Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Tuesday, June 22, 2021.
Plagued by various legal troubles, Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton is facing another primary challenger. Former Texas Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman officially announced she would be running in the Republican primary for AG on Monday. Renée Cross with University of Houston’s Hobby School of Public Affairs joins us to talk about Paxton’s mounting challengers.
The U.S. Supreme Court announced a unanimous decision against the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) yesterday, with regard to assistance for student athletes. It’s a ruling some are calling a win for the players, though a narrow one. Eric Kelderman, senior reporter for the Chronicle of Higher Education, joins us with more.
Presidio County Vaccination Rate
Throughout the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines across Texas, Presidio County residents have turned out by the thousands and led the state’s vaccination efforts. Now the West Texas county has reached a new significant benchmark. Marfa Public Radio’s Carlos Morales has more.
In the last 10 years across the U.S., 136 small-town hospitals have shuttered. Texas has been hit the hardest. So, what happens to residents in those communities when an emergency strikes and critical care is far away? Texas Tech Public Media’s Jayme Lozano takes us to one small town that is feeling the pain of life without a hospital.
Roughly 9% of the Texas prison population – more than 10,000 people – are behind bars despite being approved for release or parole. A new report reveals how COVID-19 and subsequent lockdowns have created so many delays for parolees that some people have died waiting. Co-author Michele Deitch with the LBJ School of Public Affairs and the University of Texas School of Law joins us.
TDCJ Prison Emptying For Migrants
Along with a call for a new state-built border wall, Gov. Greg Abbott’s focus on immigration includes housing migrants in a state prison. And not just any prison but one with a checkered reputation. For the details we turn to Keri Blakinger, a reporter for The Marshall Project.
On Saturday, some 200 families separated by their legal status briefly reunited in the middle of the Rio Grande as part of the eighth annual Hugs Not Walls event. Organizers coordinate with immigration officials to create a space where families can briefly reconnect without fear of immigration enforcement. KERA’s Mallory Falk attended this year’s event – the first one since the start of the pandemic.
U.S. Intelligence officials are set to release a report later this week that could shed some light on recent unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) sightings. The question of what these objects are is likely to remain a mystery, but some scientists are looking at the evidence. Texas Public Radio’s Jerry Clayton talked with a physicist who has done some serious study on the subject.
All this and Texas News Roundup, plus Social Media Editor Wells Dunbar with the talk of Texas.
