When’s the last time you were without your phone? It seems they’re always with us. In fact, maybe you’re reading Typewriter Rodeo on your phone…right now.
The Reality Behind My Social Media Posts
We all have friends who seem to have the perfect life — at least on social media. That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.
Texas Standard: February 27, 2018
Turnout looks up at the polls and some political rallies draw big crowds. But what does excitement about the primaries really mean for election results? We’ll explore. Also, there’s been a lot said about more women running for office and more minorities. Today a look at what veterans could bring to the race. Plus federal legislation on sex trafficking is getting some pushback from technology companies. Why they’re concerned about culpability. And another delay on DACA: It’s continued protection from deportation for those enrolled in the program but also continued uncertainty. What all the back and forth could be doing to their health. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: February 26, 2018
The headlines are disturbing. In the wake of a Florida school shooting there have been threats in Texarkana, Houston and more. Unpacking the apparent uptick on today’s Texas Standard.
Linemen from the Texas Panhandle deal with conditions they never encountered in the high plains in efforts to restore power in Puerto Rico. We’ll hear from one of them.
Plus,Central Texas bats have changed their migratory patterns ever so slightly. We’ll try to get at why.
A Mexican college could soon join the NCAA. What’s in it for teams on both sides of the border.
And, understanding the Supreme Court’s ruling on DACA.
Texas Standard: February 23, 2018
A death sentence commuted to life in prison. We’ll talk with the Texas dad who fought to keep the state from executing his son. Today on the Texas Standard.
The firearm industry is in the news these days for possible restrictions on what can be sold. We’ll take a closer look at the business itself.
A Texas State Senator found guilty on 11 felony charges. What happens next?
Country singer Lee Ann Womack has a different sound from her “I Hope You Dance” days. We talk with her about how Texas helped shape her new album.
Plus… it’s Friday- that means another custom poem written for us on a vintage typewriter… and a wrap of the big stories this week in Texas politics.
Primaries
It’s primary season here in Texas. The Lone Star State has among the lowest voter turnout rates in the country – so here’s a poem for those of you who are heading to the polls.
Texas Standard: February 21, 2018
Some momentum behind tightened accountability for firearm background checks. The top Texas Republican who now seems to be at least partially on board. Also, early voting is underway. The first choice those heading to the polls will have to make is which party’s primary to vote in. Why crossover voting isn’t all that common. Plus, Texas coastal cities still cleaning up from Hurricane Harvey are also looking ahead to mitigating the damage of the next storm. Why folks in Corpus Christi are concerned. And it’s been 25 years since the siege at a Branch Davidian complex outside of Waco. What law enforcement learned from that deadly encounter. Plus a profile of a man known as “the Galveston Giant.” Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: February 20, 2018
86 cents of every dollar donated to state-level campaigns in Texas went to Republicans. We’ll do the numbers. And it’s here: early voting is underway for the Texas primaries. We’ll explore the rules behind where you can cast a ballot and why. And a city on the Texas coast is making plans to become the first new cruise ship port-of-call in about half a century. We’ll talk with the mayor leading the effort. Plus, a big U-S company is changing the way they do healthcare and it’s turning some heads. It may surprise you which company it is. And we’ll also hear from the filmmakers behind a new movie about an event that thrust one Texas city into the national spotlight a few decades ago. Those stories and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:
Generations
Cliches notwithstanding, not every old person is wise and kind, nor is every young one thoughtless or callow. Personality and brains, or lack of them, often stick around throughout one’s life. That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.
Texas Standard: February 16, 2018
Texas educators carry the dual burden of comforting students after yet another school shooting, and coming up with prevention plans. We’ll hear from some of them. Also, sales are flat or even falling in the motorcycle industry. We’ll break down why. And the Houston Astrodome will live on. After years of back and forth a real plan for it’s future, a look at the optimism and skepticism. Also, a new building on the University of Texas campus opens up to the public this weekend. We’ll take you inside what’s not a classroom or an athletic facility but a one-of-it’s-kind art masterpiece. The story behind it. And it’s Friday! That means the Typewriter Rodeo and a wrap up of the big stories this week in Texas Politics. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: February 15, 2018
Harris County’s bail system treats the rich differently from the poor. An appeals court affirms that ruling. We’ll have the latest on what’s next and what it could mean for taxpayers. Also, a Texas lawmaker is leading an effort to roll back some requirements aimed at helping the disabled. We’ll explain. Plus, two native Texans are part of a suit that wants the feds to drop marijuana as a schedule 1 drug. What a ruling could mean. And we’ll explore technology as it’s being used in groundbreaking ways at the Olympics. Plus, LBJ did not like his presidential portrait. We’ll tell you why and what he did about it. Those stories and a whole lot more on todays Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: February 14, 2018
Nine Democrats are on the primary ballot for Texas Governor. We’ll introduce you to a handful of those hoping to replace Greg Abbott. Plus a new study reveals that Texans are some of the worst in the country when it comes to voter turnout. We’ll try to answer why. Also, the flu season isn’t over yet but Texas schools hope the worst of it is gone. We’ll check in with a superintendent who shut down his district because of the flu. And the official shape of February must be the heart: unraveling the mysteries this organ still presents to doctors. Plus understanding the all-female species of fish named for the Amazon that lives only on the Texas/Mexico border. Those stories and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: February 13, 2018
President Trump has set some ideas in motion: a budget proposal and an infrastructure plan. We’ll break down what it could all mean for Texas. Also tne issue leaders across Texas are trying to sort out – just how and where they’re supposed to get money needed to fulfill their end of an infrastructure bargain. We’ll get some perspective from the Gulf Coast. Plus, more women on the ballot all across the state this year. But not all of them get to take advantage of funds designed to support female candidates, we’ll explain. And could space tourism and private manufacturing soon take over the International Space Station? All of that and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: February 12, 2018
A group of Texas voters are challenging how the state elects judges to its highest courts. We’ll explore why they say the system hurts Latino candidates. Also, it seems the battle for control of the Alamo is far from over. We’ll explore some criticism of how the restoration of the mission is being handled. And Texas dairy production is on the rise. One major reason is a shift in where in the state the cows are living. Plus the stewards of a Gulf of Mexico marine sanctuary are trying to expand its protected area. What that would mean for the fishing and off-shore drilling industries. And we’ll break down a study that found Houston isn’t doing enough to make apartment living safe in the city. All that and more on today’s Texas Standard:
Olympics
The 2018 Winter Olympics are officially underway in South Korea. That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.
Texas Standard: February 9, 2018
A budget deal reached, but it took a while to get there and it’s STILL not a long-term fix. We’ll look at how Texas lawmakers voted. Also, suing the federal government: It’s not something that went out of fashion for Texas when Obama left office. Why the state continues to file lawsuits even with a Republican in the White House. And, tequila! A shortage could be on the horizon for the liquor that goes so well with Tex Mex. We’ll look at what’s going on in the industry that’s causing some crisis. And Texans may not be natural snow bunnies, but a few have still jumped to the highest levels of winter sports competition. We’ll tell you who to keep an eye out for in the Olympic action. Those stories plus the week in politics with the Texas Tribune, today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: February 8, 2018
The Texas primaries are just around the corner. We’ll follow the money to find out which big organizations are funding candidates so far. Also the numbers are devastating and they seem to be growing. What’s behind an uptick in child abuse deaths in Texas? And a central Texas university is mired in debate about racism involving the student body president. We’ll have the story. Plus as the state’s first medical cannabis oil dispensary opens we’ll talk with a doctor about why even those eligible for a CBD oil prescription might have a hard time getting one. And a new book about an odyssey in the Texas Hill Country is getting a lot of praise and complimentary comparisons. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: February 7, 2018
The Texas Governor reveals a plan to address issues surrounding sexual assault and harassment. We’ll have reaction from female lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. Also, it’s no secret construction is big business in Texas, and more women are getting involved to reap the benefits. But they also face challenges. We’ll have the story. And a self-cloning crustacean proves fascinating for pet owners and hobbyists but could cause some woes for environmentalists. A look at why. Plus Texas Standard commentator WF Strong gets a little lovey dovey in an unexpected way ahead of Valentine’s day. And we’ll crunch the numbers in a fact-check of a statement by the Texas Luetenant Governor. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: February 6, 2018
ISIS: mostly defeated. But is the Taliban gaining ground? Military engagements may be changing overseas but the message to troops here in the US: deploy or get out. We’ll take a closer look at the situation. And a new TV series is retelling the story of the FBI siege on the Branch Davidian compound outside of Waco. Why it wasn’t filmed in Texas. Plus… What’s the deal with that proposed Dallas to Houston bullet train? We’ll check in on that and on the state of the state’s private space industry. And pinning down the shakeup that is Texas High School UIL realignment. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Survival Of The Weirdest (For My Cats, And Yours)
The feline mind is a mystery, even to those to choose to have cats around. But you have to admit – it’s never dull. That is the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.