Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Thursday, July 14, 2022:
Public reacts to leaked surveillance camera footage showing hallway during Uvalde shooting
Leaked surveillance camera video from the hallway at Robb Elementary during the Uvalde shooting shows footage captured during those excruciating minutes between the time the shooter entered the school and when officers finally entered the classroom more than an hour later. There’s been considerable reaction to the footage, first released by the Austin American-Statesman and KVUE TV in Austin. Tony Plohetski, an investigative reporter for both news outlets, shares more:
New poll shows who’s ahead in the upcoming Texas general election
From inflation to public safety, energy policy to health care costs, Texas voters have a lot to consider when they choose statewide leaders this November. A new online poll from the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston takes a look at which candidates for governor and lieutenant governor have the edge right now, and what issues are motivating voters. Renee Cross, executive director of the Hobby School, joins us.
Twitter sues Elon Musk for leaving $44 billion deal
Elon Musk said last week that he no longer wants to buy Twitter. And on Tuesday, the company sued the billionaire. If the suit is successful, Musk could end up handing over billions, with very little to show for his very public attempt to change the social platform. Our tech expert Omar Gallaga is here with the latest on Twitter’s battle with its would-be buyer.
Texas shrimp industry faces labor shortage
As shrimp season officially begins off the Texas Gulf Coast on Friday, the state’s shrimp industry faces several challenges. Not only are shrimp prices low and fuel costs high, but there is also a labor shortage due to immigration regulations. Antonio Vindell, a freelance reporter based in the Rio Grande Valley, talks about the obstacles facing shrimpers in Texas.
Author Andrea Mosqueda on representation for queer kids in the Rio Grande Valley
Andrea Mosqueda, a native of San Benito, Texas, debuted her YA novel, “Just Your Local Bisexual Disaster,” in which Maggie, a bisexual Chicana growing up in the Rio Grande Valley, is in search of an escort for her sister’s quinceañera when she realizes she has feelings for three of her friends. Andrea speaks to being closeted as a teen and writing a novel for LGBTQ teens in South Texas.
John Cornyn declines in popularity after not advancing gun safety bill
Texas’s Senior Republican in the US Senate, John Cornyn, has for most of his two decades in office fared fairly unscathed in his re-election campaigns and political polling. But his popularity among Republicans and Independents seems to be taking a hit recently after his efforts to advance a gun safety bill through Congress. President Joe Biden signed the measure into law late last month. Dan Solomon has been writing about this for Texas Monthly – where he covers several Texas-related topics, including state politics. He joins us today for more.
West Dallas residents weary of an unwelcome neighbor, want asphalt shingle factory to ‘vete ya’
A recent report from a neighborhood group concluded that the GAF asphalt shingle factory should leave a predominately working-class Latino neighborhood in West Dallas because it’s polluting the air. KERA’s Alejandra Martinez has the story.
Following Bobby Byrd’s death, reflecting on legacy of Cinco Puntos Press
Funeral arrangements are underway for pioneering Texas publisher Bobby Byrd, who died this week in El Paso. Byrd and his wife, Lee, started Cinco Puntos Press in El Paso’s Five Points neighborhood in 1985, specializing in books about the border, Mexican-American literature and bilingual children’s stories. The Byrds reflected on their legacy when they sold the company last summer to another family-run publishing house – here’s an excerpt from that interview with KTEP’s Angela Kocherga:
All this, plus the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Shelly Brisbin with the Talk of Texas.
