Texas Standard For August 4, 2021

Rates of COVID-19 infection are back up near pandemic highs in Texas, and younger and unvaccinated people appear to be more vulnerable to the delta variant. Schools are also scrambling to get ready – we’ll talk with reporters in Dallas and El Paso and get the latest. And: Gov. Abbott’s executive order restricting the transportation of migrants is dealt a blow by a federal judge. Plus: What is it that makes Texas gymnast Simone Biles the greatest of all time? Those stories and more.

By Texas StandardAugust 4, 2021 9:34 am

Here’s what’s on Texas Standard for Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2021.

Education Reporters On COVID And School

The rapid spread of the highly contagious COVID-19 delta variant has adults asking how safe public school will be for Texas children – especially those kids under 12 who still can’t get vaccinated. For a look at how some of the state’s largest school districts are approaching back-to-school we’re joined by Emily Donaldson, education reporter for The Dallas Morning News and Molly Smith, who covers education for El Paso Matters.

Department Of Justice Restraining Order

A federal judge in El Paso has blocked Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order restricting the transportation of migrants in the state. Angela Kocherga of KTEP has more.

The ‘Great Reversal’

The pandemic has done some strange things to the economy. Many have lost jobs or found themselves under-employed. But more recently, it’s employers who say they’re having a hard time finding enough people to work. There are a lot of different reasons, but Dallas Morning News columnist Scott Burns says the bottom line may be that we’re entering a long-term period of better opportunities for American workers.

What Makes Simone Biles Great

Texas native Simone Biles just wrapped up her 2020 Olympics by winning bronze in the balance beam competition. Throughout these games, we’ve heard repeatedly that she’s the greatest gymnast ever – and that’s remained the refrain even after an Olympics that didn’t go as she’d hoped. So what is it that’s made Biles so great for so long? For more, we’re joined by Dvora  Meyers, a freelance gymnastics journalist based in Brooklyn.

The Sounds Of Texas: The First African American Principal At Austin High 

Dr. Melvin Bedford is the new principal at Stephen F. Austin High School in Austin, Texas. Founded in 1881 and segregated for nearly 80 years, this school now has its first Black principal.

Two Texas Actors And COVID

Reconnecting after a year of separation and loss is a work-in-progress. Our partners at KERA North Texas and The Dallas Morning News are collaborating to document how the pandemic has changed the arts and culture scene. Today KERA’s Jerome Weeks tells us about two Texas actors who turned to new careers after the theaters shut down.

Afghanistan War Legacy

President Biden has set Aug. 31 as the deadline for the withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Afghanistan – but fighting continues. The United States is currently providing air support for Afghan forces in their fight against the Taliban. Steve Walsh of the American Homefront reports survivors are struggling with the war’s legacy.

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

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