Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023.
New COVID boosters net FDA approval: What you need to know
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that all Americans six months and older get a vaccine booster for COVID-19. Many pharmacies will have the new shots from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna in stock later this week.
UTHealth Houston School of Public Health infectious diseases epidemiologist Catherine Troisi joins the Standard with the latest.
Battery power plays an important role in keeping Texas’ grid humming
ERCOT has sent out eleven emergency conservation alerts this summer, in an attempt to ease the strain on the state electric grid and avoid rolling blackouts.
The grid’s been a source of concern for many Texans since the freeze in February 2021, in which at least 240 people died. Now, though, there is a new tool to help during peak demand: batteries. Texas Tribune energy reporter Emily Foxhall joins the Standard with more.
Suburban North Texas school district bucks ‘Robin Hood’ recapture – will more follow?
The school board in the North Texas city of Keller voted on Monday to stop making recapture payments to the state next year. KERA’s Bill Zeeble reports on the controversial and illegal move.
Dungeons & Dragons becomes lifeline for some Texas death row prisoners
Prison is intensely isolating for the nearly 200 men on Texas death row. They live alone in their cells, with little chance to interact with other prisoners.
Some of these men have a temporary escape – the world of wizards, spellcasting, and mythical adventure in the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons. Journalist Keri Blakinger recently wrote about D&D on death row for The Marshall Project and The New York Times Magazine. Blakinger joins the Standard with the story.
Has playing politics with military promotions affected national security?
Hundreds of military promotions have been blocked due to the actions of a single Republican lawmaker: Sen. Tommy Tuberville, in protest of Pentagon policies related to abortion. Texas Republican and House Foreign Affairs Chairman Mike McCaul has called Tuberville’s actions a “national security problem.”
Military.com reporter Thomas Novelly joins the Standard with more on the story.
Grain, grit, texture: In a digital world, film photography is thriving
How many photos do you have stored on your phone? It’s easy to snap thousands of pictures with a camera in your pocket, but in a digital world, making memories that last can still take time.
Texas Public Radio’s Nathan Cone looks at how film photography is not only hanging on, but thriving.
What they mean when they say ‘Texas is God’s country’
There are a lot of stories, memes, and jokes about Texas being God’s country – but what does that really mean?
Commentator W.F. Strong shares his wisdom with the Standard today.
North Texas actors and writers rally in support of nationwide SAG-AFTRA, WGA strike
Texas may not be the entertainment capital of the country, but there are more than 250 production companies with scores of actors, writers, and employees. Some are part of the nearly 200,000 member Writers and Screen Actors Guilds that have been on strike for months.
KERA’s Toluwani Osibamowo reports that trying to work in Hollywood as a Texan comes with its own unique set of challenges
All this, plus the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Wells Dunbar with the Talk of Texas.
