The Standard’s news roundup gives you a quick hit of interesting, sometimes irreverent, and breaking news stories from all over the state.
Which cities are the best for veterans? That’s what the finance site WalletHub wanted to figure out in time for Veteran’s Day.
Jill Gonzalez, an analyst with the website, says they looked at indicators like the “percentage of military skill-related jobs” and the number of Veterans Affairs health care facilities.
“We took a look at some big cities here, 100 of the biggest in the country, to find exactly where those cities are that are good for veterans and Texas really had top marks,” she says. “There were about [four] cities in the top 10.”
El Paso came in at number 6, Austin at 5, Plano at 4, and Laredo got the number 2 spot.
“They really had top marks across the board… as far as quality of life there are a lot of veterans in Texas so that bigger population does give a sense of community and a lot of support groups as well,” she says.
According to WalletHub’s analysis – the Texas city that ranked lowest, Corpus Christi, came in at 54.
“The reason for that was a lot due to housing affordability, a little bit higher of a crime rate there, and not as many VA facilities per capita,” she says.
Restaurants and business throughout Texas have deals for veterans and people currently serving in the military.
This week, it’s been reported that Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller is being considered for a cabinet position within Donald Trump’s upcoming administration: Agriculture Secretary.
Miller told KUT in Austin how he would feel if he was offered the high-profile gig.
“I would be honored, I would certainly consider it,” Miller said. “I would want to pray about it and talk to my family about it. I thought I had the best job there is being the agriculture commissioner for the great state of Texas, but being the agriculture commissioner for the best country on the globe is pretty enticing – I would have to consider it.”
Miller gained national notoriety after a tweet on his official account referred to Hillary Clinton by a slur that is degrading to women.
The San Antonio Zoo unveiled an upgraded its Big Cat Valley animal habitat this week. The San Antonio Express-News reports that the zoo spent $1 million to add more space to the area where lions roam.
They also installed new glass to make it easier for visitors to catch the a glimpse big cats. There are also plans to make the habitat a little more interactive – a tug-of-war set up that will allow people to play with the lions.
Yes, tug-of-war with lions.
Basically, a rope will go between guests, multiple barriers, and then the lions themselves. There isn’t a firm date for the whole tug-of-war set-up to open. But you might want to start doing push-ups now.
