Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Monday, Nov. 21, 2022:
Bill filings show what’s in store at the Texas Legislature
The 88th session of the Texas Legislature doesn’t start until January, but it unofficially kicked off last week with the start of bill filing. Joining us to unpack the proposed legislation is Niki Griswold, state politics reporter for the Austin American-Statesman.
An ‘insane’ housing market is hitting military families hard when they have to move
Many Americans are contending with high inflation and housing costs. Military members and their families are no exception. Eric Schmid reports for the American Homefront Project on how military families’ quest for suitable housing has gotten more complicated.
Abilene Christian University looks to finish molten salt nuclear reactor by 2025
Imagine a nuclear reactor capable of generating clean, safe, and affordable energy – possibly even creating a cure for cancer. That’s the hope behind molten salt nuclear reactors, and one is taking shape right now at Abilene Christian University. KACU’s Sheridan Wood has more on the Nuclear Engineering Experimental Testing Laboratory – or NEXT Lab – at ACU.
San Eli man experiments with growing food in the desert amid climate change
Lorenzo Luevano was born and raised in San Elizario, a small border city in the Chihuahuan Desert, and got his first taste of agriculture at a young age when his grandma introduced him to gardening. Now in his late 20s, Luevano serves as the city’s agriculture manager, teaching residents in the low-income community how to grow their own fruits and vegetables in desert conditions. Ariel Castillo has the story for NPR’s Next Generation Radio project.
That big Texas earthquake will test new state rules on oil and gas extraction
The earthquake that rocked Texas last week was the third largest the U.S. Geological Survey ever recorded in the state. It will also test new regulations designed to cut down on oil and gas-related seismic activity. Hugh Daigle, professor with UT-Austin’s Petroleum & Geosystems Engineering Department, has more.
A homecoming for Texas blues diva Angela Strehli
When Austin’s Antone’s Nightclub became a national destination for blues in the 1970s and 1980s, Angela Strehli was a big part of it. Strehli left Texas over 20 years ago, and it’s been almost that long since she’s released a new album – until now. “Ace of Blues” is the Lubbock native’s tribute to the artists and performers she admires most, including Bobby Bland, Otis Rush and Muddy Waters. Strehli joins us today.
How many died from COVID in Dallas jail? Sheriff’s Department won’t say, citing records law
An exception to Texas’ public information law is helping the Dallas County Jail keep COVID-19 information shielded from public view. It’s frustrating activists who still want to know what policies Sheriff Marian Brown used to prevent infections during the pandemic. KERA’s Bret Jaspers reports.
All this, plus the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Wells Dunbar with the Talk of Texas.