Border

A report from Eagle Pass after a weekend of immigration protest

A bipartisan bill to address border security: one that mandates that President Biden shut down the border. David Martin Davies with more on the Senate bill on immigration and border security and an update on border protests over the weekend.

What appears to be the first human brain chip implant by Elon Musk’s Neuralink is raising concerns about safety, consent, and transparency. We’ll hear from a medical ethicist who’s been studying the implications.

In El Paso, a new exhibit that highlights a surprising relationship between humans and ducks.

And the thousandth PolitiFact check of Donald Trump – what the numbers say.

Texas frackers are going electric – but can the grid handle it?

With a push from Texas Republicans, the U.S. House moves a step closer toward a vote to impeach the head of Homeland Security.

Amid a shortage of teachers statewide, a move in Dallas to get more men of color in the classroom.

In the Texas oilfields, how a push for greener drilling has some worried about the effects on the power grid.

A browser update for the ages? Why new features in Google Chrome have one tech writer warning of the end of the human internet.

And Temu takeover? Why U.S. giants like Amazon and Walmart are rethinking their strategies as a China-based retailer turns up the heat.

Drilling down on the state takeover of Houston schools

Today, the Standard debuts “The Drill Down,” a new segment highlighting enterprise journalism from our partners across Texas. Today we’ll hear from Dominic Anthony Walsh of Houston Public Media on where things stand more than six months into the state’s takeover of the Houston Independent School District.

Democrats challenging Ted Cruz for his seat in the U.S. Senate debate for what may be the only time before the primaries. Sergio Martínez-Beltrán of The Texas Newsroom shares more.

And: A 90-year-old program designed to help blind or visually impaired people find jobs is losing participants, with many leaving because they can’t make a living.

A national lab didn’t detect disease in Texas deer, but the state had already euthanized them

Missing mail and massive delays in postal delivery in the Houston area are sparking action from U.S. Rep. Al Green. We’ll hear what he plans to do about it.

A controversial law allowing Texas police to arrest people suspected of crossing the border illegally takes effect soon – but some rural sheriffs in the Big Bend region say they’re not eager to enforce it.

And: An entire herd of white-tailed deer at the Kerr Wildlife Management Area was euthanized amid concerns about the spread of a contagious disease. But the affected deer may not have had the disease after all, according to new test results.

State has seen rise in teen births since abortion ban was enacted

After Donald Trump’s win in the New Hampshire primary, what are the implications and ripple effects as Texas’ primary day approaches?

The Republican Party of Denton County has issued a resolution calling for Brent Hagenbuch to drop out of race for District 30 of the Texas Senate. At issue: allegations that Hagenbuch doesn’t live in the district.

A federal appeals court has given a second chance to Mexico’s $10 billion lawsuit against gun manufacturers, one of the biggest potential setbacks for gun manufacturers in recent memory.

A new study from the University of Houston finds a rise in teen birth rates a year after Texas’ six-week abortion ban went into effect.

And: Analysis of the Supreme Court’s ruling on razor wire at the border.

Standoff between Texas and the feds continues over Rio Grande access

Tensions between Texas and the federal government intensify over Border Patrol access.

On the day after the release of the findings of a federal investigation into the 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, what we’re learning and what it could mean for accountability.

With the intensification of winter weather this week, how advocates for people experiencing homelessness are trying to shelter and care for Texans left out in the cold.

A sneak peek at the Super Bowl prospects for the Houston Texans, facing a big playoff challenge this weekend.

And we’ll have the week in politics with Matthew Watkins of the Texas Tribune.

Supreme Court case pits Texas rancher against TxDOT’s highway renovations

A senior meteorologist with the National Weather Service offers a peek at what’s to come as much of Texas remains blanketed by bitter cold.

On South Padre Island, there’s a mission to rescue hundreds of sea turtles stunned by the cold.

A Houston-area rancher says his land is prone to serious floods because of renovations to Interstate 10, and he wants compensation from the state. Arguments are set for today before the U.S. Supreme Court.

A growing standoff between Texas and the federal government continues as the White House accuses Gov. Greg Abbott of blocking Border Patrol access, resulting in the drowning of three migrants.

We’re talking to state lawmaker Judith Zaffirini, the first woman to hold the role of dean of the Texas Senate.

And: re-examining the legacy of the space shuttle with astronaut and spacewalker Tom Jones.

How the New Year’s focus on dieting can have a negative impact

The National Weather Service issued a wind advisory for much Texas as a massive storm moves across the United States. We have the latest on conditions statewide.

Friends, family and colleagues of the late longtime congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson are gathering in Dallas today to reflect on her legacy.

Made any New Year’s resolutions? The Standard’s Sarah Asch looks into how the body positivity movement has challenged longstanding messages about health and dieting.

A major baby formula recall is sparking concerns among families and politicians.

And remembering legendary Texas journalist Stanley Walker.

What’s ahead for space exploration in 2024

The federal government takes legal action to stop Texas from implementing a new state law aimed at arresting migrants who come into the state illegally. Julián Aguilar of The Texas Newsroom has more.

A new plan to use AI to help explore the effect of burn pits on veterans.
Why 2024 could be the launch pad for a new chapter in space exploration.

How the armadillo, a dormant dog-sized mammal considered a pest by many, won the affection of many a Texan.

Plus: The week in politics with The Texas Tribune.

Rare mushroom sparks excitement in Central Texas and beyond

A GOP junket to Eagle Pass was one of the largest congressional visits to the border in recent memory – but what’s the end goal, and what did lawmakers see?

Eleanor Klibanoff of the Texas Tribune has the details on a ruling by the Fifth Circuit over federal authority to require hospitals to provide abortions, and the implications for Texas.

A rare star-shaped fungus found only in Texas and a few other places worldwide is capturing the attention of mushroom enthusiasts.

Also: Understanding a new trend of cold exposure – does it have the health benefits many claim?

Residents fight proposed Brazoria County primate facility

Is artificial intelligence coming soon to Texas government? A new report says it’s already here.

More than 300,000 immigrants arrived at the southern border in December. Angela Kocherga of KTEP takes a look at one of the busiest border crossing areas year-round: the El Paso sector.

Volunteer pilots are helping abortion-seekers get out of Texas.
A biomedical company wants to build a massive facility for primates in Brazoria County. But locals are fighting back.

And: remembering the music and legacy of Rocky Morales.

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.

The Gift of the Tidelands

Texas Standard commentator W.F. Strong has a little holiday tradition. Every December he likes to count our collective blessings as Texans by highlighting a great gift to Texas.

He says the tidelands were special because the giver didn’t realize how much goodness would continue to flow from them.

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.

The state 2D artist draws on his El Paso heritage

There haven’t been any votes yet, but we kind of already know what the Texas delegation to the U.S. House will look like in 2024.

The Israel-Gaza war is challenging what it means to have free speech at colleges across the country. A visit to a San Antonio campus highlights why.

Gov. Greg Abbott is set to sign into law a measure that makes illegal border crossing a state crime. What you need to know.

It’s tamale time for many folks across Texas. We’ll explore the base ingredient, masa, with our go-to taco journalist.

And a conversation with this year’s state 2D artist, Gaspar Enriquez, about how he depicts El Paso and what it means to be Chicano.

Tired of the same Christmas carols? This Texas composer has some rearrangements

A Texas judge grants a Dallas-area woman her request for an abortion, despite the state’s strict ban. It is thought to be one of the first attempts to seek a court-approved abortion since the U.S Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe vs. Wade. Olivia Aldridge of KUT in Austin shares more.

Aid for Ukraine and Israel is blocked for now over border security concerns, and Texas’ two U.S. senators were very much a part of that process. A Texas Tech political science professor breaks it down.

As Texas cities try to rein in traffic, San Antonio revives a plan to be more bicycle-friendly.

And: North Texas-based music writer and conductor Taylor Davis is discovering something new in the Christmas carols we’ve heard for decades on end.

Examining Texas’ legacy of anti-LGBT laws

After seven months pushing a school voucher-like plan, Gov. Greg Abbott gets a firm pushback from fellow Republicans. Scott Braddock of the Quorum Report shares the latest.

Mexico plans to offer “know your rights” educational sessions in Texas as lawmakers send a wide-ranging border security bill to the governor.

Amid slowing sales of EV’s, one city in Texas seems to be leading the switch away from gas pumps to charging stations.

The past legislative session saw the filing of a historic number of bills impacting LGBT Texans – but that’s just the latest effort in what’s been a half-century of criminalizing these communities, according to a new investigation from KXAN TV.

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.

Dallas pastor stuck in Israel shares what he’s seen amid renewed conflict with Hamas

A third special session of the Texas Legislature gets underway and it’s not just education that’s on the agenda. Although the governor’s push for a so-called education savings accounts is getting the lion’s share of attention as the session starts, border security is rising fast as a top issue. Julián Aguilar of the Texas Newsroom joins us with more.

As Texas lawmakers offer support for Israel, some Texans are feeling the effects of war firsthand. We’ll talk with the head of a Dallas interfaith group caught in Israel at the outbreak of fighting, now trying to get himself and his colleagues back home safely.

Ken Paxton whistleblower says his fight is not over

He was one of the whistleblowers against Attorney General Ken Paxton, and he says his fight is not over.

What appears to be a 180° turn by the Biden Administration as it waves environmental laws and resumes construction work on a border wall in South Texas.

Hundreds of thousands of Texans dropped from Medicaid rolls post-‘peak COVID’ – some wrongly so, whistleblowers say – due to errors at the state health department.

What could be an epic football battle this weekend: the Red River Rivalry. Are the Longhorns back, for real?

Also, the week in Texas politics with the Texas Tribune.