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David Brown, Angela Kocherga & Laura Rice

January 26, 2026

Austin police cooperation with ICE faces renewed scrutiny

An update on this weekend’s winter storm – the lingering aftereffects, and when to expect things to get back to “normal.”Though the worst may be over, many extreme cold advisories have been issued statewide today, and frozen precipitation is making many secondary roads treacherous. We’ll have an update, plus a look at the storm’s impact […]

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January 23, 2026

Texans brace for winter weather on land – and in the sea

Texans statewide are preparing for the biggest winter storm we’ve seen in years. We’ll have the latest on a weekend of snow, ice and freezing rain that’s en route to Texas.At the moment, officials say the power grid is looking good, though localized outages are likely due to falling limbs and ice on power lines.For […]

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January 22, 2026

Former Uvalde officer acquitted in first criminal trial tied to shooting

Texans prepare for a major winter storm, projected to be the most severe since the deadly winter storm of 2021. We’ll get an update on preparations by state officials in what promises to be the first real test of the power grid since Winter Storm Uri five years ago.A Uvalde school police officer, the first […]

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January 21, 2026

What to know as arctic front heads to Texas

Freezing temperatures and ice are in the forecast for much of Texas. We’ll go over what you need to know to feel prepared.An investigation into jail deaths in Tarrant County finds a common denominator: A lieutenant who looked on.Drone delivery could soon be coming to your front porch. We’ll cover the companies embracing the technology […]

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January 20, 2026

‘Witness’ blends music and photography to beckon reflection

A year ago, President Trump began his second term in office with a promise to carry out mass deportations. We’ll have a view from the border on today’s Texas Standard.Is the state funding private schools that discriminate?An update on a lawsuit challenging the heartbeat abortion law in Texas.Plus, award-winning photojournalist and musician Tamir Kalifa combines […]

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January 19, 2026

ICE detainee deaths draw scrutiny at El Paso facility

From one end of Texas to the other: Parades, celebrations and service events in honor of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Veteran host of “In Black America,” John L. Hanson Jr., pays tribute to the civil rights leader.We’ll also hear from the host of a new PBS documentary on the evolving legacy of […]

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January 16, 2026

How San Antonio’s MLK march became one of the nation’s largest

It may be the single election day with the greatest power to reshape the Texas political landscape, and yet most Texas voters don’t bother with it. We’ll unpack it today.Do you know when the Texas primaries are? Plan to vote in them? The Texas Newsroom’s Blaise Gainey joins us with the often-misunderstood stakes of primary […]

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January 15, 2026

Texas readies for the 2026 FIFA World Cup

Dueling ballot challenges in Tarrant County: Why longtime Texas politics-watchers say they’ve never seen anything like it.A look at a teacher’s alleged sexual misconduct and a new state law that could wind up costing a local school district millions. We’ll dive into whether other school districts could be on the hook as more victims seek […]

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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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