Texas Standard
David Brown, Angela Kocherga & Laura Rice
May 29, 2026
Probe says officers are tackling, pepper-spraying and tasering students in Texas schools
After Uvalde, Texas bet big on safety with police in every school, but a new report suggests an unintended and very troubling side effect. The New York Times and the San Antonio Express-News reports thousands of incidents of officers tackling, pepper-spraying even tasering students for offenses that once would have meant a trip to the […]
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May 28, 2026
Where things stand with Big Bend border wall plans
He wants to ban Islam in Texas and now he’s the GOP pick for a seat on one of Texas’ most powerful commissions. Who is Bo French? A closer look at why, after this week, a race for a seat on the Texas railroad commission suddenly carries more weight than it might seem at first […]
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May 27, 2026
Ken Paxton’s Senate runoff win reshapes Texas GOP landscape
Ken Paxton handily beat longtime incumbent John Cornyn in the Republican runoff for Senate. So, what’s that mean come November? We’re also unpacking big primary runoff races from across the state on both sides of the aisle. What do the results tell us about what Texas voters are prioritizing? And did you vote in the […]
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May 26, 2026
Texas Extra: When the World Comes to Texas Episode 2
The FC Dallas Youth Academy was founded in 2005 by the Hunt Family, and it has gone on to produce some of the world’s most elite soccer players. Chris Hayden is the vice president and director for the FC Dallas Youth Academy, and he sat down with Ron and Miranda to talk about the history of the academy.
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May 26, 2026
Researchers find cities can change the way storms behave
When spring storms move through cities, they can intensify — creating dangerous flooding. New findings from Texas researchers may explain why. It’s runoff Election Day in Texas. While all eyes are on the Republican Senate contest between John Cornyn and Ken Paxton, we’ll also spotlight some other key races to watch as ballots are counted. […]
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May 25, 2026
A preview of key races for primary runoff Election Day
Across the Lone Star State, Memorial Day observances and events are scheduled.Meanwhile, voters in Texas are making their lists and checking them twice with primary runoff day set for tomorrow. We’ll get you up to speed on the statewide races to watch. Plus, we’ll hear about a new app from the folks at Texas Parks […]
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May 22, 2026
Dallas hip-hop group Cure for Paranoia talks breakout Tiny Desk win
Texas-based oil-drillers are looking for a competitive advantage — and they’re turning to AI. What are the implications? Turns out regulators don’t really know. We’ll hear more.As the nation turns to honor members of the military who gave their all while serving, what of those service members who died years later after exposure to chemicals […]
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May 21, 2026
Texas data centers collide with water shortages
As the school year winds down across Texas, one major school district considers declaring an emergency over money. El Paso ISD sounds an alarm after finding a $52 million shortfall, leaving officials with many questions and critical decisions to make.A primary runoff for a seat on the railroad commission has implications that may not be […]
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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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