bug lady

Talking with a real-life Texas Willy Wonka

Reporters have now identified a Texas woman experts say died because of the state’s restrictive abortion ban.
As early voting continues across Texas, we’ll check in with some LGBTQ+ voters about what’s on their minds as they head to the polls.
Also, some of the people removed in Gov. Greg Abbott’s voter roll purges were eligible voters.
Apple’s latest product announcement wasn’t one big event, but a whole series of smaller launches. How consumers and markets are reacting.
And it’s Halloween! We’ve got both tricks and treats in store, plus a story from our insect expert that isn’t for the queasy – but also a sweet one out of East Texas.

Questions over how to remember an East Texas manhunt

SpaceX successfully conducted a test launch of its massive Starship rocket from its Starbase facility in Boca Chica this morning. We’ll hear from Gaige Davila of Texas Public Radio live from Brownsville.
The U.S. House voted overwhelmingly yesterday to ban TikTok, citing security concerns related to the Chinese-owned platform’s control of Americans’ data. The Standard’s Shelly Brisbin has been following the story, including where Texans in Congress stand.
And: Why a courthouse renovation is East Texas is dividing a community.

How a UT professor is helping the CDC plan for the next pandemic

The Texas Education Agency is moving forward with plans to monitor problems with Austin ISD’s special education services.

What did we learn from COVID-19? We’ll talk to UT’s Lauren Ancel Meyers, who has been tapped to help the U.S. develop a plan to better tackle the next pandemic.

Texas tops the nation in oil industry deaths – but there’s more to the story once you get into the numbers.

Also: Remembering a pioneer of Tejano music, Lydia Mendoza, who earned the title of “Meadowlark of the Border.”

After environmentally destructive launch, will regulators let SpaceX blast off again?

A new law barring transition care for transgender youth has been temporarily blocked by a Texas judge, but it may take effect anyway Sept. 1. We’ll have the latest – plus how doctors are trying to prepare.

Officials were left in disbelief over the scale and scope of environmental damage after the failed test of a SpaceX starship in South Texas earlier this year, according to a new report.

A new book sheds light on the seldom-told tale of conscientious objectors who nonetheless went to the front lines in Vietnam.

2024 Senate race comes into focus as Gutierrez announces candidacy

In a second special session, Texas House and Senate leaders reach a deal on property tax relief. What does it add up to?

State Sen. Roland Gutierrez has announced his candidacy for U.S. Senate, making him the second high-profile Democrat – along with Rep. Colin Allred – to challenge Sen. Ted Cruz.

How Texas has become a ground zero for self-driving trucks, with word that driverless semi runs between Dallas and Houston could become a regular thing as soon as next year.

We’ll get the rundown on a legal battle between a group of nuns and a bishop in North Texas.

And a quick cooldown at a Texas ice house.

Groups suing over SpaceX’s explosions, environmental impact

Published reports say the Biden administration is set to send 1,500 troops to the border with Mexico ahead of Title 42’s repeal.

As the Texas Legislature enters the home stretch of the 88th session, we’ll hear about the latest on efforts to pre-empt local government regulations.

The South Texas liftoff and explosion of the SpaceX Starship on April 20 has sparked legal action from environmental groups against the Federal Aviation
Administration. We’ll hear from one of the attorneys suing the government.

And a prominent member of Congress asks a judge in northern Texas to change the way the courts there do business.

Texas Standard: October 17, 2022

Is South Texas ground zero for a political shift in 2022? Republicans, Democrats and the Latino vote are in the spotlight. Politics watchers say three republican Texas women, Latinas themselves, stand to lead an historic shift in voting patterns. We’ll take a closer look at what’s behind that. Also, has Mark Zuckerberg’s company gone too Meta? As valuations of the company formerly known as Facebook continue to slide, a reality check on whether its Metaverse strategy is grounded in reality. And from far west Texas, a sweet sound 50 years in the making. And for a family, a dream come true.
Those stories and much more when today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: August 18, 2022

With Texas’ new abortion trigger law set to take effect a week from today, what’s the history of abortion regulation in Texas? We’ll take a look. Other stories we’re tracking: as Texas students return to the classroom, how security has become a central issue this fall. Also home security becomes TV show fodder as the ubiquitous Ring camera gets ready for its closeup. And the rust belt, the Bible belt, now another belt added to the U.S. map and Texas is part of it: what the new heat belt tells us about who’s feeling the greatest effects of rising temperatures. And a later than usual peach season for some. We’ll hear why and much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: May 2, 2022

As Governor Abbott weighs the possibility of declaring an invasion at the southern border, legal challenges over immigration policy pile up. We’ll have details. Also growing calls for a European embargo of Russian oil and the ripple effects felt closer to home. And a medical mystery in south Texas as health officials warn of a rash of pediatric hepatitis cases in young kids, sometimes necessitating liver transplants. We’ll talk with a specialist from UT Health San Antonio. And a production in Fort Worth bearing witness to racist violence against Black people blurring the boundaries between actors and audiences. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: November 16, 2021

South Texas switcheroo: for the first time in a decade, a Texas lawmaker changes parties. A harbinger of other political changes? We’ll have more on representative Ryan Guillen’s decision to leave the democratic party, and what if anything it says about a changing political climate in a region where democrats have long been dominant. Also, Gromer Jeffers of the Dallas Morning News counts down the 5 things to look for as we approach primary season 2022. And community colleges in demand to help train workers. But where’s the money coming from? And a program to help formerly incarcerated women find jobs in technology. All that and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: June 9, 2021

Democrats and Republicans agree the U.S. needs to figure out immigration. But what exactly does that mean and how do we get there? We’ll explore. Also, gun policy at the Texas legislature. We’ll look at what passed and what didn’t. And what’s in the bills Governor Abbott just signed to address problems with the electric grid? Plus one view from Texas about the ongoing coronavirus crisis in India. And we’ll take a look at what researchers call the seven threads of Texas. Where do you fit into the fabric of the state? Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: March 30, 2021

As the Texas Senate votes to force power generators to better prepare for weather extremes, new insights on what Texans actually want. A new University of Houston hobby school survey on the impact of the February freeze and power outages, and how Texans want the system to change. Also more on an 8 billion dollar plan being pitched to Texas lawmakers that promises a 7 day power backup in the event of future emergencies. And as vaccines are rolled out in Texas prisons, a new report card on how well lockups and juvenile facilities in Texas have tracked the spread of COVID-19. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: February 15, 2021

As the temperatures fall, along with precipitation, millions of Texans stranded or worse by winter weather. Coming up, conversations with reporters from across Texas on how Texans are weathering conditions that have brought large parts of the state to a standstill. Also, missing out on the vaccine but getting something else instead: scammed. A report from Houston. Plus a major disconnect with rural Texas: concerns that a lack of broadband is leaving some Texas towns far behind. And new efforts to reunite families separated by U.S. immigration policies. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: November 9, 2020

And we have a winner. What changes for Texas in a Biden- Harris administration, and how quickly? With the presidential contest now called, attention turns to fixing what’s broken and moving forward. We’ll have some projections from a veteran politics watcher and professor. Also, the states top law enforcement official facing a mushrooming scandal and new questions about how much longer he can hang on as Attorney General. And digging a little deeper into the Latina turnout in so-called battleground states. Plus, not your parents biodiesel: as oil prices fall, attention, turns to renewable diesels. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: May 5, 2020

Add to the latest Coronavirus hotspots: Texas prisons. Some 70 percent of those tested have the Coronavirus. What happens next? Jolie McCullough of the Texas Tribune talks about how Texas prisons are trying to tackle COVID-19 behind bars, and what their options are. Plus, federal stimulus money for small businesses and Native Americans. Have both missed the mark? We’ll explore. Also, why university of Texas researchers think the llama could be a pandemic hero. And revisiting the border wall and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: November 20, 2019

A border wall on private land paid for with private money… any problems? You betcha. A demand to stop construction in south Texas, we’ll have the latest. Plus, as democratic candidate’s take the stage again tonight for another debate, no Texans will join them. And What happened to the Beto effect? And why isn’t John Cornyn worried? Also the men and women who serve in uniform who don’t get counted as veterans. Lawmakers are taking a closer look at why not. All of those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: March 22, 2019

Safe or unsafe? After assurances that smoke from a petrochemical fire near Houston was not toxic, concerns grow over the environmental implications. From the Gulf Coast west to Katy and beyond, efforts are underway to assess the full impact of the 4-day long fire. Also, the head of homeland security comes to Texas amid reports of overcrowding in detention centers. Texas lawmakers take up medical marijuana plus other top stories from the week that was in Lone Star politics and a whole lot more.