Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Thursday, July 27, 2023:
Whistleblower claims aliens are real – and that the government’s used their tech for decades
The U.S. government has been collecting and reverse engineering alien technology for decades, according to a former Air Force intelligence officer-turned-whistleblower.
David Grusch made the allegations in a standing-room-only subcommittee hearing on Capitol Hill on Wednesday. The committee also heard from two retired Air Force pilots who recounted their encounters with UFOs during flights.
But was this hearing a watershed moment for mankind, or merely a sideshow? Nomaan Merchant, the Associated Press’ reporter on intelligence and national security, joins us with the story.
Texas faces reverse sex discrimination lawsuits over border security crackdown
Texas is embroiled in sex discrimination lawsuits for allegedly targeting men in its state border security crackdown. In response, the state has taken an unexpected step by placing migrant women in state prisons as well.
Since last week, women arrested under Gov. Greg Abbott’s long-standing Operation Lone Star have been sent to the Edinburg state prison facility, as confirmed by prison and state police officials. At the Lopez State Jail, typically housing men convicted of minor offenses, 25 women, mostly accused of trespassing, are currently held.
Jolie McCullough from the Texas Tribune joins with insight into this unfolding situation.
Austin ISD considers adding 70 police officers to comply with new Texas school safety law
The Austin Independent School District is considering nearly doubling the size of its police department to comply with a new state law that takes effect Sept. 1.
House Bill 3 is a piece of sweeping school safety legislation that Texas lawmakers passed this year in response to the Uvalde school shooting. HB 3 requires school districts to have at least one armed security officer on each campus during regular school hours. Districts can meet the requirement in several ways, such as hiring school police officers or partnering with local law enforcement agencies to assign personnel to campuses.
HB 3 does provide districts with $15,000 per campus, but school districts throughout Central Texas have said that money will not be enough to cover the cost of hiring new officers. KUT’s Becky Fogel reports.
How to tell what your old comics are worth if you’re going to sell them
Somewhere in your attic or hall closet, you’re probably holding onto a collection of things that meant a lot to you in younger days. If that collection of once-prized possessions includes comic books, you might have wondered if you could sell those childhood memories for a nice profit.
Our tech expert, Omar Gallaga, recently explored this topic in Wired, sharing insights on how to evaluate comic book collections and make some money if you choose to sell them. Today, Omar returns to the Standard to discuss the fascinating world of comic book valuation.
Alzheimer’s impact: Texas border counties show higher rates
With an estimated 6.7 million Americans affected by Alzheimer’s, Texas is emerging as a state with higher rates, particularly in its border counties.
Environmental factors, including pollution, have been linked to brain aging and Alzheimer’s risk. Texas also has a substantial older population and a large Hispanic community affected by environmental, socio-economic and health factors associated with Alzheimer’s. Together, the factors rank Texas among the top five states with the most people living with Alzheimer’s.
Dr. Kumar Rajan, the senior author of a recent study and a professor at Rush Medical College, emphasizes the significance of identifying such areas for targeted preventive programs.
U.S. Women’s Soccer draws with the Netherlands in World Cup rematch
The U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team took on the Netherlands at the World Cup on Wednesday night in a rematch of the 2019 World Cup final, where the U.S. emerged victorious.
This time, it ended in a 1-1 draw.
The Dutch took the lead, becoming the first team to lead the USA in a World Cup match since 2011. However, Lindsey Horan’s well-timed header in the second half equaled the score. This match marked the team’s second group stage play, following a 3-0 win against Vietnam last week.
Joining us to share her thoughts on the game and the ongoing World Cup action is Linda Hamilton, a soccer hall of famer from the 1999 winning U.S. World Cup team and soccer coach at Southwestern University in Georgetown.
Booksellers challenge Texas rating school library materials as censorship
This week, a coalition of national booksellers and two Texas-based bookstores filed a lawsuit against the State of Texas regarding House Bill 900, scheduled to take effect in September. The bill, signed by Gov. Greg Abbott earlier this year, aims to prevent the inclusion of “educationally unsuitable” materials in Texas public school libraries, with a particular focus on censoring sexually explicit content from students.
The controversial aspect of the bill lies in the subjective definition of “sexually explicit,” left to the discretion of booksellers. Moreover, these ratings would undergo state review and oversight by the Texas Education Agency.
To shed light on the reasons behind the booksellers’ legal challenge, we are joined by David Horowitz, executive director of Media Coalition, a trade association representing the plaintiffs in the lawsuit.
All this, plus the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Wells Dunbar with the Talk of Texas.
