Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Friday, April 9, 2021.
At a Wednesday press conference outside the Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio, where 1,300 migrant teens are being held, Gov. Greg Abbott leveled allegations of sexual assault inside the facility. He also called for an investigation and said the federal government should close the facility over the risks inside. The Standard talks to Lomi Kriel, a member of the ProPublica/Texas Tribune investigative initiative about the questions many still have about the conditions where minors and children are kept.
About 17% of Texans are fully vaccinated, with about 30% having received at least one shot. But a lot of Texans are still waiting. State health officials say in order to achieve herd immunity, at least 80% of Texans need to either be vaccinated against COVID-19 or have antibodies in their system. To help get there, Baylor Scott & White Health has launched a mobile vaccination program. As KERA’s Stella Chavez reports, it’s designed to reach communities most at risk of not getting the shot.
It’s an issue that has been raised repeatedly in Texas – and Houston in particular – for the past few years. Now it’s getting lots of attention in the state Legislature: how to stop the increase of violent criminals reoffending while they’re out on bond. As Houston Public Media’s Florian Martin reports, while most agree there’s a problem, there’s disagreement over how to fix it.
Rural Broadband
In many parts of rural Texas, reliable broadband Internet access is hard to come by. It’s slow, unreliable and usually costs more than it does in more populated parts of the state. Last week, the Texas Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 5, a measure designed to expand broadband infrastructure. It now moves to the House. But exactly what does SB 5 do, and is it enough? Robert Scott of Rockport is a founder of the Texas Rural Broadband Coalition. He talks to the Standard.
Most of us only deal with one end of the trash collection process. We put our waste out once a week, and then we don’t think about it anymore. But all that trash is going somewhere. And in one South Texas community, waste is suddenly affecting a way of life. The Texas Standard’s Michael Marks reports.
The Sounds of Texas: Billy Henry Star Date
Alt Theater
If there are any silver linings in the pandemic, one might be the extent of experimentation that creative groups have gone to in order to reach audiences: taking their work online and outside, with drive-in plays, pop-up, distanced performances and more. Now, with the prospect of indoor gatherings on the horizon, MIguel Perez of KERA wonders what the future holds for alternative theater.
The Week in Politics with The Texas Tribune
All this and Texas News Roundup, plus Social Media Editor Wells Dunbar with the talk of Texas.
