Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Monday, February 1, 2021.
State of the State Address Preview
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott will be delivering his annual State of the State Address tonight. The Standard talks to TCU professor James Riddlesperger about topics the governor could be addressing.
In the wake of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz received calls to resign and ethics complaints. Cruz is also an attorney, and there’s an effort from lawyers and law students to disbar him. They say Cruz made false statements about the 2020 election, violating the ethical standards of the profession. KERA’s Bret Jaspers reports.
Late last year, Congress reinstated something that had been banned for more than 25 years – Pell grants for people in prison. Those federal funds for inmates had been cut in 1994 during the “tough on crime” era. Criminal justice advocates are lauding the move, saying it’s a step in the right direction for setting incarcerated people up for success once they re-enter society. Margaret diZerega, director for the Center on Sentencing and Corrections at the Vera Institute of Justice, a criminal justice reform nonprofit, talks to the Standard.
What to Do with Turbine Blades
We probably don’t need to tell you just how big wind turbine blades are. You’ve surely seen them – spinning in the breeze of some wide open space, or rolling down the highway, strapped to an extra-long trailer. Those blades are made of a fiberglass material that has a long shelf life, but a shelf life nonetheless. So the question is, what do you do with something so large once it wears out? Freelance reporter Katie Hill talks the Standard.
The Sounds of Texas: The Blazing World
A Dallas choral group is betting big on blockchain, the technology that powers digital currencies like bitcoin. There’s a whole market dedicated to blockchain art, and the group Verdigris Ensemble may be on the cutting edge. They think their new music could draw big bucks in the “crypto-art” world. KERA’s Miguel Perez sat in on a recording session to find out more.
Steven Hotze has been a fixture in Houston and Texas politics since the 1980s. We heard from him during the run-up to this November’s election when he alleged there was a massive vote fraud scheme in Harris County. Houston Public Media’s Andrew Schneide has more on the power and influence of this Houston doctor and conservative activist.
All this and Texas News Roundup, plus Michael Marks with the talk of Texas.
