Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Friday, Oct. 27, 2023:
Will the Texas Legislature reach an agreement on vouchers this time?
The Texas House and Senate are at an impasse. The issue: what Republican advocates call education savings accounts, but what opponents describe as school vouchers.
Gov. Greg Abbott, who’s made the program a priority, says he’ll consider increased funding for public schools, including raising teacher pay, only after lawmakers send him a standalone voucher bill.
Quorum Report editor Scott Braddock joins the Standard with the latest.
Houston mayoral candidate Lee Kaplan gives vision for the city
Lee Kaplan is a Houston-born attorney and longtime head of his own small trial litigation firm.
While he hasn’t run for an elected office before, he’s among more than a dozen people running for Houston mayor this year. Houston Public Media’s Lucio Vasquez spoke with Kaplan about his vision for the city:
Driverless taxi company Cruise puts the brakes on operations
Driverless taxi company Cruise has paused operations nationwide. The GM-owned group was operating vehicles in Austin and preparing to launch in other Texas cities. Learn about what prompted the shutdown:
SpaceX satellite debris could fall from the sky and kill people, according to FAA report
SpaceX Starlink satellites are blast into orbit to bring high-speed internet to remote locations. But what goes up must eventually come down. Now the FAA estimates that by 2035, one person could be injured or killed by Starlink debris every two years.
What to make of all this? UT-Austin aerospace engineering and engineering mechanics professor Moriba Jah joins the Standard with more.
Rural schools say they feel left behind as governor pushes for vouchers
As mentioned, Gov. Greg Abbott is trying to get a school voucher bill across the finish line before this current special session ends. So far, it hasn’t gotten traction in the Texas House, where Democrats and rural Republicans have historically opposed this type of legislation.
KUT’s Becky Fogel visited with two rural districts outside Austin to hear what school leaders think about vouchers.
‘In Tow’ takes a family argument on the road
Sharon Arteaga’s short film “In Tow” screens at the Austin Film Festival this weekend. We’ll hear more about the filmmaker and her work.
A dream 12 years in the making: Rangers’ World Series berth inspires North Texas hope
Game 1 of the World Series is tonight, and the Texas Rangers are looking for their first championship in franchise history. They begin the seven-game series at home in Arlington against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
KERA’s Toluwani Osibamowo spoke with North Texans who shared what the Rangers mean to them – and why they never lost faith in the underdog team.
The gang delivers another custom poem. Reach out to Texas Standard with your topic suggestions!
Texas Tribune managing editor Matthew Watkins stops by with a recap of the week that was in Texas politics.
All this, plus the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Wells Dunbar with the Talk of Texas.
