Tridemic? One of the world leading virologists says its more like a Septademic. Dr. Peter Hotez joins us and talks about staying healthy during the holidays. Also as the humanitarian crisis on the border grows Governor Abbott is calling for an investigation of some of the non-profits helping migrants. We’ll explain. Plus, Google is making some changes that affect the results that show up in your searches including those shopping ads. Our go to tech expert Omar Gallaga takes us behind the curtains. And Big Bend National Park is about to get a little bigger with new areas to explore. All that and more today on the Texas Standard:
Border
Remembering former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach
The Biden Administration is moving to address growing numbers of migrants at the border. We’ll hear from the Secretary of Homeland Security. Also the results of the mayoral runoff in Texas’ capitol city: a former mayor and state senator returning to city hall. And with 4 students killed and another rescued Hays ISD engaged in a major campaign to alert students about the dangers of fentanyl. Also a bill to bag big cats held in private hands: The Big Cat Safety Act wins bipartisan support in Congress. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
The fight to save a historic hotel along the Texas Gulf Coast
With the impending end of Title 42 restrictions there’s a growing humanitarian crisis at the border. The director of Homeland Security joins us as record a record number of migrants arrive on the border. We’ll hear from the director of a network of regional shelters. Other stories we’re tracking: how the military is trying to deal with a rise in suicide deaths among service members. Also: an effort to save an historic gulf coast landmark hotel from the wrecking ball. Plus a just-announced breakthrough in nuclear fusion and what it could mean for Texas. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
The fight over preserving El Paso’s Castner Range
A San Antonio doctor says hospitals are facing a crisis as COVID-19, RSV and flu cases mount before in this holiday season. In Bexar county the wait for hospital beds on the rise, and some health experts are sounding an alarm as families gather for the holidays. We’ll hear the latest. Also a big OPEC meeting, a European ban on Russian oil and the ripple effects for Texas oil producers and consumers. And in a decades long effort to open up El Paso’s Castner Mountains what could be a tipping point for a regions that’s been losing a lot of natural land to developers. Those stories, the talk of Texas and and much more today on the Texas Standard:
How Austin is bringing healthcare to people experiencing homelessness
That light at the end of the tunnel, is it a sign that a rail strike can be averted or a freight train headed for the U.S. economy? With an economy already reeling from a multitude of challenges, president Biden gets the wheels rolling in congress to head off a potential nationwide rail strike. We’ll look at the potential impact for Texas and the prospects that a strike can be avoided. Also one of the last fully independent public institutions of higher learning set to join the UT system. What does Stephen F. Austin State University stand to gain or lose in the process? Also a closer look at the Texas economic forecast and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Oral arguments begin in United States v. Texas
A migrant camp sheltering an estimated 1,000 or so people has been torn down by police in Juarez Mexico. We’ll have details. Other stories we’re tracking: the U.S. supreme court hearing a case brought by Texas and Louisiana challenging the Biden Administrations policies of prioritizing deportations. Also a bill that would guarantee federal recognition of a marriage between any two people, regardless of sex, race, or ethnicity. We’ll hear about the implications and what the bill does and doesn’t do. And a safety plan to prevent tragedies like the deaths at a Travis Scott concert in Houston last November, does it go far enough? Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: October 27, 2022
As a new poll points to a tightening race for Texas Governor, a focus on an issue considered one of the biggest. We’ll talk about how immigration and border security have been front and center in the contest between Republican incumbent governor Greg Abbott and democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke. Also with disinformation and misinformation rampant, the Standard’s Michael Marks on how to be a smart news consumer. And rising prices, rising wages. But not all paychecks rising at the same rate. Sean Saldana with more. And the southern second person plural that one writer now calls the most inclusive of all pronouns. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: October 25, 2022
With voting in the midterms underway, we’ll take a close look at how political disinformation is playing out in Texas politics. A case study of disinformation in action as the Texas Newsroom hones in on how false claims are affecting the democratic process. Also a disappointing report card on the post-pandemic state of education for elementary and middle schoolers. What can be done to combat learning gaps. Plus a historic shakeup in the UK, and what it could mean for Texans. And a first of its kind effort to lift barriers separating the field of chemistry and students with blindness and low vision. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: October 24, 2022
Amid growing concerns over the busing of migrants from the border to other cities, El Paso pulls the plug on its program. We’ll have the latest. Other stories we’re working on: Early voting in Texas starts today and all this week the Texas Newsroom hones in on disinformation, and what Texans can do about it. We’ll have more. Also as new threats arise in Russia’s war against Ukraine, the U.S. Air Force revamps pilot training for rapid response to unexpected situations. And how Black musical artists and fans are embracing country music as the industry reckons with change. Those stories, a project to understand what Latino voters in Texas want and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: October 4, 2022
A former warden at a private immigration detention center and his brother accused in connection with a shooting of migrants in the west Texas borderlands. We’ll have more. Also the passing of a once powerful force in Texas politics: the complicated story of Ramiro Ramsey Muniz. Plus an award winning writer turns to ghost stories just in time for you know what. And horny toads, horned frogs, call em what you will… the efforts underway in San Antonio to protect a beloved Texas symbol. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: September 20, 2022
A Texas sheriff opens a criminal investigation into the flying of nearly 50 migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard. Florida’s governor under investigation for emulating the tactic of Texas’ governor, flying migrants out of state. We’ll take a closer look. Also, many in the town of Uvalde turning to politics after frustration with how elected leaders have handled the aftermath of the mass shooting there last May. We’ll have the Texas newsroom with details. And President Biden pushing for online privacy legislation. Guess who’s pushing back: a hint, she’s not a Republican. Plus UT’s Steven Vladeck on Texas’ social media law, and what comes next. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: September 19, 2022
With shelters full and an infrastructure near breaking point, hundreds of migrants released on the streets of El Paso without services. So what now? As Governor Abbott presses forward with a program to bus migrants to democratically controlled cities out of state, New York’s mayor threatens legal action, as critics call Abbott’s busing program a political stunt. We’ll take a closer look. Also Texas’ richest resident announces plans for a new startup: a lithium refining plant. Why that could be critical for the next evolution in transportation. And the road ahead for rural Texas: a report warns it’s especially treacherous. All that and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: September 16, 2022
A demographic shift decades in the making is finally here. So what’s it mean for the state’s future? New data from the census bureau shows there are now more Hispanic than white residents in Texas. We’ll talk it over with the state’s demographer. Plus the story of a novelty website purchased for one and a half billion dollars. We’ll hear from the author of a new book that charts the rise of Youtube. All that, and of course the week that was in Texas politics today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: September 13, 2022
More details emerge about the horrific conditions faced by youths locked up in Texas’ juvenile justice facilities. Locked in a cell 22 hours per day with no place to use the restroom… That’s how some of the kids in Texas’ youth detention system spend their weekends, thanks to short staffing at the facilities. We’ll learn more about what’s being done to fix it. Plus an offensive by the Ukrainian military found Russian troops on the back foot. What’s it mean for the future of the war? Also on today’s show we’ll learn about two kinds of butterflies, health insurance for Texas musicians and the evolution of the copyright. All of that and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: August 31, 2022
18 months after a deadly statewide electricity blackout, state officials adopt new weather preparedness standards. But is it enough? We’ll look at what the new rules are and whether they have the teeth to prevent future events like the 2021 Winter Blackouts. Also, El Paso’s DA under fire and facing a petition seeking her removal. But she calls it a political move. Plus drug cartels in Mexico shifting production to an unusually lethal synthetic opioid that has health officials in the U.S. concerned about an overdose crisis. Those stories, a Politifact check on teacher salaries and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: August 30, 2022
As a debate grows over whether or not the US is in a recession, where does Texas stand, and where’s the state’s economy headed? After the economic downturn of 2008, many people pointed to the resiliency of the Lone Star State as the Texas Miracle. But the current economic picture has many wondering about the toll on Texas and what it means going forward. We’ll talk with an economist at the Dallas Fed. Also after the Dobbs decision, why some LGBTQ couples across Texas are making plans to defend same sex marriage. And it survived two wars but will it survive a move tomorrow through the Houston ship channel? The future of the Battleship Texas. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: August 24, 2022
Hours away from a new law that amounts to a near total ban on abortions in Texas and a new legal challenge to that law. As Texas’ version of a post Roe vs. Wade trigger law takes effect, reproductive rights groups are suing the state attorney general. We’ll hear about the strategy and the prospects. Also, 5 years after Hurricane Harvey there are ongoing attempts to buyout the homes of people living in land that repeatedly floods. So how’s that working out? We’ll hear the latest. Also actor and comedian Mo Amer on a new Netflix series some say is the first of its kind to really capture the feel of a modern Houston. Plus a Politifact check and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: August 23, 2022
Deadly, destructive downpours across large parts of Texas. What’s the damage and what comes next? A disaster declaration in Dallas county amid widespread flash flooding, hundreds of car rescues and flooded homes. The governor puts the state emergency operations center on standby and plans to visit the hard hit DFW area today. Plus in the aftermath of Uvalde, how police in school districts have been preparing for back to school. And the push to help kids in rural Texas in need of mental health care. Also the debut of a novelist already being hailed as Texas’ Faulkner. And the Black family at the heart of the narrative. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: August 17, 2022
An historic defeat for a prominent GOP politician who dared to push back against Donald Trump. Does Liz Cheney’s defeat in Wyoming mark a more profound realignment of the GOP? And what does that mean for Texas? Brandon Rottinghaus of the University of Houston with more. Plus mayors in New York and D.C. are pushing back against Texas sending busloads of migrants to their cities. And a rise in mental health issues among students and how schools in places like Lubbock are trying to trying to help. Also flood control going green in areas once inundated by Hurricane Harvey. And a Politifact check about arming the IRS. All of that and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: August 12, 2022
It’s exceptionally dry across Texas, but the little rain parts of the state have been experiencing in recent days could be a game changer. Farmers are reporting widespread crop losses, and both the supply and quality of the water is on the decline. We’ll speak with the Texas State climatologist on how climate change factors into the drought outlook. Plus perspective from D.C. on the migrants the Texas and Arizona governors are bussing to the East Coast. And a new MAGA has emerged as a political player in the race for Texas governor. We speak with the woman behind Mothers Against Greg Abbott. All that and the week that was in Texas politics today on the Texas Standard: