Texas Standard For October 28, 2020

Some on the left have hope that Texas could go blue in the presidential election, and even some likelihood it could when it comes to the state house. We’ll explore. And: The divisive state of politics right now has many concerned about the risk of violence on or after Election Day. We’ll dig into news Texas Army National Guard troops will be deployed. Also: Misinformation going out before an election is nothing new. But there’s new evidence it’s targeting Spanish-speaking communities. Plus: When counties can turn any building into a polling place it often means many of those buildings won’t be fully accessible. And a small-town Texas story is getting its shot on the big screen. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

By Texas StandardOctober 27, 2020 9:30 am

Here’s what’s coming up on Texas Standard for Tuesday, October 27, 2020. Listen on your Texas public radio station, or ask your smart speaker to play Texas Standard. We’ll have full posts for each story, including audio, a little later today.

Lubbock County COVID Cases

Lubbock’s trauma service region on Sunday hit seven straight days of COVID-19 patients exceeding 15% of total hospitalizations. Under a state order, the region will now enforce reopening rollbacks. Texas Tech Public Media’s Sarah Self-Walbrick reports what’s next for the area.

Future of the Texas House

One week out from the 2020 election, the Texas House is being talked about as a potential toss-up. Republicans currently have an eight-seat advantage. But Democrats have been pouring lots of campaign cash to help flip enough seats to become the majority party. Ross Ramsey, writing for The Texas Tribune, posed an interesting question: What if there’s a tie?

Irma Nicolas Obituary

Irma Nicolas, a pioneer in Spanish-language broadcasting here in the United States, died in her hometown of San Antonio on Saturday at the age of 88. Texas Public Radio’s Jan Ross Piedad has more on her life and legacy.

The National Guard and the Election

Next Tuesday, Election Day, members of the Texas Army National Guard will be in the streets of certain Texas cities. News of the order from Gov. Greg Abbott broke Monday. The troops are there in case of any disturbances that arise because of the election. But beyond that, there are a lot of  questions about where they’ll be, and what they’ll be doing. Sig Christenson, who writes about veterans and the military for the San Antonio Express-News, talks to the Standard.

Spanish-Speaking Communities Targeted by Misinformation

False political news stories are a real thing and many seem to be especially targeting Spanish-speaking voters ahead of this election. The false stories and conspiracy theories are spreading on popular social media platforms like WhatsApp that are frequently used by the Latino community. And one of the goals of the misinformation campaign seems to be pitting Latino voters against Black voters. Patricia Mazzei, Miami bureau chief for The New York Times, recently wrote about this misinformation campaign and talks to the Standard.

Marci Henna on When We Last Spoke

Undecided Latinas

We’ve seen a record number of early voters in Texas so far. But earlier this year, research showed that Latinas were five times less likely than Hispanic men to know who they’re voting for. Houston Public Media’s Elizabeth Trovall spoke to some undecided Tejana voters to see why.

ADA Polling Place Access

The 30-year-old Americans With Disabilities Act or ADA bars discrimination in public accommodations, and is supposed to allow for full participation for people with disabilities. But a 2014 federal survey of polling places in Harris County found just one in three polling places were accessible to people with disabilities. Leonard Lane was part of that survey and continues to push for accessible polls as part of his work with the Accessibility Professionals Association. He talks to the Standard.

All this and Texas News Roundup, plus Social Media Editor Wells Dunbar with the talk of Texas.

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