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San Antonio ISD could close as many as 17 schools

San Antonio ISD could close nearly one-fifth of its schools as it deals with aging buildings and falling enrollment. But it’s not just San Antonio – this reflects a larger challenge facing many school districts across Texas.

A mystery at the Tarrant County Appraisal District has led to an office shake-up that may leave some taxpayers holding the bag.

What’s happening to the Texas economy? The Standard’s Sean Saldana’s been getting some clues from the Dallas Fed’s new Beige Book entry.

And: What’s to become of Benito, a giraffe in a Juárez park at the center of a controversy?

A budding pipeline fight highlights activists’ changing tactics

What does the first day of Attorney General Ken Paxton’s historic impeachment trial tell us about what remains ahead? The Texas Newsroom’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán joins us from the Capitol with a recap.

We’ll hear the latest on a new fight over a natural gas pipeline in West Texas – and how new strategies by opponents of such development are getting traction.

Among the new laws now in effect in Texas is a requirement for those who want to run for county sheriff.

The sister of Botham Jean, who was killed in Dallas five years ago, has written a new memoir, “After Botham: Healing from my Brother’s Murder by a Police Officer.”

Plus an update on wildfire dangers statewide.

Adoptees fight to gain access to their original birth certificates in Texas

The impeachment trial of Texas’ attorney general is set to begin on the floor of the Senate tomorrow, but supporters in Ken Paxton’s home county, Collin, are standing firmly behind him.

Meanwhile, almost half of Texans think Paxton should be removed from office, according to a new poll from the Texas Policy Project.

Lots of folks from other states are moving to Texas – but numbers suggest Texans are, by and large, staying put.

And there’s a push to change Texas law so that adoptees can access their original birth certificates.

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.

An old shipwreck was found in coastal East Texas. What’s in it?

The Pentagon says it is likely that the head of a failed coup in Russia was killed, though questions swirl around the incident.

The digital divide in Texas was brought into sharp relief during the height of COVID. Now lawmakers are trying to bridge the gap between those with broadband and those without.

As the water line recedes along the Neches, a shipwreck emerges outside of Beaumont.

With the return of Friday night lights across the Lone Star State, there’s a new effort to protect referees from overly aggressive fans.

Why Will Hurd didn’t make the cut for the first Republican presidential debate

The Feds push back in court over Gov. Greg Abbott’s deployment of buoys in the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass.

The City of Dallas has received $1.5 million in federal dollars for a major cleanup of contaminated sites. But will it be enough?

Researchers in El Paso are trying to tap another source of potential alternate energy, inspired by the prickly pear cactus.

There are growing concerns about challenges faced by deaf kids in the Texas foster care system.

Plus, San Antonio native Karen Tumulty of the Washington Post shares the latest on tonight’s GOP primary debate – and why former U.S. Rep. Will Hurd of Texas won’t be there.

Why the film and TV strikes are at an awful time for Texas

A change in leadership in the embattled Texas foster care system is bringing with it some optimism.

Texas doesn’t have enough space in psychiatric hospitals, so some people are staying in jails instead. We’ll explore their legal limbo.

A new investigation from the Dallas Morning News explores the history and impact of excessive use of police force in Dallas.

The film strikes in Hollywood are having more than just ripple effects here in Texas – why the timing was especially bad for the state.

And it’s Friday, so that means the Typewriter Rodeo and a wrap of the week in Texas politics.

What are the weirdest laws in Texas?

At the Capitol, an intraparty rivalry between Republicans explodes into the open. The dueling charges between Attorney General Ken Paxton and House Speaker Dade Phelan are so personal and serious, some longtime Capitol watchers are characterizing the battle as among the most significant in Texas political history. Lauren McGaughey of the Dallas Morning news will have details.

After a scandal at a Bastrop foster care facility, Texas lawmakers pass two new bills to crack down on abuses.

We’ll have more on a vigil last night in Uvalde marking the one-year anniversary of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary.

The Texas Legislature will finish its session having made lots of new laws. But there are plenty of old laws on the books that seem pretty weird by today’s standards.

And debt collectors get a new high-tech tool.

How the ‘We Buy Ugly Houses’ company preyed on desperate and elderly sellers

Migrant crossings at the border with Mexico are reported to be dramatically down after the end of Title 42.

Adolescent medicine doctors at Dell Children’s Medical Center in Austin are out amid calls from politicians for an investigation of gender-affirming care at the hospital.

A bill to preempt new local regulations on a variety of issues including labor and the environment moves quickly toward an expected passage in the Texas Senate.

And what’s the story behind those “We Buy Ugly Houses” signs? A ProPublica investigation reveals that the buyers behind the signs took advantage of elderly homeowners.

What it’s like in a self-defense class for LGBTQ Texans

The latest on a massive manhunt following the shooting deaths of five people in San Jacinto County.

As the Texas Legislature enters the final month of its biennial session, there’s a push to get more money for public schools.

There’s more turbulence ahead for Texas-based American Airlines as pilots say they’re ready to strike.

The border with Mexico is experiencing what many see as a surprising rise of Chinese migrants.

And fighting for the right to be free from fear: the Standard goes inside martial arts sessions for members of the LGBTQ+ community.

What the worry over ChatGPT looks like on college campuses

The Texas House approved a ban on school vouchers but the Senate has plans to overcome that.

One pill kills: a new statewide campaign to warn Texans about the dangers of fentanyl.

An attempt by the EPA to cut substantial cancer risk in some Gulf Coast communities by as much as 96%.

From college classrooms in El Paso and Austin, a reality check on the impact of ChatGPT.

A Texas child mental health program that could prove to be a model for other states.

Plus more than just peanuts and Cracker Jack on the menu this baseball season… barbecue smokers, too.

My Valentine

Love, of course, can come in many forms. Texas Standard commentator WF Strong has found a lot of love in his life, including in his two teenage boys. He recalls a certain newer relationship that he says came as a bit of a surprise. This story first aired in 2018.

Climate Change Fatigue

The details of climate change can be overwhelming. For some, it’s so overwhelming that they begin to shut it all out. Others are just tired of hearing about it. Those where the dual inspirations of this Typewriter Rodeo poem.

Largest teacher prep program in Texas at risk of losing accreditation

A long awaited report on Maternal Mortality in Texas is now two months delayed and may not be available for the next legislative session. We’ll have the latest. Other stories we’re tracking: amid a statewide teacher shortage, the biggest teacher accreditation program in Texas now facing the possible loss of accreditation. We’ll hear more. And after several local ordinances to decriminalize marijuana pass on the November ballot, a pushback from many local officials. Also a singer from El Paso who’s new release, Frontera, is turning a spotlight on latino voices in country music. Our conversation with Valerie Ponzio, the week in Texas politics with the Texas Tribune and much more today on the Texas Standard:

Here’s how you can help discover new galaxies

A record setting state surplus. So how do Texas lawmakers plan to use it? With just 40 days to go before the Texas legislature gets back to work, education and energy at the top of the list of priorities for the most powerful figure in the Texas senate. Patrick Svitek of the Texas Tribune helps unpack the latest. Also high drama in an El Paso courtroom where the top prosecutor in the case against the accused Wal-Mart mass shooter is a no show and the judge threatening possible arrest of the DA. And a shout out for amateur skywatchers to help Texas researchers find galaxies. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: November 17, 2022

Arbitrary and capricious- so says a federal judge ordering an end to COVID-19 related rapid expulsions at the border. We’ll look at what’s next for Title 42. Other stories we’re covering: an 800% spike in ER visits for young people facing mental health emergencies in Texas. Anna Bauman of the Houston Chronicle with more. And tens of thousands of Tech company layoffs in rapid succession. Our go-to Tech expert Omar Gallaga has been looking into the whys and what’s next. And concerns about an outbreak of canine influenza in Texas. What pet owners and caregivers should know those stories and much more coming up 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 08, 2022

One of the world’s top vaccine experts takes on questions as a new COVID-19 booster arrives in Texas; we’ll be talking with Dr. Peter Hotez about the new Omicron focused vaccines. Other stories we’re tracking: with pandemic disruptions, gun violence and other concerns, how some Texas school districts are trying to address students’ mental health. Plus, a longtime liberal activist who worked alongside Anne Richards talks about a life in Texas politics and the future of the causes she fought for. These stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:

Vitamina T

Don’t forget to take your Vitamin T! That’s T for Tacos, Tortas, and Tamales. In this episode, taco journalist Mando Rayo and bilingual educator Suzanne Garcia-Mateus sit down and browse through the spanglish children’s book that they co-wrote called Vitamina T for Tacos. They connect over their shared experiences of growing up bilingual and speaking spanglish and how that motivated them to write a book that represented the complex culture that they didn’t see in children’s books when they were growing up.

Uvalde: What’s Next? – A Texas Standard Special (Rebroadcast)

Texans are still reeling from the stories of Uvalde. But are schools any safer now? Today we’ll hear from Texans: students, educators, experts in crime and mental health. But also victims and survivors. We’ll sort through going back to class in the wake of the state’s deadliest school shooting. Uvalde: What’s Next? A special rebroadcast on today’s Texas Standard: