Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023:
Republicans in Legislature want to roll back Houston’s cash bail changes
Prompted by a prolonged legal battle, Harris County moved to eliminate cash bail for people accused of some crimes. Now Republicans in the Texas Legislature want to roll back the changes. Will they succeed? Jasper Scherer, Austin bureau reporter for the Houston Chronicle, has more.
Austin’s chief executive may be ousted after ice storm response
Austin City Manager Spencer Cronk could either resign or be fired as early as this week. The decision to reevaluate Cronk’s employment came after what elected officials characterized as a botched response to hundreds of thousands of power outages due to February’s ice storm. KUT’s Audrey McGlinchy joins us with more.
These Houston-area homeowners have limited options to sue if their homes flood again
Homeowners within the Addicks and Barker Reservoirs west of Houston won a judgment against the federal government for letting their homes flood during Hurricane Harvey. As Houston Public Media’s Andrew Schneider found, homeowners there have few choices if their homes flood again.
COVID-19 vaccines no longer a requirement in the military
The U.S. military is now allowing troops to serve, even if they’re not vaccinated against COVID-19. Before the change, about 84,000 troops were discharged for refusing to get the shots. Desiree D’Iorio reports for the American Homefront Project.
Where the Dallas Fed thinks the Texas economy is going
If you’re having difficulty determining which direction the economy’s really heading, you’re not alone. But analysts at the Dallas Federal Reserve now think they have a pretty good idea of where the signs are pointing to for Texas for the rest of this year. We’ll hear from the Dallas Fed senior economist Emily Kerr.
How Ro-Tel became a staple of Texas cooking
The diced tomato and green chile mix known as Ro-Tel is found in more Texas recipes than one might imagine, and critical for queso and nachos. Regular guest Omar Gallaga takes a break from talking tech to tell the origin story of this Texas classic.
Abandoned and forgotten: Dallas journalist reclaims history by restoring Black cemetery
Online searches are one popular way to dive into family history. But Dallas journalist Rodney Hawkins says sometimes your own family can provide much more information. KERA’s Galilee Abdullah talked with Hawkins about a new exhibition that traces his journey to restore an East Texas cemetery – and unlock his family’s history.
Medicaid covers half of all births in Texas. Finding quality health care can be a nightmare.
Many pregnant Texans rely on Medicaid coverage to access everything from doctor’s appointments to prenatal vitamins. But as KERA’s Elena Rivera reports, the system also has a lot of gaps. These are gaps that providers hope lawmakers can address during Texas’s current legislative session.
All this, plus the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Wells Dunbar with the Talk of Texas.
