The top local stories this evening from KERA News:
President Donald Trump has tapped another Texan for a high-ranking job. The White House announced on Thursday former Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison will become the next U.S. NATO Ambassador. Her appointment comes at a time when the president demanded that NATO member nations spend more on defense.
Hutchison is a Dallas resident and was the first woman to represent Texas in the Senate. She would replace Douglas Lute, who held the position in Barack Obama’s administration from 2013-through- 2017.
Other stories this evening:
- Drivers on crowded Plano roads could get some relief over the next year. On Thursday, the city, along with TxDot, DART and the North Texas Transit Authority unveiled new plans to ease traffic woes. KERA’s Stephanie Kuo got a look.
- Actor Kumail Nanjiani is known for his comedic roles in Silicon Valley and Portlandia. His new movie, "The Big Sick," is based on the real-life courtship of Nanjiani and his wife, Emily Gordon, all while she deals with a medical crisis. Today on Think, he talked with guest host Lauren Silverman about how the role pushed him outside his comedic comfort zone.
- More than 30 different firework displays will take place in North Texas in the next few days. That means close to one million rockets, fountains and other pyrotechnics, all set off by professionals. In this week's Artist Spotlight, Art&Seek's Hady Mawajdeh discovers there's more to it than just lighting a fuse. It's an art.
You can listen to North Texas stories weekdays at 8:22 a.m. and 6:20 p.m. on KERA 90.1 FM.
