Just how capable are our institutions of managing a crisis of pandemic proportions?
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In his recent column in the Texas Tribune, executive editor and co-founder Ross Ramsey reviewed the response to the pandemic from Texas' top leaders. Suffice to say, it wasn't a flattering assessment. And judging from Texas’ skyrocketing COVID-19 cases and hospitalization numbers, Ramsey doesn’t appear to be far off the mark. Within the past week, even Gov. Greg Abbott seemed to be re-evaluating his own performance. He admitted in an interview with an El Paso TV station, "If I could go back and redo anything, it probably would have been to slow down the opening of bars ," adding that the bar setting “just doesn't work with a pandemic." It may be worth considering another question as well: just how capable are our institutions of managing a crisis of pandemic proportions? It’s worth noting that while both the governor and the courts have played major roles in this crisis since late March, the Texas Legislature has been on the sidelines. Indeed, the body most representative of the Texas population has been relegated by its biennial calendar to leading from behind. Once this pandemic passes (as every expert we’ve spoken with remains convinced it will, eventually), we’ll need to extract the lessons learned so our institutions can manage such crises more efficiently and effectively. Given the current political landscape, this is likely to be a difficult process. But a more immediate emergency confronts Texas at the moment – and the most pressing test for the Lone Star State is whether we have what it takes to do the things we've been told repeatedly will curb the spread of this deadly virus as hospitals approach capacity. We encourage you to check out the latest updates below, take the steps that will keep you and your fellow Texans safe - and until next week, we'll see you on the radio.
– David Brown
Work safe, Texas. Texas Work Comp Insurance

Texas' Largest Counties Want The  Power To Issue Stay-At-Home Orders


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When Can We Return To ‘Normal’ Now That COVID-19 Cases Are Rising In Texas?


A UT Health San Antonio physician answers this and more medical questions from listeners during the coronavirus pandemic.
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Texas Election Officials Stepping Up Precautions During Early Voting


Early voting for Texas primary runoff elections began on Monday and local election officials are stepping up precautions to keep in-person voting safe as the number of COVID-19 cases rise.
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Black Bears Are Moving Back Into West Texas


Over the past few decades the state protected animal has started “making a comeback” – right into towns where they’ve been more of a nuisance.
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  • Austin Is In 'Very, Very Dangerous Spot,' Health Official Says (KUT)
  • Odessa Announces Free COVID-19 Testing For The Month Of July (Marfa Public Radio)
  • Texas House Speaker Bonnen: 'It’s Time To Stand Up To The Mask Naysayers' (Texas Public Radio)
  • Houston And The Oil Market Crash: As Coronavirus Cases Climb, Texas Oil Drops To $38 Per Barrel (Houston Public Media)
A world without the COVID-19 pandemic would have had me interning in New York City, with a short commute on my bike, for the summer. So I never would have had the opportunity to intern for the Texas Standard if the coronavirus hadn’t pushed everyone into remote working. That’s right – I’m a Standard intern, living in Brooklyn and studying journalism with the CUNY Graduate School. Don’t get me wrong, my favorite part of reporting has always been the in-person experience – attending events and meeting new people – and I miss that terribly. But I am finding myself, more and more, learning about new pockets of society through Facebook and other social media. After graduate school, I hope to keep working in public radio. My heart really belongs to audio documentaries. So as long as I can continue to interview people and edit audio, as I’ve started to do for Texas Standard, I’ll be happy. How wild is it that I can immerse myself in such a starkly different part of the country, without even leaving my apartment?
- Sarah Gabrielli
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