Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Thursday, May 16, 2024:
Fifth Circuit Court hears arguments in ‘border buoys’ case
The full Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments yesterday in a case that pits Texas’ assertion that it is being invaded by migrants against the federal government’s constitutional authority to defend the border.
Andrew Schneider, a senior reporter for Houston Public Media, has been following the case and joins us today.
Residents rally to protect El Paso County wetlands
“Wetlands” may not be what comes to mind when you think of the Chihuahuan Desert in far West Texas. But situated in El Paso County is the Rio Bosque – a marshy area along the Rio Grande that has been “re-wilded” to support native plants and wildlife.
But residents are concerned a proposed highway expansion project could imperil the beloved park. Martha Psowski is covering this story for Inside Climate News and joins us today.
Amazon founder opening preschools in Texas
You probably best know the name Jeff Bezos as the founder of Amazon. He also founded the space company Blue Origin, and according to Forbes he’s currently the second richest person in the world.
Now, Bezos is opening 10 preschools in Texas. KERA’s Katherine Hobbs looks at why:
Proposed massive pipeline raising concerns for communities in its path
Of the 4,500 oil and gas pipelines that already crisscross Texas, this would be one of the very biggest: Four feet in diameter running from a West Texas gas collection hub, west by southwest until it crosses the Rio Grande – moving natural gas destined for places like Japan, China and Chile.
But when state and federal officials signed off on this massive project, they left something out of the planning process: Namely, the towns and the people along the pipeline’s path.
Texas Monthly’s Russell Gold joins us with the story.
Texas State professor and student reporters keep the stories of Uvalde victims alive
We’re nearing two years since the deadliest school shooting in Texas history. But for the families of the 19 children and two teachers killed at Robb Elementary School, it’s something they live with every day. What’s not fading are the dozens of murals across the town dedicated to the victims.
Southwest Texas Junior College art professor Abel Ortiz led that project. He talks about the idea behind it and his continued hopes for it.
‘They Came for the Schools’ looks at push to remove books from North Texas ISDs
Carroll Independent School District, located in the wealthy Fort Worth suburb of Southlake, made headlines starting in 2021 for the same reason a lot of school districts in Texas were making headlines at the time: parents pushing the district to ban certain books from classrooms.
Mike Hixenbaugh, a senior investigative reporter for NBC News, covered the news out of Southlake schools as it unfolded. His new book, “They Came for the Schools,” offers further insight. He joins us today.
The buzz around the Bumble ad controversy
The Austin-based dating app Bumble apologized this week for an ad campaign that some believed mocked the choice not to date, or to remain celibate. Bumble also raised some eyebrows earlier this year when it changed a long-standing policy that only women could initiate communication on the app.
Tech expert Omar Gallaga joins the Standard to help us understand how Bumble misstepped, and how they’re trying to fix it.
All this, plus the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Raul Alonzo with the Talk of Texas.
