Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Friday, October 1, 2021.
New census data shows that people of color accounted for 95% of the state’s population growth over the past ten years. But redistricting maps released by the Texas Legislature increase the number of districts in which white voters are the majority. For decades, the federal government has had oversight over Texas’ redistricting process – but not anymore. Houston Public Media’s Andrew Schneider explains what happened and what it means for redistricting now.
New Redistricting Maps and Communities of Color
Now that we’ve seen draft redistricting maps, what do we know about how they were drawn, and how they’ll shape the next decade of Texas politics? Continuing our look at the redistricting process, we’ll hear from Michael Li with the Brennan Center’s Democracy Program.
COVID Antibody Treatment Centers
Antibody treatments have been credited with reducing the severity of COVID symptoms and cutting hospitalization rates. Texas has now opened more than 20 antibody treatment centers statewide. For KERA, Elena Rivera looked into a handful of centers that have opened in North Texas recently.
Border Patrol and Right-Wing Media
Leading up to Election Day 2018, the right stoked fears of a migrant caravan making its way to the border. To underscore the perceived threat, Border Patrol leaders in the El Paso sector planned an Election Day show of force: agents on horseback taking the pedestrian bridge to Ciudad Juarez, setting off smoke canisters to instill, in their words, a sense of “shock and awe.” Higher ups at U.S. Customs And Border Protection squashed the idea – but the incident is just one example of how Border Patrol members can use the media to craft a narrative that influences policy. Longtime border reporter Melissa del Bosque focuses on incidents like these in a new newsletter called The Border Chronicle. We’ll hear from her today.
Spanish Storytime: Hispanic Heritage part 3
When the pandemic started, the Fort Worth Public Library found that its virtual events in Spanish had better attendance than ones in English. Library staff already wanted to do more for the city’s large Spanish-speaking population. One way to do that was starting a Spanish storytime on Zoom. KERA’s Miranda Suarez reports.
If you were to write a soundtrack for Big Bend National Park, you’d want a band whose sound could fill those sweeping, dramatic spaces. That’s why producers of the recent PBS Nature documentary “Big Bend: The Wild Frontier of Texas” tapped Explosions in the Sky to score their film. The Texas-based rock instrumentalists are known for swells that build and then crash and then build again. An album of 20 new songs inspired by Big Bend is being released today. Joining us today is the band’s drummer, Chris Hrasky.
We always end the week with a poem from the Typewriter Rodeo. Request a topic for a poem anytime by reaching out!
The Week in Texas Politics with The Texas Tribune
Joining us for a look back at the week in Texas politics, we’re joined by James Barragán, political reporter for the Texas Tribune.
All this and Texas News Roundup, plus Social Media Editor Wells Dunbar with the talk of Texas.
