Texas Standard For April 21, 2021

Guilty on all counts. As Texans react to the verdict in the killing of George Floyd. The message: a just verdict, but not justice. Not without meaningful reforms to policing. We’ll hear from George Floyd’s former hometown of Houston, and from other voices across Texas, reacting to yesterday’s murder conviction of a white former police officer. And: You’ve heard of the UK strain, a Brazilian strain, now researchers at Texas A&M report a Texas mutation of COVID-19. What this means for vaccination efforts and the ongoing pandemic fight. Also: A PolitiFact check about herd immunity claims. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

By Texas StandardApril 21, 2021 9:38 am

Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Wednesday, April 21, 2021.

Reactions to Chauvin Trial Verdict

In George Floyd’s hometown of Houston, reactions to the guilty verdicts against Derek Chauvin were of hopeful relief. And there was a sense that the decision marks a new beginning, rather than an end, for dealing with the issue of police violence in Houston and nationwide. Houston Public Media’s Andrew Schneider reports.

Changes Since George Floyd’s Death

The conviction of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin marked the rarest of events in the highly prized American court system: a white police officer made accountable for killing a Black man. Is this conviction a watershed moment, an actual turning point that will bring greater reform and accountability – finally – to policing? The Standard talks to Melanye Price, a political science professor at Prairie View A&M University, who is the author of “The Race Whisperer: Barack Obama and the Political Uses of Race” and the inaugural director of the Ruth J. Simmons Center for Race and Justice.

Yalakesen Baaheth on Derek Chauvin’s Guilty Verdict

Butterflies and Cotton

In the pollinator world, bees are regarded as the A-Team. When it comes to cultivating flowers, fiber, and vegetables, they are the varsity, the heavy lifters. That said, new research shows that some Texas farmers may owe a not-insignificant debt to butterflies, too. Sarah Cusser, a postdoctoral research associate at the Kellogg Biological Station at Michigan State University, talks to the Standard.

Texas COVID Strain

News broke this week that a new coronavirus variant was found in Texas. The strain now known as BV-1 and named for the Brazos Valley, was discovered when a Texas A&M University student tested positive on March 5, then again on March 25. That student exhibited mild symptoms. But the discovery is raising questions about what this means for combating the pandemic in the Lone Star State. One of the researchers, Dr. Benjamin Neuman, professor of Biology and Global Health Research Complex Chief Virologist at Texas A&M University, talks to the Standard.

Pokemon Cards

It’s spring cleaning season. You might find some old toys while tidying up your garage – Beanie Babies, maybe some Hot Wheels or Cabbage Patch Kids. If you discover any old Pokemon cards, KERA’s Miguel Perez says you could have a small fortune on your hands.

Don Pedrito: Healer of Los Olmos

PolitiFact: Greg Abbott on Herd Immunity

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

If you found the reporting above valuable, please consider making a donation to support it here. Your gift helps pay for everything you find on texasstandard.org and KUT.org. Thanks for donating today.