Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Friday, Feb. 24, 2023:
One year since Russia invaded Ukraine. What comes next?
With Ukraine achieving more success than initially expected but still in need of support and weapons from its allies, what might we expect from the conflict moving forward? We’re speaking with Valerie Hudson, the George H.W. Bush Chair in the Department of International Affairs at the Texas A&M University Bush School of Government & Public Service.
Offshore wind turbines are likely coming to the Gulf of Mexico
The prospect of offshore wind power in the Gulf of Mexico took another step forward on Wednesday, when the Biden administration released a new proposal to lease tracts of the Gulf for wind power. Companies could bid for the right to install turbines around Galveston and Lake Charles, Louisiana. Tristan Baurick is covering the story. He’s an environment reporter for the Times-Picayune and nola.com.
Abilene City Council pauses library book policy changes to consult city attorney
A city council meeting in Abilene on Thursday drew a big crowd, with most people there to express concerns over material found in the city’s libraries. KACU’s Paige Taylor reports on efforts to get books removed from the shelves.
Fans turn out in droves for SheBelieves Cup in Frisco
Almost 18,000 fans gathered in Toyota Stadium in Frisco this week to watch the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team play the final game in the SheBelieves Cup, an invitational international tournament held in the U.S. each year around this time. The Texas Standard’s Sarah Asch was at the match on Wednesday and has more.
The financial impact of school vouchers
Both Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick have made private school choice a top priority this legislative session. There’s been a lot of ideological spin over whether taxpayer dollars should be allowed to be spent on private schools – but there’s been less focus on the overall financial impact. Texas Public Radio’s Camille Phillips untangles the facts from the spin:
For most of the 20th century, Mexico was ruled by just one political party, the Revolutionary Institutional Party – also known as the PRI. That changed in 2000, when the PRI lost power, ushering in a modern liberal democracy. But that is in serious danger of changing for the worse, and the person leading that change is the current president of Mexico, according to author and commentator David Frum. We’ll hear from Frum, who makes the case that Andrés Manuel López Obrador, or AMLO, is becoming the autocrat next door.
The gang delivers another custom poem. Get in touch with your own topic suggestions!
Ayan Mittra, senior managing editor for the Texas Tribune, offers an update.
All this, plus the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Shelly Brisbin with the Talk of Texas.
