Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024. Check back later today for updated story links and audio.
Parents of accused Santa Fe school shooter on trial this week
Attorneys representing the families of seven of the people who died in a mass shooting at Santa Fe High School in 2018 say the accused shooter’s parents bear some responsibility for their son’s actions. The accusation comes in a civil case against the parents; the defense argues that the shooter’s mental illness, not his parents, are to blame.
Adam Zuvanich with Houston Public Media joins us with an update.
Houston police present findings of investigation into suspended cases
Houston police have completed an internal investigation over a coding system that led to 264,000 dropped cases, concluding that it was a systemic failure. On top of that, the inquiry identified two murder cases that were wrongly suspended. Former Houston Police Chief Troy Finner lost his job in the fallout – but what else might this report trigger?
Matt deGrood, a reporter with the Houston Chronicle, joins the show:
Texas Innovation Invitational showcases tech in San Antonio
Leading edge technologies were showcased this week in a gathering of state and commercial transportation experts in San Antonio. Texas Public Radio’s Brian Kirkpatrick reports on the 2024 Texas Innovation Invitational:
Bighorn sheep being released in Franklin Mountains outside El Paso
In recent years, bighorn sheep have made quite a comeback in Texas after being nearly wiped out in the state. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has carefully managed herds in state-owned natural areas, primarily around the Big Bend region. Now, they’re moving into new territory by releasing bighorns in the Franklin Mountains outside El Paso.
We’ll hear more from Froylán Hernandez, the desert bighorn sheep program leader for Texas Parks and Wildlife.
A letter tells one story from the 1966 UT Tower shooting
On Aug. 1, 1966, Paul Eichelberger helped a fellow University of Texas student who was fatally wounded in the UT Tower shooting. He’s shared a letter that he received from the student’s mother thanking him for his efforts.
What do you picture when you hear the word “museum”? Tall ceilings and long corridors? How does it sound? Texas Standard is kicking off a new regular segment, all about the state’s museums, and our idea is to explore and highlight museums big and small, traditional and weird.
Kenneth Hafertepe, a fellow with the Texas State Historical Association and chair of the Department of Museum Studies at Baylor, joins us today with a museum overview.
X trains its AI chatbot with your data
AI language models are hungry for data. X, the social platform formerly known as Twitter, is in the spotlight right now for its settings that allow AI to access your data.
Tech expert Omar Gallaga joins us to explain how you can opt out of X’s new policy, if you want to.
All this, plus Alexandra Hart with the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Shelly Brisbin with the Talk of Texas.
