Texas Standard For September 4, 2020

April in Texas again? The Lone Star State approaches another potential tipping point as the governor hints at possible reopenings, we’ll have the latest. And: As college campuses reopen, the look is not good on the COVID-19 front. How colleges and universities are struggling to control spiking case numbers. Also: More sports fans feeling they can’t sit on the sidelines right now, literally and figuratively. A Texas author weighs in on loving sports when they don’t love you back. Plus: Remembering the late actor Chadwick Boseman. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

By Texas StandardSeptember 3, 2020 9:30 am

Here’s what’s coming up on Texas Standard for Thursday, September 3, 2020. Listen on your Texas public radio station, or ask your smart speaker to play Texas Standard.

Texas Reopening Next Steps

School reopening marks a critical two-week period for the state as Texans collectively hold their breath.  Ross Ramsey, executive editor and co-founder of the Texas Tribune, writes about what to watch these next few weeks.

COVID-19 On Texas College Campuses

As public schools and colleges start classes, COVID-19 cases at Texas’ public universities are spiking. Houston Chronicle reporter Brittany Britto covers higher and has been following the uptick in cases on college campuses.

Dallas ISD Hotspots

More than 40% of Dallas households don’t have reliable internet access and that gives Dallas the worst household connection rate among major Texas cities. It’s also the sixth worst in the country. As KERA contributor Sujata Dand reports, the Dallas Independent School District has to bridge this digital divide as the school year begins with virtual learning.

Commentary: Remembering Chadwick Boseman

The news of film star Chadwick Boseman’s death over the weekend broke social media records and and broke many hearts among fans and admirers, including that of Peniel Joseph, PhD. He’s the Barbara Jordan Chair in Ethics and Political Values at the LBJ School of Public Affairs and professor of history and founding director of the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy at the University of Texas at Austin.

Bad Facebook News

Facebook has been busy lately, removing problematic accounts. But despite these well-publicized purges, Facebook continues to face withering criticism for the continued presence of content intended to misleads voters, and that encourages violence. Our tech expert Omar Gallaga has the latest on Facebook’s struggles.

Loving Sports When They Don’t Love You Back

Increasingly, sports is becoming a platform to spur social change –  both in and out of the arena. But as discussions of social justice issues take center stage, many sports lovers are grappling with how to personally justify their fandom in an industry that can be at odds with their ethical beliefs. These are themes Austin-based sports journalist Jessica Luther explores in a new book, co-authored with Kavitha A. Davidson. It’s called “Loving Sports When They Don’t Love You Back: Dilemmas of the Modern Fan.”

Lack of Child Care, Part 3

Raising children as a single parent has always been a difficult proposition. Adding a pandemic that shuts down schools and daycare has only made things worse. KUT’s ongoing series on childcare during COVID 19 continues this afternoon as KUT’s Claire McInerny introduces us to a single mom who has been struggling to find consistent child care since March.

All this and Texas News Roundup, plus Social Media Editor Wells Dunbar with the talk of Texas.

If you found the reporting above valuable, please consider making a donation to support it here. Your gift helps pay for everything you find on texasstandard.org and KUT.org. Thanks for donating today.