Here’s what’s coming up on Texas Standard for Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020. Listen on your Texas public radio station, or ask your smart speaker to play Texas Standard.
Wolfe City Police Murder Charge
The small town of Wolfe City, about 70 miles northeast of Dallas, has been rocked by a police killing. Jonathan Price, a Black man, was shot and killed by a white Wolfe City police officer, Shaun Lucas. Arrested by the Texas Rangers for murder, Lucas is being held on a $1 million bond. Walking us through what we know is Mark Haslett, with KETR at Texas A&M University-Commerce.
Upcoming Elections For Texas Supreme Court
A tremendous amount of attention is now on the U.S. Supreme Court and the confirmation process for Amy Coney Barrett. But voters in Texas will be able to make important judicial choices of their own this fall. Specifically, who will sit on the Texas Supreme Court, the state’s highest civil court. KERA’s Bret Jaspers reports on what’s at stake.
Flipping The Texas House, Part 1
Something big could happen in Texas politics this election. For the first time in almost 20 years, Democrats have a real shot at regaining control of the Texas House of Representatives for the first time since the late 1990s. But things have started to change recently. KUT Austin is looking into what it could mean if Democrats win a House majority in Texas in a series called “The Big Flip.” As KUT’s Ashley Lopez reports, Texas’ changing political landscape came into much sharper focus in 2018 during Beto O’Rourke’s run for U.S. Senate.
Why Hurricanes Stall
Texans affected by Hurricane Harvey need no reminder that it was the rain, not the wind, that did so much damage up and down the coast. The massive storm stalled out over southeast Texas, dropping as much as 60 inches of rain in some places. Although recent storms like Hurricane Sally and Tropical Storm Beta were as destructive, they too have also stalled over Texas. And thanks to climate change, these slow-moving storms may now be the rule, not the exception. Kimberley Wood, assistant professor of meteorology at Mississippi State University talks to the Standard about what’s happening.
My Mask: Kimberly Harmer
Kimberly Harmer of Weatherford, Texas, is a mother of seven. She’s been making masks for her family since the beginning of the pandemic and now has a lot of fabric scraps. She tells Texas Standard she plans to someday turn these scraps into a quilt. She sees this as a way to positively commemorate what has been a very challenging time.
Latino Icons, Part 3: Lina Hidalgo
Harris County’s 4.7 million residents are weathering the pandemic, the recession and recent disasters. At the helm during this unprecedented time, is Lina Hidalgo. She’s the first female to hold the position of county executive, and her story is the final one in a special series we’re telling for Hispanic Heritage Month. Houston Public Media’s Elizabeth Trovall takes a closer look at how she got there.
Missing Students And The Future Of Texas School Funding
School funding in Texas is tied to student attendance. Many public school districts in the state have seen sharp declines in student enrollment this fall because of COVID-19. That’s raised concerns these districts could start losing money soon if the usual calculations for state funding are used. A loss of funds could be devastating for public school districts bottom lines. Aliyya Swaby who has been covering attendance and the impact on schools for the Texas Tribune to the Standard about what’s ahead.
All this and Texas News Roundup, plus Social Media Editor Wells Dunbar with the talk of Texas.
