Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Friday, May 6, 2022.
ERCOT’s forecasting high demand ahead of a heat wave. How concerned should you be?
This weekend and into next week, Texans will be dealing with unseasonably high temperatures. That means there will be higher demand for energy, and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) is anticipating tight grid conditions until at least next Wednesday. Matt Largey has been following this story for our home station, KUT Austin,and joins us with more.
A case of missing candidates: Why some local races are being canceled this election
Election Day is Saturday. Two constitutional amendments and many local races and on the ballot. But in some parts of Texas, typically low election turnout is expected to be even lower – because many candidates are running without any challengers. From KERA North Texas, Pablo Arauz Peña takes a look at what that means for representation in local politics.
If Roe falls, how would states regulate mail-order abortion pills? Look to Texas
According to the abortions rights research group the Guttmacher Institute, more than half of all abortions in the United States are what are called “medication abortions.” People terminate their pregnancies at home by taking a combination of two pills, and those pills can be easily sent through the mail. So how would Texas regulate those types of abortions should the Supreme Court overturn Roe v. Wade? Texas Public Radio’s Bonnie Petrie asks a legal expert.
Carbon capture hub gets hearing in D.C.
Supporters say carbon capture – which sucks carbon dioxide out of the air before it reaches the atmosphere, then storing it underground – could be a big difference maker when it comes to reducing emissions. It’s also a big business. Petrochemical giants like ExxonMobil and Chevron are planning a carbon capture hub in the Gulf of Mexico. A congressional subcommittee recently weighed in on the proposal, and James Osborne watched for the D.C. bureau of the Houston Chronicle.
The battle over school bond spending in Odessa
Along with constitutional amendments and school board races on the ballot this Saturday, many Texas voters are likely to encounter bond propositions. In Odessa, education advocates are running down the long list of needs at public schools in their efforts to convince locals to support two propositions worth close to $400 million dollars. Marfa Public Radio’s Mitch Borden reports the election may not come down to what students need, but how much the community trusts its school leaders.
New book delves into the history of abortion rights
The world is talking about the leaked Supreme Court draft decision overturning Roe v. Wade, almost 50 years after the landmark case was first decided. But after the original decision, the path towards abortion access was not without its hurdles. Author Lauren Rankin documents the rocky – and at times, deadly – history of abortion rights in her new book “Bodies On The Line: At The Front Lines Of The Fight To Protect Abortion In America.” We’ll hear from her today.
The gang delivers another poem inspired by events both current and timeless. Submit your own suggestions online!
Texas Tribune political reporter James Barragán stops by with a recap of the week that was.
All this and Texas News Roundup, plus Social Media Editor Wells Dunbar with the talk of Texas.
