Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Monday, Feb. 26, 2024:
Supreme Court hears arguments on Texas’ social media law pushed by Republicans
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear what could be two of the most important free speech cases of the internet age today. Both center on a single question: Do social media companies have the right to decide what content appears on their platforms, and what can be removed?
Texas and Florida want to prevent platforms like Facebook and TikTok from removing users’ posts – even content that breaks the platform’s rules. Charles W. Rhodes, a professor at South Texas College of Law Houston, joins the Standard with more.
A lack of base housing is forcing Navy sailors to live on ships, even when they’re home in the U.S.
A lack of housing on the nation’s Navy bases is forcing many sailors to live on ships, even when they’re back in port in the U.S. It’s part of a military-wide problem of inadequate or sub-standard housing.
From Norfolk, Steve Walsh reports for the American Homefront Project.
The drill down on what’s happening with I-35 expansion
Austin’s I-35 — the spine of the region’s roadway grid — is about to undergo the largest expansion since the highway opened in 1962.
Brace yourself; construction could last a decade. Joining the Standard with a drill down into what it means is KUT transportation reporter Nathan Bernier.
Colleges and universities aren’t offering enough mental health services. Here’s what can be done.
A growing number of students across the U.S. are seeking mental health services at their colleges and universities – but many are struggling to find support at their schools.
Texas Community Health News, based at Texas State University, found only a handful of surveyed colleges across Texas are meeting standards to help students. Program co-director Daniel Carter joins the Standard with more.
The device that can help blind and low-vision people experience the eclipse
Preparing for the upcoming total solar eclipse in April, accessibility is crucial. LightSound is an open source sonification device that converts light intensity to sound, facilitating eclipse experience for individuals or groups.
Harvard Astronomy Department’s Allyson Bieryla shares more.
So … what is an aquifer, really?
You may have heard the term “aquifer” a lot more in recent years. Maybe you heard about how water levels are doing in an aquifer or how recent rainfall may have “recharged” one.
But what exactly is an aquifer? KUT’s Maya Fawaz tackles the question.
The state’s only sugar mill is closing. What’s next for sugar cane farmers?
For over 50 years, sugar cane farmers in the Rio Grande Valley brought their crops to Santa Rosa, home to the state’s only sugar mill.
But years of drought have devastated sugar growers in South Texas – so much so the mill’s now closing. Tudor Uhlhorn, chairman of the Rio Grande Valley Sugar Growers board of directors, joins the Standard with more.
All this, plus the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Wells Dunbar with the Talk of Texas.
