David Brown

Texas Standard: December 7, 2016

Not since 1787 has the US had a constitutional convention. Now, what was once considered the unthinkable looks possible. The story today on the Texas Standard

The problems of prognostication. Politics: you’re not alone. We’ll look at forecasting through an unlikely lens.

Also a new Texas rule to require burial of fetal remains–for those seeking an abortion, what this means as a practical matter.

They’re calling it the flooding capitol of the nation. It’s also set to become the third largest city in the US. As development continues, can a flood czar help? Or is it too late?

Texas Standard: December 6, 2016

How do you get Mexico to pay for a border wall? A Texas congressman has serious ideas. And he just might be tapped to head homeland security. The story today on the Standard.

Are you a marijuana user? Why changes in values and in laws across the nation have led to changes in the background check for firearms.

If a so-called bathroom bill were to pass in Texas what would be the economic impact? A warning from a Texas business group…

Reading writing and wrongdoing—what will it take to stop the epidemic of inappropriate relationships between teachers and students?

And a court orders detention centers to open their doors…now what?

Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard.

Texas Standard: December 5, 2016

After a phone call from Taiwan and a few tweets from the President-elect, a potential global crisis. A goof, or something more: the story today on the Standard

A pension plan meltdown that could leave Dallas bankrupt. But the rest of us are ok…right? The state controller warns, this could hurt all of Texas. He’ll tell us how and why.

Guess who’s making a massive new investment in drilling in the Gulf of Mexico? Here’s a hint: its initials are B and P.

And the bizarre disappearance of 300 rare blind salamanders from a Federal research center in Texas. Some wonder if they’re part of a black market in exotic animal trafficking. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard.

Texas Standard: December 2, 2016

Another teenage suicide in Texas blamed on Cyberbullying. Now attention turns to David’s law. A conversation with David’s father today. Plus a second surge at the border: a catholic nun providing emergency relief there gets an audience today with Senator Cruz. We’ll hear her message to Washington. And after the protests, what then? As environmental activists calculate action in a trump era, they might want to take a tip from Texas. We’ll explain. And a new multimillion dollar stadium, a new professional baseball team, but no name until now. We’ll hear about the name from the man who came up with it. That plus the week in politics and much more…no matter where you are, its Texas Standard time:

Texas Standard: December 1, 2016

An farewell holiday gift from the President: a pardon for immigrants in the US illegally. Could that actually happen? We’ll not often do democrats and republicans agree, but with the prospect of a huge wall looming, two Texas lawmakers from opposite sides of the aisle are pushing a bill to keep borders open, at least for trade. And remember the Alamo? Not like this you don’t. Details emerge of a 300 million dollar facelift for the shrine of Texas independence. And why we shouldn’t forget the unsung heroes of the internet…most likely living in your bedroom closet. All that and much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: November 30, 2016

Not since 2008 has OPEC cut oil production. But now, it appears, it’s happening. And it’s raising prices and moods across Texas, we’ll have the latest. Also two chambers, two republican leaders, two very different ways of doing business, and two very different agendas. What’s the divide between lieutenant governor Dan Patrick and House Speaker Joe Strauss means for the rest of us. And what do phrases like extraordinary rendition have to do with a women’s privacy bill- or even the alt-right? What’s in the labels we use and whether they’re really worth fighting over. And do bag bans really make people sick? Politifact weighs in and much more today on the Standard:

Texas Standard: November 29, 2016

The Ohio State University attack and the Texas connection: does the incident underscore concerns about refugee resettlement? We’ll explore. Also to alert Ohio State students yesterday, administrators sent out a message on social media: run hide fight. A phrase that may turn out to be a 21st century version of duck and cover, which has its origins in Houston. And a Texas elector defects, saying its his moral and civic duty not to vote for Donald Trump. We’ll hear his explanation. And the true costs of coaching-did Charlie Strong lose his job over what happened on the gridiron, or something else? The bottom line and then some today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: November 28, 2016

The president elect has called for extreme vetting of some would-be immigrants. For potential citizens, that future is now. Plus the economic miracle. Still wise to bank on it? What a new economic map of Texas tells us about sustained growth, and where the hot spots are. Plus, mothers milk- they say there’s nothing better for newborns. But where money’s tight, necessity becomes the mother of an alternative. We’ll hear from the Mexican doctor pushing it. And a Texas case before the nation’s highest court tomorrow with national implications for the death penalty. Those stories and lots more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: November 24, 2016

It’s beginning to look a lot like time for another Texas legislative session, And now, we’re getting a good sense of what’s in play. Plus NPR has it’s recipes, but we know which turkeys Texans are most worried about. Our post election guide to peace at the dinner table. And robocalls pitching religion for price- what’s behind the latest pay for pray phenomenon. Plus our digital guru’s making his list and we’ll be checking it twice. All top tips for technology gifts this season. Also trip tips for a longer than usual holiday weekend…and do you know the political history of Thanksgiving? All that plus a side of gravy today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: November 25, 2016

Improving education: a lot of Texans know the talk, but a Texas lawmaker walk the walk. We’ll meet him and hear his strategy. Plus as mainstream media continues to wrestle with how they got the election so wrong, what’s next? How the events and the outcome of campaign 2016 translate for tomorrow’s journalists. Plus free stuff. Anybody up for that? Viral videos claim to teach consumers how to get expensive high tech goodies without paying. We’ll explore the truth behind the claims. Also a conversation with one of the Lone Star State’s best known film makers: Richard Linklater. Plus the week in Texas politics and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: November 23, 2016

Just in time for the holidays a federal court in Texas puts the brakes on a law expanding overtime to millions of workers. Plus you’ve heard about the protests in the Dakotas, but what about the science? Are the pipelines really that much of a threat to the water? We’ll explore. And deadlier than the top forms of cancer combined: efforts underway to reduce the number of medical mistakes. Plus a prominent politician says that in Texas, more money is spent keeping a person in prison than in educating a student. Is that fact? Also, planning a camping trip out in west Texas? Just so you know: the Big Bend bears are back. All that and more on today’s Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: November 22, 2016

Detroit, Stockton, Orange County: all on a list of cities and counties that have declared bankruptcy, could a big one from Texas be next? Plus we’ll have the latest on the ambush-style killing of a San Antonio Police Officer. Also, over the top tweets gotcha down? Facebook giving you the frowns? NPR’s All tech Considered tells us why after the election more and more folks say they’re pulling the plug on social media. Plus a world class symphony playing the blues…what a strike and concert cancellations add up to for the arts, and for the citizens at large. And Exxon fires back over global warming with an unprecedented move. Those stories and lots more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: November 21, 2016

Police ambushed in three states this weekend including an officer killed in San Antonio. Mere coincidence, or coordinated? We’ll explore. Plus he calls them the worst of the worst: how does the president elect’s plan to deport millions of undocumented immigrants with criminal convictions square with reality? Also, no longer going Strong? After a weekend loss, Texas’ football coach appears all but fired, but critics say it’s the university that’s fumbled. We’ll hear why. And the rise of a new music city not powered by musicians as much as their producers. Plus the anatomy of a fake news story and much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: November 18, 2016

According to some in Sacramento, the election outcome is an existential threat. Has California become the new Texas? Plus Texas has legalized the medical use of cannabis oil, but the fees for doing business may make it impossible. A co author of the bill wonders if that wasn’t part of the plan, we’ll hear from her. Also, a prominent public figure delivers a concession speech: only this one’s not politics, it’s football. We’ll hear what the fuss is about, and why it matters in a larger sense. Plus a Texas history textbook from the 1950’s rediscovered, and reviewed. And the week in politics and much more coming up today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: November 17, 2016

Oreos, Netflix, New Balance, Amazon: consumer boycotts as a proxy for the ballot box. But who’s buying it, and do they work? We’ll explore. Also he campaigned to repeal and replace Obamacare, but what would Trumpcare mean for texans? We’ll look at the range of possibilities. Plus the changing of the guard in Washington could leave a few holes in Texas politics. Who’ll fill the seats, and how. Also, did he really sell his soul to the devil? As San Antonio prepares to celebrate an iconic bluesman, a few myths get broken along the way. And the robots are coming: whose jobs will they take? Those stories and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: November 16, 2016

A bill introduced to end sanctuary cities across Texas… but wait a minute. Are there any sanctuary cities across Texas? We’ll explore. Also a new oil boom becomes a knife fight for land. We’ll hear where, what’s behind it, and who’s getting rich. Plus Texas leads the nation in wind power, but at times, has to give away electricity because there’s no place to store it. Now a possible solution, under our feet. And remember the surge? Years after the first rush of immigrant families across the border, a Texas city demands compensation…so far to no effect. We’ll learn the backstory and much more this hour on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: November 15, 2016

Money, religion and wait, there’s something else that’s not part of polite conversation, right? Talking politics at work: a how to guide. We’ll explore. Also in the ongoing stare down between Texas and the EPA, did someone just blink? We’ll explore why Washington regulators are taking Texas off a clean air blacklist. The iconic retailer Neiman Marcus build its brand selling luxury goods to the wealthy, now it soon may be looking for a shopper of another sort, we’ll explain. And how much would you pay for the handcuffs used on Lee Harvey Oswald …do I hear 50 thousand dollars? Also remembering Gwen Ifill and much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: November 14, 2016

From cyberbullying bills to political ethics rules, what’s just over the horizon for Texas? We’re about to find out for real. Plus as the Feds send more force to the border, there are signs Texas law enforcement may lighten up on the southern frontier. We’ll hear why. Also, republican administrations are often thought of as good for the military business but some at Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth aren’t so sanguine about the future. We’ll explore the fight over the F-35. Plus it is a term that was coined by a police officer: suicide by cop. What’s being done to address the issue and what isn’t. All that and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: November 11, 2016

The supreme court’s docket could get much lighter with a few strokes of the pen, and the impact for Texas could be profound. Plus the President elect promised to drain the swamp. But a Texas republican with first hand experience staffing the white house says that’s gonna be messier than Mr.Trump might imagine. We’ll hear why. And in the wake of Tuesday, how are conversations going around your dinner table? We’ll have some words of wisdom on how to keep the heat in the kitchen when relatives want to talk politics. Plus the week that was according to the Texas Tribune and much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: November 10, 2016

Is governor Perry going to Washington after all? Why the president elect may be looking to Texas to fill some top jobs, we’ll explore. Also, a prominent congressman from Texas tells us the Senate should kill the filibuster. Not that there’s no precedent for such a rule change, as Senate democrats may recall. Plus Wendy Davis tells us this week’s vote stands for something perhaps less obvious: the need for a new focus on education. We’ll hear her explanation and the potential for a democrat challenge to Ted Cruz in 2018. And tips for your weekend getaway, how to eat tacos and write about them too and much more, today on the Texas Standard: