News

Sunday afternoon marks the season finale of the San Antonio Chamber Music Society for 2012-13. The concert at Temple Beth-El features the hottest French group in chamber music, Quatour Ebene. They have been heralded by critics far and wide as the gold standard in music making.

Cellist Raphael Merlin took some time before the quartet left Paris to talk with TPR's John Clare about touring, their new Mendelssohn album, and switching violinists. Hear the interview in the audio player above.

In the first segment:

Kevin Moriarty from Methodist Healthcare Ministries and John Davidson from the Texas Public Policy Foundation talk about the pros and cons of Medicaid expansion in Texas.

Though Gov. Rick Perry has been staunchly opposed to expanding Medicaid in line with the Affordable Care Act, some Republicans don't want to leave the money on the table.

On a unanimous vote, a bill authored by Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, to require all welfare recipients to take a drug test passed the Texas Senate. 

The bill requires every Texas Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipient go through a drug-screen, which could include a one-on-one interview or questionnaire.

Nelson said her bill also provides $300 million towards rehab.

After a complaint from the San Antonio Independent School District, the Texas Education Agency has suspended or put on probation several tutoring agencies that may have committed fraud.

SAISD filed its complaint in February, claiming several tutoring agencies were falsely submitting names of students they may not have tutored for reimbursement of more than $280,000.

The TEA maintains a list of more than 100 tutoring companies that are entitled to receive school district funds as part of the No Child Left Behind Act and parents choose from that list.

Ludwig van Beethoven's Opus 31 is an amazing collection of inspirations.

This weekend the San Antonio Symphony is joined by soloists and choirs to present Verdi's Requiem. The program will include three choirs and four soloists, in addition to a full orchestra.

"It was natural to feature Verdi during this anniversary," says conductor Sebastian Lang-Lessing. "It truly is operatic, and you'll hear that with our amazing soloists, choruses."

April 12 & 13, 2013 at 8 p.m., Majestic Theatre

Elon Musk, the owner of Tesla Motors and creator of commercial space exploration company SpaceX, spoke at the capitol urging lawmakers to approve a set of bills that allow his car company to be able to sell their cars in Texas.

During his time at the capitol, the billionaire car maker also met with Gov. Rick Perry about the issue.

The Brooks Development Authority board voted to enter into contract negotiations for its next chief executive officer, but leaders are not ready to divulge his or her identity.

Manny Pelaez, chairman of the Brooks Development Authority, said the board interviewed 402 viable candidates out of the 6,000 applicants.

Last week the field of applicants for the next CEO of Brooks was narrowed to only five, and Wednesday the board chose one to take Brooks into the future.

Sen. John Cornyn and Congressman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, the chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, have introduced a bill that would require the Department of Homeland Security to develop a national strategy  plan to secure the border.

The Border Security Results Act of 2013 would require Homeland Security to develop and implement such a plan within 180 days of its passage and report periodically to congress.

McCaul cited points of entry near Tucson and San Diego as secure crossings, but said the entire border needs the same reinforcement.