Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Monday, October 4, 2021.
“The political battle in one Texas county where Trump got 81% of the vote offers a rare view into the virulent distrust and unyielding pressure facing elections administrators,” Jeremy Schwartz writes for the Texas Tribune and ProPublica. He joins us today to talk about his story on how hardline Republicans are pressuring nonpartisan election officials.
Why No Latino Districts With So Much Latino Growth?
New congressional districts are being created to accommodate growth in Texas. The redistricting process is supposed to reflect changes seen in the U.S. Census, where 95% of the growth comes from communities of color. So why are there no new, predominantly Latino districts? Miguel Rivera with the Texas Civil Rights Project joins us to answer that question.
Economic Impact of Del Rio Bridge Shutdown
The migrant surge that closed down the Del Rio Port of Entry rerouted cross-border traffic to Eagle Pass, which significantly affected trade in the region. TPR’s Carolina Cuellar reports.
Police Accountability Suit Byrd v Lamb
If someone wears a federal badge – even when off duty – they can inflict excessive force on a person without fear of liability. That’s what a Texas man discovered after being accosted by a Homeland Security agent. Texas Public Radio’s David Martin Davies reports the U.S. Supreme Court is being asked to fix what some call a hole in the Constitution.
Austin has been clearing out homeless camps for the last few months, since voters in May reinstated a ban on public encampments. The city has taken its time, doing what it calls a phased approach that meant people would be cleared out and connected with housing or shelter. Last week, one of the most visible camps in Austin was cleared out. But as KUT’s Andrew Weber reports, residents of the camp say they were not given the same chances to get services and housing.
Reverberations of Racial Violence
Images of border patrol agents on horseback charging at black asylum seekers on the South Texas border went viral online recently. Many saw parallels to slavery in the south as well as the history of state-sanctioned violence from Texas Rangers. A new collection of essays explores the systematic atrocities along the southern border that have hurt people of color. It’s called “Reverberations of Racial Violence: Critical Reflections on the History of the Border.” Its editors join us today: Sonia Hernández, history professor at Texas A&M, and literature professor John Morán González from the University of Texas at Austin.
Renaming of Confederate Names on Military Bases
The process has begun to rename nine military bases across the South now named for Confederate officers. A federal commission is soliciting ideas, and thousands of suggestions are coming in on what to rename Fort Bragg, Fort Hood, Fort Rucker, Fort Lee, and several other military posts. Jay Price of the American Homefront Project has more.
All this and Texas News Roundup, plus Social Media Editor Wells Dunbar with the talk of Texas.
