Texas Standard for December 5, 2016

After a phone call from Taiwan and a few tweets from the President-elect, a potential global crisis. A goof, or something more? The story today on the Standard. And: A pension plan meltdown that could leave Dallas bankrupt. But the rest of us are ok … right? The state comptroller warns this could hurt all of Texas. He’ll tell us how and why. Also: Guess who’s making a massive new investment in drilling in the Gulf of Mexico? Here’s a hint – its initials are B and P. Plus: The bizarre disappearance of 300 rare blind salamanders from a Federal research center in Texas. Some wonder if they’re part of a black market in exotic animal trafficking. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard: