Texas Standard

February 13, 2026

New exhibit peels back mystique surrounding Daniel Johnston

Major changes at one of the state’s flagship universities, with UT Austin consolidating seven departments focused on ethnic and gender studies into two new ones.Five years since Winter Storm Uri and a massive blackout that led to investigations and a rethink of how the state manages the power grid. What’s changed? A look back.The Standard’s […]

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February 12, 2026

How an AI data center is driving a housing crisis in Abilene

What really happened that led to a sudden and largely unprecedented shutdown of the airspace and the airport in El Paso? We’ll dive in on today’s Texas Standard.With just days to go before early voting begins in the Texas primaries, Blaise Gainey of The Texas Newsroom gets us up to speed on the Democratic race […]

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February 11, 2026

Probe raises concerns over pregnant migrant girls held in Texas

The FAA reopened airspace around El Paso as abruptly as it shut it down. We’ll dig into what we know about the strange and unprecedented actions.A months-long investigation from The Texas Newsroom and The California Newsroom finds pregnant migrant girls are being held at a South Texas shelter that’s been flagged as medically inadequate. Why […]

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February 10, 2026

Untangling legal questions in the age of AI photo manipulation

One of the most closely watched political contests in this midterm election year is happening in Texas, and a new poll offers some surprises.The race for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by John Cornyn has recently been characterized as tightening up, but a new poll suggests Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat Jasmine Crockett are […]

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February 9, 2026

Walking Dallas, one mile at a time

Redistricting wars may sound like esoteric politics, but a race in Houston shows how high the stakes are for some Texas communities. We’ll look at how a lesser-known political contest in Houston’s 29th district illustrates the impact of the redistricting fight on some Texas communities.It may sound like a social media trend, but it’s a […]

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February 6, 2026

Why many Texans are getting ready for the ‘Benito Bowl’

Texas becomes the first state with a strict abortion ban to provide doctors with guidelines on exceptions. We’ll dig into what’s in those guidelines with ProPublica reporter Cassandra Jaramillo.Coming soon to the pristine spaces of the Big Bend: Construction of a border wall. We’ll look at how many locals are trying to push back.And in […]

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February 5, 2026

School voucher applications open across Texas

The application window opens for Texas education savings accounts, often called school vouchers. But demand may outstrip available funds. We’ll talk with two reporters for the Houston Chronicle closely following the application process, hear about the application experience of one Texas mom, and learn more about what’s included, what isn’t, and what happens if there’s […]

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February 4, 2026

Starlink poised to expand broadband footprint in Texas

The partial government shutdown is over. Did you know we were in one? Well, now another could be on the way as negotiations over ICE’s budget persists on Capitol Hill.Texas school boards are considering a new state law that allows time to be set aside during the day for prayer and reading the Bible.Texas has […]

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