Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024:
A guide to Texas primary season
Early voting for Texas’ primaries begins today and runs through March 1. Election Day is March 5.
Party primaries determine who makes it to the general election in November, and some politics-watchers attribute part of Texas’ political polarization to these low-turnout elections.
Texas Newsroom senior editor Rachel Osier Lindley joins the Standard with an overview.
What does it mean for a political candidate to ‘reside’ in a district?
It sounds obvious: If you’re running for office in Texas, you must be a resident of the district you want to represent. But this primary election in North Texas, there have been multiple accusations that candidates don’t live where they say they live.
KERA’s Miranda Suarez reports the definition of the word “resident” is squishier than you might think.
The staggering financial impact of government research and development
During much of the 20th century, the U.S. government funded a remarkable amount of research and development to win wars, land on the moon and much more. But a new study shows the economic impact of government-funded R&D may be much bigger than many might imagine, and it may be a key in boosting productivity today.
Visiting Texas A&M finance professor Andrew Fieldhouse joins the Standard with his findings.
Remembering Texas radio icon Sandy Wood
Sandy Wood, the voice of the McDonald Observatory’s StarDate program, died last week. Over her 28-year tenure, Wood lent her voice to more than 10,000 episodes of StarDate, bringing audiences daily two-minute segments on astronomy and celestial observation.
The Standard’s Glorie Martinez reflects on Wood’s influence on Texas public radio:
Natural gas is the cheapest it’s been in years. Why?
Natural gas prices have hit their lowest levels since mid 2020, at the height of the coronavirus pandemic. The Financial Times reports prices fell more than 50% in January alone.
Kpler energy analyst Matt Smith joins the show with a look at what’s behind the dip.
Most San Antonio ISD families affected by school closures plan to stick with the district
San Antonio ISD administrators say most students affected by school closures plan to stay at district schools.
Texas Public Radio’s Camille Phillips has the latest on the district’s efforts to ensure a smooth transition.
What new data says about the future of Texas agriculture
Every five years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture conducts a census, tallying things like livestock, tractors, combines and crops.
The end result? A dense report packed with clues on where American farming is heading. The Standard’s Michael Marks spent some time with the Texas data and joins the show with his takeaways.
Kim Ogg, Sean Teare trade barbs in the Democratic primary for Harris County DA
Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg is running for a third term – but first, she’ll need to beat back a Democratic primary challenge from former prosecutor Sean Teare.
Houston Public Media talked with both candidates, and political reporter Andrew Schneider has this look at some of the factors shaping the contest.
All this, plus the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Wells Dunbar with the Talk of Texas.
