These are the stories on Texas Standard for Friday, June 24, 2022:
The U.S. Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade, eliminating federal abortion protections. Law professors Elizabeth Sepper of the University of Texas at Austin School of Law and Joanna Grossman of Southern Methodist University join us with more.
These Texans changed their minds about abortion
Today’s ruling on abortion will reignite heated conversations. It’s a topic where changing someone’s mind might feel futile. And, for some it might be. But when the Texas Standard asked these four Texans in 2015 what changed their mind on abortion – their reasoning was very personal.
Texans travel to New Mexico for abortions
As the nation waited for a Supreme Court decision expected to overturn Roe v. Wade, Texas’ existing abortion restrictions are so strict that many people seeking the procedure have had to travel out of state. Madlin Mekelburg was among a team of reporters at the Austin American-Statesman to travel with more than a dozen Texans who sought abortions in New Mexico. She joins us for more.
The U.S. Senate passes historic gun safety legislation. Will Texas lawmakers to follow their lead?
As the U.S. Senate passed a key vote on new gun legislation Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court undid New York’s gun safety rules. But what about calls closer to home for state lawmakers to take up gun safety reforms? For more we turn to Philip Jankowksi, political reporter for The Dallas Morning News.
Cliburn Competition offers new, unique opportunities for pianists
At the once-every-four-year Cliburn Competition, young pianists play famously tough works that have challenged players for decades, if not centuries. But the contest also offers the exact opposite – something totally new, that every player must perform. KERA’s Bill Zeeble introduces us to that piece, its composer, and how the Cliburn hooked him.
The high demand for the Texas-native Yucca plant
It’s been another dry year across most of Texas, and that’s pushing even more people toward xeriscaping, or drought-tolerant landscaping. In turn, demand for the Texas native Yucca plant has grown extensively. But the desert plant takes 10-15 years to reach the size most buyers want. And as garden retailers struggle to meet that demand, there’s been an exploding illicit yucca trade. Dina Gachman, who wrote about this for Texas Monthly, joins us.
Texas’ trigger law and what’s next
Following the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade, Texas is now poised to eliminate abortion access in the state by enacting a so-called trigger law that was passed in 2021. The Texas Newsroom’s Julian Aguilar joins with an overview.
All this, plus the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Wells Dunbar with the Talk of Texas.
