Texas Standard For September 10, 2021

he U.S. attorney general says the Texas abortion law is one “all Americans should fear” in announcing a legal challenge to new abortion restrictions in the Lone Star State. We’ll hear about the justice departments plans. And: Officials hesitant to issue sweeping vaccine mandates due to fear of being sued may have it all wrong. So says a Texas scholar, we’ll hear why. Also: Veterans, Gen-Z and 9/11… how different groups of Texans are reflecting on the attacks of 20 years ago. Plus: The week in politics and much more today on the Texas Standard:

By Texas StandardSeptember 10, 2021 9:35 am

Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Friday, September 10, 2021.

Vaccine Mandates and the Law

President Joe Biden announced a sweeping vaccine mandate yesterday. Gov. Greg Abbott has already threatened a legal response. But a Texas constitutional scholar writes that officials may be surprised to find the courts more sympathetic to vaccine mandates than they think. We’re speaking with University of Texas Law School professor Steven Vladeck.

Biden to Sue Over Abortion Law

When Texas lawmakers passed a new bill restricting abortion, it got immediate attention for not only how early it bans access (five to six weeks), but how difficult it might be to sue to overturn the law. But the U.S. Justice Department is doing just that. Sadie Gurman at The Wall Street Journal was among the first to report on the coming suit. She joins us today.

Worker Heat Death Series, part 4

When it comes to workers who labor in the hot sun, there’s no national heat standard that would tell companies and managers how hot is too hot for employees. In Part 4 of our series, KERA’s Stella Chavez explores what’s being done to hold employers accountable when it comes to worker safety and heat exposure.

Disc Golf Booms During Pandemic

Membership in the Professional Disc Golf Association jumped during the pandemic as people looked for safe outdoor activities. Texas has more members in the PDGA than any other state. Texas Public Radio’s Brian Kirkpatrick has been exploring the game, its appeal and the hazards (like losing a disc in the lake.

Gulf Oil and Gas Infrastructure After Ida

After Hurricane Ida slammed into Louisiana a few weeks ago, satellites captured images of a huge plume of oil snaking through the Gulf of Mexico. The storm had dislodged something in the thousands of miles of underwater pipe just off the coast. The images of the spill were dramatic, but it was just one of over 350 reported to the U.S. Coast Guard after Ida. For more on the vulnerability of oil and gas infrastructure in the Gulf, we’ll hear from Marianna Párraga, Houston-based energy correspondent for Reuters.

Post-9/11 Veterans

Tomorrow will mark 20 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which provoked the United States into two of the longest wars in its history. Houston has one of the largest veteran communities in the country. Andrew Schneider of Houston Public Media spoke with some post-9/11 veterans about how they’re coping as the twentieth anniversary approaches.

9/11 Education Montage

While the attacks of 9/11 prompted U.S. wars in the MIddle East, they also altered life here at home. Those effects have been long-lasting and continue to impact those who weren’t born or weren’t old enough to remember the attacks. Elizabeth Myong of KERA North Texas spoke to SMU sophomore Razan Bayan about growing up after September 11 as an American Muslim and member of Generation Z.

Typewriter Rodeo

The Week in Politics, with The Texas Tribune

Joining us for a look back at the week in Texas politics, we’re joined by our Friday regular: 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.

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