Texas’ top law enforcement official Ken Paxton faces more legal hot water, this time from some of his own former top aides. We’ll have the latest. Also, a city’s convention center transformed into a field hospital as COVID-19 cases soar in El Paso. We’ll have more. And lessons for the lockdown era: a book to help kids cope with the Coronavirus. Also the twists and turns of Texas elections without straight ticket voting. And we’ll take a closer look at what drove so many young latinos and latinas to the polls. Plus the re-release of a mid-century classic offers a critical re-examination of Texas small town life. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: November 13, 2020
As COVID-19 continues to tear through El Paso, an appellate judge lifts shutdown orders and more Texans pin their hopes on news about a vaccine. With hopes building around word of a covid vaccine said to be 90 percent effective, what’s next? A closer look at next steps and a realistic timetable. Also, not Biden his time: concession or no, the president elect must move forward with assembling a new administration and cabinet. Any Lone Stars set to make the short list? And in a season like no other, can the homecoming mum, and the many businesses built up around the tradition survive 2020? Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: November 12, 2020
Texas crosses a critical 1 million mark in COVID-19 cases, and the governor sends help to Lubbock as hospitals reach capacity, we’ll have the latest. Other stories we are tracking: a post-election push to update voting machines in Texas’ biggest county. What’s wrong with the old ones? We’ll follow the paper trail, or lack thereof. Also the top vote getter in Texas history and what it says about the intersection of politics and how top judges get picked in Texas. Plus he was a Texas sharecroppers son in a Jim Crow Navy. Now a super carrier will bear his name. 8 decades after his heroics at Pearl Harbor, Dorie Miller gets his due. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: November 11, 2020
It is perhaps fittingly called the case of California versus Texas. At issue: whether the Affordable Care Act will survive. We’ll take a closer look at likely outcomes. At stake in a closely watched case heard yesterday by the U.S. Supreme Court: something much bigger than politics, namely health insurance for more than 20 million Americans, protections from denial of coverage due to pre-existing conditions and more. How convincing was Texas’ legal case against it? And a woman in Houston set to make space history with the next moonshot. Plus are you ready for some football? Texas voters seem to be having second thoughts. Those stories and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: November 10, 2020
He is a major political figure who has yet to publicly recognize Joe Biden’s victory in the general election. But he’s not a republican hold out, either. Texas democrats upset that the president of Mexico, a country often seen as maligned by President Trump, is reluctant to accept the outcome of the U.S. general elections. We’ll explore why not. Also, this is the season for the Texas legislature: packages calling for voting reform and more land at the capitol in the run up to the next session. And NASA says to a company in Midland with big plans for space. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: November 9, 2020
And we have a winner. What changes for Texas in a Biden- Harris administration, and how quickly? With the presidential contest now called, attention turns to fixing what’s broken and moving forward. We’ll have some projections from a veteran politics watcher and professor. Also, the states top law enforcement official facing a mushrooming scandal and new questions about how much longer he can hang on as Attorney General. And digging a little deeper into the Latina turnout in so-called battleground states. Plus, not your parents biodiesel: as oil prices fall, attention, turns to renewable diesels. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: November 6, 2020
The magic number is 270. Is this the end of the general election of 2020? Texas-based political analyst Matthew Dowd joins us for an overall look at where we stand in the presidential contest and what it means long term for Texas. Also as COVID-19 spikes once more, it’s not just El Paso and more rural hotspots that need to be concerned. We’ll have an overview of the state of the virus in the Lone Star State as we approach the holidays. And new findings about covid spread among Texas contruction workers raising danger signs nationwide, plus the week that was in Texas politcis with the texas tribune and a whole lot more when the TS gets underway right after this.
Texas Standard: November 5, 2020
According to a survey of Texans interested in the news, a majority say they now have grave questions about the usefulness of polling. We’ll try to get some questions answered. Also, is there a speaker in the house? Very soon there’ll be a new one. Ross Ramsey of the Texas Tribune on the growing line of lawmakers seeking the top job in Texas’ lower chamber. And anti-social media? The role of Twitter, Facebook and the rest in the information wars leading up to the election. And as COVID cases spike again in parts of Texas, a would-be hero emerges from the Alamo city: a virus killing robot. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: November 4, 2020
A new political landscape in Texas? Not quite. On the day after the general election, what has changed, what hasn’t, any why? The dominant narrative in the run up to election day was how an historic turnout in a state seldom considered in play in recent years might change the political map of the Lone Star State. Notably: the power of younger voters, the Latino vote, and the fight for the suburbs. Donald Trumps six point margin of victory, and republican retention of control of the Texas house raise many questions about expectations and assumptions in the run up. We’ll explore that and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: November 3, 2020 Election Night Coverage
From the capital city of Texas and with reporters across the Lone Star State, it’s special coverage of election night in Texas. Polls are just now closing across Texas, and in just a few minutes we’ll be hearing from reporting partners in El Paso, Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and beyond on a night that may well set election records and make history in many ways. Democrats hoping to flip control of the Texas house, congressional seats once reliably republican are battlegrounds, and the race for Texas 38 electoral votes is reported to be tigter than at any time in decades. It’s a special election night coverage of the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: November 3, 2020
It’s the final countdown to what some fear may not be a final countdown tonight. As Texans go to the polls, we’ll tell you the latest and what to watch for. With a presidential race that appears to be more competitive in Texas than it has been for decades, and 8 million voters having already cast a ballot in Texas, and more in line as we speak, Karen Tumulty of the Washington Post and Evan Smith of the Texas Tribune join us live to talk about the issues on this election day. Also a closer look at how the vote counting process will play out across the Lone Star State, professor Steven Vladeck with the legal issues at play and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: November 2, 2020
One final push before election day 2020. Where do we stand? And what should Texans be looking for as returns come in tomorrow? Reporters from our partners in Dallas, Houston, El Paso and more with the latest on the general election as we prepare for a final vote in the general election and what many expect to be a long final tally. Also the many issues voters will be deciding across the Lone Star State that often get squeezed out by the big banner headlines. Plus a celebration of 20 years of life in outer space and the death of a very good machine puts some El Paso musicians in the international spotlight. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: October 28, 2020
Election day is just around the corner. We’ll start the show with what you need to know here in Texas to make sure your vote is in on time. And we’re watching some U.S. House races that could be up for grabs. There’s been a lot of attention on historically red seats going blue, but at least one Democratic incumbent also appears vulnerable. And we’ll also turn our sights away from election talk for an update on something else with long-term effects on the state: coastal flooding and how a new policy change could impact how we prevent it. And we’ll fact-check a claim about Texas taxes and business regulations. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: October 22, 2020
Across the Lone Star State, Texans expected to be tuning in tonight for political fireworks show, but what about policies? We’ll set the stage for a final debate. Plus, Texans looking for unemployment benefits will soon have to once again prove they’re looking for work, but what constitutes a work search in the eyes of Texas officials? We’ll take a closer look. And in Collin county, it’s the academy versus free speech as a professors’ tweet roils a college campus. And a freeze frame on a music scene almost forgotten from 40 years back. Plus, fake news for real? A warning about a rising force in local news that has experts advising don’t believe everything you read. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: October 21, 2020
As Texas’s Governor takes steps to lift pandemic restrictions on businesses, worries grow for a Texas hotspot nearing critical levels, we’ll have details. Plus, 2020 has left tens of thousands in the oil and gas industry unemployed. Now many in the energy capitol of the world looking to Thursday nights debate and what the candidate will have to say about changes in policies. Also, reports of involuntary sterilizations among women in immigration detention. We’ll have a talk with the Texas representative calling for a congressional investigation. And as voters try to limit contact with others due to COVID-19, a method of casting a ballot less talked about than the mail in option. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: October 20, 2020
Politicians often hope that political coattails can boost their chances, now it appears republicans are trying to cut them off as fast as possible. The story today on the Texas Standard.
We’ll hear why John Cornyn is trying to distance himself from the White House and what may reveal about how the GOP sees its’ chances for November. Also, Governor Abbott concerned too, digging into his own political pocketbook to back Texas republicans down-ballot.
Cutting the cord, involuntarily- pandemic protections against utility disconnections slip away leaving many in danger.
And you’ve heard of the “sleeping giant” in Texas politics? It maybe time to put the metaphor to rest…
Those stories and a whole lot more.
Texas Standard: October 19, 2020
Millions of Texans turn out for week one of early voting in a state notorious for low turnout. A hint of a more fundamental change in Texas politics? That and more today on the Texas Standard.
In this most unconventional election season the state to watch is Texas: so declares veteran political journalist Dan Balz of the Washington Post. We’ll ask him what makes Texas the most intriguing place in politics in the nation right now.
Also, a rule change for social workers in Texas dialing back anti-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation, gender identity and disability. Many social workers call it a gut punch.
Texas Standard: October 16, 2020
As Coronavirus cases tick upwards again in Texas, some schools are returning to laptops and tablets. But others are going the opposite direction. Coming up our conversations with the superintendents of two Texas school districts where back to school is the rule, despite concerns about an uptick in Coronavirus cases. We’ll hear the rationale. Also you’ve heard of the great recession. Now the spotlight turns to what Texas researchers are calling the economic “she-session” of 2020. Plus the week in Texas politics with the Texas Tribune and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: October 15, 2020
Theres the vote, and there’s that other count that will determine representation in the Lone Star State. And the deadline is tonight. Have you been counted? Although the Census Bureau says 99.9% of households are accounted for, only 62 percent of Texans have completed the census. We’ll hear about the potential impact and how to get counted before the deadline. Also, An inter party tiff turns into a potential tipping point in the U.S. Senate race in Texas. And when you wish upon a star, you turn into a streaming service? Tech expert Omar Gallaga tells us why Disney’s making a major shift amid a pandemic. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: October 14, 2020
A spike in COVID-19 cases in El Paso prompts the governor to send a surge of medical teams and equipment, we’ll have the latest. Plus, with early voting now officially underway, an overview of how to cast a ballot in Texas. And a claim that property crime is going up amid a cutback in the police department’s budget in the Texas capitol city. Politifact checks it out. Also tens of thousands of layoffs and furloughs: Texas based airlines send Washington an SOS and warn of greater turbulence ahead. And one of this year’s cover stories: the changing face of the American magazine. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard: