Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Tuesday, November 9, 2021.
Details are still emerging about Friday’s mass casualty event during Travis Scott’s performance at his Astroworld festival. What we know for certain is that it was the deadliest concert disaster in Houston’s history, with eight dead and many more injured. Houston Public Media’s Andrew Schneider has some of the latest developments as well as reactions from surviving attendees.
Texas’ Republican leaders are heading into reelection with strong advantages over their primary opponents and Democratic challengers – declared and undeclared – according to new polling from the Texas Tribune and the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin. The latest polling data also delves into President Joe Biden’s job performance and more. Jim Henson, director of the Texas Politics Project, joins us today.
Castroville is a tiny town just west of San Antonio. For a long time, it’s mostly been home to people from the Alsace region of France, next to Germany and Switzerland. As new, large housing developments have started to move in, Texas Public Radio’s Brian Kirkpatrick reports some have taken steps to protect the community’s Alsatian heritage.
American Homefront Veterans’ Day Profile: Edie Meeks
In the lead-up to Veterans day we’re bringing you stories from those who served. When Edie Meeks joined the Army Nurse Corps at the height of the Vietnam War, she was motivated in part by her brother’s decision to serve in the Marines. You can hear more on the PBS series “American Veteran” and the podcast “American Veteran: Unforgettable Stories.”
There’s been a rash of anti-Semitic acts across central Texas in recent weeks: a fire at an Austin synagogue, demonstrations in Austin and San Antonio by a neo-Nazi group, and reports Jewish people in Hays County were sent disturbing letters. It’s in the midst of this climate that the Austin Jewish Film Festival is kicking off its 19th annual event. Festival director David Finkel describes if this year feels any different.
“Civil Rights in Black and Brown”
A new book examines the organizations and movements in the Black and Latino communities often overlooked by history. “Civil Rights in Black and Brown: Histories of Resistance and Struggle in Texas” is based on an oral history combining more than 500 voices, from the Panhandle to the Piney Woods. History professors Max Krochmal of Texas Christian University and Todd Moye of the University of North Texas led the project. We’ll hear from the authors today.
Collin College Professor Firings
Controversy has followed the firing of professors at Collin College in McKinney. The latest involves a history professor who sued the school after speaking out against its COVID policies and criticizing the administration. KERA’s Bill Zeeble takes a closer look.
All this and Texas News Roundup, plus Social Media Editor Wells Dunbar with the talk of Texas.
