Five stories that have North Texas talking: A way-maker for Latino politicians, Billy Gibbons' lesser-known place in early psych-rock, KXT 91.7's live SXSW broadcast and more.
Last week, a Texas Latino trailblazer died in his home. Raymond Telles was the first Mexican-American mayor of El Paso. He was also a former U.S. Ambassador to Costa Rica under President John F. Kennedy. Telles had an impact on Texas leaders like Henry Cisneros, who spoke of Telles' legacy onTell Me More.
- Governor Rick Perry continues to stand his ground against Medicaid expansion -- dashing hopes of some Texans that he would join other GOP governors in allowing for more assistance under the ACA. At the Conservative Political Action Committee (CPAC) in Washington D.C., Perry said Republican governors who came around to the expansion “folded in the face of federal bribery and mounting pressure.” [Texas Tribune]
- So who are the patients receiving Medicaid in Texas again? A tiny slice: Three-fourths of the special-needs kids in Austin's Children's Comprehensive Care Clinic rely on the program for treatment of diseases like cerebral palsy and epilepsy. This pilot program coordinates care for particularly needy children who require a host of specialists and nurses to get by from day to day – and whose parents don't have funds to waste. [NY Times]
- As SXSW winds down in Austin, we take a look back at the ways Texas bands have influenced genre and style. We all know ZZ Top's place in pop culture, but Houston's own Billy Gibbons began his profound influence on the Guitar Hero generation before that band ever formed. Along with Dan Mitchell on drums, he helped forge a trend in garage-psychadelia that still sticks in Texas and elsewhere. [Fresh Air]
- There's still time to experience the madness that is SXSW without a wristband – and you don't even have to sleep on the floor with a towel as your blanket. Today at noon, our sister station KXT 91.7 is broadcasting Public Radio Rocks live featuring a stellar lineup of listener favorites like Vampire Weekend, Iron and Wine, and Emmylou Harris with Rodney Crowell. Anything You Ever Wanted to Know is on vacation, so it's the perfect time to (barely) turn that dial from KERA 90.1. [KXT]
