Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Monday, March 28, 2022.
Wildfires continue as drought conditions remain in Texas
A 17,000 acre fire on the Fort Hood military post near Killeen, Texas grew quickly yesterday and remains uncontained this morning, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service. Unfortunately, rain and calmer winds don’t appear to be on their way for that region – or much else of the state afflicted with severe drought. Texas’ state climatologist John Nielsen-Gammon joins the Standard to talk about the wildfires.
Dan Patrick is leading the attack on Texas tenure
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has already identified one of his top priorities for the next Texas legislative session: abolishing academic tenure at all Texas public universities. Houston Public Media’s Andrew Schneider explains why – and what it might mean for Texas if he succeeds.
Late last week, the Biden administration announced a deal to ship more liquified natural gas to the European Union. The goal is to fill in gaps in gas supplies as the EU tries to wean itself off Russian energy. Matt Smith, the lead oil analyst for the Americas at Keplr, answers whether or not it will be enough to offset Europe’s reliance on Russian supplies.
No one could ‘Raise Hell’ like Molly Ivins
Molly Ivins is a Texas icon. The razor-sharp political writer was a “First Amendment warrior, spoke truth to power, [and] gave voice to those that didn’t have one,” says filmmaker Janice Engel. She covers it all in her documentary, “Raise Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins,” which airs on Texas PBS stations tonight.
The ‘hurricane of hunger’ spawned by Russia’s war in Ukraine
The United Nations secretary-general is calling on countries to avert a “hurricane of hunger” caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as a significant portion of the world’s wheat, corn, barley, and fertilizers are in the warring countries. Joining us to talk about the war’s effects on the global food supply is Raj Patel, a research professor in the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin.
Higher education has changed. So should campus libraries.
There is no denying the role of libraries has changed. Despite the changes, libraries are often among the crown jewels of college campuses. Scott Carlson has been examining whether or not they still serve students’ needs for The Chronicle of Higher Education. He’s joining us today to discuss his new report on the challenges of libraries called “The Library of the Future.”
Melissa Lucio is scheduled to die next month. These are the questions surrounding her conviction.
Melissa Lucio is scheduled to be executed by the state of Texas next month. Lucio, who would be the first Latina killed by the state, was convicted in 2008 for the murder of her young daughter. The fairness of her trial and verdict have been called into question; now, nearly 90 state representatives are calling to stop her execution. For more on the case we’re talking with Latino USA producer Reynaldo Leaños Jr.
All this and Texas News Roundup, plus Social Media Editor Wells Dunbar with the talk of Texas.
