Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Thursday, Aug. 18, 2022:
Texas laws against abortion go all the way back to the Civil War
When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Texas said pre-Roe law banning abortion from 1925 would take hold. But Texas’ earliest laws against abortion go back even further – dating back to the creation of the state’s penal code in 1857. Eleanor Klibanoff, women’s health reporter at The Texas Tribune, has been tracing the history of these laws and joins us today.
School safety top of mind as students return to campus
This week, Texas Standard has brought you stories about the challenges facing districts and educators as they kick off the new year. Today, a look at school security: With the Uvalde shooting at Robb Elementary still painfully fresh in Texans’ minds, KERA’s Bill Zeeble reports safety is a top concern across the state.
Harvey flood control goes green
It’s been five years since Hurricane Harvey devastated a huge swath of the Gulf Coast. Now, two pilot projects aim to bring more green solutions to Harris County’s flood control strategy. In the latest installment of Houston Public Media’s new podcast Below the Waterlines: Houston after Hurricane Harvey, Katie Watkins reports that nature can play a vital role in slowing, absorbing and filtering floodwaters.
Amazon’s new reality show is built around Ring security footage
Amazon’s latest TV offering is a reality show. “Ring Nation” sources video from the Amazon-owned video security company – and it’s already raising some eyebrows among critics of the retail and tech giant. Our tech expert Omar Gallaga joins with the details.
An ‘extreme heat belt’ will send Texas temperatures soaring, according to study
Hotter temperatures are here in Texas, and climate change means they’re here to stay. But a new study warns “an extreme heat belt” across the U.S. – including Texas – could see temperatures soar as high as 125 degrees Fahrenheit by 2053. Jeremy Porter, chief research officer at the First Street Foundation, joins with the details of his nonprofit’s study.
The gut-sucking insect called the robber fly
Wizzie Brown is a program specialist with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and our go-to insect expert. Something bugging you? Drop us a line and we’ll pass it along.
What it takes to run a Hill Country peach orchard
Early August’s the usual end of peach season in the Texas Hill Country. But it’s not too late this year, as intense drought delayed the harvest by two to three weeks. Texas Public Radio’s Erika Howlett reports that means more peaches are coming in late this summer.
An Afghan family slowly adapts to life in Austin a year after the Taliban takeover
It’s been a year since the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan. Hundreds of thousands of Afghans have fled the country. Hundreds of refugees have landed in Austin. KUT’s Maya Fawaz reports on how one family is doing in their new home.
All this, plus the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Wells Dunbar with the Talk of Texas.