Update: On Thursday the Pac-12 announced that it will not expand its membership and the Big 12 athletic conference is exploring options for expansion. The University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma announced they will leave the Big 12 athletic conference by the 2024-2025 academic year. The loss of Texas Tech’s fiercest competitors has left the university in a vulnerable position, and the economic hit could ripple out the community of Lubbock. The potential multi-million-dollar hit has caused lawmakers to circle back to an old debate surrounding the allocations of the Permanent Universi ..read more

COVID cases are on the rise again in Lubbock. Recently, The city has seen the highest volume of daily new cases since the start of the year. That number is expected to climb exponentially. Now, healthcare experts are calling it "the pandemic of the unvaccinated." Guests: Olivia Rae White, Reporter / Anchor, KLBK Sarah Self-Walbrick, Senior Reporter, Texas Tech Public Media Useful Links: The Life Cycle Of A COVID-19 Vaccine Lie , from NPR Interim Public Health Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People from CDC COVID-19 Integrated County View Kids, the Delta Variant and Vaccines: What to Know ..read more

Starting September 1, Texas will ban abortions as soon as a fetal heart beat is detected, which in many cases is as early as six weeks. Senate Bill 8, also known as "the heartbeat bill," passed in the latest legislative session. It is the first of its kind in the fact that unlike other laws, this law gives the power of enforcement to the people by providing a pathway for anyone to sue an abortion provider or a person who helps a women obtain the procedure—a feature very similar to an ordinance passed in Lubbock. It’s putting the legal system in uncharted territory. Guests: Ashley Lopez, Health ..read more

Texas has seen the most rural hospital closures in the last 15 years than any other place in the country. As West Texas is quickly becoming a healthcare desert, residents in some small towns are fighting to hold onto the emergency services they still have. For many, it’s been a losing battle. Guests: Jayme Lozano, Rural Healthcare reporter, Texas Tech Public Media Helpful Links: The Doctor is Out: Texas Community Worries About Future Without Local Healthcare , from Jayme Lozano The APM Research Lab is collaborating with the Texas Newsroom as a part of our coverage of rural health care issues ..read more

The Texas high plains are characterized by drier weather and the ideal elevation for grape growing, but the land is farmed for a variety of crops. Recently, it’s become somewhat of a battle, as some crops thrive and others die. The culprit is speculated to be a certain type of weedkiller, known to vaporize in the Texas heat and drift for miles, landing on vulnerable, non-resistant plants and damaging them. The herbicide drift is compromising a large chunk of Texas’ wine grape growing and has resulted in a multi-million dollar lawsuit against two large agriculture companies. Guests: Blair Sabol ..read more

Lubbock is called the capital of live music in Texas. So, what happens when the music stops? Last year when the pandemic made its way to the country, causing mass shutdowns, people in the arts were hit especially hard. Now that in person events and shows are coming back, we’re checking in on the music industry in the Hub City. Guest: Thomas Mooney, music reporter and podcast producer Helpful Links: New Slang, Thomas Mooney's podcast State of Texas, Economic Impact Study Lubbock Chorale Produces "My Fair Lady" With A Chinese Twist ..read more

Lubbock’s latest land use plan paints an image of a city with a vibrant downtown, beautiful parks, and touches of Lubbock trademarks. While the Plan Lubbock 2040 document looks to the future, parts of it contain traces of an ugly history. How can the city move forward while accounting for the past? Listen in to this episode of Listen in, Lubbock. Guests: Jonathan Seaborn, Production Director, Texas Tech Public Media Sarah Self-Walbrick, Senior Reporter, Texas Tech Public Media Helpful Links: Beyond the Report, Season 2: A Plan for Progress ..read more

This weekend, over 80 thousand Lubbock Power and Light customers will make the transition to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) Grid. The transition comes just a few months after a massive winter storm crippled the grid, leaving millions of Texans without power as they grappled with freezing temperatures. The Texas Tribune reported that over 100 people died as a result of the storm—most from hypothermia—however, more recently BuzzFeed's data review estimates that number is much higher . As the city approaches the transition, Lubbock officials are hopeful that this year’s grid di ..read more

Almost half of Texas residents are vaccinated. It’s estimated that at this rate, the state will reach herd immunity— or 70% vaccinated —by November. Now that mask mandates ease up things are starting to feel close to the "old" normal, but some areas are coming up against a major obstacle: vaccine hesitancy. It’s led cities like Lubbock and Odessa to shift to targeted efforts to get shots in arms. Guests: Sarah Self-Walbrick, Senior reporter, Texas Tech Public Media Mitch Borden, Reporter, Marfa Public Radio Helpful Links: COVID-19 Vaccinations in Texas, State Dashboard Demand For Vaccines Drop ..read more

Over the past 15 years Texas has seen more rural hospital closures than any other state in the country — 24 to be exact. As the pandemic swept through the state and overloaded hospitals, it exposed the brittle relationship between the urban and rural healthcare systems. It’s a delicate balance and Lubbock plays a vital role as a medical hub in the healthcare desert of West Texas. Guest: Jayme Lozano, rural healthcare reporter Related Articles: Rural Health And Hospitals: A Focus On Texas Fight for Healthcare Access in Rural East Texas Continues as Some of the State’s Hospitals Face Closures ..read more