Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Monday, May 9, 2022.
Texas voters resoundingly approved measures to slow property tax growth – what’s next?
Texans will likely see a modest property tax cut after two constitutional amendments were widely approved by voters over the weekend. While the approved propositions only save most Texans a few dollars each month, the results emphasize voters’ support to keep property taxes in check as property values rise. Philip Jankowski, state politics reporter for The Dallas Morning News, joins us with more.
Rodents. Bad plumbing. No AC. Vickery Meadow residents still wait for the landlord to make repairs.
Blocked exits, faulty plumbing, decaying walls and ceilings: the alleged problems at two apartment complexes in Northeast Dallas’s Vickery Meadow neighborhood are numerous. The City of Dallas has filed a lawsuit against the landlord, who rents to many refugees new to the U.S. And as KERA’s Bret Jaspers reports, the case points to the many challenges facing lower-income tenants.
Women and war: Oral history project captures complex legacy
Over the past two years, students at UT-San Antonio and Our Lady of the Lake University have collected the oral histories of more than 70 women who’ve served in the U.S. armed forces, digitizing and transcribing them for posterity. Texas Public Radio’s Carson Frame reports the public can now listen to the collection.
How robotics and artificial intelligence are coming to farming
In Lockhart, the barbecue capital of Texas, there’s a new facility that’s on the cutting edge of the vegetable world. The Silicon Valley-based IronOx greenhouse grows various varieties of leafy greens, like lettuce and basil, with plans to add tomatoes and strawberries. But it’s not so much what they produce as how they do it that caught our attention. The Standard’s Michael Marks describes the scene.
The latest developments in Russia’s war on Ukraine
Today marks one of Russia’s biggest national holidays: Victory Day, which commemorates the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. In a speech, President Vladimir Putin falsely defended Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, saying it was provoked by threats of war from the West. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country was committed to winning the war and would not cede any territory to Russia. For more on the latest, we’re joined by Jeremi Suri with The LBJ School at the University of Texas at Austin.
‘Broken Doors’ podcast shows the perils of no-knock policing
No-knock warrants are considered a highly intrusive and dangerous form of policing, and have led to deaths and injuries for citizens and police, suspects and innocent bystanders. The dangers of no-knock warrants are the topic of a new podcast from The Washington Post called Broken Doors. Investigative reporter and podcast producer Nicole Dungca joins us with more.
Texas juvenile justice leader departs with state agency at a critical juncture
The unexpected resignation of Texas’ Juvenile Justice leader just over a week ago has reform advocates reeling. Texas Public Radio’s Paul Flahive reports executive director Camille Cain’s departure comes at a critical time for the agency.
All this and Texas News Roundup, plus Social Media Editor Wells Dunbar with the talk of Texas.
