Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022:
DART mission hits its mark
Get an update on the asteroid-blasting NASA mission:
Russia’s war with Ukraine drags on. What can be done?
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is stretching into its seventh month, with no end in sight; in the face of Ukrainian gains, Russia is enlisting 300,000 reservists and won’t rule out the use of nuclear weapons. Sergiy Kudelia, associate professor of political science at Baylor University, joins us with more.
Self-driving vehicles making moves in Austin
Self-driving vehicles already roam the streets of Austin as the city becomes a center for the tech’s development. Now a new company has come to town, promising to offer autonomous transportation in Austin by the end of the year. KUT’s Laura Morales reports:
Immigration officials are hurting asylum-seekers’ chances with bad paperwork
For migrants seeking asylum in the U.S., immigration paperwork is vitally important; any mistake or misunderstanding might delay their case and get them deported. That’s why, in recent migrant flight and busing incidents, reports of government agents filing false addresses have caused alarm among immigration advocates. Adolfo Flores has been following this story for Buzzfeed News and joins us today.
The state sent financial aid to 1.1 million unemployed Texans. Now it wants that money back.
Texas’ unemployment system sent 1.1 million people notices that it overpaid them in 2021, and it wants that money back. Advocates say the state is being overaggressive and often wrong in its fraud detection. And the process to appeal is long, arduous and rife with problems. Texas Public Radio’s Paul Flahive has the story.
Public health educator pushes for climate to be part of health care conversations
As a public health nurse, Dr. Adelita Cantu saw firsthand how climate change impacts people’s health, especially people of color who live in impoverished neighborhoods. It inspired her to switch to the education field to teach future nurses in San Antonio about the intersection of environmental issues and wellness. Dr. Cantu shared her story with Thalía Guzmán as part of NPR’s Next Generation Radio project.
Mud baths, heaters and ‘bloodsicles‘ — hot or cold, DFW zoos help animals survive extreme weather
Mud baths. Extra heaters. And even something called a “bloodsicle.” Zoo keepers know exactly what it takes to help animals get through extreme weather in North Texas – from bone-chilling cold fronts, to torrential rains, to blazing temperatures. KERA’s Yaamini Jois reports.
Why Beto O’Rourke keeps running for office
Beto O’Rourke burst onto the political scene in 2018 in his bid against Republican Sen. Ted Cruz. In 2020, he made a brief run for president. Now, the candidate many consider Texas’ best-known Democrat is taking on Gov. Greg Abbott. Texas Monthly writer Dan Solomon has been following O’Rourke’s various runs, and joins us to share what he’s learned.
All this, plus the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Wells Dunbar with the Talk of Texas.
