Here’s what’s coming up on Texas Standard for Wednesday, March 29, 2023:
What we know about the deadly fire at a Juárez migrant detention center
A fire at a migrant detention center in Ciudad Juárez on Monday killed at least 40 people, and details about what exactly happened are still emerging. Joining us with the latest is Angela Korchega from KTEP in El Paso.
Bills targeting LGBTQ Texans are nothing new at the Legislature
The legislative session is underway in Austin, and state lawmakers are considering legislation targeting the LGBTQ community. This is nothing new; some bills expand previous legislation, while others have failed in the past. State politics reporter Niki Griswold from the Austin American-Statesman joins us with more.
Dueling property tax cut packages would reduce Texans’ tax bills by more than $16 billion
Gov. Greg Abbott said lowering property taxes was his No. 1 priority during his State of the State address. Houston Public Media’s Andrew Schneider says the idea enjoys broad, bipartisan support in the Legislature, but the two houses have different ideas of what that should look like.
Austin’s Salvation Army’s downtown shelter is closing, leaving a gap in services for single women
The Salvation Army shelter in downtown Austin, which has served single women experiencing homelessness for nearly 40 years, is closing. KUT’s Andrew Weber reports residents fear they may not find shelter before it closes.
Battle over El Paso climate charter heats up
El Paso voters will decide whether to set aggressive renewable energy goals and overhaul city policy to make controlling carbon emissions a cornerstone of major city decisions. Proposition K, dubbed the “climate charter,” has provoked a fierce battle between business interests and local activists. El Paso Matters reporter Diego Mendoza-Moyers joins us with more.
Texas lawmakers debate which books belong in school libraries
Texas school districts banned hundreds of books last year. Now, the state Legislature is looking to create standards that could pull even more books off the shelves. KUT’s Becky Fogel reports.
W.F. Strong says it’s his turn
A couple of weeks ago, Texas Standard commentator W.F. Strong shared some news with a few members of our staff. Now, he’s ready to share it with all of you.
The ‘forever chemicals’ used in fracking in Texas
Per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS) sound like something from a chemistry lab. But increasingly, research shows these “forever chemicals” are making their way into our environment – especially in Texas, where PFAS are used in oil and gas extraction. Floodlight reporter Amal Ahmed joins us with the story.
All this, plus the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Wells Dunbar with the Talk of Texas.
