Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024:
LULAC calls for probe after Ken Paxton’s office raids volunteers’ homes
The League of United Latin American Citizens is calling for a federal probe into recent raids led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on its volunteers, including the home of a Democratic Texas House candidate.
Paxton’s office says the raids were in connection with an investigation into voter fraud, but LULAC calls them voter intimidation. Texas Tribune reporter Alejandro Serrano joins the Standard with more.
CenterPoint holds open houses amid customer anger
CenterPoint has begun holding open houses to try to repair relations with Houston-area customers following Hurricane Beryl. The latest took place at the Metropolitan Multi-Service Center on Houston’s West Gray Street on Saturday.
Houston Public Media’s Andrew Schneider found the prevailing mood of ratepayers was dissatisfaction and often anger.
You can now get a degree as an influencer
The University of Texas at San Antonio is now offering a degree for students who want to be digital influencers.
Texas Public Radio’s Kayla Padilla reports that the bachelors in Digital Media Influence aims to help aspiring content creators improve their digital production skills and grow their audience:
TAMU Corpus Christi drone program expands
The drone research program at Texas A&M Corpus Christi is celebrating its 10-year anniversary – and with it, an upgrade to becoming a full-blown institute. Formerly known as The Lone Star UAS Center of Excellence and Innovation, the newly renamed Autonomy Research Institute will continue its research on unmanned aircraft and expand its scope to other autonomous systems.
Institute executive director Michael Sanders joins the Standard with more.
Caldwell Zoo welcomes a big hatch of horned lizards
Texas horned lizards – the state reptile – almost look like moving dirt clods, or mossy rocks. But a big hatch of the tiny, spiky critters is sparking outsized excitement at the Caldwell Zoo in Tyler.
Despite their celebrated status, the horned lizard is threatened with extinction. Dallas Goodwin, the zoo’s reptile keeper, joins the Standard with more on what’s being done.
Preserving the legacy of the Kilgore Rangerettes
The Kilgore College Rangerettes were the first of their kind, dazzling crowds with their precision marches, high kicks and costumes. What they started would become a staple at schools and colleges across the nation.
With the return of football season, we’ll visit a museum committed to sharing the story of the Rangerettes. Texas Standard intern McKenzie Nabi reports.
Austin Community College launches free tuition pilot program
One of the biggest barriers to higher education is the cost. So Austin Community College wanted to see what would happen if it removed that barrier.
KUT’s Becky Fogel reports on the college’s new free tuition pilot program.
All this, plus Alexandra Hart with the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Wells Dunbar with the Talk of Texas.
