Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023:
How Texans in Congress voted on Kevin McCarthy’s ouster
Kevin McCarthy was unceremoniously dismissed from his position as U.S. House speaker on Tuesday, less than a year after his election, toppled by hard-right members of his own Republican party and a unified Democratic front.
For more on what transpired on Capitol Hill yesterday and what’s next for the nation’s House, we’re joined by Jospeh Morton, reporter for the Washington Bureau of the Dallas Morning News.
Air Force honors pioneers of medicine in San Antonio
At Joint Base San Antonio, a building that’s sat vacant for years is being torn down. The old Wilford Hall Medical Center was once the flagship of Air Force medicine.
Texas Public Radio’s Carson Frame reports that while the building itself will go, officials are working to preserve its history:
Tarrant County extends private prison contract, ‘hopefully’ for final time
Tarrant County will keep sending local prisoners to a private prison outside Lubbock with a new $22.5 million contract.
As KERA’s Miranda Suarez reports, that includes 500 beds:
A conversation with Texas state artist James C. Watkins
Every two years, Texas designates state artists. The practice has been going on since the 1930s, but a category for artists working with three-dimensional materials was added only a few decades ago.
This year’s recipient is James C. Watkins, a Lubbock-based ceramic artist with over 40 years of experience. Watkins’ work is showcased in more than 20 prestigious collections, including the White House and the Smithsonian. He joins the Standard to discuss his artistic journey and what being named Texas state artist means to him.
Coastal Texans endangered by climate change look for help
Longtime residents are trickling out of a rural subdivision in Southeast Texas as floodwaters rush in with increasing frequency. Among those that stayed, there’s a sense that county and federal officials aren’t doing enough to help.
It’s an increasingly common story as climate change drives flooding in costal areas and other extreme weather events. Erin Douglas, climate reporter for the Texas Tribune, joins the Standard with more.
A hot summer means a thinner pumpkin patch this fall
October means pumpkin season. But if you want to buy a Texas-grown pumpkin, then you’ll need to move fast. As Houston Public Media’s Rob Salinas reports, the summer drought took a toll on the state’s pumpkin patches:
The Texas A&M researchers working to bring ocelots back
After overhunting and creeping development, the number of breeding ocelots in the wild has tumbled to under 100, with very few in South Texas, where they used to be plentiful. Now, researchers at Texas A&M are working on a plan to bring the cats back.
Lisanne Petracca, assistant professor of carnivore ecology at Texas A&M Kingsville, shares more about reintroducing ocelots to their historic Texas habitat.
Simone Biles executes ‘impossible’ gymnastics move in Antwerp championships
In any endeavor, to have something named for you or your work is a clear distinction. On Sunday, Texan Simone Biles of gymnastics fame displayed a vault once called impossible – a move that will now be called the Biles.
Dvora Myers writes about it for Texas Monthly. She’s been covering the gymnastics world championships in Antwerp, and she joins the Standard with the story.
All this, plus the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Wells Dunbar with the Talk of Texas.
