Texas Standard For December 4, 2020

As hospital ICU units statewide fill again with COVID-19 patients, new restrictions are taking hold. Judge Clay Jenkins of Dallas county issues new orders curbing business activity, but admits it won’t be enough and calls on Texans to embrace a wartime patriotism to combat the virus. Our conversation with him coming up. And: Some Houston families in limbo as their loved ones remain locked up in Venezuela, the latest chapter in the story of the CITGO 6. Also: Selena returns to screen, this time with a distinctly Texan flavor, thanks to a producer who hails from The Valley. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

By Texas StandardDecember 4, 2020 7:01 am

Here’s what’s coming up on Texas Standard for Friday, December 4, 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.

Clay Jenkins on Dallas County Rolling Back Reopenings

The number of new COVID-19 cases in Texas is staggering. And it’s not going to get better. Local ICU units in parts of Texas have been overwhelmed with new coronavirus patients and that’s forcing local officials to make some key decisions about what to do next. Among those are our county executives, or county judges. Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins talks to the Standard.

Dallas’ Mayor on Rising Crime

Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson remains troubled by the city’s growing violent crime rate and shrinking police force. KERA’s Bill Zeeble reports that at a recent Dallas Regional Chamber event, Johnson laid out his hopes for the next police chief.

The CITGO 6 Case

On Thanksgiving Day, six executives who worked for Houston-based CITGO, five of them Americans, were convicted and sentenced in Venezuela to lengthy prison terms. They were charged with embezzlement. All six maintain their innocence. Houston Chronicle reporter Paul Takahashi, who covers energy and business, talks to the Standard about the case.

Critical Decisions: Which Texas Leaders Call The Shots On COVID-19

When Texas cities ordered residents to wear masks last spring, the state reversed those rules, only to later enact its own mask mandate. Then there was the city-state tug-of-war over whether businesses could open and when. It hasn’t always been clear who calls the shots in Texas during this massive public health crisis. Texas Standard’s digital producer/reporter Caroline Covington wanted to look at that tension, especially as we head into the upcoming legislative session. She has a new project out today.

“Selena: The Series”

Her songs are sung by millions. Now Selena Quintanilla and her family’s story is being brought to Netflix. It premieres on the streaming service today. Executive Producer for Selena: The Series, Jaime Dávila talks to the Standard.

Typewriter Rodeo

TheWeek In Texas Politics with the Texas Tribune

Texas Tribune political reporter Alex Samuels talks to the Standard about the week in politics. Among this week’s topics: the upcoming Texas Legislature, key committee assignments in Congress and how the state’s lieutenant governor could change the rules again to move a GOP agenda through the legislature.

All this and Texas News Roundup, plus Shelly Brisbin with the talk of Texas.

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