Here’s what’s coming up on Texas Standard for Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2020. Listen on your Texas public radio station, or ask your smart speaker to play Texas Standard.
Democratic Ad Buys In Texas
For years, Democratic presidential candidates didn’t waste a lot of campaign money in Texas, a state the GOP has controlled for nearly 20 years. Not this year. This week, the campaign for former Vice President Joe Biden announced it’s spending $6 million in ad buys. Here to talk about this shift is Carlos Huerta, professor of political science at Texas A&M University in Corpus Christi.
Mail-In Ballot Confusion In Dallas County
What can go wrong with mail-in ballots? James Barragán covers Texas politics for The Dallas Morning News where he has written about the history of mail-in voting in Texas. He talks with the Standard about past problems and fixes.
The Big Flip Part 2: How Texas’ Economy Changed Its Politics
There’s a decent chance that Democrats will take control of the Texas House of Representatives in the November election. Ashley Lopez and her colleagues at KUT in Austin are exploring what that could mean in a series called “The Big Flip.” If Democrats do pull off a majority in the Texas House, it will mean Republicans won’t have full control of state government in Texas for the first time in nearly 20 years.
A Conversation About COVID-19 Treatment For The President Versus The General Public
President Trump reportedly received an experimental antibody cocktail to help him fight off the effects of COVID-19. He’s also been given a steroid drug usually reserved for those with the most severe symptoms. Trump’s now being monitored at the White House after his discharge Monday from Walter Reed. It’s a much different treatment course than the one received by the more than 7 million other Americans who’ve been infected. Peniel Joseph is a professor of history and the Barbara Jordan Chair in Ethics and Political Values at the LBJ School of Public Affairs. He talks to the Standard about the optics the better care has for many Americans.
A Drop In Breast Cancer Screenings
The pandemic has put critical health screenings on hold for millions of women at risk for breast cancer. Some clinics have seen as much as a 45% decrease in mammogram X-rays. Because of the skipped screenings, the National Institute of Cancer has projected 5,000 women could die from breast cancer over the next decade. Houston Public Media’s Sara Willa Ernst explains how clinics in Houston are trying to close the screening gap.
W.F. Strong On Norfleet: The Texas Rancher Who Kept On Coming
W.F. Strong, a professor of Culture and Communication at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, tells the story of J. Frank Norfleet, a conned rancher who tracked down the men who took his life’s savings. You can find his “Stories From Texas” at texasstandard.org and wherever fine podcasts are served.
PolitiFact On John Cornyn’s DREAM Act Claims
A campaign ad for U.S. Sen. John Cornyn says that he supports both secure borders as well as a path to citizenship for what are commonly called “Dreamers.” Is that true? Brandon Mulder of PolitiFact Texas, based at the Austin American-Statesman, vets this week’s claim on the Standard.
All this and Texas News Roundup, plus Social Media Editor Wells Dunbar with the talk of Texas.
