Bills to raise criminal penalties for illegal voting and allow for audits of the 2020 election. Who and what’s behind them? Other stories we’re tracking: after mass deportations of mostly Haitian migrants in Del Rio, reports emerge of 11,000 to 12,000 more Haitian migrants hoping to pass thru to the U.S. border, but stuck in southern Mexico. We’ll hear the latest. Also ripple effects of a pandemic: the resurgence of an opioid epidemic. How Texas A&M researchers plan to help doctors and mental health providers deal with the problem. And is Texas really the future of America? Those stories and much more when the TS gets underway, right after this:
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Texas Standard: October 4, 2021
Demands for the ousting of a non-partisan county elections official for failing to be sufficiently Republican? Donald Trump took Hood County by 81%, but local Republicans want the election official there fired. We’ll hear why some think this could be a microcosm of Texas politics at the moment. Also with so much growth among Latinos in Texas according to the last census, where are they in the new redistricting maps? And recent viral images of border agents rounding up black migrants on horseback and the reverberations of racial violence in Texas. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: September 29, 2021
Lt. Governor Dan Patrick faces a new challenger from a former George W. Bush aide, running as a democrat. Matthew Dowd may be best known in recent years as a TV news analyst, but now he’s entering the race for Texas Lt. Governor. Though there’s still no democrat at the top of the ticket. We’ll have more. Also, Governor Greg Abbots policy of catching and jailing migrants at the border with Mexico dealt a blow by a state judge. We’ll hear why. And our own Jill Ament with the latest in a legislative move to restrict which sports teams transgender student athletes play on. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: September 24, 2021
Deportations from Del Rio Texas are the focal point in one of the highest profile diplomatic resignations in modern memory. We’ll have more on a scathing departing salvo from the president’s special envoy to Haiti, lambasting the Biden administration’s handling of a migration crisis at the border. Also, November 2020 election results from four Texas counties to be audited. That news coming just hours after former President Donald Trump demands a statewide election audit. And the San Antonio resident at the center of what human rights watchers call a sham trial and an unjust prison sentence. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: September 21, 2021
Hundreds more federal agents are sent to south Texas as the Biden administration steps up deportations of most Haitian migrants. After promises for sweeping changes in immigration policy, the Biden administration facing heat from immigration advocates and even some democrats over its handling of a humanitarian crisis at the border. We’ll hear more. Also the numbers are in, but how will the new political maps being drawn up by Texas lawmakers reflect the growing numbers of members of minority groups and people of color that have moved to Texas since the last census? And the unusual approach to saving the ocelot in south Texas. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: September 17, 2021
It is being described as a new humanitarian challenge- reporters say 10,000 migrants or more massed under a bridge in Del Rio. Details today on the Texas Standard.
A new crisis at the border, as local and federal officials appear overwhelmed by the masses in need, most apparently fleeing conditions in Haiti. We’ll have more with a reporter on the ground in Del Rio.
With the crumbling of Trump’s plans for a federal border wall, some Texans living along the border are finding getting back their seized land not a simple matter. We’ll hear about the complications and the impact.
And we’ll meet a Texas musical innovator dubbed the king of the brown sound. Those stories and more.
Texas Standard: September 13, 2021
Making good on a threat: Texas is suing over school mask mandates. We’ll take a look at what we know about a lawsuit against six Texas school districts. Also tropical storm Nicholas is headed towards the Texas Gulf Coast. We’ll discuss what the state and coastal cities are doing now and the implications as oil production is still offline from Hurricane Ida in Louisiana. And twenty years ago today… a disaster along the South Texas Coast. Remembering the Queen Isabella Causeway Collapse. Plus the Republican Party and Texas are practically synonymous in current politics but things have changed over the decades. A look back today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: July 30, 2021
We’re going into another academic year that will be impacted by the pandemic. What we know now about how it’s affected student progress. Also, the DACA program can no longer accept new applicants based on a Texas judge’s ruling. So what’s that mean going forward? And the pandemic’s impact on employment has meant some gains for Americans with disabilities. What employers can learn. Also the pandemic’s partly responsible for Texas’ frenzied housing market. But will the bubble burst? We’ll ask an expert. We’ll also remember a dark day in Texas history, 55 years ago. And we’ll wrap up our Friday with the top news from this week in Texas politics. All of that today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: July 29, 2021
Almost all of Texas is red on a CDC map tracking high COVID-19 transmission rates. One of the state’s top infectious disease expert breaks down mask guidance and what we should be considering as kids prepare to go back to school. The potential spread of the virus is also behind the governor’s new executive order. It’s aimed at migrants but it’s broad in scope and is raising some serious concerns. Plus one of the biggest companies in the gaming industry is getting called out by its own employees for its destructive workplace culture. And a pair of remembrances today – a musician with a beard that you probably know and an activist who shunned the limelight that you ought to know. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: July 27, 2021
For the first time a federal agency is issuing Coronavirus vaccination mandates to employees. Are more such mandates coming to Texas? We’ll have more on what some are calling a growing consensus over vaccine mandates as the Delta Variant of COVID-19 spreads rapidly across Texas and the nation. Also, a Texas-based expert weighs in on growing casualties and uncertainty as U.S. forces withdraw from what’s been called America’s longest war. And a game changer: why a decision by the University of Texas to leave one college football conference for another is big news for more than just sports fans. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: July 22, 2021
Sounding new alarms over COVID-19… As state health experts warn of new cases, are the warnings enough? Experts see the COVID-19 data in Texas pointing an ominous direction, and though warnings for masking and vaccination continue, concerns mount over whether that will be sufficient to head off another dangerous spike in the pandemic. Today, our conversation with the Texas’ chief epidemiologist. Also the fight over COVID-19 disinformation. And after years of calls for changes, medicaid is being expanded to help new moms in Texas. The implications of that change plus much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: July 19, 2021
A Texas judge puts the brakes on a program designed to defer deportations of younger migrants to the U.S. We’ll hear about the implications, short and long term, for the DACA program after a federal judge in Houston rules it unlawful. Also, 5 Texas democratic lawmakers who left the Lone Star State to protest proposals for new voting restrictions have tested positive for COVID-19, and Texas doctors voice concerns about rising numbers of juvenile and adolescent covid cases. We’ll have the latest. Plus Van Horn Texas prepares for its moment in the national spotlight. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: July 16, 2021
A plane trip back to Austin for Texas Democrats, courtesy of the House speaker. We’ll have the latest in a huge political stalemate still unfolding. With Texas Democratic House and Senate members in D.C. right now, a maneuver to deny a quorum and stop legislation to further restrict voting in Texas. The political theatre is getting more dramatic with very real political fallout. Also, with Texas growing exponentially the state transportation department wants to spend billions widening highways, but some are wondering if that mindset should be thrown into reverse. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: July 13, 2021
Texas Democratic lawmakers board planes and leave the Lone Star State, putting the brakes on the special session. Now what? In a dramatic turn to break the Texas legislature’s quorum, more than 50 house members leave Texas for Washington DC, hoping to stop Republican-led proposals to tighten the state’s voting laws. As Republicans mull a procedural move that could allow law enforcement to track down the absent lawmakers, Texas democrats say they’ll be asking their federal colleagues to pass legislation to pre-empt the proposed changes to Texas voting laws. The latest on this fast developing story and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: July 2 , 2021
There’s outings and get-togethers planned. The weekend mood for many is celebratory. But doctors worry about COVID-19 variants, we’ll have details. Also, COVID-19 may have been the biggest work-place hazard to our health in 2020 but there are other things affecting workers then and now, we’ll tell you more. We’ll also talk about the when, the who, the what… every question you may have about why are other Republican Governors are sending their law enforcement to the Texas-Mexico border? And trees are much more than a marker for a healthy environment, they can also signal class and even race if you look at which neighborhoods can have trees and which ones cannot. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: June 30, 2021
To declare a disaster or to not declare a disaster? That is the question before counties along the border. The disaster declarations are part of a bigger plan from Governor Abbott that includes his wall. We’ll talk about that in light of his visit to the border with former president Trump. We’ll also look at how Abbott ending federal unemployment benefits also ends state benefits for some Texans. And Bastrop is growing. We’ll look at the plans for a new state of the art film studio. And speaking of growth, Lubbock has a plan for its growth over the next 20 years. Will communities often forgotten be included this time? Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: June 24, 2021
Vice President Kamala Harris is coming to Texas. Her visit to the border aims to quiet weeks of criticism. We’ll have one view from El Paso. Plus one billion dollars in Hurricane Harvey relief funding disproportionately went to communities further inland. An investigation. And COVID-19 disproportionately devastated Texas border communities. But the same wasn’t true in neighboring New Mexico. Why? And we’ll also check in on Houston’s Fifth Ward and an ongoing fight to address what’s been identified as a cancer cluster. Also if you have one of those smart thermostats you might want to double-check your settings. What some users are seeing happen as demand for energy goes up. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: June 22, 2021
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has multiple legal challenges and now multiple challengers for his seat within his party. We’ll take a look at who. Also, Texas college sports bring in big money. What’s an unanimous Supreme Court decision yesterday mean for athlete compensation? And Texas has lost more rural hospitals recently than any other state. So what’s that mean in an emergency? Plus dozens of Texas prisoners set for release or parole have died behind bars in the past year or so. A new study gets behind delays. And one Texas prison is cleared out to hold migrants. We’ll examine what issues might arise. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: June 16, 2021
Governor Greg Abbott says he wants to build a border wall. We’ll take a look at how he intends to pay for it and who is coming to visit. Plus, methane and other emissions are a risk around gas wells. In Arlington, many of these wells sit relatively close to homes and businesses…namely, daycares. We’ll have more. Also ranking members of the Texas House of Representatives from most conservative to most liberal reveals some interesting insights. We’ll explain. And we’ll fact-check a claim about Austin’s murder rate. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: June 11, 2021
Governor Abbott wants Texas to build more border wall and says state police can intervene with crossers. We’ll take a closer look. Also, Beto O’Rourke has long been rumored as a potential challenger to Abbott. But what do the numbers say about his chances after losing two other races? Plus a Bexar County Sheriff’s officer used a taser on a 16 year-old in a migrant shelter. What the incident might reveal about the system. And what consumers need to know about Apple’s renewed efforts on privacy. Also, how theatre programs survived the pandemic and are moving forward now and a whole lot more on todays Texas Standard: