Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Monday, Aug. 5, 2024:
Too much heat, not enough funding: State of Texas defends lack of prison A/C in federal court
Testifying in federal court on Friday, the executive director of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice agreed that heat levels in state prisons contributed to the deaths of three inmates last summer. Bryan Collier’s testimony capped a four-day hearing about the extreme heat in Texas prisons.
Two-thirds lack full A/C, and the temperature indoors can top 100 degrees during hotter months. Joining the Standard with more about the trial is Lauren McGaughy, investigative reporter for The Texas Newsroom.
What conservatives want to see happen with oversight of Texas foster care
When states violate peoples’ rights in prisons, schools, foster care and other institutions, they have been challenged in federal courts through institutional-reform cases. These cases often have many plaintiffs, and they stretch on for years.
Texas Public Radio’s Paul Flahive reports conservative attorneys general in the South are hoping one Texas case can upend years of case law, dating back to the landmark school-desegregation case Brown v. Board of Education.
Sen. John Cornyn urges suspension of wind farm permit over national security concerns
Despite Texas leading in wind energy, new turbines continue to appear. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn recently asked the Department of Defense to deny or suspend the permit for a wind farm in Val Verde County, citing national security concerns.
The project, owned by a Chinese billionaire with ties to the Communist Party, is near Laughlin Air Force Base. For clarity on the potential threats to our electric grid, the Standard’s joined by engineer and researcher Megan Culler.
Texas nonprofit works to connect Austin and San Antonio via hike and bike trail
The Great Springs Project aims to someday create a whole new route between San Antonio and Austin, without driving a mile on I-35. And it’s not for people in a rush, either.
Texas Public Radio’s Jack Morgan reports this route is for travelers who want to connect with nature.
Neo-Nazi group attacked mixed-race family at popular river tubing spot
Earlier this summer, 10 family members went tubing on the San Marcos River and wrapped up their float at Don’s Fish Camp, a business on the river in Martindale. There, members of the white supremacist Aryan Brotherhood of Texas attacked the family, which included people of color.
There’s plenty of video of what happened, but so far only one person has been arrested. The Texas Observer’s Steven Monacelli joins the Standard with the story.
‘Devil Behind the Badge’ investigates Border Patrol officer’s 2018 slayings in Laredo
In the border town of Laredo, law enforcement was stumped by a string of murders of sex workers that seemed to be related. They were ultimately shocked to find the perpetrator was one of their own.
This real-life story is the subject of a new book from Pulitzer Prize-winning author Rick Jervis. He joins the Standard to discuss “The Devil Behind the Badge: The Horrifying 12 Days of the Border Patrol Serial Killer.”
Unregulated power lines for oil and gas drilling could be sparking wildfires
When new oil and gas drilling sites pop up in Texas, they need electricity. Often times that means the companies drilling the wells are putting up their own power lines and electric infrastructure to supply energy to drill sites.
Now, an investigation from The Texas Tribune finds those power lines are largely unregulated – and could be sparking wildfires. Tribune climate reporter Emily Foxhall joins the Standard with more.
All this, plus Alexandra Hart with the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Wells Dunbar with the Talk of Texas.
