Roads, bridges, electric charging stations… in all some 35 billion dollars earmarked for Texas in the infrastructure bill. So what comes next? San Antonio mayor Ron Nirenberg joins us. Also, a new law aimed at preventing deaths due to drug overdose has a policy expert warning about the fine print. Plus the week in Texas politics and more today on the Texas Standard:
poetry
Being Present
This season of being thankful, some of us are thinking about being thankful for each moment and our ability to enjoy that moment, to savor it. Texas Standard listener Lynzy requested this poem about ridding herself of the products and systems that get in the way of her ability to be present.
Texas Standard: November 5, 2021
The deadline for the federal vaccine mandate for large employers looms. We’ll look at what it means for Texas companies and workers. Other stories we’re tracking: as shipping containers pile up on the west coast, can Texas ports deliver the goods? Also: protecting older Texans from abuse, neglect and exploitation: prosecuting those crimes. Plus Georgia O’Keefe’s other talent: photography. A new exhibit in Texas showcases some of her photos for the first time. And a new book offers an intimate look at the lives of Braceros during their time as guest workers in the U.S. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Riding A Bike
This Typewriter Rodeo poem came by request from Texas Standard listener Pete Ramirez. His request was for a poem dedicated to “the love and joy of riding a bike.”
Texas Standard: October 29, 2021
Was the Governor on the right track with the COVID-19 plan until a change of course? A case study in the politics of the pandemic. Other stories we are tracking: an ambitious effort to reduce poverty in North Texas. And questions over how to gauge success, or quite the opposite. Also the Houston Chronicle’s Chris Tomlinson on that other major factor in climate change that Texas has an outsized role in. And a serious role reversal: the noted Texas lawyer who joined the priesthood. And remembering an ugly chapter in Texas history that many North Texas locals would rather not revisit. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Homecoming Mums
From the Red River to the Rio Grande — it’s a Texas high school tradition that’s… *grown over the years. This Typewriter Rodeo poem came by request from Texas Standard listener Linda Newman. She observed homecoming mums used to be real and about the size of a grapefruit. Now, she says they’re artificial and bigger than a football!
What Is It?
Noticing, appreciating, musing in, the small things around us. That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.
Texas Standard: October 15, 2021
A likely appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court as the 5th Circuit reaffirms a decision to let Texas’ near total abortion ban remain in effect. Other stories we are tracking: in the final days of a third special session, the Texas House green lights a bill that would force transgender Texas youth to play on public school sports teams that align with their sex assigned at birth. Also, why supply chains have become a big worry for everyday Texans. And a horror film with a message steeped in the Mexican American experience. We’ll meet the star who hails from the Rio Grande Valley. Plus the week in politics and more today on the Texas Standard:
Autumn In Texas
The weather is cooler — a little bit. The decorations are going up and football season is in full swing. But what are the other tell-tale signs of a Texas autumn? That was the inspiration of this Typewriter Rodeo poem.
Texas Standard: October 8, 2021
A bill to prohibit transgender public school athletes from playing on sports teams that align with their gender identity moves closer to passage in the house, we’ll have details. Other stories were tracking on this Friday, the deadliest month yet for COVID-19 among workers at Texas prisons. Lauren McGaughey of the Dallas Morning News tells us why. And the connection between Dallas based AT&T and a controversial cable news channel that promotes false election claims and covid conspiracy theories. Plus veteran journalist Carlos Sanchez asks is Texas ready for a Latina governor? Plus the week in politics with the Texas Tribune and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: October 1, 2021
Redistricting in a new era: there was a time when Texas lawmakers had to clear new political maps with the federal government. We’ll look at the redistricting process in Texas without the full force of the voting rights act. Plus, concocting a crisis. We’ll learn more about how media and law enforcement shape perception and policy along the border. And Explosions in the Sky play the Big Bend so to speak. A soundtrack for far west Texas. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Why, Jerry?
With new census numbers finally available, lawmakers are drawing new maps for political representation. It’s no surprise that those with the pen seem inclined to make the lines in favor of themselves or their interests. That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.
Social media can be an escape — a place to share wins and cat photos. It can also be a place where bullying runs rampant, misinformation is spread, and anxieties are stoked. That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.
Texas Standard: September 17, 2021
It is being described as a new humanitarian challenge- reporters say 10,000 migrants or more massed under a bridge in Del Rio. Details today on the Texas Standard.
A new crisis at the border, as local and federal officials appear overwhelmed by the masses in need, most apparently fleeing conditions in Haiti. We’ll have more with a reporter on the ground in Del Rio.
With the crumbling of Trump’s plans for a federal border wall, some Texans living along the border are finding getting back their seized land not a simple matter. We’ll hear about the complications and the impact.
And we’ll meet a Texas musical innovator dubbed the king of the brown sound. Those stories and more.
Climate Change
The visible evidence of climate change and the studies about its dire long-term impacts can be overwhelming. That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.
Texas Standard: September 10, 2021
The US attorney general says the Texas abortion law is one “all Americans should fear” in announcing a legal challenge to new abortion restrictions in Texas. We’ll hear about the justice departments plans. Plus officials hesitant to issue sweeping vaccine mandates out of fears of being sued may have it all wrong. So says a Texas scholar, we’ll hear why. And veterans, Gen-Z and 9/11… how different groups of Texans are reflecting on the attacks of 20 years ago. Plus the week in politics and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Getting Older
Though its effects can feel less than glamorous at times, getting older is a privilege. That was the inspiration of this Typewriter Rodeo poem. The idea came to us via listener request in honor of a father who turned 70 this year.
The Best Therapy
How many times have begun a sentence with “it’s been a tough year” — or year and a half…? For some folks, the saving grace has been an animal friend — or a few of them. That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.
Texas Standard: September 3, 2021
An early end to the special session at the capitol but the work far from over. Next up redrawing the political maps of Texas. As lawmakers gavel out a second special session, where do we stand and what comes next? A closer look with the editor of the quorum report. Also the search for a new permanent home for the battleship Texas as a piece of history battles the ravages of time. And 10 years after the most destructive fire in Texas history. What happened and what’s happened since. Plus the week in Texas politics with the Texas Tribune and much more today on the Texas Standard:
The COVID Coaster
The so-called “waves” of the COVID-19 pandemic look similar to the ride of a roller coaster — but it’s not a ride anyone is enjoying. That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.