world, it’s not easy to find moments of stillness and mindfulness. But to ease the tension of everyday living, [peace-seeking nature lovers are flocking to flower arranging classes](. “I’ve always loved flowers. I love what nature does to the soul,” says Jan Barstad, owner of Thistle Floral Design in McKinney. [It’s no secret flowers boost morale and improve mood](. Like artwork, they elicit emotions. Color and fragrance combine to alter moods, bring smiles and create feelings of comfort. Floral designers have long understood the harmony of arranging flowers and have offered workshops in the art. Why the rapid growth of classes now? “Social media is giving people a platform for watching others. They see what others do and how beautiful it is,” says Sonya Eudaley, owner of Dirt Flowers in the Bishop Arts District. AdVERTISEMENT 👋 That's all for this morning! 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