Texas Standard For July 31, 2018

The devastation was enormous: billions in damage, tens of thousands displaced. But will the anger over Hurricane Harvey impact the midterms? We’ll explore. And: Texas families who have children with special needs are finding it harder to access health care. It has to do with how and whether providers are getting paid. We’ll explain. Also: A state park in the Rio Grande Valley beloved by birdwatchers could close if a border wall goes up. What Texas Parks and Wildlife is doing about it. Plus: Those who tout ideas of racial purity often point back to a time when Europe was white. But a Texas researcher says that just wasn’t the case. And: Fossils aren’t just old bones. We’ll tell you all about ’em and where you can find ’em in the Lone Star State, today on the Texas Standard:

Editor’s note: As Texas Standard first reported on September 11, 2018, The Houston Chronicle investigated work done by its Austin-based reporter Mike Ward. Issues had been raised about the accuracy of his reporting and possible fabrication of sources. On November 8, 2018 The Chronicle published the results of that investigation. Of the eight stories The Houston Chronicle is retracting, Texas Standard interviewed Ward about one of them. Please be advised the reporting this interview is based on contained the views of four individuals who could not be identified in the Chronicle’s investigation.