On this episode we interview Kevin Solka (Marketing & Digital Strategy Manager for the LBJ Library) about the Hip-Hop America: The Mixtape Exhibit. We also discuss hip-hop needing to go back underground to reclaim its roots. Hip-hop facts this week include facts about Mike Jones, Wu-Tang, Drake and more. Fresh’s Unpopular Opinion is that blog era rappers should’ve worked together more before they became super successful.
Netflix
Tamales in Texas: A holiday debate with deep roots
Millions of student loan borrowers are bracing themselves for big changes. We’ll have details on the end of the so-called SAVE program and why experts worry millions of student loan borrowers may be forced into default.
As some Texas cities cut funding for homeless services, a look at one approach from nonprofits: giving cash directly to people who need it.
With Netflix in the news this week, tech expert Omar Gallaga notes some users are already spotting a change in how they stream the service at home as mobile casting is discontinued.
Plus, the great tamale debate: Corn husk or banana leaf? Sweet or savory?
New Media In Hip-Hop
On this episode we discuss the new Diddy documentary “The Reckoning” that is executive produced by 50 Cent. We also discuss Megan Thee Stallion’s newest legal battle except this time it’s against a media personality and it’s role in new hip-hop media. Hip-Hop facts about 2pac, Young Dolph Will Smith and more. Fresh’s Unpopular Opinion this week is that hip-hop needs new gatekeepers to filter those who might not have the best interest of the culture in mind.
The ADA turns 35: What true inclusion looks like
Texas lawmakers hear 12 hours of testimony as they take up what happened before during and after the devastating Hill Country floods.
Repeated plans to improve flood warning systems were repeatedly scuttled in the years leading up to the July 4th weekend. Neena Satija of the Houston Chronicle with what she’s learning about why.
As the Americans with Disabilities Act marks 35 years, advocates say we need to go beyond “accessibility” to build truly inclusive spaces – especially in disaster planning.
Will you soon be watching AI content on Netflix? Why it may not be a question of whether – but when?
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Mike Jackson, pt. 2 (Ep. 17, 2025)
This week on In Black America, producer and host John L. Hanson, Jr. concludes his conversation with Mike Jackson, Emmy and Tony Award-winning film, theater and television producer, host of the new podcast Why Not Me? and co-founder and managing partner with John Legend of Get Lifted Film Co., developing projects for major networks including ABC, NBC, HBO, Netflix and FX.
What to know about sunscreen this summer
The Supreme Court has dismissed a closely watched abortion case, paving the way for doctors to perform emergency abortions in Idaho.
How a tunnel system in Houston contributes to flooding – and the bipartisan effort to fix it.
We’ll have the latest from Consumer Reports on their sunscreen findings, from SPF ratings to new ingredients.
Women at a Texas prison allege they and others are suffering abuse at the hands of one guard. Texas Public Radio investigates.
Plus: Netflix House is coming to Dallas, and tech expert Omar Gallaga has the details on what to expect from the immersive experience.
Inside Harris County’s guaranteed income experiment
Heavy rain, high winds and snow, elevated fire danger and more prompt the governor to raise the emergency preparedness level in Texas. We’ll have the latest overview of weather concerns.
A new report reveals high levels of toxic benzene exposure in a Houston suburb.
A plan to test a guaranteed basic income gets underway today in Harris County.
We’ll hear who’s eligible and where the money’s coming from.
The town of Diboll is seeking to be officially designated the “Quinceañera Capital of Texas.”
And: Remember cutting the cord for cable TV? Why many households are cutting the streamers, too.
Legislature takes up ban on vaccine mandates at private businesses
Years after peak COVID, Texas lawmakers are taking steps to ban vaccine mandates by private businesses.
Amid a nursing shortage in Texas and beyond, the journey of a new nurse trying to make a difference.
An award-winning novel set near the border takes the western genre to a whole new place. We’ll talk with ‘Valley of Shadows’ author Rudy Ruiz.
Also: As a new NBA season approaches, there are big expectations building for the San Antonio Spurs’ 19-year old Victor Wembanyama.
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.
Wait Your Turn
Fresh and Confucius discuss the idea that people in the Austin music scene are owed opportunities. then, inspired by Justin Bieber’s recent 200 million dollar sale of his catalog, they talk about why artists might sell their stake in their work.
You’ll learn Hip-Hop Facts about the samples on “U Can’t Touch This,” “Ice Ice Baby,” “Tennessee” and more. It’s all part of Under the Covers weekend at KUTX!
Fresh states the Unpopular Opinion that today’s rap is boring.
Confucius talks about how the Eagles are going to win the Superbowl, Ted Cruz’s comments about the debt ceiling, how much money Kari Lake has raised since denying she lost November’s election and Netflix’s crackdown on password sharing in Confucius Reads the News.
What we watched in 2022
In 2022, Texas played more than just bit parts on screens big and small. We look back at the year that was for Texas on film and TV. We’ll have our conversation with one of the most celebrated directors of the Lone Star State, Richard Linklater, on his movie about growing up in Texas at a time when the US was aiming for the moon. Also an actor and comedian from Houston by way of Kuwait, Mo Amer, on his hit Netflix series and what his title character tells us about the Texas of today. And South Texas born comedian, actor and author, Cristela Alonzo on her streaming success, and gettin middle classy. These stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
How to prepare for extreme winter weather in Texas
With just days to go before the start of the Texas legislative session, a long awaited report on maternal mortality finally sees the light of day. We’ll have details. Also, with 2500 migrants a day lining up to turn themselves in to the Border Patrol here, and numbers expected to rise, we’ll look at how local officials are hoping to manage the situation. My conversation with the El Paso County Judge. And after dozens fall sick, Louisiana Health Officials warn about Texas Oysters. We take a deep dive on what’s causing the problems and the impact on the industry. Plus the week in politics with the Texas Tribune and much more today on the Texas Standard:
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: September 29, 2022
The push among some republicans for Greg Abbott to declare an invasion at the southern border with Mexico. We’ll have the latest. Also, Texas #1 again: this time for toxic waste in water. Details of a new environmental report. Plus long COVID-19 has made so many Texans so sick, they can’t return to work. We take a closer look at the impact. And staying private online and why the usual changes to your settings may not be enough. Also one of the new stars of the Netflix series ‘Fate: The Winx Saga’ is a Texan in a role demanded by fans. We’ll talk with actor Paulina Chavez. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: August 24, 2022
Hours away from a new law that amounts to a near total ban on abortions in Texas and a new legal challenge to that law. As Texas’ version of a post Roe vs. Wade trigger law takes effect, reproductive rights groups are suing the state attorney general. We’ll hear about the strategy and the prospects. Also, 5 years after Hurricane Harvey there are ongoing attempts to buyout the homes of people living in land that repeatedly floods. So how’s that working out? We’ll hear the latest. Also actor and comedian Mo Amer on a new Netflix series some say is the first of its kind to really capture the feel of a modern Houston. Plus a Politifact check and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: July 8, 2022
The Texas Department of Juvenile Justice says it won’t accept new offenders in state facilities because of a staffing shortage. We’ll have the latest. Other stories we’re tracking: the reversal of Roe and what it could mean for the midterms in Texas. Also red States, blue states, and a new report on the economic differential growing as people move from one to the other. Plus how Texas corn farmers are trying to weather the extended drought. And a conversation with native South Texan Cristela Alonzo about her new Netflix standup special. Also the week in politics with the Texas Tribune and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: April 21, 2022
An expected assault in Mariupol called off by Vladmir Putin. What does that mean for what comes next? Global security expert Michael Mosser of the University of Texas breaks it down. Also the state’s largest teacher prep and recruiting program of its kind gets failing grades from state auditors, but with a massive teacher shortage, many questions about what to do. And historian Doris Kearns Goodwin on a major donation of archives to a top Texas center for history. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: December 28, 2021
She was a new Texas attorney with little experience who won her case before the Supreme Court setting a precedent on reproductive rights. The passing of Sarah Weddington comes as many across the nation wonder how much longer the rights established in her best known case, Roe vs. Wade, will endure. We’ll have more. Also, with winters’ return an investigation of the hazards of portable power generators linked to fatalities during the statewide blackouts. And researchers in South Texas seek answers to the question ‘why are Latinos disproportionately affected by Alzheimer’s?’. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: December 4, 2020
As hospital ICU units statewide again fill with COVID-19 patients, new restrictions are taking hold. Judge Clay Jenkins of Dallas county issues new orders curbing business activity, but admits it won’t be enough and calls on Texans to embrace a wartime patriotism to combat the virus. Our conversation with him coming up. Also, some Houston families in limbo as their loved ones remain locked up in Venezuela, the latest chapter in the story of the CITGO 6. And Selena returns to screen, this time with a distinctly Texan flavor, thanks to a producer who hails from The Valley. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Cheryl Grace (Ep. 31, 2020)
This week on In Black America, producer and host John L. Hanson, Jr. speaks with Cheryl Grace, Senior Vice President of Strategic Community Alliances and Consumer Engagement with the Nielsen Company, discussing the cultural and technological influences behind the global proliferation of African American creativity in the entertainment industry.