Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Friday, Oct. 18, 2024:
Lawmakers buy more time for Texas death row inmate
An unusual legal move has delayed the execution of Robert Roberson, who was set to die Thursday. A bipartisan group of Texas lawmakers issued a subpoena for Roberson, claiming new evidence shows he is innocent of the 2002 murder of his 2-year-old daughter. Prosecutors argued she died from shaken baby syndrome; new findings point to pneumonia.
State Rep. Brian Harrison, R- Midlothian, joins the Standard with more on this unprecedented development:
Alamo launches guided tours in Spanish for the first time
The Alamo is welcoming visitors from around the world with a new offering: guided tours entirely in Spanish. It’s the latest effort to share a more inclusive and diverse history of the landmark. Texas Public Radio’s Marian Navarro reports on how this new feature is broadening the storytelling at one of Texas’ most iconic sites.
Texas to buy back State Highway 288 toll road for $1.7 billion
State Highway 288 runs from Houston to the Gulf, with a 10-mile toll stretch currently managed by Blueridge Transportation Group. However, the Texas Department of Transportation is planning to end this private agreement and buy the road back for $1.7 billion.
Josephine Lee, an investigative reporting fellow with the Texas Observer, joins the Standard to explain what’s behind this costly move.
New podcast explores the Texas whiskey scene
When you think whiskey, you might picture Kentucky or Scotland – but Texas has a burgeoning scene of its own. The new podcast The Texas Whiskey Trail, produced by Go Texan, explores distilleries from the Hill Country to North Texas and beyond.
Host Mando Rayo – known to Standard listeners for his Tacos of Texas podcast – and Chloe Bertrand from Go Texan join the show to share how the podcast captures the craft of Texas whiskey.
‘Bookworm’ hits theaters after Fantastic Fest debut
“Bookworm,” a family-friendly film by Ant Timpson, follows a girl and her estranged father, played by Elijah Wood, as they search for a mythical panther in New Zealand. Blending adventure and the supernatural, the film has been a hit at genre festivals, including Austin’s Fantastic Fest.
With a wider release set for Oct. 18, the Standard caught up with director Timpson and Wood to discuss their latest collaboration.
The gang delivers another custom poem. Reach out to Texas Standard with your topic suggestions!
The Texas Tribune’s James Barragán joins the Standard with a recap of the week that was in Texas politics.
All this, plus Alexandra Hart with the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Wells Dunbar with the Talk of Texas.
