Texas Standard
David Brown, Angela Kocherga & Laura Rice
February 27, 2026
The town where Texas declared its independence
Who’s up, who’s down, and who’s in trouble — a final poll before primary day in the Lone Star State. We’ll go over what the numbers are telling us.President Trump is in Corpus Christi today, hitting the hustings on this last day of in-person early voting before crucial primaries in Texas. James Henson of the […]
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February 26, 2026
Paxton sues more out-of-state providers over abortion pills
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton files suit against a California doctor and a larger international organization for providing abortion pills to Texans. Paxton’s lawsuit is not the first time he’s gone after out-of-state providers of mifepristone — though so far, he’s had little to show for it.After the floods in Kerrville, volunteers round what may […]
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February 25, 2026
Killing of cartel head ‘El Mencho’ touches off violence in Mexico
Gov. Greg Abbott is urging Texans in Mexico right now to follow shelter-in-place orders as violence sweeps much of that nation. We’ll have a report from Mexico City on the wave of coordinated retaliatory attacks and widespread uncertainty as wanted drug cartel leader, Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes – known as “El Mencho” – is killed […]
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February 25, 2026
Trump invokes Texas in State of the Union speech
Texas came up more than once during President Trump’s State of the Union speech. We’ll have an analysis of what he mentioned and what he left out.Camp Mystic is facing troubles in court after the way it handled deadly flooding in July. But a comment from Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick could spell even further challenges.After […]
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February 24, 2026
Amid scandal, calls grow for Rep. Tony Gonzales to step down
After violence on the streets in parts of Mexico, things are returning to normal. But will it last? We’ll dig into the latest following the killing of cartel head “El Mencho” in Mexico.Why turnout for early voting for the March primaries is exceeding expectations – especially for Democrats.The growing calls for Congressman Tony Gonzales to […]
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February 20, 2026
What happens now after Supreme Court strikes down Trump’s tariffs
A major repudiation of one of the Trump administration’s signature initiatives: The Supreme Court’s tariff decision and the Texas impact today on the Standard.A new investigative report reveals six deaths in six weeks at immigration detention centers in Texas. Other stories we’re tracking: As the first week of early voting in the Texas primaries comes […]
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February 19, 2026
Talarico interview on Colbert controversy shakes up race
James Talarico’s campaign raises millions after an interview with Stephen Colbert is pulled. But was it really a backfire against President Trump? The Texas Newsroom’s Blaise Gainey with the lowdown.A look at a hugely important hearing today for four men accused of the notorious 1991 yogurt shop murders in Austin.Also, why are so many barbecue […]
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February 18, 2026
Exploring Texas’ deepest underwater cave system
Wildfire risk is so high in the Texas Panhandle that an energy company preemptively cut off power to avoid lines blowing down and starting to spark. We’ll take a closer look at the situation.Early voting is underway across Texas. We sent reporters to polls across the state to hear from voters who made it out […]
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About
Texas Standard is grounded in the best traditions of American journalism: fact-based, independent, and politically neutral reporting. The program is a one-hour daily news magazine that airs weekdays on more than 30 public radio stations across the Lone Star State. Visit texasstandard.org/listen to find it on a radio station near you. Or listen anytime to this podcast. Texas Standard is produced in the state capital in collaboration with KUT Austin, KERA North Texas, Houston Public Media, and Texas Public Radio San Antonio, as well as news organizations across Texas, Mexico, and the United States.
David Brown
David Brown is host of the daily statewide public radio news hour, Texas Standard. He is former anchor of the Peabody award-winning public radio business program Marketplace, and a veteran public radio journalist for more than three decades. Brown has covered national and international affairs for NPR and PRI’s Monitor Radio from bases in Atlanta, Boston, London, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. He has received numerous Murrow awards, National Headliner Awards, AP Broadcast honors and two Grand Prizes from the International Radio Festivals. Brown earned his Ph.D. in Journalism from The University of Texas at Austin, his Juris Doctor from Washington and Lee University School of Law, and is an active member of the California and U.S. Supreme Court Bars.
Angela Kocherga
Angela Kocherga is KTEP news director and also reports in the field on border issues including migration, the border security buildup, binational health, the trade. Her recent work earned a national and several regional Edward R. Murrow Awards. She is a 2019 recipient of the Maria Moors Cabot prize awarded by Columbia University for courageous reporting in Latin America in recognition of her body of work on the border and across Mexico. Emmy winning multimedia journalist Angela Kocherga is news director with KTEP and Borderzine.
Laura Rice
Though Laura’s official title with Texas Standard is Managing Producer, she actually wears many hats. Listeners will sometimes hear Laura on-air as an occasional host or reporter. More often, her work is behind-the-scenes. She helps make editorial decisions about what’s on the program and gives a second set of ears to the audio that makes it over the airwaves. Laura is passionate about working with the next generation of journalists through Texas Standard’s internship program. She also loves leading special projects for the team — including the National Edward R. Murrow Award-winning documentary “Out Of The Blue: 50 Years After The UT Tower Shooting.” Before joining the Texas Standard team, Laura worked just a few cubicles over in the local KUT Newsroom where she served as the station’s Morning Edition producer and fill-in host. Laura found radio after a start in television news. She worked as an anchor, reporter, and producer at stations in Austin, Amarillo, and Toledo, Ohio. She graduated from journalism school at the University of Missouri-Columbia and earned an MA from the University of Texas at Austin’s department of Radio-Television-Film.
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