Amanda Shires

Musician Amanda Shires on her collaboration with Bobbie Nelson

Hundreds of nurses are on a one-day strike in Austin, in what’s expected to be the largest nurses’ strike in Texas history.

Texans know summer heat, but these temperatures can be dangerous. A doctor shares important information on protecting yourself and others.

Residents living in colonias on the border who lack clean, safe drinking water say they’re the target of predatory practices.

And musician Amanda Shires on her new album “Loving You,” a collaboration with the the late great Bobbie Nelson.

Amanda Shires: “Gone For Christmas” (feat. The McCrary Sisters)

Even if you haven’t tied the voice to the name, you’ve likely heard Amanda Shires, be it with Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit, supporting the late John Prine on tour, or as one quarter of country supergroup The Highwomen. But it may surprise some of you to learn that this Lubbock-born/Nashville-based singer-fiddler’s just released her own Holiday album, simply titled For Christmas. For Christmas features the Grammy winner performing nine originals and two covers alongside an impressive cast of collaborators and a healthy balance of genuine joy and irreverent humor, heard best on “Gone For Christmas” featuring The McCrary Sisters.

Texas Standard: January 31, 2017

One of the most important announcements yet, with potential implications for generations. We’ll explore the short list for the Supreme Court. Plus a fire destroys a mosque in Victoria and another burns down an Islamic center in central Texas. Unconnected events? We’ll hear what officials are saying, and not saying. And Texas two step? Texas lawmakers detail a proposal to use public money for private school tuition. Also a plan to cap property taxes, but do the numbers add up? Plus motherhood, musicianship and memories of Mineral Wells. A conversation with the current queen of americana: Amanda shires. Those stories and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard: