Texas Standard
David Brown, Angela Kocherga & Laura Rice
July 17, 2026
An update from Kerrville after floods again rattle region
There are two confirmed fatalities in Texas’ Hill Country as rescues continue and precipitation finally begins to taper off. We’ll have an update on the flooding across Texas from Lucio Vasquez of the Texas Newsroom standing by in Kerrville. Rising food prices aren’t just making it tougher for more Texas families, but also for pantries […]
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July 16, 2026
Emergencies, shelter-in-place orders go out in flood-wary Kerr County region
Life-threatening floods hit parts of the Texas Hill Country as the Guadalupe River swells and flood emergencies and warnings go out. In the aftermath of shootings in Maine and Texas, a pause in ICE policy ends only hours after the change went into effect. We’ll have more from Houston’s historic East End on how the […]
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July 15, 2026
Flooding risks trigger disaster declarations for parts of state
More wet weather for portions of Texas’ flash flood alley: A look at the forecast and warning systems put in place since last year’s deadly storms. Cities across Texas have responded to the issue of homelessness in a variety of ways. Is it worth considering a broader approach? People in Texas have been working to […]
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July 14, 2026
A permit loophole for AI power plants
A legal battle over the deep discounts on water bills Corpus Christi gave major companies amid a looming water crisis. Why some of the new power plants for data centers are using the same permits as dry cleaners and auto body shops that don’t require an environmental review. A new effort to help more students […]
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July 13, 2026
Texans are losing millions in scams involving crypto kiosks
Supporters call it the most important housing legislation in decades, but what does the new housing law mean for everyday Texans? In Texas’ closely watched U.S. Senate race, a challenge to what’s become conventional wisdom about Democratic nominee James Talarico and his appeal to Texas’ Black voters. An apparent end to the ceasefire with Iran […]
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July 10, 2026
Questions remain after fatal ICE shooting in Houston
The latest on this week’s fatal shooting by ICE in Houston, described by Mexico’s president as part of a broader pattern of mistreatment of Mexican migrants. We’ll talk with reporters in Houston and in Mexico City. Frisco has become one of the nation’s fastest-growing hubs for Indian American families, businesses and culture. But the North […]
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July 9, 2026
Toyota brings Tacoma production back to San Antonio
Many eyes in higher education are focused on Texas and whether we’re starting to see the fruits of a landmark rethink of two-year colleges. More on the significance of enrollment numbers rising at Texas community colleges. In a deep red North Texas suburb, something that might have been considered unheard of not that long ago: […]
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July 8, 2026
What a Catholic Church schism could mean for Texas parishioners
A new report by ProPublica and the Texas Tribune alleges Ken Paxton, the Republican now in a dead heat against Democrat James Talarico in Texas’ U.S. Senate race, may have broken the law by casting ballots outside the district where he resides. We’ll hear details. A priestly group with churches in Texas has been excommunicated […]
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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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