Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Wednesday, July 20, 2022.
Mark Jones, political science professor at the University of Houston, speaks to Texas Standard about the state of the governor’s race. Jones helps us assess each candidate’s finances, as well as key issues and strategy for the remainder of the campaign.
There are now about 80 cases of monkeypox in Texas – a virus that can cause fever, a painful rash, and other symptoms. It’s transmitted through skin-to-skin contact and can infect anyone. Orion Rummler, a reporter for The 19th News, answers some practical questions about the outbreak.
Light Pollution
As the population in Texas continues to boom, so does the amount of light pollution in the night sky. KUT’s Alexa Haverlah reports that there’s an international effort to make the sky a little clearer at night – and Texas is doing its part.
Texas livestock auctions are busier than normal this year. That’s because record temperatures and drought are forcing ranchers to sell cattle early. The extreme heat has left a large swath of Texas pasture lands in bad condition. At the same time, ranchers are dealing with added financial pressures due to rising inflation. David Anderson, a professor and livestock economist at Texas A&M University, speaks to Texas Standard about the beef and cattle market.
When watching the stars play – whether it’s music or baseball — it can hard to remember that most of them started small. Near the Texas capitol city, there’s an effort to keep the simple joys of the sandlot alive, starring musician Jack White. Jimmy Mass of KUT reports
#IamVanessaGuillen Documentary
Vanessa Guillen, a 20-year-old soldier in the United States Army, went missing from Fort Hood in April 2020 after reporting she was sexually harassed on the military base. Her remains were found several months later. Guillen’s death sparked protests and a viral hashtag: #IAmVanessaGuillen. It’s now the title of a new Univision documentarythat centers on the stories of women soldiers who have been sexually assaulted while enlisted. Texas Standard speaks to the film’s director, Andrea Patiño Contreras.
PolitiFact: President Biden on Gas Prices
A post making the rounds on social media claims that President Joe Biden has been plotting to make gasoline prices $5 a gallon, and this “has been his plan all along.” Is that a fact? Nusaiba Mizan of Politifact Texas, based at the Austin American-Statesman, helps us sort it out.
All this and Texas News Roundup, plus Michael Marks with the talk of Texas.
