conservation

ERCOT forecast raises new questions about Texas power demand

A judge has ordered the release of a family held in a South Texas detention center for 10 months. We’ll have a look at the case and what’s next.
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is leading a Religious Liberty Commission for President Trump. Patrick’s recent comments denying a separation between church and state could tell us more about the group’s forthcoming policy recommendations.
With gas prices still high, there are calls on both sides of the aisle to suspend the gas tax. What would that save you, and what would we lose?
Plus, it’s Earth Day. We’ll explore some of the challenges of extreme weather and the ways people across Texas are trying to make an impact.

Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.

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34 years later, police identify suspect in yogurt shop murders

For the families of the girls killed in one of Austin’s most notorious murders, justice seemed to be slipping away as more time passed. But now, almost 34 years later, a new break in the case of what’s known as the “Yogurt Shop Murders” yields the name of a suspect, identified through DNA.

KUT’s justice and accountability reporter Andrew Weber tells us how this decades-long cold case that captured the attention of the city – and the nation – was broken open once again.

We’ll get the latest on the case and look back at the impact to Austin when the crime first happened.

Black farmers in East Texas feel the sting of DEI cuts

A peek into the week ahead for the Texas Legislature’s special session: We’ll hear the latest on a much-talked-about possible walkout by Democrats.

A plan to relieve congestion in Austin was approved by voters years ago – but so far, there’s not much to show for it. Is Project Connect off the rails?

The rollback of USDA diversity programs is impacting East Texas, which is home to more Black farmers than anywhere else in the U.S.

Plus: A big deadline for tariffs with Mexico on the table. If a deal can’t be reached by Aug. 1, what could that mean for Texas?

A special broadcast from El Paso

Today we’re broadcasting live from El Paso for a special edition of the Texas Standard.

We hear from some prominent El Pasoans – former Congressman Beto O’Rourke and former El Paso Mayor Dee Margo – on the city’s dynamic politics.

El Paso has become a leader in innovative water management. How the city is securing its future in the desert.

KTEP’s Aaron Montes visits a local academy training the future stars of lucha libre.
And: How bighorn sheep have returned to El Paso’s mountains after a century away.

Texas outlawed red-light cameras years ago – but this town still has them

As a deadline approaches for bills to be filed in the Texas Legislature, proposals on guns and secession are making headlines. There is rare bipartisan support building around a proposal that proponents say would boost the effectiveness of background checks for buying a firearm, a move prompted by the school shooting in Uvalde.

When it comes to property tax relief, are Texas Republicans a house divided? There is a possible battle looming between the Texas House and Senate.

And the last red-light cameras still giving out tickets in Texas – and the push to switch them off for good.

Five prescriptions for fixing Texas’ affordability crisis

With Texans across the state struggling to find affordable housing, we’ll hear from a team of experts who have some solutions.

The Texas Council on Family Violence has a list of legislative priorities for protecting survivors.

Saving wild African penguins: How people in North Texas are helping with a survival guide.

The original Angry Birds – the one you could buy and download for a small, one-time fee – is history. Our tech expert explains.

12th & Chicon: Allowing Denser Housing

Neighborhoods in East Austin are not immune to the difficult deliberations over housing density, affordability, and when a “tear-down” truly needs to be labeled historic. City council and the Historic Landmark Commission are challenged with weighing the rights of a homeowner and the desire to preserve Austin’s history.

12th & Chicon: Preserving History

Ebony Acres, a historically black neighborhood in East Austin, is at the crossroads of preservation and development. With some homes slated for demolition, some neighbors are trying to slow the tides of change.