Texas Standard for March 15, 2023: Breaking down the saga at the Dallas Zoo

Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Wednesday, March 15, 2023:

Education savings fund and voucher bill introduced in the Legislature

A bill introduced in the Texas Senate last week would allow families to use up to $8,000 of taxpayer money per student to send their children to private schools. The bill would cement Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s signature education proposal – school vouchers – into law. Brian Lopez, education reporter for the Texas Tribune, shares more.

What happened at the Dallas Zoo?

Back in January, a clouded leopard went missing from its enclosure at the Dallas Zoo. That incident was the first in a string of crimes at the zoo that made headlines across the country. Jamie Landers, breaking news reporter at the Dallas Morning News, unfolds the zoo’s whole saga.

Previewing March Madness

There are seven teams from Texas in this year’s Men’s NCAA Basketball Tournament. Today, we’ll preview the tournament with Dallas Morning News sports reporter Joseph Hoyt. Tomorrow, we’ll look at the women’s bracket.

Kayla Abuda Galang on ‘When You Left Me on That Boulevard’

Kayla Abuda Galang is a Filipina filmmaker with Houston roots. She spoke to the Texas Standard about her latest movie, “When You Left Me on That Boulevard,” which screened at South by Southwest.

Preserving the Caddo language

The origin of the word “Texas” comes from the Caddo word “Tay-sha,” which means friend or friendship. The Caddo today largely reside in southwest Oklahoma, far from some of their ancestral lands in and around East Texas. KERA’s Pablo Arauz Peña reports that the tribe is in a race against time to save what’s left of their critically endangered language.

Houston I-45 expansion project to proceed

The Interstate 45 expansion project would rebuild the highway from downtown Houston north to Beltway 8, which encircles the city. Supporters say the improvements will make for a quicker, safer commute through north Houston. But the project was held up for two years over accusations that it would violate people’s civil rights through pollution and displacement. Lucio Vasquez, producer for Houston Public Media, shares some details about the project’s future.

All this, plus the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Michael Marks with the Talk of Texas.

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