Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Thursday, March 25, 2021.
Immigration Latest
National and state lawmakers will make their way to communities along the Texas-Mexico border this week. They’re touring facilities housing the increasing number of unaccompanied children and teenagers crossing the Mexico border into the United States. A second federal immigration facility will be opening in Carrizo Springs, Texas and another 3,000-bed facility will be added in San Antonio. Nearly 2,000 unaccompanied migrant teens are now sheltered inside the Kay Bailey Hutchison Center in Dallas and the federal government is looking to house more at military bases in El Paso and San Antonio. Dallas Morning News reporter Dianne Solis, who covers immigration and the border, talks to the Standard.
Paxton Voter Fraud Prosecutions
Voter fraud has become a key focus for Texas Republican lawmakers this session. And Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton says that election security is one of his offices top priorities. But a new analysis from the American Civil Liberties Union claims the Texas AG’s office appears to be targeting people of color at disproportionate rates. Taylor Goldenstein, Austin bureau reporter for the San Antonio Express-News and Houston Chronicle, talks to the Standard.
Military Sexual Trauma Causing Troops to Leave
A new study says sexual assault and harassment in the U.S. military is causing troops to leave prematurely, hurting defense readiness. The authors hope it will help military leaders understand that the costs of sex crimes extend beyond the victims affected. Texas Public Radio’s Carson Frame reports for the American Homefront Project.
NFTs
if you follow news about technology – or even if you keep up with what’s happening in sports, entertainment or the art world – you have probably seen the term NFT. It stands for non-fungible tokens, and they’re a new way to turn images, videos or sounds into money for the creator, and digital collectibles for buyers. Right now, there’s an NFT gold rush going on, with artists, tech moguls and even the NBA cashing in. But what are people actually buying? Tech columnist Omar Gallaga talks to the Standard.
Cancelled RGV LNG Project
In 2013, Annova LNG began working on a plan to build a terminal in the Brownsville Ship Channel. Pipelines from West Texas oil fields would funnel the natural gas to the Rio Grande Valley facility, where it would be liquified, and then exported. It’s a potentially lucrative idea, given the vast supply of natural gas, but one that concerned citizens and environmental groups say would be devastating to local ecosystems. This week, Annova announced it was pulling the plug on its plans for a South Texas facility. Sergio Chapa, Houston-based energy reporter for Bloomberg, talks to the Standard.
Heel to Toe: Scott Selinger, Dr. Texas
The Eye
There’s a 30-foot tall eyeball plopped down in the middle of downtown Dallas. The giant sculpture may be one of the city’s most distinctive landmarks but it’s still a mystery to some folks, even in the newsroom of one of our partner stations, KERA North Texas. KERA’s Miguel Perez has more.
National Debt and Low Interest Rates
All this and Texas News Roundup, plus Social Media Editor Wells Dunbar with the talk of Texas.
