David Brown

How Texas lowering requirements to become a teacher in the 2000s impacted the profession

As the first week of a fourth special session draws to a close, the Senate passes a voucher-like plan for education.

A teacher shortage and what a new study tells us about the implications of past plans to bring in and retain teachers in Texas classrooms.

The independent market monitor for the Texas power grid steps down after blowing the whistle on what she claims were artificially inflated energy prices.

Texas, once a red-hot housing market, has lost a lot of sizzle, yet many still struggle to get a house of their own. We’ll take a closer look at what’s happening.

Plus, the week in politics with the Texas Tribune and poetry with the Typewriter Rodeo.

Why Texans can’t vote on abortion or marijuana anytime soon

The fourth largest earthquake on record in Texas struck Wednesday out west, renewing concerns about fracking and seismic activity. Erin Douglas of the Texas Tribune with more on yesterday’s temblor and what researchers and regulators are saying about it.

The latest on a runoff for mayor in Texas’ biggest city.
In San Antonio, plans to close several public schools getting pushback from communities targeted for closure.

The economics of electric vehicles: Is the race to EVs losing power?

And voters in Ohio approve ballot measures on abortion and marijuana this week. Why such measures aren’t likely to land on Texas ballots anytime soon.

How Texas voted on 14 statewide propositions

The votes are in, and Texans have given the green light to 13 of 14 amendments to the Texas constitution. The Texas Tribune’s Karen Brooks Harper shares a rundown of how the state propositions fared.
Public media reporters statewide join us with updates on key local races across the Lone Star State.

Nuclear power plants, once the target of major protests, are now winning over many Texans looking for lower carbon energy alternatives.

And what some have considered a guilty pleasure: Why more readers are taking the plunge into romance novels. One of the genres’ top authors, Ali Hazelwood, joins us.

What’s next after Cruise suspends self-driving cars in Texas?

Several of the biggest cases before the Supreme Court this term originated in Texas, including United States v. Rahimi, which centers around the constitutionality of prohibiting people under domestic violence restraining orders from possessing guns.

There are growing concerns about near misses at airports – and the Austin airport in particular is drawing a lot of attention.

The driverless taxi company Cruise suspended its service in Texas and elsewhere, pending a review of accidents. What’s next in the driverless car space?

Plus a conversation with a musician many consider the original queen of outlaw country: Jessi Colter discusses her 13th studio album, “Edge of Forever.”

A look at the 14 constitutional amendments Texas voters will consider on Election Day

With the Legislature’s third special session set to conclude Tuesday, a major measure is now apparently on hold: The Texas Newsroom’s Julián Aguilar gets us up to speed on a controversial immigration bill.
Fourteen constitutional amendments are on the ballot in Tuesday’s statewide election. Here’s a crash course on the propositions before Election Day.

Thirteen guards have resigned or been fired after the beating of a Texas prison inmate. We’ll hear about growing concerns over a shortage of staffing and training leading to a rise in prison violence.

Also: Energy analyst Matt Smith explains the drop in Texas gas prices as geopolitical tensions ramp up in the Middle East.

The real history behind Goatman’s Bridge is scarier than any ghost story

After almost seven weeks, striking autoworkers reach deals with the Big 3 automakers. Why Texas played a critical role.

Scientists recently got to see a collision of two stars in space – and its aftermath.

The president has released an executive order on artificial intelligence. How far does it go, and will it go far enough?

The tale of Goatman’s Bridge has a history that haunts Texas to its core. The Standard’s Sean Saldana takes us to Denton for the story.

And: What would Texas cryptids look like in real life? We visited an elementary school art class to get some ideas.

How artificial ocean reefs can help fight climate change

A special session is at an impasse over one of the governor’s top agenda items: Gov. Greg Abbott says if the Texas Legislature doesn’t pass his proposal to use tax dollars to cover private school tuition, he’ll keep calling lawmakers back to the Capitol until they do.

Remembering Roky Erickson, a Texas pioneer in psychedelic music.

A marine science professor at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is leading a project to build an artificial reef to capture carbon and reduce global warming.

Why seasonal pop-up stores like Spirit Halloween haunt efforts at smart urban planning.

And we’ll talk to Paul Bowman, an archaeologist by profession – and also a Bigfoot expert who’s tracked the elusive sasquatch all over East Texas and Oklahoma.

SpaceX satellite debris could fall from the sky and kill people, FAA report says

Where do we stand with education in the special legislative session? With Gov. Greg Abbott and the Texas House at a deadlock over school vouchers.

The Federal Aviation Administration estimates that by 2035, one person could be injured or killed by falling SpaceX Starlink debris every two years.

As the World Series gets underway tonight in Arlington; North Texans share what their hometown Texas Rangers mean to them — and why they’ve never lost faith.

Also: the week in politics with the Texas Tribune.

What new polling says about Texans’ presidential preferences

With the Texas House and Senate in special session, border security is taking center stage – including one measure that sparked a verbal brawl in the state Capitol on Wednesday night.

Tech expert Omar Gallaga tells us why social media companies are de-emphasizing news, and what that means.

Also, a new poll from the Texas Public Policy Project shares clues on where Texans stand on the eve of the 2024 election cycle.

Auto workers’ strike hits Arlington plant

A plan to boost payments to retired teachers will be up to Texas voters next month. We’ll have the backstory and details on Proposition 9.

Five thousand union workers walked off the job at the Arlington General Motors plant, which builds some of GM’s most profitable vehicles.
College football pay to play? Not OK, says the NCAA. Yet an investigation of recruitment shows how officials look the other way – and it’s happening a lot in Texas.

And just in time for Halloween, something wicked is coming to Garland: A celebration of Texas’ role in the horror film genre.

Why bird watchers are flocking to Texas cemeteries

Early voting is now underway in Texas – but what’s on the ballot? We’ll get caught up on the 14 constitutional amendments Texans are being asked to weigh in on, ranging from property taxes to education, infrastructure and more.

First it’s Exxon mobil scooping up Pioneer, now Chevron acquiring Hess. Is it a new era of mergers and acquisitions in the oil field – and if so, why?

Final resting places are also surprisingly active sites for a certain group of hobbyists. The Standard’s Raul Alonzo has more with “Cemetery Birding” author Jennifer Bristol.

And the Texas Rangers are off to the World Series after defeating the Houston Astros in Game 7 of the ALCS.

What are the most haunted places in Texas?

With the U.S. House of Representatives still without a leader, two Texans drop out of the race for the speakership. What happens next?

The White House is launching a new program for Ecuadorians who are trying to migrate to the U.S. We’ll have details on the change is and why it’s happening.

Miles and miles of Texas are usually traversed by car – but one writer says the train is the ultimate way to go.

Also, with Halloween on the horizon, we have the backstory on some of the spookiest places to visit in Texas.

The national security concerns over Chinese crypto mining in Texas

With first ballots soon to be cast in the race to replace the term-limited mayor of Houston, the candidates debate with the top two contenders neck and neck in the polls. Houston Public Media’s Andrew Schneider shares more more.

Texas leads in the nation in Bitcoin mining, but new concerns are growing in other states that some Chinese-owned operations may compromise national security.

On some East Texas construction sites, concrete and steel are being replaced in favor of a new kind of wood product, mass timber, which is strong and flexible enough to be used in the construction of commercial buildings.

Plus, we’ll check in on the week in politics with the Texas Tribune.

Legislature takes up ban on vaccine mandates at private businesses

Years after peak COVID, Texas lawmakers are taking steps to ban vaccine mandates by private businesses.

Amid a nursing shortage in Texas and beyond, the journey of a new nurse trying to make a difference.

An award-winning novel set near the border takes the western genre to a whole new place. We’ll talk with ‘Valley of Shadows’ author Rudy Ruiz.

Also: As a new NBA season approaches, there are big expectations building for the San Antonio Spurs’ 19-year old Victor Wembanyama.

Biden administration bets big on hydrogen energy – and Texas is the winner

Up for a vote statewide: an amendment to the constitution to lower property taxes for Texans.

We continue to monitor events in the mideast, where President Biden is trying to tamp down tensions as a prominent congressman from Texas tries to turn up the heat on Hezbollah, calling to give the president the authority to use military force against Iranian proxies. we’ll hear more.

With the danger of a disruption to energy prices, a renewed focus on the US strategic oil reserves. Was it a mistake to draw them down with the outbreak of war in Ukraine?

Plus the effort to make Texas a hydrogen hub.

How a Texas constitutional amendment would aid childcare centers

With the House of Representatives on hold in the absence of a speaker, a possible vote today could be a turning point.

Texas voters are about to face a big decision: a constitutional amendment aimed at boosting the availability of child care options. Lina Ruiz of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tells us more.

Two games in for the Astros and Rangers, what’s Major League Baseball’s first All-Texas league championship looking like?

More than 100 homes and businesses are on the fast track to demolition as the state moves to expand a portion Interstate 35.

Public school teachers in Texas are protesting vouchers. They’ve enlisted plumbers to help.

A federal judge strikes down a redistricting map in Galveston County, saying it violated the rights of Black and Latino voters, and gives the county until Oct. 20 to fix its maps.

Public school teachers plan to travel to Austin to fight a plan to use taxpayer money to pay for private tuition. Who’ll teach the students when the teachers are gone? You might be surprised.

As Texas’ population swells, so does empty office space. We’ll dig into what that signals.

And: We continue our month of Tracking Texas Cryptids with the spooky story of La Lechuza.

The science on why it’s fun to be scared

Recriminations over donations and demands for a high-level resignation: What’s behind the latest political fight between Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan?

The Senate green-lights a voucher-like plan to provide public money for private school tuition. Matthew Watkins of the Texas Tribune joins us with more on the week in politics.

How to safely view Saturday’s annular eclipse over Texas.

Ken Burns returns with a new PBS series on the American Buffalo.

And: On Friday the 13th in this spookiest month, why so many folks love to get scared.

Celebrating a century of Texas state parks

Dozens of Texas school districts have sued to stop changes in the A-F grading system used to evaluate schools.

The manager of the state’s power grid is out with a new forecast for winter. How prepared is Texas for another statewide freeze like 2021?

Israel, Hamas and disinformation on social media: Tech expert Omar Gallaga joins us with more.

New numbers in the race for mayor of Texas’ biggest city.

And a new book written by longtime Texas conservationist George Bristol, “Texas State Parks: The First 100 Years,” tells the story of how the state’s parks began.

The long push for using public dollars to pay for private schools

What the battle over charter schools in Texas 30 years ago reveals about the fight that’s currently underway at the state Capitol over changes in education policy.

Serious questions abound about the reliability of a highly in-demand fighter jet built in Fort Worth.

The legend of La Llorona – the crying woman – no doubt arrived in Texas with the earliest Mexican settlers and has haunted our rivers, lakes and streams ever since. Commentator W.F. Strong shares one version of the story.

Plus, a political crisis in Guatemala and the implications for migration.