Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Monday, Aug. 12, 2024.
Uvalde releases police communication and body cam footage it fought to keep secret
The city of Uvalde on Saturday made public a large trove of previously unreleased information related to the May 2022 Robb Elementary school shooting. The release was part of a settlement with multiple news organizations.
For more on these latest developments, the Standard’s joined by Lomi Kriel, a reporter with ProPublica and The Texas Tribune investigative unit, two of the news agencies who brought the suit.
How rural Texans face challenges with inconsistent addressing
Your home address is more important than you might think: it guides deliveries, guests, buyers, and even first responders. But in rural Texas, addresses can be a bit more ad hoc, with folks creating their own street names, or maps missing roads entirely.
What happens when these informal systems clash with official needs? Mary Cantrell of The Big Bend Sentinel examined the issue in far West Texas and joins the Standard with more.
Amtrak to restore Gulf Coast rail service, expanding access from Texas
Passengers traveling east through Texas on Amtrak’s Sunset Limited will now be able to reach more coastal destinations by transferring to the new Amtrak line in New Orleans.
Retired oil wells in Texas found leaking despite being plugged
Thousands of old oil and gas wells across Texas have been plugged with cement and buried to prevent leaks; once plugged, these wells are usually forgotten.
But a team in the Permian Basin has been revisiting some of these retired wells and discovering that they’re breaking down and leaking, raising concerns about long-term environmental impacts. Marfa Public Radio’s Mitch Borden reports from Crane County.
U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team among gold medal-winners at Olympics
Texas athletes won 41 medals at the Paris 2024 Olympics, making the Lone Star State the seventh best-performing “country” at the Games. The U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team also made history, winning gold after an early World Cup exit. The team, led by new coach Emma Hayes, defeated Brazil in the Olympic final.
Joining the Standard to discuss Hayes’ strategy, standout players, and the future of this young squad is former U.S. soccer champion Linda Hamilton.
When the Bronco Bowl went bust
This week in Texas music history, Dallas’s beloved Bronco Bowl hosted its last concert.
Jason Mellard with the Center for Texas Music History at Texas State University shares the story.
Texas A&M experts lead preservation of historic Alamo battle cannon
The Alamo, a symbol of Texas’ rich history, houses many artifacts from its past, including a unique battle cannon. The cannon recently became the focus of a major preservation effort led by experts from Texas A&M University’s Department of Anthropology.
Chris Dostal, assistant professor of nautical archaeology and director of the Conservation Research Laboratory at Texas A&M, joins the Standard to share more about this important project.
Israel braces for potential Iranian strike as regional tensions rise
Israel is preparing for a possible direct strike from Iran or its regional proxies by Thursday, following the assassination of a Hamas political leader in Tehran on July 31. Meanwhile, the Pentagon has deployed a guided missile submarine to the Middle East, highlighting the seriousness of the crisis.
Texas, as a key player in global oil supplies, could be impacted by these escalating tensions. Kpler energy analyst Matt Smith has more on the situation.
All this, plus Alexandra Hart with the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Wells Dunbar with the Talk of Texas.
