Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Thursday, March 18, 2021.
Legal Processing Backups and Reforms Needed on Border
As more children cross the U.S. border from Mexico, more questions are being raised about the length of time those same children spend in American detention centers and whether they can be housed here safely. When an unaccompanied child enters the United States, it starts the clock on a legal process to first find out if a child has a relative here and can be housed with them while their immigration case goes through court. But that takes time. Kate Lincoln Goldfinch, an Austin-based immigration attorney, who works unaccompanied minors who have crossed the border, talks to the Standard.
Seven pieces of legislation aim to restrict access to abortion through various means such as a ‘fetal heartbeat’ bill. Texas Tribune reporter Shannon Najmabadi, who has been following the legislation, talks to the Standard.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott identified bail reform as one of his emergency priorities for this legislative session. Specifically, he wants to make it tougher for repeat offenders, particularly felons, to get bail. In the second of a two-part series, Houston Public Media’s Andrew Schneider looks at how competing views over bail reform are shaping the debate.
How SXSW Pulled Off Virtual Events
Last year’s cancellation of the South by Southwest music, film and interactive festivals in Austin was one of the first signals COVID-19 would have a long-lasting impact on Texas. This week, SXSW is back – but in virtual form. For organizers, putting together a sprawling series of online concerts, screenings and panels is a very different animal from staging a live, in-person festival. Our tech expert Omar Gallaga has been thinking about how they did it.
One area of the Texas economy that has done well during the pandemic? Real estate. In Austin, new records seem to be set almost daily for both home sales and even higher prices. While Austin has always been a hot real estate market, there seems to be more at play now. Luis Torres, a research economist at Texas A&M University’s Texas Real Estate Research Center talks to the Standard.
Sounds of Texas: Mei Makino on “Inbetween Girl”
Scientists’ Reflections On The Pandemic
Several of the experts in science and medicine who’ve contributed to our understanding of this virus over the last year shared their thoughts with TPR Bioscience and Medicine Reporter Bonnie Petrie.
Besides Beto, Who Could Democrats Run for Governor?
It remains to be seen if there is a solid Democratic candidate out there with the potential or the desire to mount a competitive run against Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in next year’s gubernatorial race. And that might be why the state Democratic Party is warming up to a run from Beto O’Rourke. Gromer Jeffers has been writing about this for the Dallas Morning News.
All this and Texas News Roundup, plus Michael Marks with the talk of Texas.
