Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Friday, July 21, 2023:
What the state takeover of Harris County elections means
A new state law eliminating the elections department in Harris County is likely to cause large disruptions and problems for voters in this fall’s elections and potentially in 2024, according to reporting by VoteBeat and The Texas Tribune. Reporter Natalia Contreras joins us today.
This historic San Antonio nightclub is coming back
For over half a century, Lerma’s Nite Club was the place to be in San Antonio. It was a dance hall that attracted some of the biggest names in conjunto music – until the music stopped in 2010. Now, after years of restoration, Lerma’s will reopen as a neighborhood cultural center. The Esperanza Peace and Justice Center’s Graciela Sánchez joins us with an overview.
Texas prisoners struggle without air conditioning
Many inmates struggle to stay cool in aging facilities – including in Texas, where some 100,000 prisoners live in large facilities that lack air conditioning. Texas Public Radio’s Paul Flahive reports.
Aguas frescas are one great way to beat the Texas heat
We don’t need to reiterate the obvious about the heat, but what to do to stay cool? Mando Rayo, taco journalist and host of the Tacos of Texas podcast has some cool suggestions.
Texas has more than 350 miles of coastline along the Gulf of Mexico, and some of the best-known towns for surfing include Galveston, Corpus Christi, Port Aransas, South Padre Island and … Waco. Yes, Waco. Here to explain is Ben Rowen with Texas Monthly.
‘Yellowstone’ and how it boosted Texas film incentives
Taylor Sheridan is the creator of such hit shows as ‘Yellowstone’ and ‘1883.’ He’s had a major influence in Hollywood and Austin. As KERA’s Jerome Weeks reports, that influence has led to an increase in Native Americans onscreen. Some call it the Taylor Sheridan effect.
The Austin Outlaws are paying it forward
The Austin Outlaws are reflecting on a historic season. For the first time in 22 years, the semi-professional, women’s tackle football team listed two deaf players on its roster. KUT’s Kailey Hunt talked with one of the players about her time with the team – and how she’s paying it forward.
A&M president resigns amid fallout from failed hiring of journalism professor
Texas A&M University has faced a week of criticism over the botched hiring of a Black journalist to revive its journalism department – and now M. Katherine Banks has resigned as the university’s president. Texas Tribune reporter James Barragán shares the latest.
All this, plus the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Wells Dunbar with the Talk of Texas.
