1 00:00:01,720 --> 00:00:03,560 Speaker 1: When all of this first started, one of the things 2 00:00:03,560 --> 00:00:06,640 Speaker 1: that was said was that there would be rolling blackouts, 3 00:00:07,280 --> 00:00:10,360 Speaker 1: but we never experienced, you know, a rolling blackout. 4 00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:24,880 Speaker 2: From futuro media, It's Latino USA. I'm Maria ino Josa today, 5 00:00:25,239 --> 00:00:35,320 Speaker 2: a dispatch from a border state without power. The recent 6 00:00:35,479 --> 00:00:39,320 Speaker 2: power outages in Texas, a consequence of the historic winter 7 00:00:39,440 --> 00:00:43,240 Speaker 2: storm that struck the area, have shaken the lone Star state, 8 00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:47,760 Speaker 2: and while power has been restored for many, the repercussions 9 00:00:47,760 --> 00:00:51,320 Speaker 2: are deep. The storm left millions without power and water 10 00:00:51,600 --> 00:00:52,680 Speaker 2: for days. 11 00:00:52,840 --> 00:00:56,240 Speaker 3: The entire state for the first time in weather history. 12 00:00:56,520 --> 00:00:59,480 Speaker 4: Under that winter storm warning. We also had portions in 13 00:00:59,560 --> 00:01:02,680 Speaker 4: West tex Is that we're under a blizzard warning. Many 14 00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:06,920 Speaker 4: people are placing the blame on renewable energy and frozen turbines, 15 00:01:06,959 --> 00:01:09,720 Speaker 4: but the vast majority of energy the state generates is 16 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:13,480 Speaker 4: through natural gas, when turbines account for less than thirteen 17 00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:16,280 Speaker 4: percent of the total generation that was lost. 18 00:01:16,600 --> 00:01:21,520 Speaker 5: The truth is that a privatized, deregulated energy system is 19 00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:25,200 Speaker 5: at fault, and they knew they had problems to fix, 20 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:28,320 Speaker 5: and they've known this since twenty eleven, but they didn't 21 00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:28,840 Speaker 5: do it. 22 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:33,760 Speaker 2: One of our Latino USA producers Rinaldo Leanos Junior is 23 00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:37,880 Speaker 2: based in the Rio Grande Valley and during these difficult times, 24 00:01:38,040 --> 00:01:42,800 Speaker 2: documented his family's experience. So today a reporter's notebook from 25 00:01:42,920 --> 00:01:45,800 Speaker 2: La Frontea from Rinaldo Leanos Junior. 26 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:55,080 Speaker 1: We're going on almost forty eight hours of not having 27 00:01:55,240 --> 00:01:59,240 Speaker 1: any power down here in the Mission Palm View area, 28 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:05,120 Speaker 1: and thankfully today it's not as cold as it was, 29 00:02:05,320 --> 00:02:09,120 Speaker 1: you know, the past forty eight hours. It's only about 30 00:02:09,320 --> 00:02:12,880 Speaker 1: thirty seven degrees right now, which at least it's not, 31 00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:19,120 Speaker 1: you know, below freezing temperatures like it was yesterday. I 32 00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:21,960 Speaker 1: recorded this from my room on a Tuesday night. It 33 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:25,240 Speaker 1: was pitch black except for a small battery powered lantern 34 00:02:25,639 --> 00:02:28,560 Speaker 1: that I had with me. I had layers of clothes 35 00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:31,160 Speaker 1: on and a beanie on my almost all shaved head 36 00:02:31,320 --> 00:02:34,919 Speaker 1: to try and stay warm. Our power went out early 37 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:39,080 Speaker 1: Monday morning, when temperatures were below freezing, and that evening 38 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:42,000 Speaker 1: people living in cities north of here were bracing for 39 00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:47,440 Speaker 1: snow and freezing temperatures. Again, I don't remember ever feeling 40 00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:50,760 Speaker 1: this cold in the valley. I had dealt with cold 41 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:52,959 Speaker 1: weather in New York City, where I lived for a while, 42 00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:56,440 Speaker 1: but not in the RGV. It did snow once down 43 00:02:56,480 --> 00:02:58,920 Speaker 1: here when I was younger, but that was also a 44 00:02:59,040 --> 00:03:01,840 Speaker 1: historic event, and it was only a tiny bit, and 45 00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:05,360 Speaker 1: we had power and heat on other colder days. I 46 00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:07,360 Speaker 1: just make it a point to not go out, and 47 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:09,720 Speaker 1: if I had to, I knew I was lucky enough 48 00:03:09,720 --> 00:03:16,280 Speaker 1: to be coming back to some warms we never experienced, 49 00:03:16,360 --> 00:03:19,080 Speaker 1: you know, a rolling blackout. The closest thing to that 50 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:23,880 Speaker 1: was at around two am on Monday morning. The lights 51 00:03:23,880 --> 00:03:25,680 Speaker 1: went out and then they came back for maybe about 52 00:03:25,720 --> 00:03:28,919 Speaker 1: ten seconds, and then they turned back off, and then 53 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:31,399 Speaker 1: maybe they came back for another fifteen or ten seconds, 54 00:03:31,840 --> 00:03:34,600 Speaker 1: and then they just you know, ended up staying off. 55 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:39,040 Speaker 1: When I listened back to this recording, I now know 56 00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:43,560 Speaker 1: that some communities like mine never experienced these so called 57 00:03:43,720 --> 00:03:48,800 Speaker 1: rolling blackouts. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or CAUGHT, 58 00:03:49,120 --> 00:03:53,240 Speaker 1: is the state's great operator. Texas, unlike other states across 59 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:56,600 Speaker 1: the country, has an independent power grid where the majority 60 00:03:56,600 --> 00:03:59,680 Speaker 1: of the state gets its power from. This got a 61 00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:03,080 Speaker 1: lot of national attention during the fallout after the winter storm, 62 00:04:03,520 --> 00:04:06,640 Speaker 1: especially when news came up that officials were warned almost 63 00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:10,080 Speaker 1: ten years ago that Texas needed to winterize its power 64 00:04:10,160 --> 00:04:13,760 Speaker 1: grid Arcot said they were minutes and seconds away from 65 00:04:13,760 --> 00:04:17,200 Speaker 1: a catastrophic blackout that could have left Texans without power 66 00:04:17,360 --> 00:04:22,159 Speaker 1: for months. Here's Bill Magnus, the CEO and president of URKOT, 67 00:04:22,200 --> 00:04:22,839 Speaker 1: on CNN. 68 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:26,359 Speaker 6: What we saw when storm came in was the demand 69 00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:29,039 Speaker 6: on the system spiking to levels we've never seen in 70 00:04:29,080 --> 00:04:33,080 Speaker 6: the winter season in Texas, and the supply also because 71 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:35,839 Speaker 6: of the storm, having a lot of the generation plants 72 00:04:35,920 --> 00:04:39,760 Speaker 6: knocked out as the storm blew through the state. So 73 00:04:39,839 --> 00:04:43,599 Speaker 6: we had the worst kind of combination we could see, 74 00:04:43,839 --> 00:04:45,760 Speaker 6: and we got to a point where we weren't going 75 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:47,720 Speaker 6: to be able to serve the demand, and we had 76 00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:51,640 Speaker 6: to ask for outages that unfortunately had to stay in 77 00:04:51,640 --> 00:04:53,880 Speaker 6: place for days until we could stabilize the system. 78 00:04:54,320 --> 00:04:57,760 Speaker 1: On March third, the URKOT Board of Directors gave Magnus 79 00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:01,080 Speaker 1: a sixty de termination notice and began to search for 80 00:05:01,120 --> 00:05:05,320 Speaker 1: his replacement. My parents and I were among the families 81 00:05:05,320 --> 00:05:09,760 Speaker 1: who's outage lasted for days. Before recording myself in my room, 82 00:05:10,200 --> 00:05:12,520 Speaker 1: I sat down with my parents in our living room 83 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:15,480 Speaker 1: to get the reaction to what was going on. Here's 84 00:05:15,560 --> 00:05:16,360 Speaker 1: my dad. 85 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:20,039 Speaker 7: They should let us know at least on time, too, 86 00:05:20,120 --> 00:05:22,000 Speaker 7: so we can go, we can so we can get 87 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:26,360 Speaker 7: prepared because, like as your mom, we tried to pay 88 00:05:26,400 --> 00:05:29,080 Speaker 7: our bills every month so he won't be laid so 89 00:05:29,080 --> 00:05:34,680 Speaker 7: they won't disconnect our power or electricity. And then when 90 00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:38,840 Speaker 7: we needed the most, they they disconnected power. You know, 91 00:05:39,279 --> 00:05:39,960 Speaker 7: we don't have light. 92 00:05:40,920 --> 00:05:43,000 Speaker 1: My family and I were not ready for this type 93 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:46,440 Speaker 1: of situation, mostly because we hardly deal with temperatures this 94 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:49,320 Speaker 1: cold down here on the border, and when we've lost 95 00:05:49,360 --> 00:05:53,520 Speaker 1: power before, it's come back pretty quickly. Thankfully. We had 96 00:05:53,520 --> 00:05:56,800 Speaker 1: a small tank of propane and a portable burner that 97 00:05:56,880 --> 00:05:59,359 Speaker 1: you can power up using some of that propaine to 98 00:05:59,440 --> 00:06:02,200 Speaker 1: cook with, kind of like what you use when you 99 00:06:02,320 --> 00:06:06,000 Speaker 1: o camping. During our first few days in the dark, 100 00:06:06,200 --> 00:06:08,719 Speaker 1: my mom cooked things like ground beef with corn and 101 00:06:08,760 --> 00:06:12,400 Speaker 1: potato and eggs in that portable burner before the eggs 102 00:06:12,440 --> 00:06:16,480 Speaker 1: and meat spoiled. We also had tuna sandwiches and some fruit. 103 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:19,520 Speaker 1: Unlike in neighboring towns, a lot of the fast food 104 00:06:19,520 --> 00:06:22,600 Speaker 1: restaurants around us didn't have power, so that meant there 105 00:06:22,640 --> 00:06:26,640 Speaker 1: wasn't food to buy from unless we traveled a little bite. 106 00:06:29,520 --> 00:06:31,480 Speaker 1: On the third day of the power outage, my mom 107 00:06:31,560 --> 00:06:33,440 Speaker 1: and dad had to throw things out of our fridge 108 00:06:33,480 --> 00:06:36,520 Speaker 1: because they were starting to go bad. Things like milk, 109 00:06:36,720 --> 00:06:41,039 Speaker 1: leftover eggs, ham, condiments, chicken, and other items had to 110 00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:43,560 Speaker 1: be disposed of. I asked my mom if she had 111 00:06:43,560 --> 00:06:46,080 Speaker 1: ever experienced anything like this. 112 00:06:46,080 --> 00:06:49,919 Speaker 8: This brought back memories because as clod as it was, 113 00:06:50,839 --> 00:06:55,200 Speaker 8: even though it wasn't freezing, when I was younger, I 114 00:06:55,240 --> 00:07:00,160 Speaker 8: felt the same cold growing up. I wish that I 115 00:07:00,160 --> 00:07:02,600 Speaker 8: would never have to go through this again. And I 116 00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:04,920 Speaker 8: can't believe this happened. I mean when we were little, 117 00:07:05,920 --> 00:07:09,320 Speaker 8: I mean we only had one heater and we were 118 00:07:09,320 --> 00:07:12,920 Speaker 8: all huddle around it and at least we had some 119 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:17,600 Speaker 8: sort of heat. But the nights were brutal. I mean 120 00:07:17,640 --> 00:07:21,360 Speaker 8: they were so cold, and that's what I felt like 121 00:07:21,480 --> 00:07:24,680 Speaker 8: if I was back in my childhood, you know, spending 122 00:07:24,760 --> 00:07:26,040 Speaker 8: the cold night. 123 00:07:26,960 --> 00:07:29,800 Speaker 1: My dad also said he experienced something similar when he 124 00:07:29,880 --> 00:07:30,400 Speaker 1: was a kid. 125 00:07:30,920 --> 00:07:34,400 Speaker 7: I can't really remember that because I don't want to 126 00:07:34,400 --> 00:07:37,760 Speaker 7: go back to that time because it wasn't didn't feel good. 127 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:40,320 Speaker 1: Both my mom and dad have told me throughout the 128 00:07:40,360 --> 00:07:42,640 Speaker 1: years about some of the poverty that they lived through 129 00:07:42,720 --> 00:07:45,480 Speaker 1: while growing up in towns close to where we currently live, 130 00:07:45,960 --> 00:07:48,720 Speaker 1: and it seemed like this winter storm and blackout brought 131 00:07:48,720 --> 00:07:52,720 Speaker 1: back some of those memories, memories that we realized had 132 00:07:52,760 --> 00:07:56,520 Speaker 1: stuck with them all these years. Hearing this from my 133 00:07:56,600 --> 00:07:59,360 Speaker 1: parents made me feel sad. I could tell my mom 134 00:07:59,440 --> 00:08:02,200 Speaker 1: was concerned. She would ask among us when we thought 135 00:08:02,200 --> 00:08:05,280 Speaker 1: we might get power back, and that she couldn't believe 136 00:08:05,360 --> 00:08:08,800 Speaker 1: this had happened. My dad kept a pretty serious face. 137 00:08:09,680 --> 00:08:12,320 Speaker 1: I tried my best to keep a positive attitude and 138 00:08:12,400 --> 00:08:15,280 Speaker 1: would play with our cats to make us laugh. Our cats, 139 00:08:15,280 --> 00:08:18,360 Speaker 1: Simba and Lana, had blankets to stay warm with, and 140 00:08:18,480 --> 00:08:20,920 Speaker 1: for the first time, my parents were okay with letting 141 00:08:20,920 --> 00:08:24,119 Speaker 1: them sleep with them on their bed. But it wasn't 142 00:08:24,160 --> 00:08:26,840 Speaker 1: just my parents or me with this sense of anxiety 143 00:08:26,960 --> 00:08:30,720 Speaker 1: and feelings. On social media, some people in Texas were 144 00:08:30,760 --> 00:08:33,760 Speaker 1: talking about what it was like going through this historic storm. 145 00:08:34,760 --> 00:08:37,520 Speaker 1: They said things like how them not having power and 146 00:08:37,600 --> 00:08:40,520 Speaker 1: not knowing when they would get it back triggered memories 147 00:08:40,559 --> 00:08:42,280 Speaker 1: of what it was like for them to live through 148 00:08:42,360 --> 00:08:46,160 Speaker 1: Hurricane Maria and Puerto Rico. Another post I saw said 149 00:08:46,160 --> 00:08:49,720 Speaker 1: house sitting in their cold, candlelit room reminded them of 150 00:08:49,760 --> 00:08:53,800 Speaker 1: a moment back in foster care. It was getting late, 151 00:08:53,880 --> 00:08:56,280 Speaker 1: so I started to wrap up my recording for the night. 152 00:08:58,240 --> 00:09:00,880 Speaker 1: I'm probably going to go to bed really soon because 153 00:09:01,320 --> 00:09:04,960 Speaker 1: you know, there isn't much to do, and I also 154 00:09:05,000 --> 00:09:08,079 Speaker 1: don't want to waste all the battery on my phone 155 00:09:08,120 --> 00:09:10,120 Speaker 1: because I have less than ten percent at this time. 156 00:09:10,280 --> 00:09:14,240 Speaker 1: So I'll check in, you know, tomorrow and see if 157 00:09:14,280 --> 00:09:20,480 Speaker 1: we have power. I usually go to bed around midnight 158 00:09:20,520 --> 00:09:22,920 Speaker 1: and check the news and social media until the very 159 00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:25,679 Speaker 1: last minute. But during the power outage, what kept me 160 00:09:25,800 --> 00:09:28,560 Speaker 1: up was thinking about how we didn't know when it 161 00:09:28,559 --> 00:09:31,920 Speaker 1: would end. From what I had seen on social media. 162 00:09:32,160 --> 00:09:36,320 Speaker 1: Nobody really knew exactly when we get power back. That night, 163 00:09:36,480 --> 00:09:38,840 Speaker 1: I slept with layers of clothes on and with about 164 00:09:38,880 --> 00:09:41,240 Speaker 1: three blankets on top of me to try and stay warm. 165 00:09:41,880 --> 00:09:44,480 Speaker 1: I remember tossing and turning at night because I couldn't 166 00:09:44,480 --> 00:09:48,120 Speaker 1: sleep comfortably. I also kept thinking about how things were 167 00:09:48,160 --> 00:09:50,840 Speaker 1: so much worse up in the northern parts of Texas 168 00:09:51,160 --> 00:09:54,240 Speaker 1: because they were dealing with snow and ice. I was 169 00:09:54,280 --> 00:09:58,120 Speaker 1: also thinking about asylum seekers at the migrant camp in Matamoros, Mexico, 170 00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:00,520 Speaker 1: because I'd report on them and I knew a lot 171 00:10:00,520 --> 00:10:03,720 Speaker 1: of them. Now they've started to allow them into the 172 00:10:03,880 --> 00:10:07,240 Speaker 1: US to go through their asylum process, but at the 173 00:10:07,280 --> 00:10:10,439 Speaker 1: time of the storm, they had posted videos of icicles 174 00:10:10,480 --> 00:10:14,560 Speaker 1: hanging from the tents they slept in. Hundreds, if not thousands, 175 00:10:14,559 --> 00:10:17,120 Speaker 1: of sea turtles were cold stunned near the beach in 176 00:10:17,160 --> 00:10:20,240 Speaker 1: the Gulf of Mexico and were being rescued, and I 177 00:10:20,320 --> 00:10:24,360 Speaker 1: knew that crops would be destroyed down here. I'm usually 178 00:10:24,400 --> 00:10:27,480 Speaker 1: pretty restless at night, but that night I had a 179 00:10:27,520 --> 00:10:32,760 Speaker 1: lot on my mind. So today it's Wednesday, and it's 180 00:10:32,800 --> 00:10:36,680 Speaker 1: around nine thirty in the morning, and we still don't 181 00:10:36,679 --> 00:10:46,480 Speaker 1: have power. Thankfully, today would be a somewhat warmer day. 182 00:10:46,960 --> 00:10:49,360 Speaker 1: There were still long lines at the gas station, and 183 00:10:49,400 --> 00:10:52,480 Speaker 1: some still didn't have power, so their pumps weren't working. 184 00:10:52,760 --> 00:10:55,400 Speaker 1: My dad had gone to the grocery store and said 185 00:10:55,480 --> 00:10:58,440 Speaker 1: the shelves were pretty empty and people look stressed out. 186 00:10:59,040 --> 00:11:01,360 Speaker 1: Two of my uncles, we live about fifteen minutes from 187 00:11:01,360 --> 00:11:04,600 Speaker 1: my house, had power, so we were fortunate enough to 188 00:11:04,880 --> 00:11:08,000 Speaker 1: have been able to have showered and charge our devices 189 00:11:08,040 --> 00:11:10,960 Speaker 1: at one of their houses the day before. While I 190 00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:13,720 Speaker 1: was there, I had a heightened sense of caution and 191 00:11:13,760 --> 00:11:16,600 Speaker 1: anxiety every time I would turn on a light or 192 00:11:16,720 --> 00:11:20,360 Speaker 1: plug something in, because I was worried that whatever light 193 00:11:20,559 --> 00:11:24,000 Speaker 1: or outlet I used would possibly result in their power 194 00:11:24,080 --> 00:11:26,880 Speaker 1: going out, and then it would be my fault and 195 00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:31,080 Speaker 1: I'd feel guilty. I started catching up on yous and 196 00:11:31,120 --> 00:11:33,559 Speaker 1: reading about how some people across the state had no 197 00:11:33,720 --> 00:11:37,920 Speaker 1: running water, pipes were bursting because of freezing temperatures, people 198 00:11:37,960 --> 00:11:41,160 Speaker 1: had died because of carbon monoxide poisoning, and how there 199 00:11:41,160 --> 00:11:44,760 Speaker 1: were boil water notices. I went to bed later that night, 200 00:11:44,800 --> 00:11:47,320 Speaker 1: frustrated was what was going on across the state and 201 00:11:47,360 --> 00:11:51,720 Speaker 1: some other rhetoric I was hearing, there is another coal 202 00:11:51,800 --> 00:11:56,600 Speaker 1: front that's on its way. What temperatures also expected to 203 00:11:56,640 --> 00:12:01,640 Speaker 1: be below freezing, So we'll see how you know that 204 00:12:01,920 --> 00:12:06,760 Speaker 1: plays out. You know, temperatures are supposed to get colder tomorrow, 205 00:12:06,800 --> 00:12:10,280 Speaker 1: and we're already talking about how we might go spend 206 00:12:10,280 --> 00:12:13,640 Speaker 1: the night at one of our on one of my 207 00:12:13,720 --> 00:12:17,880 Speaker 1: uncle's houses tomorrow, so we might have to do that. 208 00:12:21,600 --> 00:12:23,680 Speaker 1: As we started to drive to my uncle's house to 209 00:12:23,720 --> 00:12:26,720 Speaker 1: spend the night there on Thursday evening, the plan was 210 00:12:26,760 --> 00:12:28,800 Speaker 1: that my mom and I would sleep over there and 211 00:12:28,840 --> 00:12:30,640 Speaker 1: my dad would come back to the house to stay 212 00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:33,120 Speaker 1: with our cats and to see if the power would 213 00:12:33,120 --> 00:12:35,800 Speaker 1: come back. When we got to the end of our street. 214 00:12:35,840 --> 00:12:38,640 Speaker 1: We spotted a truck from our electric company, and we 215 00:12:38,720 --> 00:12:42,439 Speaker 1: hope that maybe they'd be restoring our power soon. When 216 00:12:42,440 --> 00:12:44,440 Speaker 1: we got to my uncle's house, my mom called our 217 00:12:44,520 --> 00:12:48,040 Speaker 1: landline to see if it would ring. She doubt the number, 218 00:12:48,320 --> 00:12:54,520 Speaker 1: and it rang. That meant we had power back. We 219 00:12:54,679 --> 00:12:57,320 Speaker 1: breathe a sigh of relief and hope that when we 220 00:12:57,360 --> 00:12:59,760 Speaker 1: got home the power was still on because there had 221 00:12:59,800 --> 00:13:03,680 Speaker 1: been some instances where people lost their power again shortly 222 00:13:03,720 --> 00:13:06,840 Speaker 1: after getting it back. We thanked my aunt and my 223 00:13:06,920 --> 00:13:10,040 Speaker 1: uncle and drove home. The first thing I did when 224 00:13:10,040 --> 00:13:13,680 Speaker 1: I got home was take a warm shower. I got 225 00:13:13,720 --> 00:13:16,440 Speaker 1: nervous turning on any lights because I was afraid any 226 00:13:16,480 --> 00:13:19,360 Speaker 1: little thing could cause the power to go out. My 227 00:13:19,400 --> 00:13:21,960 Speaker 1: family and I made sure to unplug things that we 228 00:13:22,040 --> 00:13:25,000 Speaker 1: didn't need to try and conserve as much energy as possible. 229 00:13:25,679 --> 00:13:28,000 Speaker 1: When we sat down to watch the news, we saw 230 00:13:28,040 --> 00:13:31,520 Speaker 1: that so many people across the state still didn't have power, 231 00:13:31,920 --> 00:13:34,880 Speaker 1: and water was not accessible, and that power in the 232 00:13:35,000 --> 00:13:39,800 Speaker 1: RGV was spotty. News was also breaking that Texas Senator 233 00:13:39,880 --> 00:13:42,000 Speaker 1: Ted Cruise traveled to Gankun. 234 00:13:42,400 --> 00:13:46,559 Speaker 3: Being in the teens and the twenties, outside, our girls 235 00:13:46,559 --> 00:13:50,120 Speaker 3: asked said look, school's been canceled for the week. Can 236 00:13:50,200 --> 00:13:53,920 Speaker 3: we take a trip and go somewhere warm? And Heidi 237 00:13:53,960 --> 00:13:56,800 Speaker 3: and I, as parents, we said okay, sure, And so 238 00:13:57,000 --> 00:14:00,440 Speaker 3: last night I flew down with them to the beach, 239 00:14:01,160 --> 00:14:03,640 Speaker 3: and then I flew back this afternoon. I had initially 240 00:14:03,679 --> 00:14:06,920 Speaker 3: planned to stay through the weekend and to work remotely there. 241 00:14:07,160 --> 00:14:11,840 Speaker 1: The finger pointing and accountability would continue. Community organizers would 242 00:14:11,840 --> 00:14:14,640 Speaker 1: step up and help during these times as best they could. 243 00:14:15,240 --> 00:14:20,200 Speaker 1: Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez would raise millions for Texas relief, 244 00:14:20,280 --> 00:14:21,600 Speaker 1: and she traveled to Houston. 245 00:14:22,440 --> 00:14:26,440 Speaker 9: Disasters don't strike everyone equally when you already have so 246 00:14:26,600 --> 00:14:29,400 Speaker 9: many families in the state and across the country that 247 00:14:29,440 --> 00:14:32,680 Speaker 9: are on the brink that can't even afford an emergency 248 00:14:32,720 --> 00:14:35,520 Speaker 9: to begin with. When you have a disaster like this, 249 00:14:36,120 --> 00:14:39,720 Speaker 9: it can just set people back for years, not just 250 00:14:39,800 --> 00:14:40,280 Speaker 9: for days. 251 00:14:41,400 --> 00:14:44,400 Speaker 1: Since the winter storm, at least seven URCOT board members 252 00:14:44,400 --> 00:14:48,320 Speaker 1: have resigned. Some Texans have received high electric bills after 253 00:14:48,360 --> 00:14:51,640 Speaker 1: the storm. Governor Greg Abbott has said that there will 254 00:14:51,640 --> 00:14:56,280 Speaker 1: be an investigation into ERKOT. On February twenty sixth, President 255 00:14:56,320 --> 00:14:59,840 Speaker 1: and Joe Biden visited the state, days after he approved 256 00:14:59,880 --> 00:15:03,920 Speaker 1: a major Disaster declaration that would allow federal resources to 257 00:15:03,960 --> 00:15:07,400 Speaker 1: help the state. As for me and my family, we've 258 00:15:07,520 --> 00:15:09,960 Speaker 1: kind of gone back to normal, but we now know 259 00:15:10,440 --> 00:15:13,920 Speaker 1: that we should be prepared for climate events even during 260 00:15:13,920 --> 00:15:18,720 Speaker 1: the winter, no longer just during hurricane season. I look 261 00:15:18,800 --> 00:15:22,520 Speaker 1: forward to seeing what changes, if any, come after the 262 00:15:22,560 --> 00:15:25,480 Speaker 1: most recent dark days in the state of Texas. 263 00:16:01,360 --> 00:16:04,600 Speaker 2: This episode was produced by Renaldo Leanos Junior and edited 264 00:16:04,640 --> 00:16:09,240 Speaker 2: by Andrea Lopez Grusado. The Latino USA team includes Leel Bassiez, 265 00:16:09,440 --> 00:16:14,960 Speaker 2: Marta Martinez, Julieta Martinelli, alisaes Carce, Gini montalbo Alejandra Salasad, 266 00:16:15,160 --> 00:16:18,320 Speaker 2: and Julia Rojan, with help from Raoul Perees. Our engineers 267 00:16:18,320 --> 00:16:21,640 Speaker 2: are Stephanie Lebau, Julia Caruso, and Lia Shaw, with help 268 00:16:21,640 --> 00:16:25,120 Speaker 2: from Alicia ba YouTube and Gabriela Baez. Our digital editor 269 00:16:25,160 --> 00:16:28,880 Speaker 2: is Luis Luna. Our interns are Samantha Friedman and Carli Rubin. 270 00:16:29,200 --> 00:16:32,280 Speaker 2: Our theme music was composed by See Robinos. If you 271 00:16:32,360 --> 00:16:34,680 Speaker 2: like the music you heard on this episode, stop by 272 00:16:34,720 --> 00:16:38,200 Speaker 2: Latinousa dot org and check out our weekly Spotify playlist. 273 00:16:38,680 --> 00:16:42,080 Speaker 2: Before we go, We've got a question for you. Latino 274 00:16:42,160 --> 00:16:45,280 Speaker 2: USA wants to know what questions you have about the 275 00:16:45,320 --> 00:16:49,880 Speaker 2: COVID nineteen vaccine and the vaccination process. We want to 276 00:16:49,920 --> 00:16:53,240 Speaker 2: try and help you find answers. So call us at 277 00:16:53,280 --> 00:16:56,960 Speaker 2: six four six five seven one one two two four. 278 00:16:57,480 --> 00:17:01,440 Speaker 2: That's six four six five seven to one one two 279 00:17:01,480 --> 00:17:04,800 Speaker 2: two four and leave us a voicemail or send a 280 00:17:04,880 --> 00:17:07,280 Speaker 2: voice memo with your questions and a little bit about 281 00:17:07,280 --> 00:17:13,400 Speaker 2: yourself to audience at latinousa dot org. That's audience at 282 00:17:13,600 --> 00:17:17,239 Speaker 2: latinousa dot org. We'll be listening to all of your 283 00:17:17,320 --> 00:17:20,919 Speaker 2: voice memos and your question might be featured on an 284 00:17:21,040 --> 00:17:26,600 Speaker 2: upcoming episode. Bess Yes, I'm your host and executive producer 285 00:17:26,680 --> 00:17:29,639 Speaker 2: Maria Jojosa. Join us again on our next episode, and 286 00:17:29,680 --> 00:17:31,639 Speaker 2: in the meantime, lo look for us on all of 287 00:17:31,680 --> 00:17:36,760 Speaker 2: your social media aidosbo astell, Aproxima, CCHAO. 288 00:17:39,600 --> 00:17:42,639 Speaker 10: Funding for Latino USA is coverage of a culture of 289 00:17:42,720 --> 00:17:45,280 Speaker 10: Health is made possible in part by a grant from 290 00:17:45,320 --> 00:17:49,960 Speaker 10: the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Latino USA is made possible 291 00:17:50,000 --> 00:17:55,720 Speaker 10: in part by the Heisin Simons Foundation. Unlocking knowledge, opportunity 292 00:17:56,000 --> 00:18:02,760 Speaker 10: and possibilities more at hsfoundation dot org and the Ford Foundation, 293 00:18:03,400 --> 00:18:08,560 Speaker 10: working with visionaries on the front lines of social change worldwide. 294 00:18:11,280 --> 00:18:15,159 Speaker 2: This episode was produced by wep Okay Here we Go. 295 00:18:16,840 --> 00:18:20,200 Speaker 2: I'm Maria no Hoosa. Next time on latinw USA, it's 296 00:18:20,240 --> 00:18:23,960 Speaker 2: been a year since COVID nineteen paralyzed the world. We 297 00:18:24,119 --> 00:18:27,440 Speaker 2: check in with those impacted across the country, from asylum 298 00:18:27,480 --> 00:18:30,639 Speaker 2: seekers waiting at the border to restaurant owners in the 299 00:18:30,680 --> 00:18:31,320 Speaker 2: South Bronx. 300 00:18:31,720 --> 00:18:34,080 Speaker 1: I'll try to remember every time, this could be my daddy, 301 00:18:34,119 --> 00:18:36,160 Speaker 1: this would be my mama that we're burying. 302 00:18:36,359 --> 00:18:38,320 Speaker 2: That's next time on Latin USA.