Texas Standard For February 4, 2021

Beto for senate, Beto for president…now Beto for governor? What may be shaping into a high profile challenge to Gov. Greg Abbott. Evan smith, CEO of the Texas Tribune on the possibility of an Abbott vs Beto battle for the top office in Texas. And: Not all vaccine rollouts in Texas are created equal. Just ask the folks in Amarillo where there’s no online signup, and people from other states are coming to get vaccinated. We’ll have a revealing picture from the Panhandle. Also: Amid jokes about coping with the isolation of the pandemic, no laughing matter for people struggling with substance use. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

By Texas StandardFebruary 4, 2021 9:37 am

Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Thursday, February 4, 2021.

Potential Abbott Beto Matchup in 2022

Last month former Texas Congressman Beto O’Rourke said he would consider a run for governor in 2022 against incumbent Greg Abbott. Evan Smith, CEO and co-founder of the Texas Tribune, talks about what a matchup could look like.

Amarillo COVID Response 

For many Texans, the vaccine rollout has been tough. Many county health officials have been trying out different ways to distribute  vaccines, sometimes resulting in long lines, overnight wait times and down websites. But this isn’t every Texan’s experience. In Potter County, home to Amarillo, if you ask county judge Nancy Tanner, the vaccine rollout has been pretty smooth. Tanner talks to the Standard about the lessons she’s learned.

Cancer Cluster Accountability

Children are at higher risk for leukemia in two Black neighborhoods in Houston: Fifth Ward and Kashmere Gardens. State investigators revealed the cancer clusters last month. But the news only confirmed what residents already knew. Houston Public Media’s Sara Willa Ernst went to northeast Houston to find out what accountability means to people who live there.

SolarWinds Hack Update

In December, news broke that systems at the defense, commerce and treasury departments all suffered a cyber-breach. U.S. officials believe Russian government actors are responsible. The acting cybersecurity chief for the Department of Homeland Security now says the hacks went further than previously believed, targeting unclassified systems, including email. Our tech expert, Omar Gallaga, talks to the latest developments that involve an Austin-based company, SolarWinds.

Rosa Jimenez Case

Nearly 20 years ago, Rosa Jimenez of Austin was accused of killing Bryan Guiterrez, a young boy in her care, after he choked to death on a wad of paper towels. But Jimenez always maintained her innocence.And now, after 18 years behind bars, she is a free woman. Michael Hall has been covering the story for Texas Monthly and talks to the Standard.

The Sounds of Texas: Freddie Taylor Urban Intellectuals

How Three Texans Maintain Their Recovery

Isolation keeps us safer from COVID-19. But doing so is putting one population at greater risk: those recovering from a substance use disorder. In-person substance abuse group meetings have moved online. But for some, it’s been a harder transition without the regular in person contact with those going also through the same struggle. The Texas Standard’s Joy Diaz reports on how three Texans actively work on their battle with addiction.

Future of the Texas Republican Party After Jan. 6

The storming of the Capitol on Jan. 6 has drawn a political line in the sand among Republicans nationwide and in Texas. Matthew Dowd, a political commentator for CNN, talks to the Standard about the future of the state’s Republican Party.

All this and Texas News Roundup, plus Social Media Editor Wells Dunbar with the talk of Texas.

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