Texas Standard for Oct. 11, 2022: Are national Democrats giving up on the RGV?

Political newsletter Axios reports the Democratic House Majority PAC plans to cancel its ad buy in the Rio Grande Valley for Democratic candidate Michelle Vallejo. The decision is leaving Democrats in the RGV with a feeling of abandonment. Also: As protests have grown over the Uvalde school board’s handling of the aftermath of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary, the superintendent announces his retirement. And: The annual college rankings are a go-to for students and parents. But how useful a tool in the real world?

Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

By Texas StandardOctober 11, 2022 9:42 am,

Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2022:

Question over Uvalde schools’ accountability as superintendent retires

Uvalde Consolidated ISD Superintendent Hal Harrell is leaving his job, in the wake of the massacre at Robb Elementary School. A crowd of supporters greeted Harrell as he entered Monday’s school board meeting, as family members of the 19 children and two teachers slain lamented they never received the same support in their calls for accountability. Texas Public Radio reporter Camille Phillips joins us with more.

Are national Democrats giving up on the RGV?

Political newsletter Axios reports the Democratic House Majority PAC plans to cancel its ad buy in the Rio Grande Valley for Democratic candidate Michelle Vallejo. The decision is leaving Democrats in the RGV with a feeling of abandonment. The Texas Tribune’s Patrick Svitek has more.

Balch Springs families struggle to find a home, more than a month after floods hit North Texas

It’s been more than a month since a record-breaking rain flooded out many North Texans. KERA’s Caroline Love says some people in Balch Springs still don’t have a place to go – and they’re running out of money and time.

With steady paychecks and a nomadic lifestyle, military personnel are frequent targets for scams

Security experts say the military lifestyle – with its frequent moves, overseas deployments and regular government paychecks – is an attractive target for cybercriminals. Now a new military advocacy group has launched a campaign to protect service members and vets from identity theft. Desiree D’Iorio reports for the American Homefront Project.

How accurate are annual college rankings?

For many parents and would-be college students, the annual U.S. News & World Report rankings are a goto – but how valuable are they? Professor Timothy Burke recently wrote about creating more personalized rankings for choosing a college and joins us with more.

New book spotlights underrecognized baseball players

When you think of professional baseball players, your mind turns to the all-stars. But what about the other players who aren’t known for earth-shattering records? Mike Capps and Chuck Hartenstein share some of their lesstalked about stories in their new book “Grinders: Baseball’s Intrepid Infantry.” Capps joins the Standard today. 

The controversy rocking the El Paso DA’s office

When Yvonne Rosales took office as El Paso District Attorney last year, the DA’s office changedbut maybe not in the way she imagined. Rosales’ first term was marked by turmoil over hundreds of dropped criminal cases, a subsequent recall effort and mounting questions over her office’s handling of the El Paso Walmart shooting who took the lives of 23 people in 2019. KTEP’s Aaron Montes has more.

All this, plus the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Wells Dunbar with the Talk of Texas.

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