Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Friday, April 5, 2024:
The one thing prosecutors in Paxton’s dropped fraud case can agree on
It’s been about a week since Attorney General Ken Paxton cut a deal to have the charges dropped in a nine-year-long securities fraud case. This also meant Paxton’s upcoming trial was canceled – and the two special prosecutors who worked on the case have traded barbs over how each handled their jobs.
One thing they agree on? Neither thinks Paxton was going to end up behind bars as a result of the charges. Texas Newsroom investigative reporter and editor Lauren McGaughy joins the Standard with more.
Greg Abbott says pro-Palestinian college groups are antisemitic. They disagree.
In the nearly six months since the beginning of Israel’s war against Hamas, college campuses across the United States have become the epicenter of protests against the war.
Last week, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott became the latest to crack down on those protests. He ordered the state’s public colleges and universities to revise their free speech policies, blaming pro-Palestinian student groups for a rise in antisemitism. Texas Public Radio’s Camille Phillips reports.
How viewing the solar eclipse might make you a better person
With the total eclipse only days away, hearing about it may be making you grumpy. But some psychologists say seeing it could make you a better person – for a little while, at any rate.
It all has to do with our feelings of “awe,” something psychologists have been studying for a while. KERA’s Jerome Weeks has more.
How will animals react to the solar eclipse? Owners and scientists want to find out
So there’s the psychological impacts of a total solar eclipse. We’ve also heard about the impact on economies, traffic and even port-a-potties. But there’s another question a lot of folks are wondering about: How will animals react to the total solar eclipse?
KUT’s Kailey Hunt introduces us to a Central Texas animal owner and an out-of-state scientist who are determined to find out.
What the restaurant industry says about the future of work in Texas
In a state as vast as Texas, healthcare has long been the largest private sector employer. However, recent shifts have seen another segment surpass it in size, prompting questions about its implications for Texas and the future of work.
Emily Williams Knight, CEO of the Texas Restaurant Association and Education Foundation, joins the Standard with the story.
What ‘Cowboy Carter’ says about Blackness, Beyoncé and country music
Beyoncé’s venture into country music with “Cowboy Carter” has ignited widespread reactions, from fervent fandom to critical analysis. As a Texan, Beyoncé’s exploration of country music has sparked conversations about genre stereotypes and cultural boundaries.
Taylor Crumpton recently explored Beyoncé’s defiance of country’s stereotypes for Time magazine. The Dallas-based writer joins the Standard today.
The gang delivers another custom poem. Reach out to Texas Standard with your topic suggestions!
Texas Tribune managing editor Matthew Watkins stops by with a recap of the week that was in Texas politics.
All this, plus the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Wells Dunbar with the Talk of Texas.
