Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024:
Paxton sues to halt Bexar County’s voter registration efforts
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit in Bexar County, seeking an emergency order to stop elected officials from mailing voter registration forms to county residents.
With Harris County expected to take similar action soon, Paxton has threatened to use “all available means” to prevent the distribution of voter registration forms there as well. Texas Tribune state politics reporter Jasper Scherer joins the show with more:
Hoping to boost enlistments, an Army college partnership will help recruits get GEDs
The Army says it’s on track to meet its recruiting goal this year. That comes after two years in which it fell short and missed its goal by more than 10,000 soldiers.
One way it’s trying to boost recruitment is by targeting people who want to enlist but never finished high school. A new program will allow them to join the Army, then get their GEDs. From San Antonio, Gabriella Alcorta-Solorio reports for the American Homefront Project.
Texas Highways Magazine dedicates its latest issue to the Rio Grande Valley
This month, Texas Highways Magazine released its first-ever issue devoted entirely to a single region: the Rio Grande Valley.
The magazine’s editors chose this region in South Texas for its unique blend of culture, history and natural beauty. But why now, and why focus on the RGV? Senior editor Danielle Lopez joins the show with more.
Is Amazon Alexa getting an AI upgrade?
Artificial intelligence is built into everyday gadgets. But Amazon’s Echo – the Alexa voice assistant millions rely on for timers, shopping lists and more – doesn’t yet have a strong AI story. That could change soon, though. Reports suggest an AI upgrade might arrive in October.
Here to discuss the rumors is tech expert Omar Gallaga, who wrote about this for CNET.
Author Alejandro Puyana on family, Venezuela and ‘Freedom is a Feast’
From the bustling barrios of Caracas to the lush jungles along the coast, Alejandro Puyana’s debut novel “Freedom is a Feast” spans decades of a Venezuelan family’s trials and triumphs.
A Venezuela native now living in Austin, Puyana is a graduate of UT’s Michener Center for Writers. He joins us today in the Texas Standard studios.
Texas Tribune Festival kicks off with big ideas and familiar public radio voices
Every year, The Texas Tribune hosts its annual festival to discuss and celebrate bold ideas in politics and policy. Today marks the start of this year’s event, and familiar voices from both national and statewide public radio are part of the lineup.
Here to tell us more about what public radio and Trib Fest have in store is the Texas Standard’s Kristen Cabrera, who will be moderating a Saturday discussion on how mariachis tells the story of everyday Texas.
All this, plus Alexandra Hart with the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Wells Dunbar with the Talk of Texas.
