Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Friday, Aug. 12, 2022:
At least half of Texas is experiencing ‘exceptional drought’
While the state is no stranger to drought, the severity of the one happening right now could be comparable to some of Texas’ more devastating dry spells – and climate change will only make droughts more frequent and severe. John Neilson-Gammon, Texas state climatologist and professor at Texas A&M University’s Department of Atmospheric Sciences, tells us more.
How Washington, D.C., is handling thousands of migrants bused from Texas
Since Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced in April a plan to voluntarily bus undocumented migrants that cross the Texas-Mexico border to Washington, D.C., more than 6,000 migrants have arrived in the nation’s capital. Texas has also started busing migrants to New York City. Mayors of both cities have called the strategy inhumane and have asked the federal government for help. We’ll hear more from Amanda Gomez, a reporter for the Washington, D.C. NPR-affiliate WAMU.
These governmental entities need to work together to prevent another flood catastrophe. Can they?
One way to keep Houston safe during a catastrophic flood event like Hurricane Harvey is to make sure two large dams work: the Addicks and Barker reservoirs. In a story from Houston Public Media’s new podcast Below the Waterlines: Houston after Hurricane Harvey, Andrew Schneider Andrew Schneider explains how our safety depends on whether two government entities can work together.
No electric vehicles qualify for the latest tax credit
Among the provisions tucked into the Inflation Protection Act, there’s a tax credit designed to encourage Americans to choose electric vehicles (EV) over gas-burning ones. But right now no EV on the market qualifies for the credit, because of requirements that vehicles contain batteries made in North America. Andrew Hawkins, transportation editor for tech site The Verge, joins us to talk about it.
This MAGA stands for Mothers Against Greg Abbott
A new MAGA movement has become a political player in Texas. Mothers Against Greg Abbott is about a year old, yet already it’s making headlines for its growth, fundraising and viral ads. It all started when Nancy Thompson, an Austin mother of three, protested alone outside the governor’s mansion in 2021. She joins us on today’s show.
He’s photographed the overlooked in Oak Cliff and Dallas. Now his photos sell for thousands
Photographer Don Tortellini looks at the often overlooked, like North Texans experiencing homelessness, or Oak Cliff’s hard-working residents. As KERA’s Jerome Weeks reports, Tortellini’s photos now sell for thousands, and he’s got new stories he wants to tell.
How schools are trying to make this year work amid a teacher shortage
The back-to-school season is here, but many campuses are still looking for staff. The pandemic set off a wave of resignations by educators, and administrators are having to get creative to meet student needs. The Texas Standard’s Michael Marks has more.
The gang delivers another custom poem. Submit your own suggestions online!
Texas Tribune political reporter James Barragán stops by with a recap of the week that was, including the legal fight over police records from the Uvalde school shooting, calls for a special session over Texas’ flailing juvenile justice system, and criticism of Gov. Greg Abbott’s migrant bussing plan.
All this, plus the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Wells Dunbar with the Talk of Texas.
