Central Texas top stories for March 14, 2023. Texas Rent Relief. Spring Break traveling. Education Austin. Texas State water study. Georgetown City Council.
Mexico
Ideas for combatting the trucking shortage
Five men are handed over in Mexico along with a letter purportedly from the Gulf Cartel apologizing for the “senseless crime” of violently kidnapping four Americans, leaving two of them and one Mexican dead. U.S. officials say the apology seems authentic, though perhaps not sincere.
What’s being done to combat the nation’s shortage of truck drivers.
A sneak peek at the start of SXSW Film as the festival kicks off in Austin.
And the week in politics with the Texas Tribune.
Is Houston still affordable?
An orange haze, a vicious wind, in some places visibility cut close to zero – is an exiting dust storm a warning of more? With high winds expected to return later this week, what the layers of dust across Texas may tell us about changes to our climate.
A recent survey from the U.S. Census Bureau revealed roughly four out of five Houstonians are stressed out about recent price increases – raising the question of whether Houston still deserves its long-held reputation as one of the most affordable large cities in the country.
Tens of thousands protest against the president in Mexico amid concerns about threats to elections there.
A bill set to raise the penalties for illegal voting in Texas gets the green light from a Senate committee.
On Rare Disease Day 2023, we’ll hear how advocates for people with such diseases are pushing for change.
And an online hack targeting Asian Texans.
Fans turn out in Frisco as U.S. wins SheBelieves Cup
On the one-year anniversary of Russia’s war with Ukraine, Valerie Hudson, international affairs expert at Texas A&M, shares a Texas perspective on where the conflict stands today.
Author and commentator David Frum on concerns about moves being made by Mexico’s president that could turn back the clock on democratic change there – and the implications for Texas and beyond.
The Texas Standard’s Sarah Asch reports from the SheBelieves Cup soccer tournament in Frisco, where the U.S. Women’s National Team
took home the title.
Plus the week in politics with the Texas Tribune.
The Port Mansfield Cut and the treasure discovered there
Running from Corpus Christi to near Brownsville, Padre Island is the longest barrier island in the world. Up until the late 1950s, you could drive the entire 113 miles of the island if you had a vehicle with decent four-wheel drive. That option was blocked in 1957 when the Port Mansfield Cut was dredged. The waterway had been a dream of Laguna Madre locals for decades. Texas Standard commentator W.F. Strong tells us how the island was split and what was found.
Unpacking the Southwest Airlines holiday meltdown
Millions of dollars in tax incentives for renewable energy are now in limbo with a decision from the Texas Supreme Court. A flood of applications for millions of dollars in tax breaks overwhelmed the system before a New Years deadline. We look at what happens to all those unprocessed applications now that the state Supreme Court has said it won’t force the state to process them. Also how many voters in Harris country were prevented from casting a ballot due to problems at the polls? A new report that leaves many critical questions unanswered. And why warning signs were ignored before the chaos of Southwest Airline’s big holiday meltdown. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Looming freeze has Texans eyeing power grid
Oh the weather outside is gonna get frightful, how low could temperatures go? And what should Texans do now to be prepared? All of the state expected to be affected by plummeting temperatures. We’ll check in with the Dallas Fort Worth office of the national weather service for the latest. Also a standoff between the U.S. and Mexico over corn. Most of Mexico’s corn comes from the U.S., but Mexico’s president is considering a ban, one that could have major ripple effects for both countries. Also, the latest on a newspaper strike in Fort Worth. And Michael Marks with the story of one very expensive Longhorn. All that and then some today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: November 23, 2022
Where are the Texans? With a change in House leadership, the expectation was that Texans, who send more GOP representatives to congress than any other state, would be well represented in leadership posts. Why hasn’t that happened? We’ll have some answers. And we’re digging in to some of Texas’ favorite dishes and poking our head into the kitchens of Mexico. Also Rick Martínez takes us on a road trip where he made some delicious discoveries in the kitchens of Mexico. Plus, the pandemic was tough on Texas eateries, but many of those that managed to survive or get off the ground are among the tastiest places in Texas. We’ll hear a list of best new restaurants. These stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
La Llorona
A 500-year-old Mexican legend is still freshly scaring kids — especially in the border regions. The story about a crying woman called La Llorona no doubt arrived in what is now Texas with the earliest Mexican settlers. Ever since, this ghostly figure has haunted our rivers, lakes and streams. There are dozens of versions of her story. Commentator WF Strong shares a favorite. This story was originally published in 2018.
Texas Standard: October 12, 2022
After the shooting at Robb Elementary, Uvalde came together. Now, concerns that Uvalde’s becoming a town divided by tragedy. Coming up, our conversation with the mother of a 10 year old killed in the mass shooting at Robb Elementary and her concerns that as questions continue to swirl around accountability and gun violence, some in the community just want to move on. Also the biggest grant in the history of the university of North Texas leads to potentially groundbreaking research on Alzheimers. And a Politifact check of claims by a Texas congressman about immigrants from Venezuela. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: September 15, 2022
A major logistics catastrophe avoided. We’ll talk about the railroad worker strike that wasn’t. Railroad worker unions were prepared to go on strike without a contract that had better protections for sick time. We’ll have the latest on the deal that’s kept the trains on the tracks. Plus you’ve heard of blue books, the green book, but what about the beige book? It’s choc full of the economy’s secrets, and our own Sean Saldana’s been looking through a copy. And a major bridge project in Corpus Christi has produced major headaches. We’ll tell you why. That and the biggest headlines of the day, today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: September 08, 2022
One of the world’s top vaccine experts takes on questions as a new COVID-19 booster arrives in Texas; we’ll be talking with Dr. Peter Hotez about the new Omicron focused vaccines. Other stories we’re tracking: with pandemic disruptions, gun violence and other concerns, how some Texas school districts are trying to address students’ mental health. Plus, a longtime liberal activist who worked alongside Anne Richards talks about a life in Texas politics and the future of the causes she fought for. These stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: August 31, 2022
18 months after a deadly statewide electricity blackout, state officials adopt new weather preparedness standards. But is it enough? We’ll look at what the new rules are and whether they have the teeth to prevent future events like the 2021 Winter Blackouts. Also, El Paso’s DA under fire and facing a petition seeking her removal. But she calls it a political move. Plus drug cartels in Mexico shifting production to an unusually lethal synthetic opioid that has health officials in the U.S. concerned about an overdose crisis. Those stories, a Politifact check on teacher salaries and more today on the Texas Standard:
The Filipino Guey
They say that Filipinos are the Mexicans of Asia. From the adobo and the chicharrones, to cultural traditions, we share an overlap in our identities. In this episode, we bond with our Filipino primos Isabel Protomartir (host of Identity Productions show Até) and Ralph Xavier Degala (Master Chef Season 9). We discuss how Filipino culture is thriving in Texas and the tasty tacos that come with it.
Texas Standard: August 22, 2022
Just eleven weeks till midterms and the numbers tell us what about how close the contest between Greg Abbott and Beto O’Rourke? That today on the Texas Standard.
Political analyst Mark Jones of Rice University with how the issues in the news cycle are affecting Texas polls in the run-up to November 8th.
A rise in violence in cities across the border with Mexico. Angela Kochera with the latest from Juarez, after a wave of killings there.
August, the hottest month in Texas? Maybe not this year. A change in the weather projected for the rest of August, though perhaps not wet enough to save some cattle ranchers. Those stories and a whole lot more.
Falcon Lake
There’s been a lot of concern focused on Lake Mead in Nevada. It’s the largest reservoir in the United States and is the water source for more than 25 million people. But it’s fallen to just 25% capacity and is dropping rather rapidly. In Texas, Falcon Lake is at just 12% capacity. Commentator W.F. Strong says it’s beating Lake Mead in a race to the bottom.
Texas Standard: July 7, 2022
A new report finds police missed multiple opportunities to stop the Uvalde mass shooter before he entered the school building. The report from the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training Center, at Texas State University says at one point police had the gunman in their sights outside the school in Uvalde, but did not act. Investigative reporter Tony Plohetski with what we’re learning. Also, with new abortion restrictions, the Texas Standard’s own Shelly Brisbin with growing concerns about the use of period tracker apps and access to sensitive personal data. Plus an historic moment on the Texas Gulf coast for a critically endangered species. Those stories and 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: May 3, 2022
“We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled” – that’s a quote from Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito in an opinion leaked last night. We’ll talk about what happens next on today’s show. Plus the cost increases for Operation Lone Star. As the border security mission drags on, it’s being funded by money meant for state agencies. And an intercontinental railway that will now bypass Texas. We’ll tell you why. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: April 27, 2022
In Governor Abbott’s Operation Lone Star border security mission: a death among the ranks brings new scrutiny from lawmakers. Republican Representative James White talks with the Standard’s Laura Rice about the death of Texas Army National Guard Specialist Bishop Evans and the future of Operation Lone Star. Also as many families move to Texas, others are deciding they have to leave for the sake of their kids. This after new polices take effect aimed at parents of trans kids. Plus a stay issued in the case of Melissa Lucio, the mother originally set to be executed for the death of her two year old. What happens next? That and more today on the Texas Standard: