New proposed congressional maps have been released by the Texas Legislature as part of its redistricting process. What do they say about the priorities of the Republican-led effort? Joining us with an overview is Abby Livingston, D.C. bureau chief for The Texas Tribune.
Art Acevedo Faces Critics In Miami
Art Acevedo doesn’t work in Texas anymore – but for his work here he was dubbed a “celebrity police chief” by The New York Times. After a long tenure in Austin he became Houston’s top cop. There, he earned national attention when he marched with Black Lives Matter demonstrators after the police killing of George Floyd. SInce leaving for Miami, however, his short time leading the police there has quickly turned sour. Danny Rivero, crime reporter for South Florida NPR affiliate WLRN, joins us with the story.
SpaceX is preparing to launch the largest rocket in the history of spaceflight. If permitted by federal regulators, it will lift off from a beachside facility at the southern tip of Texas. Residents and researchers have criticized the permitting process, saying the company has flouted rules at the expense of the environment and the community. Texas Public Radio’s Dominic Anthony Walsh explains.
Just a week after Tropical Storm Nicholas swept across the Texas Gulf Coast, a team of gulf weather watchers issued a rather bold prediction: the 2021 hurricane season is probably over, at least for Texas. Eric Berger, editor of Space City Weather, joins us with what the coast can expect during what remains of the Atlantic hurricane season.
Diana Natalicio spent her career fighting for equal access to higher education. Most of that time, she was at the University of Texas at El Paso. She was there for 45 years, 31 of those years as UTEP’s president. Natalicio died on Friday. She was 82. We spoke with President Natalicio in 2018 after she announced plans to retire. We revisit that interview and hear from UTEP communications professor Richard Pineda on Natalicio’s life and legacy.
Dallas 911 Call Center Funding
For years, the City of Dallas has tried to figure out ways to address long wait times for emergency callers. As part of next year’s fiscal budget, the Dallas 911 call center received more than a million dollars to hire additional staff members and increase employee pay. As KERA’s Alejandra Martinez reports, city leaders believe this might offer a solution.
All this and the Texas News Roundup, plus Social Media Editor Wells Dunbar with the Talk of Texas.
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly listed former UTEP President Diana Natalicio’s age at the time of her death as 92. She was 82.
