The top local stories this evening from KERA News:
Early voting for the Texas primaries kicked off a week ago, and voter turnout is up across the board. Sam Taylor with the Texas Secretary of State’s Office says typically 15 percent of the state’s registered voters cast ballots in midterm primaries.
“Now turnout is up in both of those primaries, but we are seeing higher levels of participation in the Democratic primaries," Taylor said. "So now it’s on track to sort of be on par; whereas, it’s not twice as many Republican primary voters as Democratic primary voters. Now, they’re a little closer to each other.”
Texas also has a record number of potential voters this year. More than 15 million people are registered to vote.
Other stories this evening:
- A statewide Democratic primary candidate has been making the rounds in North Texas. El Paso Democratic Congressman Beto O’Rourke is running for Senate, the seat held by incumbent Republican Sen. Ted Cruz. Over the weekend, O'Rourke stopped by a few Tarrant County cities — a Republican and Tea Party hot spot. Abby Livingston is a reporter for the Texas Tribune, and today on Texas Standard, she told Laura Rice about his rallies in the Mid-Cities.
- On Tuesdays, KERA’s One Crisis Away project examines life on the financial edge. Today, an in-depth look at the health consequences that come with childhood trauma. Whether a child is suffering from neglect, living with a substance-abusing or simply overwhelmed parent. Over time, those stressors can take a toll on the body, and mind. Krys Boyd talked with Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, founder and CEO of The Center for Youth Wellness in San Francisco.
You can listen to North Texas stories weekdays at 8:22 a.m. and 6:20 p.m. on KERA 90.1 FM.
