Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023:
Gov. Greg Abbott says he’s reached an agreement on school vouchers with House Speaker Dade Phelan
After what looked like weeks of a political stalemate, things started picking up at the Texas Capitol on Tuesday – specifically over school voucher legislation.
Where do things stand now? The Texas Newsroom’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán joins the Standard with the latest.
Former council member wants to bring more conservative governance to Houston
One of the biggest races on local ballots this election is the one for Houston mayor. The Standard’s been sharing candidate profiles, and today the focus is on Jack Christie. He’s a former at-large Houston City Council member and a local chiropractor.
Houston Public Media’s Ashley Brown found out he wants to take a more conservative approach to running the city:
HIV prevention meds are out there, but many Texans can’t access them
More than half of new HIV infections in the United States are in the South. And Texas has the second-highest rate of new infections in the country.
There are treatments that help lower people’s chances of getting the virus. But KERA’s Elena Rivera reports that not everyone who’s at risk can afford it or find a doctor to prescribe it:
How can solar power and agriculture coexist in Texas?
As more industrial-scale solar farms pop up in Texas, some are looking for ways to use the land the panels sit on for another purpose, too: farming.
Texas produces more solar power than any other state except California, and doubling up on land usage can help ease tensions between the solar operations and area farmers. Joining the Standard to tell us more is Emily Foxhall, who covers energy for the Texas Tribune.
Our October series Tracking Texas Cryptids isn’t quite finished, since our coverage wouldn’t be complete without arguably one of the most recognizable cryptids.
The Texas Standard’s Kristen Cabrera seeks to understand the Chupacabra.
They come knocking: A group of crows has visited the same East Austin library for years
For years, a group of crows has gathered at the Ruiz Branch Library in East Austin – and no one there is exactly sure why.
After running into the birds himself, KUT’s Mose Buchele filed this story in the style Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Raven”– just in time for the tail end of spooky season.
Toxic wastewater from oil and gas drilling is seeping into Texas ground
Texas’ many oil and gas wells also produce an unwanted byproduct: billions of gallons of toxic water.
New research from Inside Climate News shows that Texas oil and gas companies spilled nearly 150 million gallons of toxic water in the past decade. Inside Climate News reporter Martha Pskowski joins the Standard to talk about the impact of these spills.
All this, plus the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Wells Dunbar with the Talk of Texas.
