Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Wednesday, July 27, 2022:
Down-ballot races’ role in the November election
The Texas governor’s race is the marquee event of the 2022 midterm elections, and tighter polling margins between Beto O’Rourke and Gov. Greg Abbott has put some wind in the sails of Democrats who hope to win a statewide office for the first time in nearly 30 years. But if Texas Democrats really want to shift the power to their favor in the Legislature, some of those lesser watched down-ballot races will also need to come up blue in the fall. Gromer Jeffers, political writer for the Dallas Morning News, joins with more about the state of some lower-profile races.
Vaccination decrease among Texas public schoolchildren
Childhood vaccination rates across the globe have seen their greatest decline in 30 years, according to the World Health Organization and UNICEF. World health leaders attribute the decline to lack of vaccine access for children living in conflict zones, but also to an increase in vaccine misinformation, as well as supply chain disruptions and diminished access to immunizations during lockdowns. In Texas, the Immunization Partnership reports that the number of 7th graders who received their pertussis and meningitis vaccines for the 2021-22 school year has decreased by more than 5 percent. Terri Burke, the partnership’s executive director, shares more.
Dogs putting their noses to good use on Texas beaches
Lon Gonzalez of KEDT in Corpus Christi has this story about a program that trains dogs to find oil spills and other oil-related issues on local beaches:
So Far From Care: The long road from Far West Texas to get an abortion
Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, people across the country are traveling long distances to access legal abortion. But in far West Texas, that’s been the reality for years. Marfa Public Radio is highlighting stories from West Texans about their journeys to get an abortion. Today we hear a third installment, from Sara, who traveled to the closest clinic that could provide an abortion – four hours away in New Mexico:
An increase in seniors in the workforce
Over the next decade, the percentage of people in the United States who work is going to shrink. That’s according to recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Across every age group, there will be fewer people working or looking for work, with one exception. The number of people age 75 and older is expected to double by 2030. Nancy Morrow-Howell, director of the Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging at Washington University in St. Louis, helps break down this trend.
After Koreatown shooting, Dallas police face challenges building trust among business owners
Three women of Asian descent were shot and injured at a salon in Dallas’ Koreatown two months ago. KERA’s Elizabeth Myong reports the incident revealed fault lines between the Dallas Police Department and business owners along Royal Lane in Dallas’ Koreatown.
There’s been a lot of concern focused on Lake Mead in Nevada. It’s the largest reservoir in the United States and is the water source for more than 25 million people. But it’s fallen to just 25% capacity and is dropping rather rapidly. Here in Texas, Falcon Lake is at 12% capacity. Commentator W.F. Strong says it’s beating Lake Mead in a race to the bottom.
Fact-check: Would plan supported by Joe Manchin, AARP ‘drain billions’ from Medicare?
A political ad from a conservative advocacy group says that Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W. Va., supports a legislative plan that would drain “billions in funds” from Medicare. Is that a fact? Nusaiba Mizan of PolitiFact Texas and the Austin American-Statesman has more.
All this, plus the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Michael Marks with the Talk of Texas.
