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Our staff favorites of the year

Texas Standard producers have made their lists and checked ‘em twice – or more – selecting some of our most memorable conversations with fascinating Texans over the past 12 months.

This hour, we invite you to sit back and enjoy our staff favorites from the past year, including honky tonk heroines, birders in cemeteries, bears making a comeback and a whole lot more.

How ‘The Iron Claw’ filmmakers achieved authenticity inside the ring

Amid a shortage of ADHD medication, concerns grow about adulterated formulations at pharmacies in Mexico.

As Houston is about to get a new mayor, a look back at the tenure of the term-limited incumbent, Sylvester Turner.

Making history at the Capitol: The Texas Newsroom’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán talks to the two women who are the first to hold the top law enforcement offices in the House of Representatives.

A new film about a wrestling dynasty built by a Texas family – and why “The Iron Claw” is winning over critics who couldn’t care less about wrestling.

Plus, the week in politics with The Texas Tribune.

What has Van Horn residents so worried about a new pipeline

The Department of Justice has sued Colony Ridge, a Houston-area housing developer marketing primarily to undocumented migrants, over the company’s business practices.

Concerns are growing over a proposed pipeline in far West Texas, as nearby residents in Van Horn worry they simply don’t have the resources if there were an emergency.

Tech expert Omar Gallaga tells us why Apple’s taking many of its watches off store shelves, and why the president could get involved.

Also: Veteran public radio DJ Susan Castle of KUTX Austin serves up some holiday songs with a Texas twist.

New proposals would let ranchers kill two birds. But is one really a predator?

New laws on arresting migrants who cross the border into Texas illegally are just one of many changes related to border security from this year’s legislative sessions. Julián Aguilar of The Texas Newsroom takes a closer look at what passed, what didn’t, and what it means.

How do Texas voters think lawmakers did dealing with top-line issues in 2023? Jim Henson of the Texas Politics Project shares the findings of a new poll.

A Texas perspective of the struggle over campus free speech.

Democratic lawmakers in Congress are pitching a plan to stop hedge funds from buying rental homes.

And the Standard’s Michael Marks dives in on Texas ranchers’ ongoing fight against predatory birds.

Does drone medical help offer hope for rural Texans?

A court rules that Texas power generators do not have a responsibility to provide power in emergencies, like the winter storm of 2021. Mose Buchele of KUT Austin has more on what this means.

Understanding Pope Francis’ decision to permit Catholic church officials to bless same-sex marriages.

The Securities and Exchange Commission, more used to white-collar crime enforcement, wades into Texas cattle country to bust up what it calls a Ponzi scheme.

And: For West Texans far from medical facilities, some help zooms in by way of drones.

Thousands of vulnerable Texans stand to lose food and health benefits

A plan to provide aid to Ukraine and Israel is on the ropes due to disagreements over border security. What comes next? Brandon Rottinghaus of the University of Houston has more.


Thousands of vulnerable Texans stand to lose food and health benefits from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, also known as WIC.


An obscure element of the school financial system is leaving some districts with more money than they need.


And we’ll talk to Tyler Campbell, the son of NFL Hall of Famer and Heisman Trophy winner Earl Campbell, who’s sharing his story in a new book.

Exploring the difficulties of rural reproductive care in West Texas

Texas leads the nation in executions again, and Harris County sentences more people to die than any other county in the U.S. A new report examines dozens of death penalty cases there.

A new podcast from Marfa Public Radio looks at the challenge of accessing reproductive care in the Big Bend region.

The season started out with great expectations, but now the San Antonio Spurs have lost a record 18 games in a row. What’s gone wrong, and can it be fixed?

Plus, the week in politics with the Texas Tribune’s Ayan Mittra.

YouTube chef blends her Texan and Indian roots in new show

State Sen. John Whitmire defeated U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee in the runoff election to serve as Houston’s 63rd mayor. We’ll take a look at what his win may mean for the state’s biggest city.

The borderlines of two South American countries have long been in dispute. How a recent re-ignition of the argument may have just as much to do with politics as it does with oil.

School districts across Texas have been hoping for an increase in funding. Why even some with large tax bases are struggling to make ends meet.

When you think of climate activists, who comes to mind? It may surprise you which age group says it’s become a top issue for them.

And we’re talking food unique to Texas – not BBQ or Tex-Mex, but South Indian-Texan cuisine. Chef Deepa Shridhar joins with more on her YouTube series “KanDeepa Texan.”

State stops effort to reclaim Fairfield Lake State Park

Expensive homes owned by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton have not been disclosed to the state as required by law. Investigative reporter Lauren McGaughy of the Texas Newsroom has more.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will no longer try to use eminent domain to reclaim Fairfield Lake State Park, ending a months-long struggle between the state and a Dallas developer.

The digital divide has for decades been a concern. Why many in Texas worry things are getting worse.

And: Remember expectations of a blue wave? How are Democrats’ chances for political success in Texas shaping up for 2024?

Simone Talma Flowers

In the last episode of Season 2 of Black Austin Matters Lisa and Rich talk all things Trinidadian with Executive Director of iACT Simone Talma Flowers. She shares her experiences growing up in Trinidad, what faith means to her and some of her favorite recipes.

Bonus Episode: HT Jazz Collective

In this bonus episode, Lisa and Rich catch-up with the Huston-Tillotson Jazz Collective after their performance at ACL. They share how Huston-Tillotson has cultivated a space that makes them feel at home, what playing jazz means to them, and what inspires them. 

Afrotech and Hubbledvision

Confucius and Fresh interview  J.M., the founder of  Austin’s Hubbledvision, and Chicago-based artist Blvck Svm about their musical collaboration and the Afrovision event at this year’s Afrotech.

You’ll learn Hip-Hop Facts about who wrote the treatment for Dr. Dre and Tupac’s “California Love” video, the debut of Will Smith’s “Summertime,” what Questlove called himself before he landed on Questlove, and more.

Fresh states the Unpopular Opinion that Texas rappers can get lazy.

Confucius talks about Mike Pence dropping out of the presidential race, Trump’s lawyer’s claim that he can’t go to jail because he has a secret service detail, the data breach at the Austin Meals on Wheels and more on Confucius Reads the News.

The real history behind Goatman’s Bridge is scarier than any ghost story

After almost seven weeks, striking autoworkers reach deals with the Big 3 automakers. Why Texas played a critical role.

Scientists recently got to see a collision of two stars in space – and its aftermath.

The president has released an executive order on artificial intelligence. How far does it go, and will it go far enough?

The tale of Goatman’s Bridge has a history that haunts Texas to its core. The Standard’s Sean Saldana takes us to Denton for the story.

And: What would Texas cryptids look like in real life? We visited an elementary school art class to get some ideas.

How artificial ocean reefs can help fight climate change

A special session is at an impasse over one of the governor’s top agenda items: Gov. Greg Abbott says if the Texas Legislature doesn’t pass his proposal to use tax dollars to cover private school tuition, he’ll keep calling lawmakers back to the Capitol until they do.

Remembering Roky Erickson, a Texas pioneer in psychedelic music.

A marine science professor at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is leading a project to build an artificial reef to capture carbon and reduce global warming.

Why seasonal pop-up stores like Spirit Halloween haunt efforts at smart urban planning.

And we’ll talk to Paul Bowman, an archaeologist by profession – and also a Bigfoot expert who’s tracked the elusive sasquatch all over East Texas and Oklahoma.

SpaceX satellite debris could fall from the sky and kill people, FAA report says

Where do we stand with education in the special legislative session? With Gov. Greg Abbott and the Texas House at a deadlock over school vouchers.


The Federal Aviation Administration estimates that by 2035, one person could be injured or killed by falling SpaceX Starlink debris every two years.


As the World Series gets underway tonight in Arlington; North Texans share what their hometown Texas Rangers mean to them — and why they’ve never lost faith.


Also: the week in politics with the Texas Tribune.

What new polling says about Texans’ presidential preferences

With the Texas House and Senate in special session, border security is taking center stage – including one measure that sparked a verbal brawl in the state Capitol on Wednesday night.


Tech expert Omar Gallaga tells us why social media companies are de-emphasizing news, and what that means.


Also, a new poll from the Texas Public Policy Project shares clues on where Texans stand on the eve of the 2024 election cycle.