Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Monday, Oct. 28, 2024:
What Texans represented by Cruz and Allred think about their time in office
Early voting is underway in the U.S. Senate race between Republican incumbent Sen. Ted Cruz and his Democratic challenger, Rep. Colin Allred. Reporters in Cruz’s homebase of Houston and Allred’s congressional seat in Dallas asked voters what they think of the candidates and what issues matter to them the most.
Houston Public Media’s Andrew Schneider and The Texas Newsroom’s Blaise Gainey report.
Voting guide now available in Vietnamese, Mandarin Chinese & Hindi
An online voting guide for Texans is now available in three new languages – Vietnamese, Mandarin Chinese and Hindi – in addition to Spanish and English. Houston Public Media’s Colleen DeGuzman has more:
Experts struggle to assess avian flu outbreak in Texas and Kansas dairy cows
More than six months after the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed avian flu cases in dairy cows in Texas and Kansas, experts are still trying to determine the full scope of the outbreak. Though no human deaths have been reported, a Texas dairy worker has tested positive for the virus after being exposed to infected cows.
Katherine Eban, a special correspondent for Vanity Fair, joins the Standard to explain why a lack of data from the USDA is complicating efforts to understand the situation.
U.S.S. Texas still in search of a new home after Galveston deal falls through
The U.S.S. Texas, the only battleship to have served in both world wars, is still docked near Galveston undergoing repairs, with its future location uncertain. After decades as a museum ship in the Houston Ship Channel, deteriorating conditions led the state to allocate $25 million for repairs in 2023.
Chris Gray, Gulf Coast reporter for the Houston Chronicle, joins the Standard with more on what’s next for the historic vessel.
Hanif Abdurraqib’s new book goes beyond basketball to explore life’s bigger questions
At first glance, “There’s Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension” might seem like a simple tribute to hoops. But in his latest work, Hanif Abdurraqib — New York Times bestselling author, MacArthur Fellow, and National Book Award finalist — uses the sport as a lens to explore themes of mortality, identity and the quest to “make it.”
Abdurraqib joins the Standard to discuss his new book.
Fewer veterans running for office, but some still see it as a vote-winning edge
The number of political candidates who are military veterans has been steadily decreasing since the end of the draft in the 1970s. Despite this trend, some candidates are highlighting their military service as a key part of their campaign strategy this year.
Desiree D’Iorio reports for the American Homefront Project on how these candidates are leveraging their backgrounds to connect with voters.
All this, plus Alexandra Hart with the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Wells Dunbar with the Talk of Texas.
