Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Friday, June 17, 2022:
Texas GOP meets in Houston this weekend
As Texas Republicans hold their convention in Houston, Gov. Greg Abbott is nowhere on the stage. Instead, his only remarks to delegates came at a low-key private event – possibly indicating a level of dissatisfaction with the governor among staunchly conservative Republicans. Sergio Martínez-Beltrán of the Texas Newsroom reports that lack of enthusiasm for Abbott doesn’t necessarily translate into a lack of support for his re-election campaign.
The future of Texas’ power grid
As Texans continue to deal with a lingering heatwave, the pressure is on for the state’s power grid. So far, the grid has held up thanks to the help of renewable energy sources like wind and solar. But in a state that prides itself on its powerful fossil fuel industry, what is the future of renewables in Texas? Michael Webber, a UT Austin engineering professor and an expert on energy, joins us for more.
International piano competition underway in Fort Worth
Once every four years, people who book classical music performers head to Fort Worth for the Cliburn International Piano competition. They’re searching for up-and-coming artists who might fit into future programs.Though the winners won’t be announced until Saturday night, some pianists get booked before even making the finals. KERA has the latest.
Supreme Court sides with Texas Native American tribes in gambling case
Two Native American tribes in Texas can continue to operate electronic bingo on their lands after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling announced this week sided with the tribes. The Ysleta del Sur Pueblo tribe and the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas have been operating electronic bingo games on reservations for years, despite the state’s gambling laws. Ben Kappelman, an attorney who has handled cases related to federal American Indian law, joins us to explain the ruling.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX launches disrupt RGV locals and environmentalists
Since the beginning, some locals and environmental activists have criticized Elon Musk’s Boca Chica SpaceX facility in the Rio Grande Valley, citing the sudden closure of beaches and the spread of launch debris throughout nearby state parkland. Now the Federal Aviation Administration says SpaceX must make changes. Texas Public Radio’s Gaige Davila in Port Isabel joins us for more.
KUT Juneteenth Documentary explores equality for Black Texans
Juneteenth has been officially recognized in Texas for decades. Last year, it became a federal holiday. But celebrations commemorating the day the news of the end of slavery came to Texas have been happening for a very long time. Still, a new KUT Austin documentary asks: Do Black Texans consider themselves really free? Listen to an excerpt below, and check out the whole show here.
The gang delivers another custom poem. Submit your own suggestions here!
The week in Texas politics
Texas Tribune political reporter James Barragán stops by with a recap of the week that was.
All this, plus the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Wells Dunbar with the Talk of Texas.
