Here’s what’s coming up on Texas Standard for Tuesday, September 29, 2020. Listen on your Texas public radio station, or ask your smart speaker to play Texas Standard. We’ll have full posts for each story, including audio, a little later today.
Williamson County Sheriff Indictment
A Williamson County grand jury has indicted Sheriff Robert Chody on an evidence tampering charge after his department destroyed footage from a reality TV program that showed deputies chasing and using force on Javier Ambler, a Black man, who died last year. Williamson County District Attorney Shawn Dick and Travis County District Attorney Margaret Moore opened a joint investigation in June, a week after the American-Statesman and KVUE-TV revealed details of Ambler’s death and how the video from a “Live PD” crew, which filmed the arrest, was destroyed. Tony Plohetski, an investigative reporter for KVUE and the Statesman, talks to the Standard.
Public School COVID-19 Data Rescinded
Questions over the accuracy of how the state is tracking coronavirus cases in its public school remain in question. On Friday, the state rescinded a part of its recently released data that’s been tracking district-wide coronavirus cases, over case number discrepancies. Cayla Harris is a state politics and education reporter for the San Antonio Express News and the Houston Chronicle and talks to the Standard.
Bellaire Sidewalks
Folks in the Houston suburb of Bellaire will decide on three charter amendments this November.. If passed, they would make it nearly impossible to build new sidewalks within the city limits. So why is that an issue? Houston Public Media’s Andrew Schneider reports.
Direct to Consumer Beef
We’re past the point in the pandemic where you couldn’t find beef in your local grocery store. But the temporary scarcity created some new buying habits. After all, you can buy pretty much anything you want online, so why not steak? It’s an option many are taking advantage of these days, and as the Texas Standard’s Michael Marks reports, that could have a big impact up and down the supply chain.
Hamilton County Malware Attack
Earlier this month, ProPublica reported that the election systems in Hamilton County, northwest of Waco, were hacked. The malware used was fairly unsophisticated, but still adequate to breach the county’s cybersecurity systems, which are similar to many other election administrations around the state, particularly in rural areas. ProPublica reporter Jessica Huseman talks to the Standard.
The Sounds of Texas: Mary Beth Rogers on Ann Richards’ Birthday
NTIDC Vaccine Trial
A number of pharmaceutical companies have entered the home stretch in the race to develop a COVID-19 vaccine. Some are now at the human trials phase. One of those trials is being conducted at Baylor Medical Center in Dallas. KERA’s Bekah Morr spoke to a participant in that trial.
Women and Policing
Since the death of George Floyd, much has been written about the aggressive and violent responses some police departments have had against protestors. What has been noticeable in these images is how overwhelmingly male American police forces really are. Roughly 12% of American police oficers are women. And that’s only up a few percentage points from 25 years ago. Could more women working in policing help change the culture? Cara Rabe-Hemp, a professor and associate dean at Illinois State University who has written several books on women and policing talks to the Standard.
All this and Texas News Roundup, plus Social Media Editor Wells Dunbar with the talk of Texas.
