Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Friday, Aug. 18, 2023:
Texas gets new head of child abuse investigations as overwork, criticism plagues agency
The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services has a new head of child abuse investigations. The announcement comes amid a record-high staff turnover: About 4 in 10 investigators left their job in fiscal year 2022. It’s the latest in a series of leadership changes at the department over the years as it faces criticism for overworking caseworkers, endangering foster kids and exposing children in the state’s care to abuse.
Here to tell us more is Bob Garrett, Austin bureau chief for The Dallas Morning News.
Tarrant County inmate’s ‘unnecessary death’ spotlights mental health crisis in jails nationwide
There aren’t enough beds at state psychiatric hospitals to meet the relentless demand of the criminal justice system. As of June, more than 2,300 people in county jails across Texas were waiting for a bed.
As KERA’s Miranda Suarez reports, the waitlist leaves people in legal limbo and in jail – where advocates say their lives are in danger.
The heat means more algae in Texas waterways
Toxic algae is spreading across waterways, as Central Texans gear up for what’s likely to be the 42nd straight day with triple-digit temperatures.
KUT’s Andrew Weber has more:
Get the school year started right with … tacos
Think back to your childhood – have any fond memories of school lunches? Not so much for Mando Rayo. He’s host of the Tacos of Texas Podcast, which kicked off its third season this week with a taco-tastic transformation of school lunches.
Rayo and podcast producer Sharon Arteaga join us today.
New investigation documents history of Dallas police brutality
After the death of George Floyd in 2020, nationwide demonstrations erupted to protest police brutality. And at times, protesters were met with the very thing they were protesting: excessive force by police.
Like many cities in the U.S., Dallas has long grappled with the issue of police violence. Now, a new series from The Dallas Morning News called Black and Blue examines the history and impact of excessive use of force.
Dallas Morning News investigative reporter Miles Moffeit joins us with a look.
Why the film and TV strikes are at an awful time for Texas
The Writer’s Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strikes are still going strong. While you may think they primarily affect writers and actors in places like New York or L.A., Texans have also been impacted. And it’s not just those on the picket lines – it’s everyone who works in media production.
Texas Standard intern Amanda Kari McHugh, who got her career started on film sets, looked into why the timing of the strikes is especially terrible for Texas.
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.
