Cannabis

Hidalgo County election overturned after being decided by handful of votes

Some top politicos are sensing that, for the first time in decades, this could be the year Texas sends a Democrat to the U.S. Senate.
Texas lawmakers are lining up to clamp down on hemp-based products like Delta 8 and Delta 9 being sold statewide.
Last fall, Edinburg City Council Member David White won re-election by just 10 votes. His challenger contested the results – and this past week, White’s win was overturned when a judge ruled that several votes were placed illegally.
A new book explores some lesser-known stories of courage from the D-Day invasion of 80 years ago.
And: Vigilante groups are repelling migrants at the southern border. What does law enforcement think about that?

Astronaut Christina Koch on NASA’s upcoming Artemis 2 mission

Tensions are growing in Austin over the use of DPS officers to augment local police.

Facing resistance to a plan similar to school vouchers, an alteration getting attention at the state Capitol is focused on students with disabilities. Talia Richman of the Dallas Morning News Education Lab has more.

NASA’s plans to return to the moon: We’ll talk with Christina Koch, one of the astronauts assigned to the upcoming Artemis 2 mission.

And on this 4/20, a closer look at the complicated relationship between country music and Willie Nelson’s favorite way to kick back.

What’s in San Antonio’s ‘justice charter’?

Yes and no signs proliferate in San Antonio over Prop A. What’s behind the city’s so-called justice charter?

In Kyle, a corrections officer indicted in the shooting death of a person awaiting trial, and a family’s struggle to find answers.

Taking the STAAR tests online. Should there still be a paper option?

A push for more transitional housing for Muslim’s recently released from incarceration.

The story of a world premiere in Dallas for one of the most downloaded poets in the U.S.

And the week in politics with the Texas Tribune.

This Texas folk trio was lost to time – and that’s mostly OK with them

In an apparent first since the Dobbs decision, five women have filed suit against the State of Texas challenging the state’s abortion ban.

There’s frustration among immigration advocates amid reports that the Biden administration is considering reviving the practice of detaining migrant families who cross the border illegally, a policy initially shut down by the president shortly after taking office.

Tech expert Omar Gallaga on employer surveillance of workers and why it’s growing.

And the award-winning documentary “Nobody Famous” shines a light on the Pozo-Seco Singers, a Corpus Christi folk trio you’ve likely never heard of.

The Gulf of Mexico is getting warmer

Sergio Martínez-Beltrán of the Texas Newsroom shares a look ahead at the Texas Legislature as bills make their way to committees this week. Plus, what could be a relatively rare bipartisan agreement: clearing the way for fentanyl testing strips as a harm-reduction measure.

How some Texas schools are dealing with teenagers caught with THC vape pens. Even though those vapes may be technically legal, some young people face felony arrests that can stick to their records.

And the Gulf of Mexico is warming at twice the rate of the world’s oceans.

What do Texans think about expanding legal gambling?

As Texas senators hold hearings on a new budget, they may get an earful from everyday Texans. Sergio Martínez-Beltrán of the Texas Newsroom shares his look at the week ahead in the Texas Legislature, and how you can weigh in on the budget.

Reducing property taxes is likely to be a big part of the discussion, but some say it’s high time to consider legalizing cannabis sales to offset property tax cuts.

Major casino companies are betting big on Texas. How do voters feel about that?

Also the King of Tacos, Mando Rayo, takes us on a tour of the Taco Mile.

Plan to prevent the next blackout heads to the Legislature

Historic job growth, but how sustainable? Economist Ray Perryman weighs in on the latest numbers.

As lawmakers prepare for bruising legislative battles ahead, one thing some Texas Republicans and Democrats agree on? Dislike of a new proposal to prevent future statewide power grid blackouts.

Watch your wallets online: our go-to tech expert Omar Gallaga with the latest on data breaches.

And high hopes in some quarters for changes to Texas cannabis laws.

What was on the menu this year

It’s been said that food is one of the best ways to understand a culture, and today, we’ve got quite the feast prepared. From migas to pecan pie, kolaches to Tex-mex, fried okra, cowboy cuisine, and everything in between; we review the year that was, in food and drink, in the Lone Star State. From a great Texas cookbook, to a cannabis cuisine trend, the invention of the “travel taco”, and secrets from the kitchen of a celebrated El Paso Chef. We’ve cooked up a special batch of Texas flavors for you today on the Texas Standard:

KUT Morning Newscast for December 7, 2022

Central Texas top stories for December 7, 2022. Texas State University cannabis policy changes. Public Utility Commission staffing problems. Tree of Angels lighting. Mayoral debate correction.

KUT Morning Newscast for November 9, 2022

Central Texas top stories for November 9, 2022. Austin Mayor runoff. City Council election results. Affordable housing. AISD Bonds pass. AISD Board of Trustees new members. Manor and Lago Vista keep CapMetro. San Marcos decriminalizes cannabis. Governor Abbott wins re-election. Railroad Commissioner re-elected.

Texas Standard: October 7, 2022

A major turning point for marijuana laws or more political smoke and mirrors? A sweeping pardon for federal marijuana possession convictions announced by president Biden. Though federal and state marijuana laws remain in place, what are the implications in Texas? And what else should Texans be looking for? We’ll explore with a top expert on drug policy at Rice University. Also Facebook’s gone Meta. Twitter may be going to Musk. Who’s the new king of social media and why does it matter? Also the week that was in Texas politics and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: September 21, 2022

A resource center in San Antonio now in the spotlight. It’s the focus of a national controversy over transporting migrants out of state. At least three migrants from Venezuela file suit against Florida’s governor and other top officials alleging false promises designed to lure them to travel from San Antonio to Martha’s Vineyard. We’ll have details. Also after a hurricane strike’s Puerto Rico, a privatized power grid leaves more than a million without electricity. Echoes of Texas’ own power grid issues? We’ll explore. And as the U.S. moves to over the counter hearing aids, privacy advocates are raising concerns. We’ll hear why plus a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: April 29, 2022

As Willie celebrates birthday number 89, Texas cities contemplate decriminalization of something the singer’s known to be especially fond of. We’ll have the latest. Also the military’s hard line on COVID-19 vaccinations, and why some soldiers say it could make it harder for other religious accommodations. And with war in Ukraine and a push for alternatives to Russian oil, why are Texas pump jacks so silent? Texas Monthly’s Russell Gold reports they won’t be much longer. Also the push for big change at Big Bend to help deal with rising crowds. And the week that was in Texas Politics with the Texas Tribune and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: March 31, 2022

A federal judge calls for an investigation into possible criminal charges of sex trafficking and pornography at a shelter for teens in Bastrop. Robert Garrett of the Dallas Morning News with more on an explosive hearing in a long running suit against the state’s foster care system. Also New Mexico prepares for marijuana tourists from Texas at that state’s laws on recreation pot change at the stroke of midnight. Angela Kocherga with the view from El Paso. And Texas’ role in the personal computer revolution. The unlikely story of the TRS-80, and the man behind it. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: August 27, 2021

It was the story of the summer in Texas Politics. Now proposals at the center of a legislative walkout appear set to become law. The Texas House, where a quorum was broken over Democratic opposition to a voting bill, has just passed its version of that voting bill. Was the walkout all for nought? We’ll hear more. Also at a healthcare hub in west Texas, ER wait-times climb to 20 hours. We’ll have the latest as we continue to track the spread of the Delta COVID variant. And 100 miles in a hundred degrees. What would you call it? How the hotter than Hell bicycle race is rolling into its 40th year. Plus the week in politics and more when today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: January 13, 2020

After an executive order from the Trump administration, Texas becomes the first state to opt out of future refugee resettlement. We’ll have the latest. Also, a New York billionaire tours Texas by bus trying to make inroads in his presidential campaign. For Michael Bloomberg, the stakes are high. And a disturbing affair in the world of romance novels. Plus the biography of a Texan who fought his way out of tough times and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: October 14, 2019

Hundreds gather to protest the Ft. Worth police shooting of an innocent woman inside her own home. Less than two weeks after the Amber Guyger trial, another police shooting inside an innocent person’s home raising profound questions about the use of lethal force by police, we’ll have details. Also, time for a rethink about rebuilding on the coast? How water unites and divides us, our series Drop by Drop begins. And why a Texas state researcher says the War on Drugs has unintentionally become a war on the climate. All of that and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: September 16, 2019

It’s a drone attack half a world away, and one that’s likely to be felt deep in the Heart of Texas. We’ll have the latest. Other stories we’re tracking on this Monday: a deadly attack on a Houston elementary school 60 years ago, there were no efforts to help kids overcome the trauma. Now a survivor, only seven years old at the time of the attack, pieces together the memories. Also, putting the brakes on draining the lakes? A court battle pits property values against concerns over aging floodgates. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: September 5, 2019

The FBI learning more about how the Permian Basin shooter sidestepped Federal background checks. Now they’re focusing on a person in Lubbock. We’ll have details and look at how Texas lawmakers are approaching the question of what two do about gun violence. Also, another retirement in the Texas GOP and what it means for 2020. Plus it’s being called the most important book on football since Friday Night Lights: the story of the man they call the Tyler Rose, Earl Campbell. Also, heart surgery without opening up the chest? A stunning new procedure that could save lives. All of that and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: August 29, 2019

And then there were 10: Houston sets the stage for the third round of Democratic presidential debates. We’ll look at how this time things will be different. Other stories we’re tracking: the path of hurricane Dorian as it bears down on the U.S. mainland, a storm that promised to put the new governor of Puerto Rico to the test. Also a new effort by Texas to test for THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. And the future of the space industry in Texas after another launch this week. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard: