Even in this time of pandemic, El Paso stands out as uniquely united in spirit, resilience and resistance.
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Flowers and candles. Orange ribbons. #ElPasoStrong. These are a few of the ways that our westernmost city, a metropolis of some 700,000 people, spent this week reflecting on a day few will ever forget. August 3rd, 2019 started out as another summer Saturday in El Paso. It was the usual pre-fall bustle with parents and kids picking up school supplies, while others did their weekly shopping at the Cielo Vista Walmart. Before the day was through, it would be the site of the deadliest attack on Latinos in modern U.S. history. Police say that a young gunman from the Dallas area walked into the store with a high-powered semi-automatic rifle and began shooting, with the intent to kill people with Mexican and Latin American roots. According to prosecutors, the alleged shooter had written a racist diatribe against immigrants online and had driven some 600 miles from his home intent on executing large numbers of Latinos. The city has been in the spotlight amid efforts by the Trump Administration to curb immigration through a string of controversial policy moves. This week, one year after the atrocity at the Cielo Vista Walmart, it is clear that the hate-inspired attack has left many people fearful and still hurting. Yet even in this time of pandemic and social distancing, El Paso stands out as uniquely united in spirit, resilience and resistance. We invite you to listen to some of our coverage – including this moving story of two survivors' reunion – and explore more at TexasStandard.org. In the meantime, we'll see you on the radio.
- David Brown
Work safe, Texas. Texas Work Comp Insurance

'Who We Are – Makes Us A Target:' Students Reflect On El Paso Shooting


A year later, El Paso is still trying to make sense of the Aug. 3 mass shooting at a Walmart.  

Three UTEP students recently got together on Zoom to reflect on what's changed since then.

Don’t Plant Or Pitch Those Mailed Mystery Seeds


Across the country, small packets of seeds have been showing up, unsolicited, in peoples' mailboxes. Their origin – where they came from, who sent them, and why – is unknown.
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Dan Rather On His $10,000 Education Prize, Black Lives Matter, And More


“We’re at a special moment,” the veteran Texas reporter says.
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My Mask: Bored And Short On Resources, She Got Creative


"I didn’t do it for attention. I just figured out well, if I have to wear a mask, it might as well match what I have on."

 
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Hi, it’s María Méndez. I’m Texas Public Radio’s first Laredo reporter. I joined TPR in June through Report For America , a service program for journalists from the nonprofit, The GroundTruth Project. The goal of the program is to expand journalism in news deserts or undercovered areas. That’s why I’m in Laredo. It’s an important border city and one of the busiest ports of entry in the country. But sometimes it gets overlooked. My job is to regularly highlight the trade, business and border news here. And there’s a lot. I’ve been juggling stories on travel restrictions at the U.S.- Mexico border that have hurt local businesses, rising COVID-19 cases and deaths and community efforts to block the Trump administration’s push for a border wall. More recently, I helped cover Hurricane Hanna’s landfall in the neighboring counties of the Rio Grande Valley, another often undercovered area. When I’m not entertaining my dog, Peaches, or working from my desk/dining table, I’m often in my tiny closet recording myself for radio pieces. It’s not a glamorous life, but it brings me joy when Laredoans say they heard me on NPR or Texas radio stations, especially since Laredo doesn’t currently have a public radio station. TPR hopes to reach the community through our online stories and streaming. That’s also why I try to spend a lot of my time on social media, sharing news and trying to keep up with what Laredoans are talking about. I created a callout to try to meet more Laredoans virtually since it’s been harder to get to know the community during the pandemic. But when I have met Laredoans online, over the phone or during field reporting, they’ve been kind and welcoming. Making sure their stories and concerns are heard throughout Texas is what fuels me during the hectic news cycle and long workdays. For tips or more about Laredo, you can reach me at [email protected].
- María Méndez
@anxious_maria
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