Cliff Notes

As Komen turns its back on Planned Parenthood, it's time to choose sides

When my friend's ex-wife was battling cancer, he asked me to participate in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and I gladly did. It was an inspiring crisp fall morning along Allen Parkway where more than 30,000 gathered — many dressed in pink — to do their part in the fight against breast cancer. I was especially moved as survivors ran or walked a gauntlet of supporters giving them high-fives at the finish line.

But I won't take part again.

While the Susan G. Komen Foundation, by all accounts, does a lot of good work, they lost a lot of supporters today when the organization announced it would stop funding breast exam programs at Planned Parenthood. Komen officials cited a new self-imposed rule that prevents it from providing grants to organizations that are under investigation by state, local, or federal authorities.

In the last five years, Komen funded 170,000 breast exams at Planned Parenthood health centers and more than 6,400 mammogram referrals. Many were for women who don't have health insurance and don't have any other place to go.

Conservative Florida Congressman Cliff Sterns launched a probe last September to determine if Planned Parenthood had improperly used federal money for abortions. It remained unclear why Komen acted nearly five months after Sterns launched his probe and what facts of wrongdoing he has — if any.

Komen was founded by Dallas socialite Nancy Brinker, a prominent Republican who served as U.S. Ambassador to Hungary and U.S. Chief of Protocol in the admininstration of George W. Bush. Despite her political connections, she has nevertheless appeared largely apolitical in the fight against cancer until now.

Jezebel reports that the Komen foundation recently took a hard turn to the right when Karen Handel was named senior vice president for public policy last April. When Handel ran for governor of Georgia in 2010, she was endorsed by Sarah Palin in the losing cause. During the campaign, Handel wrote on her blog,

I will be a pro-life governor who will work tirelessly to promote a culture of life in Georgia…. I believe that each and every unborn child has inherent dignity, that every abortion is a tragedy, and that government has a role, along with the faith community, in encouraging women to choose life in even the most difficult of circumstances…. since I am pro-life, I do not support the mission of Planned Parenthood."

Jezebel notes that Handel promised to eliminate funding for breast and cervical cancer screenings provided by Planned Parenthood.

In the last five years, Komen funded 170,000 breast exams out of more than four million at Planned Parenthood health centers and more than 6,400 mammogram referrals out of 70,000. Many were for women who don't have health insurance, are in rural or underserved areas and don't have any other place to go. Experts say that early detection is essential for survival; without the additional screenings they fear that more women will die of cancer.

While Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, which serves the Houston area, does not receive funding from Komen, president and CEO Peter J. Durkin says he is alarmed that Komen "appears to have succumbed to political pressure from a vocal minority.”

"Politics should never get in the way of a woman’s ability to access health care. We want to assure women who count on us for breast health, that we are still here for them,” Durkin said in a statement.

What those who demonize Planned Parenthood overlook is that only three percent of all services involve abortions — and the last time I looked abortion is still legal in the United States.

The other 97 percent receive such life-saving health care services as cancer screenings, birth control, testing for and treatment of STDs (4 million tests and treatments annually), breast health services, Pap tests (770,000 each year), and sexual health education and information. More than three million women and men visit Planned Parenthood health centers each year and one in five women in the United States has visited a Planned Parenthood health center at least once in her life, according to the organization's figures.

That's the real silent majority. It's time for them —and us —to speak out — before it's too late.

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room for improvement

Houston has work to do on ranking of America's fittest cities for 2026

Photo by Gabin Vallet on Unsplash

About 74 percent of Houstonians have exercised in the past month.

Houstonians are more fit than they used to be, but the city still needs to hit the gym. The Bayou City ranks in the middle of the pack in a ranking of America's fittest cities.

This year’s American Fitness Index puts Houston at No. 44 among the country’s 100 most populated cities, up from 49th place last year. Houston ranks 26th in the personal health category and a disappointing 64th in the community and environment category.

The index shows 74 percent of Houston residents had exercised in the previous month, 57 percent had met aerobic activity guidelines, and 33 percent had met aerobic and strength activity guidelines. The first two of those numbers are below the 100-city averages.

The Elevance Health Foundation and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) produce the annual index, which they say combines measures of personal health behavior, chronic disease outcomes, community infrastructure, and environmental factors “to provide a comprehensive picture of how well cities promote fitness and well-being.”

Arlington, Virginia, tops the index, followed by Washington, D.C.; Minneapolis; Seattle; and Denver. The Dallas suburb of Plano takes the top Texas spot at No. 12 nationally.

“The cities that consistently rank at the top aren’t succeeding because of one program or one investment,” Stella Volpe, past president of ACSM and chair of the Fitness Index Advisory Board, says in a press release. “They’ve built systems that support healthier living over time. They are the ones creating environments where physical activity can easily become a part of everyday routines.”

One thing helping Houston is its strong network of parks. In May, Houston landed at No. 10 in Texas and 69th in the U.S. in the annual ParkScore Index. That was down slightly from 2025.

Every year, land conservation nonprofit The Trust for Public Land rates park systems in the 100 biggest American cities on accessibility, equity, acreage, investment, and amenities.

Among other Texas cities appearing in the American Fitness index are:

No. 28 Austin, down from No. 21 last year.
No. 43 Dallas, up from 46th last year.
No. 69 Fort Worth, up from 80th last year.
No. 80 San Antonio, up from No. 94 last year.

“Where you live increasingly determines how healthy you are,” Volpe says. “The healthiest cities don’t just encourage exercise — they make movement part of daily life through infrastructure, transportation, and community design.”

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