As of this writing, more than 20% of all Texans have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Of those, 500,000 received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. That version has been particularly helpful in the state’s fight against the disease since the J&J formulation is more easily transported and stored compared to the alternatives, making mobile vaccination efforts more practical. But as you may have heard, that version of the vaccine is no longer being administered in Texas. That's because of federal concerns over possible links to an extremely rare blood clotting condition reported by about six people. State health officials say they don’t know of any Texans who have had the same issues after getting the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The main concern is not so much vaccine supply, but a more difficult to quantify effect: what this news could mean for those who’ve been reluctant or on the fence when it comes to getting vaccinated. To learn more, our producer/reporter Jill Ament reached out to bioscience and medicine reporter Bonnie Petrie of Texas Public Radio, host of the the “Petrie Dish” podcast. As her explanation started to hit the airwaves statewide on Wednesday, our team of online news editors and producers including Shelly Brisbin and Caroline Covington were already hard at work preparing a version for TexasStandard.org so that listeners and others could dig deeper right away. It is humbling and inspiring to think of all the hard work and coordination that goes into this show to bring you daily Texas coverage. Each day, we rely on the expertise of specialty reporters at our partner stations statewide, the producers finding just the right guest to talk with, the reporters digging for the facts and the online information available on demand through podcasts like “Petrie Dish.” We’re so grateful to the many Texans listening, visiting us online, enjoying us perhaps through our podcast, and supporting this important work. We hope you enjoy getting caught up on the latest below (there are some real surprises in there)! Until next Wednesday we’ll see you on the radio … and online.

- David Brown

Work safe, Texas. Texas Work Comp Insurance

South Texans Fight Permit Renewal For Oil and Gas Waste Facility

Residents say their quality of life has worsened since a waste pit opened nearby.

A Houston Writer Says Her City Is Actually The Texas Capital

Her piece is in direct response to a message from Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.

Three Laws Every Rural Landowner In Texas Should Know

Sales of rural properties are on the rise. Here's what you should know before you buy.

‘A Lot Like Singing:’ Billy Henry Says Hosting ‘StarDate’ Is Like Making Music

When Billy Henry took over hosting “StarDate,” he knew he had big shoes to fill.

2 Migrant Teens Sheltered At Freeman Coliseum Say They Came For Opportunity And Have Mostly Found Kindness (Texas Public Radio)
ERCOT Ends Energy Conservation Alert After Warning Of Emergency Grid Conditions (KUT Austin)
Houston Man Who Says He Was Beaten By Officer While Handcuffed Sues The City (Houston Public Media)
North Texas Housing Market Remains Strong During The Pandemic (KERA)

Hello! My name is Carson Frame and I’m the military and veterans issues reporter for Texas Public Radio in San Antonio. I’m also a correspondent for The American Homefront Project, an NPR collaboration that tries to bridge the civilian-military divide. I moved to Texas and started this job in July of 2017. I’m originally from Tampa, Florida, which is home to MacDill Air Force Base and the James Haley VA Hospital. While there, I found a position at WUSF Public Media and gravitated immediately toward the stories of veterans. My dad was a Vietnam draftee and combat medic in the Army. All my life, I’ve seen him wrestle with the fallout from that and what his service meant. He’s very keyed into our country’s foreign policy decisions, and I’ve taken after him. I was thrilled when I got the chance to come to Texas, where we have such a high concentration of active military personnel and veterans. So much of our state’s politics and identity is built around supporting them. I find that incredible, and I hear all the time how much strength Bexar County veterans draw from this community. Right now, the face of the American military is changing. Far fewer people serve in uniform today compared with a generation ago, and the percentage of Americans with military experience has fallen by more than half since 1980. Today’s armed forces are more diverse and include more women, and the troops are older and better educated. They also face new challenges, both while they’re in uniform and after they leave the service. I’m privileged to be able to chronicle some of that shift. In the last few years, I’ve focused especially on covering the issue of sexual assault in the military – especially in the wake of Vanessa Guillen’s death at Fort Hood. I’ve also worked on stories about service members affected by burn pits , the National Guard deployments to the southern border, bias in the military justice system, the military’s response to COVID-19 and many other topics. You can reach me at [email protected] or follow me on Twitter. Thanks!

- Carson Frame
@carson_frame

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