Rio Grande Guardian's Podcast

WESLACO, Texas - Gov. Greg Abbott says he will skip the pared-down Republican National Convention in order to focus on the COVID-19 pandemic in Texas. The impact of the coronavirus is being felt most acutely in the Rio Grand Valley, with 17,006 positive cases in Hidalgo County and 12,077 in Cameron County. Hidalgo County has seen 644 deaths while Cameron County has seen 226. Gov. Abbott was in the...

RIO GRANDE CITY, Texas - Physicians in Starr County’s only hospital will soon have to chose which COVID-19 patients they will treat and which ones will be left to die. That was the grim message from Starr County Health Authority Dr. Jose Vasquez. Interviewed by Dave Brown of Texas Standard, Vasquez said: “We are getting to the point where we are going to have to make tough decisions about who shou...

PHARR, Texas - Each week, Pharr International Bridge holds a “virtual” town hall meeting for the international trade community. The series is called BridgeConnect LIVE. Before the coronavirus pandemic struck, the Pharr International Bridge Board would hold the events in-person once a month.  Now, because of the threat of COVID-19, the events are held once a week on Facebook. The series is called “...

EDINBURG, Texas - Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez called Bishop of Brownsville Daniel Flores for spiritual guidance before announcing a new shelter at home order.  The new order also includes a curfew, essential travel limitations and a requirement for everyone to use facial coverings while outdoors. Cortez acknowledges the order is not enforceable. “Who would ever have thought back on March 2...

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas - U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela sees no alternative to shutting down the economy again in order to defeat the surge in coronavirus cases in the Rio Grande Valley. Vela made clear his views on a telephone town hall he put together with a stellar group of medical professionals. The event was co-hosted by the Rio Grande Valley Partnership and South Padre Island Chamber of Commerce....

PHARR, Texas - Each week, Pharr International Bridge holds a “virtual” town hall meeting for the international trade community. The series is called BridgeConnect LIVE. Before the coronavirus pandemic struck, the Pharr International Bridge Board would hold the events in-person once a month.  Now, because of the threat of COVID-19, the events are held once a week on Facebook. The series is called “...

MCALLEN, Texas - According to the President and CEO of the McAllen Chamber of Commerce, Steve Ahlenius, the Second Causeway Project at South Padre Island could be structured at Public/Private Partnership.  Steve Ahlenius spoke during a webinar on July 8th hosted by the Texas Association of Business to launch the Keep Texas Moving coalition.  The moderator for the webinar was the Texas Association...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In light of Mexican President López Obrador's visit to the United States to meet with President Trump this week, the Wilson Center's Mexico Institute hosted a dialogue with experts on the state of U.S.-Mexico relations. The webinar was titled "AMLO, Trump, and the Bilateral Relationship." It was moderated by Duncan Wood, director of the Mexico Institute. The...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Henry Cuellar and Diputado Mario Martín Delgado Carrillo, co-chairs of the US-Mexico Interparliamentary Group, recently hosted a virtual meeting to discuss USMCA and ways to improve US-Mexico relations. The U.S.-Mexico Interparliamentary Group has met regularly since 1961 to bring together legislators from both countries to discuss priority issues and identify ways t...

HARLINGEN, Texas - In our latest music album review we interview Caroline Shaw about her new work with the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale. Shaw is a Grammy and Pulitzer prize-winning composer. The new album is titled “PBO and Caroline Shaw.” PBO Is an ensemble based in San Francisco and has been around for a few decades.  “They are known for performing baroque music on period instrum...

PHARR, Texas - Each week, Pharr International Bridge holds a “virtual” town hall meeting for the international trade community. The series is called BridgeConnect LIVE. Before the coronavirus pandemic struck, the Pharr International Bridge Board would hold the events in-person once a month.  Now, because of the threat of COVID-19, the events are held once a week on Facebook. The series is called “...

HARLINGEN, Texas - In his regular podcast with The Rio Grande Guardian , Rev Torres reminds taxpayers that this year’s filing deadline is July 15. Torres is part of the Texas Taxpayer Assistance Project, a division of Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA). To help taxpayers get their income-tax questions answered, TRLA is holding a Facebook Live event on July 13 at 12:00 p.m.  The livestream will featu...

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - Cameron County health authority Dr. James Castillo said the people of the Rio Grande Valley are going to have to get used to living with the coronavirus for at least a year, even if a v vaccine for COVID-19 is found. Castillo spoke at a recent news conference hosted by Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño, Jr. At the event he said 80 percent of the COVID-19 infections are being...

PHARR, Texas - After 20 years of operation, Vanguard Academy has received its first ever school bus. The arrival of an International model bus from Longhorn Bus Sales in Houston was made on Monday, June 29, with the charter school’s superintendent, Dr. Narciso Garcia, on hand to take delivery.  “This is an historic day. We got the best of the best with an International bus,” Garcia said, explainin...

MCALLEN, Texas - Jorge Torres, president of Interlink Trade Services, gave his analysis of the new USMCA trade agreement recently, via a webinar hosted by the McAllen Economic Development Corporation. Torres has been a licensed customs broker for 25 years and has worked with maquiladora and customs brokerage operations for 30 years. The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement took effect July 1, rep...

PHARR, Texas – Each week, Pharr International Bridge holds a “virtual” town hall meeting for the international trade community. The series is called BridgeConnect LIVE. Before the coronavirus pandemic struck, the Pharr International Bridge Board would hold the events in-person once a month.  Now, because of the threat of COVID-19, the events are held once a week on Facebook. The series is called “...

AUSTIN, Texas - Governor Greg Abbott issued an Executive Order on July 2, 2020, requiring all Texans to wear a face covering over the nose and mouth in public spaces in counties with 20 or more positive COVID-19 cases, with few exceptions.  Abbott also issued a proclamation giving mayors and county judges the ability to impose restrictions on some outdoor gatherings of over ten people, and making...

MCALLEN, Texas - The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement took effect July 1, 2020, replacing the North American Free Trade Agreement. To celebrate, the Wilson Center in Washington, D.C., hosted a webinar with esteemed representatives from the three countries: Luz María De La Mora from Mexico, Joseph Semsar from the United States, and Ailish Campbell from Canada. The Wilson Center is home to the...

LAREDO, Texas - USMCA, the reopening of the Texas economy, and the travel ban on Mexican visitors are the topics under discussion in a podcast with IBC Bank President Dennis E. Nixon, and Vice President Gerry Schwebel. The two bankers are not pleased that Mexican visa holders cannot visit the United States. They warn that the border region’s economy could collapse if Mexican nationals are not allo...

EDINBURG, Texas - Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez and Hidalgo County Commissioner Ellie Torres on Monday hosted a roundtable about COVID-19 with healthcare and hospital leaders from across the county. Included on the panel was Dr. John Krouse, dean of the UT-Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine. Check out the Rio Grande Guardian website to read Dr. Krouse’s remarks in full. “As you know, on Su...

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño, Jr., held a press conference on Friday with the heads of four local hospitals to speak about the “dire” situation surrounding the county’s exponential uptick in COVID-19 cases.  Manny Vela, president and CEO of Valley Baptist Health System; Art Garza, CEO of Valley Regional Medical Center; Matt Wolthoff, CEO of Harlingen Medical Center; and...

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - In a Q&A during a news conference in Brownsville on Friday, Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño, Jr., and Cameron County Health Authority James Castillo were asked about the spread of COVID-19 by tourists to South Padre Island. The questions were posed by veteran broadcaster Ron Whitlock of Ron Whitlock Reports. Both Treviño and Castillo said they wished those visiting the...

EDINBURG, TEXAS - Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez and Hidalgo County Health Authority Dr. Ivan Melendez recently appeared on a Facebook LIVE to discuss COVID-19 issues. Cortez spoke about a recent surge in coronavirus cases in his county and new curfews he was putting in place in response.  Melendez participated in a Q&A with Hidalgo County’s public affairs director, Carlos Sanchez, with a...

PHARR, Texas – Each week, Pharr International Bridge holds a “virtual” town hall meeting for the international trade community. The series is called BridgeConnect LIVE. Before the coronavirus pandemic struck, the Pharr International Bridge Board would hold the events once a month.  Now, because of social distancing, the events are held via Facebook and held once a week. The series is called “The E...

MCALLEN, Texas - Stakeholders from across Hidalgo County should collaborate to address the digital divide. This is the opinion of David C. Plummer, vice president of information services and planning at South Texas College.  Plummer gave an update on STC activities at a recent McAllen Economic Development Corporation board meeting. Plummer said it is great to push more courses on online but what h...