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David Brown, Angela Kocherga & Laura Rice

March 10, 2026

How Corpus Christi could be on the brink of a water disaster

Corpus Christi, a major Texas port city, could run out of water as early as next year. What’s behind the looming crisis?We’ll track how the war in Iran is affecting prices at the pump and what to expect next.Will the national Democratic Party spend more money in Texas after James Talarico and other candidate’s strong […]

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March 9, 2026

Texas A&M alumni raise concerns over ‘politicization’ of school

Gasoline prices on the rise, a looming crisis in Corpus Christi, and more fallout from a Texas congressman’s decision to end his reelection bid.We’ll have the latest on Republican Congressman Tony Gonzales’ abrupt decision to end his reelection efforts amid a House ethics investigation on sexual misconduct allegations.Also, a deep-pocketed Aggie alunmus weighs in on […]

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March 7, 2026

Texas Extra: Extended ‘Riverbend’ film interview

Director Sam Firstenberg and film restoration pioneer Michael J. Dennis stopped by the Texas Standard studio this week to talk about the movie “Riverbend.” This is an extended version of the interview that aired on Texas Standard.

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March 6, 2026

‘Riverbend’ returns to audiences after decades of obscurity

After winning a spot in a runoff, Congressman Tony Gonzales drops his bid for reelection amid growing pressure over an affair scandal. We’ll dig into the latest today.Also, confusion at some polling places on primary day: What really happened and what’s the fallout?And a film of Black resistance shot in Texas — but largely lost […]

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March 5, 2026

Amid ethics probe, Rep. Tony Gonzales admits affair

South Texas lawmaker, Rep. Tony Gonzales, is facing a runoff and has now admitted to carrying out an affair with an aide who later died by suicide. Now a House committee is investigating the scandal.How the primary election turned Tejano music star Bobby Pulido into a Democratic political contender in the general election.The taco truck: […]

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March 4, 2026

After Texas primary night, attention turns to November

Excitement among Democrats, challenges for some incumbents and a few lingering legal questions after last night’s primary election.The top-line race on both sides of the aisle was for U.S. Senate. Democrat Jasmine Crockett conceded Wednesday morning to fellow progressive James Talarico, but for the Republicans it’s incumbent John Cornyn versus Ken Paxton in a runoff.How […]

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March 3, 2026

Texans head to the polls on primary Election Day

It’s primary Election Day. We’ll check in with our reporters at polling places across the state.A federal appeals court cleared the way for tariff refunds to begin, so what’s next and what should you do if you’re owed money?Teachers are among those who caught hundreds of errors in the new religious curriculum introduced in Texas […]

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March 2, 2026

Iran strikes stoke fears of wider war, impact on energy prices

Fighting widens as U.S. and Israeli warplanes pound Iran. Iran and its proxies hit back, leading to a spiraling expansion. We’re following a rapidly expanding Middle East conflict with a close eye on the implications for Texas. UT international affairs expert Jeremi Suri answers some of the critical questions right now.Also, we’ll have a warning […]

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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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