Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023:
People in Texas jails are protesting solitary confinement
Prisoners across Texas began a large-scale hunger strike Tuesday in protest of the state’s solitary confinement practices. Texas is known for its harsh stance on solitary confinement, keeping some inmates in isolation for years or even decades. Michele Deitch, director of the Prison and Jail Innovation Lab at the University of Texas at Austin, has more.
Texas teens now need parental permission to get birth control at federally funded clinics
A federal program called Title X provides confidential family planning services for low-income patients, regardless of age or immigration status, but a federal judge has ruled it violates state law and parental rights. As U.S. health officials appeal the decision, what are the implications for Texans? The Texas Tribune’s Eleanor Klibanoff helps us take a closer look.
Groundwater contamination still a concern near Houston-area Superfund Site
Even though cleanup of the highly polluted Jones Road Superfund Site happened a decade ago, the Environmental Protection Agency says well water for some nearby homes in Northwest Harris County may be at risk of contamination. Houston Public Media’s Katie Watkins went with researchers to test water and air in the surrounding area.
‘It was a godsend’: This North Texas charity fixes cars for free
Car repairs are never convenient. But for people who don’t make much money, they can be a major financial hurdle. KERA’s Christopher Connelly reports on a North Texas charity fixing the vehicles that could otherwise drive their owners into debt.
The Railroad Commission regulates oil and gas, not railroads. This group wants to change its name.
The Railroad Commission of Texas is a highly influential regulatory body, overseeing much of how the state’s energy industry works. One thing it doesn’t regulate – and hasn’t in decades – is railroads. Now a new organization is calling to rename the commission this legislative session. Virigina Palacios, executive director of Commission Shift, joins today.
A mother-daughter duo from Dallas take on the online fashion scene
Dallas-based jewelry designer Carla Rockmore blossomed as a fashion influencer during the pandemic. She models colorful and adventurous outfits and shares other tips from her stylish two-story closet. Her daughter Ivy is taking part too, offering an intimate look into their evolving relationship. The pair join us to talk fashion and their mother-daughter bond.
A fact-check with PolitiFact Texas
President Joe Biden said that since the implementation of a new immigration parole program, the number of Venezuelans trying to illegally enter the U.S. decreased. Is that a fact? Nusaiba Mizan from the Austin American–Statesman and PolitiFact Texas joins with more.
All this, plus the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Wells Dunbar with the Talk of Texas.
