Over a span of 13 years, federal Judge Janis Jack repeatedly demanded that state officials do more to fix Texas’ troubled foster care system. Now, she’s been ordered off the case.
As Election Day nears, political polls are everywhere. Many are done by phone. But with so many people ignoring calls labeled “political survey,” who’s actually participating?
And: We’re kicking off a three-part series that dives into the history of the Texas Farm Workers Union – a group that existed only briefly but played a key role in the fight for farmworker justice. The Standard’s Raul Alonzo has the story.
Foster Care
State of Texas defends lack of prison A/C in federal court
Does the lack of air conditioning in Texas prisons amount to cruel and unusual punishment? A state prison official testifies that heat levels contributed to three deaths last summer.
The Great Springs Project aims to someday create a whole new route between San Antonio and Austin – via hike and bike trail.
Rick Jervis, author of the book “The Devil Behind the Badge,” shares the 2018 story of a string of murders in Laredo by a Border Patrol officer.
And: Is there a connection between West Texas wildfires and unregulated power lines?
Supreme Court rejects a Trump-era ban on bump stocks
The Supreme Court has struck down a Trump-era ban on bump stocks – devices that can be attached to a semiautomatic gun to make it fire more quickly – in a case brought by Michael Cargill, a U.S. Army veteran and owner of a gun store in Austin.
The State of Texas wants to replace the judge overseeing the lawsuit over its foster care system, Judge Janis Jack, saying she can’t be impartial.
There’s been a rash of near-misses between planes at busy airports. A new piece of equipment in Austin could help prevent that.
Plus: A new investigation finds that thousands of Texans live near oil and gas wells that could be leaking excess amounts of hydrogen sulfide, putting their health at risk.
Judge overseeing struggling foster system fines the state $100,000 a day
A federal judge says Texas’ foster care system is still broken – and has fined the state $100,00 per day.
The new book “City Limits” examines the effort to rethink urban highways in Texas and traces a history of racism and inequality in three of the state’s’ largest cities. We’ll hear from author and journalist Megan Kimble.
Over the past two decades, developers in Austin have built hundreds of windowless bedrooms. But now some elected officials want them banned.
And: The next generation of mechanics is getting ready to work on the next generation of cars.
How frontline workers fared during COVID and how best to protect them
A Texas senator wants to reopen impeachment proceedings against Attorney General Ken Paxton – but it’s unlikely to happen.
What have recent heavy rains done for drought conditions in Texas?
A plan to overhaul the way the U.S. Census Bureau counts people with disabilities has received so much pushback that the agency is rethinking the updated questions.
And: lessons learned from the pandemic about the impact on frontline workers.
Children at Risk’s annual ranking of Texas schools is out
Texas officials say they’re reassigning workers to deal with an ongoing problem of providing care for foster kids without placement.
The 2022-2023 school ratings report from Houston-based nonprofit Children at Risk sheds light on progress and problems that districts are facing statewide.
Former Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo, who also had a short stint in Houston, will soon take on a new position overseeing Austin’s police department.
And a giraffe in a park in Juárez, who made headlines last year, is getting a new home.
KUT Morning Newscast for January 23, 2024
Central Texas top stories for January 23, 2024. Flood risk. CapMetro’s on-demand transit service Pickup is struggling to stay on schedule. More reactions to Art Acevedo’s return to Austin. Texas teacher demographics. Federal hearing reveals abuse incidents in Texas foster placements.
Chronic wasting disease ravages Texas Parks and Wildlife facility
A federal judge is considering holding Texas in contempt of court over ongoing problems in the state’s foster care system. Bob Garrett of The Dallas Morning News joins us with the latest.
Chronic wasting disease, for which there is no known cure, has been detected in a Texas deer breeding facility. The Standard’s Michael Marks tells us more.
Amid concrete and skyscrapers, a community garden brings green space to North Austin. Texas Standard intern Breze Reyes reports.
And: What could the fish be telling us? Why a Texas researcher is capturing their sounds.
State law banning public drag performances found unconstitutional
Texas foster kids are sleeping in motels and offices, and Child Protective Service workers are leaving their jobs in droves. Sneha Dey of the Texas Tribune joins us with more.
A ban on drag performances in the presence of minors has been ruled unconstitutional. We’ll hear why and what comes next.
Why Mexico has replaced China as the United States’ top trading partner.
And KUT’s Mose Buschele takes us into the Hill Country’s Bracken Cave Preserve alongside millions of bats.
What are the weirdest laws in Texas?
At the Capitol, an intraparty rivalry between Republicans explodes into the open. The dueling charges between Attorney General Ken Paxton and House Speaker Dade Phelan are so personal and serious, some longtime Capitol watchers are characterizing the battle as among the most significant in Texas political history. Lauren McGaughey of the Dallas Morning news will have details.
After a scandal at a Bastrop foster care facility, Texas lawmakers pass two new bills to crack down on abuses.
We’ll have more on a vigil last night in Uvalde marking the one-year anniversary of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary.
The Texas Legislature will finish its session having made lots of new laws. But there are plenty of old laws on the books that seem pretty weird by today’s standards.
And debt collectors get a new high-tech tool.
Expanded telehealth is coming to an end
A Texas couple chose midwife care over a hospital, and now their baby is in foster care. Why this story is sounding alarm bells for many across the state.
Changes are coming to telehealth with the end of a federal pandemic order – and some patients will have to return to in-person medical care.
A bill in the Texas Legislature could lead to fines for some Texans who report pollution concerns.
Texas is home to millions of bats. But according to a new report out this week, more than half of North America’s bats are in peril if action isn’t taken to protect them.
‘Be My Eyes’ app uses AI to help people with disabilities
So-called smaller bills have a big impact on lives of everyday Texans. We’ll find where some of them stand in the Legislature.
A new book investigates why the state of Texas separated six Black children from their birth parents. The kids died when their adoptive parents drove off a cliff. We’ll have interview with the author.
Why the catalytic converter remains a popular car part for thieves and how to protect your vehicle.
And how AI translates into more independence for Texans with disabilities.
Texas Standard: November 22, 2022
Texas has more residents without health insurance than any other state; now a Wall Street Journal investigation shows how obstacles are put in front of patients who would be eligible for financial aid. We’ll have more. And the US supreme court mulling a case out of Texas that involves Native Americans and foster care. Also, a new report on a nursing shortage in Texas. And what the city of Dallas is trying to do to cut down on street encampments. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: July 15, 2022
The state of Texas is suing the Biden administration over abortion guidance to hospitals. The federal rules instruct emergency room doctors to provide abortion services in emergency conditions. Texas’ own law provides exceptions for the health of the pregnant patient. So why is the state suing? Also, the state terminating its guardianship over scores of young runaways once in the care of child protective services. What happens to those young people? Other stories include the Austinite who many believe invented psychedelic rock. Plus the week in politics and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: June 7, 2022
Record setting heat on tap for much of Texas. Will there be enough electricity to meet demand? And what about the rest of the summer? Coming up, the latest on heat warnings across Texas, and what it portends for the rest of the summer amid anxieties about whether the electrical grid can stand the strain. Also a federal judge moves to hold Texas’ foster care services in contempt as court monitors continue to find deficiencies in a system once declared unconstitutionally unsafe for children. Paul Flahive of Texas Public Radio with the latest. And what’s in a name? Some Mexico distillers say cultural appropriation. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: January 11, 2022
Kids sleeping in state office buildings, motels and other unlicensed facilities. A panel of experts on needed changes to foster care. We’ll have more on the recommendations of an expert panel examining trouble in Texas’ foster care system. Also, a lack of Democrats on the primary ballot is raising eyebrows and questions even in one of Texas more conservative cities. Plus, you protect your social security number so why aren’t many Texas county clerks doing the same? And Texas used car buyers fasten your seatbelts, crazy prices may be headed for a bump in the road. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: May 10, 2021
Politics as unusual? Republicans not exactly in lockstep as the legislative session races to a conclusion, we’ll hear why and the potential implications. Plus a foster care system so dangerous is was once ruled unconstitutional. A new report finds young Texans still dying from abuse and neglect. Also why quinoa could become Texas’ next big cash crop. And turning hemp into another kind of green…the Texas Rangers asking questions. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: March 24, 2021
The number of foster kids sleeping in state offices reaches an all time high. A long running crisis in the foster care system, now worse than ever? We’ll explore. Other stories we’re following: a surprise move in south Texas by a democratic congressman, one some see foreshadowing a national fight for control of the U.S. House. Abby Livingston of the Texas Tribune with details. And a Covid variant found in a dog and a cat in Texas. Why this news has researchers watching closely. Plus addressing racial inequity in vaccine distribution. And what an author and scholar describes as a Sports Revolution: How Texas Changed the Culture of American Athletics. All that and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: June 17, 2020
One size fits all does not work for Texas, so say the mayors of nine cities imploring the governor to help them get Texans back to safety guidelines. El Paso mayor Dee Margo, one of the signatories to a letter to governor Abbot tells us why he and his colleagues are asking for the power to get more people to wear face coverings in the fight against COVID-19. Also Texas student athletes leverage their power for social change. A look at how their latest moves fit into the larger picture. And is purple the new orange? Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: January 21, 2020
More foster kids sleeping in state offices? Efforts to deal with a crisis in the states child welfare system still failing hundreds of young Texans. Also, concerns about a growing mental health crisis on the border. We’ll hear the latest. And disorder in the court? A special panel now asking whether judges in Texas should still run for election in partisan races, or if it’s better to follow the federal system of appointment. Plus real brisket, fake news? Texas Monthly’s barbecue editor on Texans with a beef about a unique branch of journalism. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard: