Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024z;
The latest on the Panhandle wildfires
A series of wildfires are still burning through huge swaths of the Texas Panhandle. The Smokehouse Creek Fire is an estimated 1,075,000 acres. At least one person has died from the fires, according to city officials in Borger, and people in and around communities like Canadian, Fritch and Perryton have lost homes and other property.
Andy Holloway, Texas A&M AgriLife extension agent for Hemphill County, joins the Standard with an update:
Biden, Trump making simultaneous trips to the border
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will make simultaneous trips to the U.S-Mexico border today.
Biden will travel to Brownsville in the Rio Grande Valley, an area that often sees large numbers of border crossings. Meanwhile, Trump will be about 325 miles away in Eagle Pass, a hotspot in the state-federal clash over border security.
The Texas Newsroom’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán joins us to discuss.
Arlington approves natural gas drilling request
The Arlington City Council approved a French energy company’s request this week for more natural gas drilling in east part of the city.
KERA’s Kailey Broussard gives us some context:
Is East Texas the next lithium mining hotspot?
The lithium-ion battery is one of the inventions that makes the modern world possible. It’s in your cell phone, your laptop, maybe even your car. There is a high-stakes global hunt for new places to mine lithium, and some investors have tabbed East Texas as one of the element’s potential hot spots.
Samuel Shaw, reporter for the Longview News-Journal, joins the Standard with more.
Apple bows out of project to build autonomous electric car
They never announced plans officially, but Apple has been trying to build an autonomous electric car since 2015. Some 2,000 employees worked on the project, and Elon Musk once offered to sell Tesla to the iPhone maker. On Wednesday, Bloomberg reported that the project to build an Apple car has been shelved as the company turns its attention toward generative AI, an area where many say Apple lags behind competitors.
Tech expert Omar Gallaga joins us with the details.
The small Texas town holding a big Leap Year celebration
It’s a Leap Year – one in every four when we get a 29th day in February. There are traditions associated with Leap Day in different cultures: In Ireland, Leap Day historically gave women the chance to propose to men. However, in Greece, getting married during a Leap Year has been considered bad luck.
It turns out Texas has had its own Leap Day traditions. The Texas Standard’s Sarah Asch has the story.
Storied dance company returns to Texas roots
Choreographer Alvin Ailey revolutionized dance. In 1958, he founded his American Dance Theater, which features Black dancers and celebrates Black American stories through movement. Ailey was born in Rogers, Texas, and though he didn’t always live here, his Texas roots were central to his work.
In the company’s 2024 tour, they’re returning to Texas. Matthew Rushing, the company’s associate artistic director, joins us today.
Typewriter Rodeo
The gang delivers another custom poem. Reach out to Texas Standard with your topic suggestions!
Texas Tribune managing editor Matthew Watkins stops by with a recap of the week that was in Texas politics.
All this, plus the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Raul Alonzo with the Talk of Texas.
