Red Cross and church-based volunteers are trying to stem a developing humanitarian crisis on the Mexican side of a U.S. port of entry in El Paso, Texas.

Families in Flint, Mich., still dealing with lead in their pipes have a continuous source of clean, free water thanks to a Texas man who developed a machine to pull water from the air.

Disabled students now have the option to buy a $300 parking permit to access newly labeled D+ spaces, along with D spaces from last year . Parking and Transportation Services created the D+ parking permit over the summer after the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which oversees handicap parking, said some labeled parking spaces on campus were “not compliant” with Texas Accessibility Standards, PTS director Bobby Stone said. The standards regulate what spaces are compliant based on factors such as the size, shape and location in relation to buildings. Additionally, the standards discourage parallel parking “unless it can be situated so that persons entering and exiting vehicles will be out of the flow of traffic.”  Stone said a number of UT’s spaces were on hills or parallel to streets, causing the department to advise that they no longer be labeled as spaces compliant under the Americans with Disabilities Act .  “Those spaces still have a lot of value for the (disabled) community, so we began to think about how we could make them not be ADA spaces but still reserve them for people with ADA needs,” Stone said. Instead of removing the spaces designated for disabled people, Stone said UT created the new permit to preserve the availability for students and faculty who can still benefit from them.  Like the D permit, the D+ permit still requires individuals to display the permit with a handicapped placard, according to the PTS website. D+ permits include all of the D spaces as well as all of the spaces deemed “noncompliant” by the department, Stone said . Stone said the D+ permit is twice as expensive as the $150 D permit, which allows students to park only in technically compliant spaces.  Stone said the price increase was affected by a 2013 study done by the University, which proposed increases to food, housing and campus parking rates. He said the difference in price is also due to the “prime” location and number of spaces provided to students with a D+ permit. “We all certainly understand that in some cases, a compliant space is absolutely necessary to work for whoever is using it,” Stone said. “In a lot of cases, it’s not really required.” Stone said a wheelchair user or a person with a mobility-related disability may need a compliant space.  Currently, the University has 575 D and D+ spaces – 223 of which are in garages. While PTS spokesperson Melissa Loe said in an email that the number of spaces constantly fluctuates due to ongoing construction, Stone said the number of D permit spaces will not drop below 333 — the number of compliant spaces required by the state. Caroline Puryear, Disability Advocacy Student Coalition recruitment chair, said she feels like PTS is going in the right direction with having as many spaces available as possible but said the price tag of the new permits was unnecessary. “I can really respect what UT is doing with trying to keep these spaces accessible, but I don’t think that the price jump from $150 to $300 was really necessary,” Puryear, a government sophomore, said.

Harrison Keller, UT’s deputy to the president for strategy and policy, was selected as the next Commissioner of Higher Education of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board on Wednesday.  Keller is a sixth-generation Texan and has over 20 years of experience in public and higher education. He previously served as UT’s vice provost for higher education policy and research, where he founded college preparation initiatives such as OnRamps and Texas OnCourse. Prior to that, he served as the director of research for Texas Rep. Tom Craddick, according to a press release sent out by the board. “I admit it was a difficult decision because I’m excited about the work that I’m doing at UT Austin,” Keller said. “But, for me, this was a once-in-a- lifetime opportunity to serve our state.” Keller said in the long-term, he hopes to advance the competitiveness of higher education in Texas by increasing research and development opportunities. Keller also said he hopes to increase degree productivity by raising the number of secondary certificates and additional credentials offered by academic institutions. “We have a long way to go to be able to meet the goals that we set for ourselves as a state and to ensure that Texans have the opportunities, the credentials and the preparation that aligns with future workforce needs,” Keller said.  The coordinating board works closely with policymakers, the governor’s office and higher education institutions across the state to work on issues of higher education, such as administering financial aid programs, Keller said. “Harrison understands the arc of the possible political reality,” said Stuart Stedman, board chair of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. “He also understands that there are certain parts of higher education that are maybe not as effective as they could be.” Keller received his master’s and doctorate degrees in philosophy from Georgetown University, which he said helped train him for the work he does today.   “In education policy in particular, we actually get to wrestle with issues about how opportunities are available for all students,” Keller said. “We think about … what kind of education is going to prepare for our state and for our nation.” Stedman said the board was looking for someone who was knowledgeable about higher education and the political process, and understood Texas as a whole to fill the role.  “There was no issue in higher education that I discussed with him that he wasn’t familiar with and in most issues he was deeply familiar with in a very nuanced level,” Stedman said. “He still impresses me.” Keller is the sixth commissioner since the board’s founding in 1965. He will succeed Raymund Paredes, who stepped down after 15 years, and will assume the position starting Oct. 1, according to the press release.  Gov. Greg Abbott said in the press release that he is pleased with the board’s selection. “With his strong higher education background, we look forward to his leadership and his support in developing and working toward important initiatives to advance postsecondary education and workforce readiness for our citizens,” Abbott said in the release.