Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Thursday, April 14, 2021.
Johnson & Johnson Vaccinations Temporarily Suspended
Texas vaccination hubs have stopped using the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine for now. This comes after reports of rare and serious blood clots occurring in a very small number of people who’ve received this particular vaccine. State health officials say they don’t know of any Texans who have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, who have had the same issues. Bonnie Petrie, bioscience and medicine reporter for Texas Public Radio, is here to tell us more.
Texas’ Lawsuit Over ‘Remain In Mexico’ Asylum Policy
For the third time since President Joe Biden took office in January, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing the White House administration over its immigration policies. This time, Paxton has filed a lawsuit because the federal government overturned President Trump’s “Migrant Protection Protocols” forcing people seeking asylum to wait in Mexico until their case comes to court. Mallory Falk is following this story for KERA North Texas and Report for America. She joins us today.
Hearing About South Texas Oil And Gas Waste Pit
Last week, we told you about an oil and gas waste facility in South Texas owned by a company called Blackhorn Environmental Services. Since it opened two years ago, neighbors have complained of foul smells in the air, nausea, and headaches. Yesterday, the Texas Railroad Commission considered those complaints during a virtual hearing to renew Blackhorn’s operating permit. The Texas Standard’s Michael Marks has this update.
Southwest Airlines Returns To Bush Intercontinental Airport
In Houston this week, there’s a bit of aviation history in the making. Back in 2005, Southwest Airlines shut down its operations at Bush Intercontinental Airport. At the time, it operated only six flights there, compared to over a hundred departing from the city’s Hobby Airport. Now, guess who’s landing back at Bush Intercontinental? Here to talk about that is Houston Chronicle reporter Jay Jordan.
SpaceX Alarming Locals In South Texas
Elon Musk has been raising some eyebrows on Twitter as of late, teasing plans to build his own city in South Texas. But outside of social media, SpaceX activity is worrying Rio Grande Valley officials and activists. Gaige Davila has been following this story. He’s a writer and editor of the Port Isabel-South Padre Press and talks to the Standard.
The Sounds Of Texas: Pria Gokhale On ‘Her Story Is Our Story’
UNT Women’s Softball Pitcher’s Perfect Game
It’s been a pretty good year for the University of North Texas softball team with 19 victories against nine losses. But the highlight of the season came on Sunday, in the first game of a double header against the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. Starting pitcher Hope Trautwein did something that no division one softball player has ever done before. Not only did she throw a perfect game – no hits, no walks, no hit batters – but she did so by striking out every single batter she faced: 21 strikeouts over seven innings. Trautwein talks to the Standard.
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said “nothing has changed in the election code regarding early voting” when it comes to his controversial Senate Bill 7. Is that a fact? Brandon Mulder sorts the fact from fiction for PolitiFact Texas, based at the Austin American-Statesman. He joins us to talk about Patrick’s claim today.
All this and Texas News Roundup, plus Social Media Editor Wells Dunbar with the Talk of Texas.
