Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Tuesday, April 12, 2022.
When do war crimes turn into genocide?
You’ve likely heard some of the horrific stories from Bucha, Ukraine, and seen photos of Ukrainian citizens lying lifeless on the city’s streets, killed at the hands of Russian troops. An additional 10,000 citizens have died in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and some U.S. politicians accuse Russia of genocide. While the U.S. government and its allies have acknowledged Russia is committing war crimes in its assault on Ukraine, genocide could be a much more difficult accusation to prove. Alan J. Kuperman, professor at UT-Austin’s LBJ School of Public Affairs, joins us with more.
Houston neighborhoods of color fight concrete plant operations
Concrete plants can be dangerous and noisy. And in Houston, they are disproportionately located in minority neighborhoods. But now, residents are pushing back. Houston Chronicle reporter Emily Foxhall has been covering the story, and joins us with more today.
How a Dallas high school class is learning about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
We’re now seven weeks into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – a story that has galvanized the world. But how are Texas high school students learning about the war as events unfold in real time? KERA’s Bill Zeeble visited a Dallas high school class to find out.
Landlords got billions in COVID rent relief – but many still evicted their tenants
Despite some landlords in Texas receiving $2 billion in federal rent relief during the pandemic, tenants struggling to pay rent were still kicked out. The Texas Tribune reports tenants in Texas were improperly evicted throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and it’s unclear if landlords will face any penalties from the state. Joshua Fetcher, urban affairs reporter for the Texas Tribune, joins with more.
Texas schools are struggling to juggle budgets, staffing shortages and curriculum requirements as never before. Now the Austin Independent School District is making changes to elementary school music, art and PE class schedules. Moving forward, PE must be offered every day. Then it’s up to individual schools to decide how to assign time for art and music. KUT Austin’s Claire McInerny reports on why it’s happening, and how it’s causing a logistical challenge for principals.
This show ID is a real easter egg
Hear from Delysia Chocolatier’s Nicole Patel about her chocolate egg confections.
You might be surprised, but 2021 marked the highest sales of vinyl records since 1986. Vinyl records sales have actually grown rapidly for over a decade, offering a rare bright spot for a music industry battered by dwindling physical sales. But production has struggled to keep up and small artists are bearing the brunt of the production pain. Texas Public Radio’s Paul Flahive has more.
Protesting truckers shut down trade at the border. (No, not that border, the southern one.)
The Pharr-Reynosa International bridge is generally the busiest border crossing in the Rio Grande Valley, a major through-way for truckers entering the U.S. from Mexico. But on Monday, truckers blocked the northbound lanes of the bridge as part of a protest against new inspection regulations imposed by Gov. Greg Abbott. Noi Mahoney, a Texas-based reporter for trade magazine Freight Waves, brings us more.
All this and Texas News Roundup, plus Social Media Editor Wells Dunbar with the talk of Texas.
