Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Thursday, April 28, 2022.
Fact-checking claims about Operation Lone Star
On yesterday’s program we heard from Republican Rep. James White. The chair of the House Committee on Homeland Security and Public Safety told us the billions that have gone to Gov. Greg Abbott’s border security initiative, dubbed Operation Lone Star, was “money well spent.” Echoing claims from the governor, Rep. White credited Texas National Guard troops for large amounts of fentanyl seized at the border, and the apprehension of “very, very violent, transnational narco gang members.” The Texas Tribune and Propublica have been digging into such claims about Operation Lone Star; reporter. Lomi Kriel joins us with a fact check today.
The Justice Department is suing Galveston County over its recent redistricting plan, which would eliminate the county’s sole majority-minority precinct. It’s not the first time the federal government has intervened with the county’s redistricting efforts, but federal law has changed dramatically since the last time Washington stepped in. Houston Public Media’s Andrew Schneider explains.
A San Antonio madam walks into a church … and turns her brothel into a rescue home
A brothel owner in San Antonio in the late 1800s did something completely unexpected. She turned her establishment into a rescue home for women. That legacy continues today. Her story has always been told as a religious epiphany – but that may not have been the case. Texas Public Radio’s Kathleen Creedon brings us the story of Mary Volino as part of their podcast series “Running Red Lights.”
Everyone’s all atwitter about Elon Musk
Soon after Twitter announced plans Monday that Elon Musk would buy the company and take it private, Gov. Abbott invited Musk to move Twitter HQ to Texas. Musk hasn’t addressed the offer – but relocation or not, seemingly everyone has a take on Twitter’s future. Our tech expert Omar Gallaga has been following the Twitter chatter and is here to fill us in.
Ever want to star in your own action movie? This Texas car dealer did.
Heard about the Green Ghost? He’s the unlikely hero of a new movie called “Green Ghost and The Masters of The Stone.” And if you live along the border, that hero may be a familiar face: Charlie Clark, the namesake owner of a well-known chain of auto franchises. So how does a car salesman transition to acting in his own action movie featuring Danny Trejo? We’ll ask Charlie Clark in a fun Q&A.
TxDOT’s highway safety signs may do more harm than good
You’ve surely seen them on the highway: digital signs placed by the Texas Department of Transportation reminding folks to drive safe. The marquees state how many people have died on Texas roads this year, or offer a clever message ( like “Slow down, you’ve already made it to Texas”). But while the messages are meant to boost driver safety, they may be having the opposite effect. University of Minnesota professor Joshua Madsen recently co-authored a study about the signs and joins us today.
All this and Texas News Roundup, plus Social Media Editor Wells Dunbar with the talk of Texas.
