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Texas social workers are criticizing a state regulatory board’s decision this week to remove protections for LGBTQ clients and clients with disabilities who seek social work services. The Texas State Board of Social Work Examiners voted unanimously Monday to change a section of its code of conduct that establishes when a social worker may refuse to serve someone. The code will no longer prohibit social workers from turning away clients on the basis of disability, sexual orientation or gender identity. (Walters, 10/14)

Half of Texans are experiencing some kind of financial hardship because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, a new survey finds. The survey, conducted by the Episcopal Health Foundation, highlights how the pandemic affects people across the state with different household incomes and races, with and without health insurance, and other factors. Nearly 1,900 Texans were surveyed. (Keomoungkhoun, 10/14)

With record-high coronavirus caseloads, Utah’s contact tracers are getting overwhelmed — and a Salt Lake County epidemiologist says that infected patients are increasingly refusing to participate, in part out of protest against what they believe is a manufactured threat. (Alberty, 10/14)

Michigan lawmakers worked until the wee hours Wednesday morning, waiting as legislative leaders and the administration of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer debated behind closed doors on how best to help millions of workers and small businesses struggling from   the financial strain brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. (Boucher, 10/14)

A Wisconsin judge has temporarily blocked an order from Gov. Tony Evers (D) that would limit the capacity of indoor spaces like bars and restaurants at 25 percent as the state sees one of the worst outbreaks of COVID-19 in the U.S.Tavern League of Wisconsin, a trade association for alcohol retailers, and other groups filed a suit over the order, arguing the governor and his administration do not have the authority under state law to limit the capacity of businesses. (Hellmann, 10/14)

A new rapid-result test site at Burlington International Airport might give arriving passengers an early warning of COVID-19 or flu infection, but not the option of instantly bypassing Vermont's 14-day COVID-19 quarantine. The new coronavirus- and flu-testing service for travelers and the general public officially opened Wednesday at a small building just north of BTV's vehicular exit. (Baird, 10/14)

In school news —

A Superior Court judge has ruled that Boston Public Schools can continue in-person teaching, despite rising rates of coronavirus in the city. Late last week, the Boston Teachers Union asked for an injunction, noting that the positivity rate on all of the city's coronavirus tests was then above the agreed-upon weekly threshold of 4%. (Larkin, 10/14)

A Suffolk Superior Court judge on Wednesday denied a request from the Boston Teachers Union for an injunction that would have allowed all educators to choose whether to work remotely while coronavirus positivity rates in the city exceed 4 percent.Superior Court Judge Robert Gordon said the high-needs students who are currently attending school in-person would “suffer measurable deficits” if the district did an about-face and decided to conduct classes remotely. About 2,600 high-needs students have been attending classes in person — fewer than the district had initially expected — but all other students are learning at home. (Gans, 10/14)