Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023:
Republican lawmakers target local regulations as a whole
Texas lawmakers often file bills targeting the state’s biggest cities, which are mostly run by Democrats, in an attempt to limit what local governments can do. This session, legislators are eyeing one particular bill that would limit local governments in a different way than usual. Houston Chronicle reporter Jasper Scherer has more.
Power struggles between state and local officials escalate in Texas — and across the nation
Texas is at the center of a nationwide war between state and local authorities, an escalating dispute over who has what power. The newest front is over criminal district attorneys in Texas’ big cities, and whether these local prosecutors can enact policies to not pursue certain cases. KERA’s Bret Jaspers reports.
Marmoset microbiomes, human microbiomes, and the fountain of youth
Researchers in San Antonio are swapping out the gut bacteria of aging marmosets with that of younger ones. Texas Public Radio’s Bonnie Petrie tells us they are seeking a kind of fountain of youth.
Ask him anything: Gene Wu, the representative on Reddit
For better or worse, there’s no separating politics from social media. Rep. Gene Wu, a Democrat from Houston, uses Reddit to post videos explaining the state’s legislative process, and his posts are a hit with his fellow Redditors. For more, we’re joined by Wu.
‘I’m New:’ Award-winning filmmaker reflects on his experience as an ESL student in Texas
“I’m New” tells the story of a Hispanic immigrant on their first day of school in the United States. Filmmaker and University of Texas at Austin student Marlon Rubio Smith wrote and directed the film based from his own experience moving from Mexico City to Houston and enrolling in high school as an English as a Second Language student. We’ll hear more from Smith about the film, which recently was awarded Best Student Short Film by the 2023 Hispanic Film Festival.
A plan to expand Big Bend National Park centers on protecting a vital desert creek
A plan to expand Big Bend National Park by a few thousand acres is expected to take a big step forward this year. It’s not a done deal yet, but supporters say growing the park would protect ecologically sensitive areas as a tourism boom prompts concerns about over-development. Marfa Public Radio’s Travis Bubenik has the story.
San Antonio businessman B.J. ‘Red’ McCombs dies at 95
B.J. “Red” McCombs, former owner of the San Antonio Spurs and one of the richest individuals in the world, died on Sunday at age 95. Texas Public Radio’s Brian Kirkpatrick has more.
All this, plus the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Wells Dunbar with the Talk of Texas.
