Laura Rice

Bighorn sheep being released in Franklin Mountains outside El Paso

The Santa Fe community is seeking answers and accountability for the 2018 school shooting as the accused shooter’s parents appear in court this week.
Houston police admit systemic failure in the processes that led to 264,000 cases being dismissed over eight years.
On the anniversary of the 1966 UT Tower shooting, a man who helped a fellow student that day shares a letter he’s kept for decades.
Bighorn sheep are returning to the El Paso area. A look at the challenges of re-establishing the herds.
And: What is a museum? We’re diving into the answer as we kick off a new series exploring the state.

Texas Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett pledges full support for VP Harris

U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Dallas has thoughts for fellow Democrats who haven’t been quick to support Vice President Kamala Harris.

Prison farm labor isn’t just part of Texas history; it’s a reality today. An investigation into the practices and what we don’t know about what goes on in the fields.

A mammoth find for Texas researchers – literally. What a team from Baylor plans to do with the discovery of some ancient DNA.

We’ll take you inside some San Antonio record stores where the love for vinyl keeps going around.

And: The emerging path forward for psychedelics when it comes to treating PTSD.

The Texas State Aquarium balances marine conservation and hurricane challenges

The Texas State Aquarium has a spot right on the edge of the Corpus Christi Bay – and storms in recent years have provided lessons that staff put in place for Hurricane Beryl.


There’s tons of evidence that most extreme weather hits communities of color the hardest. As Texas recovers from Beryl, what’s being done to address that?


A new court system in Texas designed just for business matters opens in September with judges appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott.


And: Cameras in your earbuds and health data tracked in a ring? We’ll check in on the latest in wearable technology.

John Sharp on why he’s retiring as Texas A&M chancellor

A conversation with John Sharp, who – as the longest-serving chancellor in Texas A&M System history – has announced he’s retiring next year.
What you need to know about a brand-new consumer privacy law now in effect in Texas.
If you’ve made a big purchase anytime lately, you’ve been paying attention to interest rates. They remain pretty high – but why? We’ll dig in.
We’ll talk to Kareem El-Ghayesh, a Texas pitmaster vying to win the newest season of Netflix’s “Barbecue Showdown.”
One of the most photographed spots in the Texas Panhandle is turning 50. How the Cadillac Ranch became such a phenomenon.
And a new analysis of the out-of-state money funding Texas politics – and to what end.

The Caddo Mounds are rebuilt and ready for visitors

The Trump verdict is in, and Texas political leaders are responding as expected along party lines. A snapshot of the fallout in the Lone Star State.
The Texas Supreme Court has ruled against 20 women who said they were denied medically necessary abortions.
Mexico voters head to the polls this weekend, poised to elect the country’s first female president. The issues top of mind will sound familiar.
A prehistoric site in East Texas is back open after years of reconstruction following a devastating tornado. The Standard’s Sean Saldana takes us to the Caddo Mounds.
Why vets are leading local movements to erect memorials to those who served in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Students could soon be taught Bible stories in public schools

You check in with your ID, find an empty booth and cast your ballot in secret. But have Texas voter transparency laws challenged that privacy?
Depending on where you live in Texas you might pay taxes to a local hospital system. Understanding how that works.
Storm chasers have enormous followings on social media, many copycats and, increasingly, even people riding along. It’s a growing industry of sorts, but is it a good idea?
A new docuseries coming to HBO, “Ren Faire,” follows what happens when the man who has presided over the Texas Renaissance Festival for 50 years retires.
And: A push for classical studies in Texas classrooms could also include more conversations about the Bible.

The Future of Work in Texas – A Texas Standard special

Texas is changing, and so is the world. If we squint to try to look at the future job landscape, what do we see? There are more than 15 million working Texans right now, but while the state boasts steady growth and “record high levels” for jobs and the labor force, there are always unknowns on the horizon.
Among them: tech advancements and the impacts of climate change. So how will the jobs of tomorrow look different? We’re exploring all that and more today in The Future of Work in Texas.

The buzz around the Bumble ad controversy

The border buoys case in court: Why the arguments surrounding Texas’ river barrier were not about immigration.
El Paso County residents are concerned a proposed highway expansion project could imperil the Rio Bosque – a marshy area along the Rio Grande that has been “re-wilded” to support native plants and wildlife.
What will soon be one of Texas’ biggest gas pipelines is raising both environmental and safety concerns from the residents along the path.
The new book “They Came for the Schools” takes us further into the story of the Carroll Independent School District’s battle over what’s on library shelves and in classrooms.
And: Austin-based dating app Bumble apologized this week for an ad campaign that some believed mocked the choice not to date, or to remain celibate. Tech expert Omar Gallaga shares more.

Voters in Texas have elected their first slate of property appraisal board members

A former Texas oil exec is being punished for allegedly raising the price of oil. Is it the tip of the iceberg or water under the bridge?
In spring elections across larger Texas counties, voters got a more direct say in who runs the obscure agencies that oversee the property appraisal process – agencies that determine how much you pay in property taxes.
The promise of solar panels seems bright, but some companies are getting some heat for misrepresentation. What you need to know.
New Mexico has a booming recreational marijuana industry thanks in part to some Texans making the trip. Will laws change on this side of the border?
Plus the most beautiful spot in Texas? Some point to a place out west that’s a bit off the beaten path.

The Future of Work in Texas – A Texas Standard special

Texas is changing, and so is the world. If we squint to try to look at the future job landscape, what do we see? There are more than 15 million working Texans right now, but while the state boasts steady growth and “record high levels” for jobs and the labor force, there are always unknowns on the horizon.
Among them: tech advancements and the impacts of climate change. So how will the jobs of tomorrow look different? We’re exploring all that and more today in The Future of Work in Texas.

Texas Extra: More from Bill Nye on the total solar eclipse

“Science Guy” Bill Nye has been beloved by children for generations. He was so kind and generous in a recent interview with the Standard focused on the upcoming total solar eclipse. He also answered a question about why he has been making headlines with his thoughts on climate change. This extended version also includes an introduction with personal stories about both of Nye’s parents.

Texas Extra: Adventures and misadventures of a cinematic life

Carolyn Pfeiffer literally wrote a book, “Chasing the Panther,” about her life and, as she puts it, her “adventures and misadventures” in the worlds of cinema and music and so much more. This extended version of her story includes her time in 1950s New York City, a wild hair story involving Fellini’s “8 1/2” and an unforgettable recollection about a train scene in “Doctor Zhivago.”

Introducing Rhizome, Laredo’s unique art project and community collaboration

The Texas Medical Board has offered a wide definition of emergency medical exemptions to the state’s strict ban on abortion.
Health care is also at the center of a massive cyberattack that’s been crippling insurance payments, but consumer information is very likely involved.
Police high-speed chases can be extremely dangerous for the general public, not just the vehicles involved. What we’ve learned in a deep dive into the data for North Texas chases.
The price at the pump has been going up again and global uncertainties could affect that further.
And we’ll take a trip to Laredo to explore Rhizome, a community art project, and hear from artist Crystal Wagner.

Texas Extra: SXSW 2024 Films with Texas ties (and more!)

The South by Southwest Conference and Festivals is/are underway Austin. It’s a time when some Austinites flock with the crowds to downtown — and others escape the city altogether. If you are not among the hundreds of thousands of attendees, have no fear. The Texas Standard will have some highlights. This is much extended version of an interview with freelance journalist and filmmaker Karen Bernstein. It features more examples of the films at SXSW and clips from the filmmakers themselves.

Texas Extra: Look closer at that quarter featuring Jovita Idár (Extended)

Most of us don’t spend a ton of time thinking about change. In fact, for some — it may have even been a while since you’ve handled, say, a quarter. But an interview we had on Texas Standard this week will definitely make you look twice next time you do. This is an extended version of our conversation with CoinWeek’s Charles Morgan.

A small Texas town is holding a big Leap Year celebration

One person has died in the Smokehouse Creek Fire in the Panhandle, which is now the largest wildfire in state history at an estimated 1,075,000 acres. We’ll get the latest update on the blaze.

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are making simultaneous trips to the Texas-Mexico border today, a few days before Super Tuesday.

There are traditions associated with Leap Day in different cultures – and as it turns out, Texas has some of its own. The Standard’s Sarah Asch dives in.

And: There is a high-stakes global hunt for new places to mine lithium, and some investors have tabbed East Texas as one of the element’s potential hot spots.