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ICE enforcement is ramped up at county jails

There’s lots to consider on your ballot, from state constitutional amendments to tax rate increases for cities and school districts. Travis County Clerk Dyana Limon-Mercado shares some dos and don’ts for heading to the polls.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement is removing people from Austin jails more frequently as the Trump administration ramps up enforcement across the country. The Texas Newsroom’s Mose Buchele joins us with more.

Austin FC enters the playoffs today at LAFC. We’ll have more on what to watch out for with KUT’s Jimmy Maas.

Uneven ICE notifications raise concerns

Some local law enforcement offices in Texas get a heads-up when ICE is coming to town, but others don’t. We’ll dig into why.
There’s new evidence that, no surprise, the online world isn’t always so great for today’s teens. Advice from tech expert Omar Gallaga on making it safer.
Gov. Greg Abbott has a new challenger for the 2026 election. What we expect out of a campaign from Austin Democrat Gina Hinojosa.
Taco journalist Mando Rayo shares what he’s learned from a few women in the culinary world.
A conversation with author Bryan Washington about his new novel, “Palaver,” about a man living in Tokyo, estranged from his family in Houston.

Court weighs Texas redistricting fight

A court battle is set to begin over the newly drawn congressional maps. At stake is whether they go into effect for the 2026 midterm elections.
The Texas Newsroom’s Blaise Gainey joins us to talk about the recent rise in political violence.
Have you heard of 7-OH? It’s the latest drug cropping up at convenience stores. Now there’s a fight to stop the sale of what’s known as “gas station heroin.”
A new book by former CDC Director Tom Frieden offers a formula for better health – potentially saving millions of lives.
And today’s Hispanic heritage moment spotlights the trio of brothers known as Los Lonely Boys.

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

You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org

Rodney Crowell talks new album, career

A deadly shooting this morning at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Dallas. We’ll share the latest details.
Workplaces across the state trying to calculate the implications of a new $100,000 fee for H-1B applications. We’ll hear more on the questions raised by the new policy and the possible fallout.
How college football in Texas and beyond is being reshaped by new NIL rules allowing for direct athlete pay by advertisers and sponsors.
And the return of Rodney Crowell: Music and conversation with a Texas songwriting legend.

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

You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org

Study finds no evidence of serial killer on Austin’s Rainey Street

The Supreme Court allows ICE to round up people based on factors like appearance, at least for now.
The attorneys general of New York and Texas face off over mail-order abortion pills crossing state lines.
For years, rumors have circulated online about a serial killer targeting Rainey Street in Austin. A new study finds no such threat.
The personal toll for people with chronic conditions who don’t have insurance.
Photographer Pat Blashill captures the scene of Texas punk rock on the ’70s and ’80s in his new pictorial oral history, “Someday All the Adults Will Die!”

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

You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org

Some Texas counties switch to paper ballots ahead of midterms

No more QR or barcodes: Why Collin, Williamson and Bastrop counties are changing the way voters will cast ballots.
Housing affordability is a big issue in Texas, and three new state laws aim to address it. Will they work?
Many are concerned new Texas congressional maps dilute the voting power of Texans of color. But others welcome the changes.
Inside an ICE job recruitment fair in Arlington.
And: the bigger meaning behind the season’s first high school football game in Kerrville.

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

You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org

Fear at immigration court as ICE arrests migrants there for a hearing

The race to be San Antonio’s next mayor was narrowed from a field of 27 to two. What to know before the runoff election on Saturday.
Arrests outside of immigration court have happened in El Paso, Dallas and San Antonio. Why activists say this tactic encourages migrants to break the law.
Texas is set to become the next in a handful of states to ban lab-grown meat for human consumption.
It’s Texas vs. Texas Tech in the Women’s College World Series championship, with Game 1 tonight.
And: We’ll explore Lucas Schaefer’s “The Slip,” a new novel set in late ’90s Austin and propelled by a mysterious disappearance.

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

You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org

Will Elon Musk have a role to play in the Trump administration?

With the presidency and a majority now in the U.S. Senate, Republicans are eyeing a trifecta of power by capturing the seats needed for a slim majority in the House. But several races still need to be called. What’s taking so long?
Elon Musk spent a great deal of his time and money helping Donald Trump win another term this fall. Will Texas’ wealthiest man have a role to play in the Trump administration?
And: More than half a million undocumented immigrants protected from deportation under the DACA program are now worried what the future holds come January. Stella Chávez of The Texas Newsroom has the story.

A national lab didn’t detect disease in Texas deer, but the state had already euthanized them

Missing mail and massive delays in postal delivery in the Houston area are sparking action from U.S. Rep. Al Green. We’ll hear what he plans to do about it.

A controversial law allowing Texas police to arrest people suspected of crossing the border illegally takes effect soon – but some rural sheriffs in the Big Bend region say they’re not eager to enforce it.

And: An entire herd of white-tailed deer at the Kerr Wildlife Management Area was euthanized amid concerns about the spread of a contagious disease. But the affected deer may not have had the disease after all, according to new test results.

Examining Texas’ legacy of anti-LGBT laws

After seven months pushing a school voucher-like plan, Gov. Greg Abbott gets a firm pushback from fellow Republicans. Scott Braddock of the Quorum Report shares the latest.

Mexico plans to offer “know your rights” educational sessions in Texas as lawmakers send a wide-ranging border security bill to the governor.

Amid slowing sales of EV’s, one city in Texas seems to be leading the switch away from gas pumps to charging stations.

The past legislative session saw the filing of a historic number of bills impacting LGBT Texans – but that’s just the latest effort in what’s been a half-century of criminalizing these communities, according to a new investigation from KXAN TV.

Dallas pastor stuck in Israel shares what he’s seen amid renewed conflict with Hamas

A third special session of the Texas Legislature gets underway and it’s not just education that’s on the agenda. Although the governor’s push for a so-called education savings accounts is getting the lion’s share of attention as the session starts, border security is rising fast as a top issue. Julián Aguilar of the Texas Newsroom joins us with more.

As Texas lawmakers offer support for Israel, some Texans are feeling the effects of war firsthand. We’ll talk with the head of a Dallas interfaith group caught in Israel at the outbreak of fighting, now trying to get himself and his colleagues back home safely.

‘Good Night, Irene’ follows a courageous woman’s story in the WWII Red Cross

It was the second hottest summer on record for Texas, but is it safe to ask if it’s over? What to expect as a cold front pushes into Texas. Matt Lanza of Space City Weather with a look at whether today marks a turning point.

Gun violence numbers are changing how many feel about safety in a North Texas suburb. KERA’s Caroline Love with more from Allen.

Google launches an effort to combat spam, but will it work? Tech expert Omar Gallaga with more.

A border bottleneck raises red flags as Texas ramps up truck inspections.
And a Texas Book Festival preview with the author of ‘Good Night, Irene’.

Bears are returning to Texas, whether we’re ready or not

A state law, dubbed the “Death Star bill” and designed to preempt a large number of local ordinances, has been ruled unconstitutional by a Texas judge. But the battle’s far from over.

A new state budget takes effect Friday, with a large portion earmarked for border security.

Decades ago, black bears were all but driven from the state by overhunting and population growth. The bears are back – will Texans co-exist with them any better this time around? The Standard’s Michael Marks reports.

What’s changed for migrants on the border after Title 42’s end?

Students get grades, but so do Texas schools – and with a change in evaluations, administrators are concerned.

Critics say a state lawsuit against Planned Parenthood is an attempt to completely wipe out what was once a prime provider of abortion services in Texas.

How people experiencing homelessness are trying to cope with life-threatening temperatures.

The end of pandemic restrictions against migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. prompted a lot of speculation about how the situation at border would be affected. We’ll take a look at what’s actually changed on the ground.

Also, what put a once-sleepy town in the shadow of Dallas on the fast track to becoming one of Texas’ biggest cities.

San Antonio nonprofit forges community for veterans through knife-making

An increasing border presence by state troopers has led to a rise in police chases ending in crashes in El Paso.

A once-pregnant prison guard who says she was told she couldn’t leave her shift as she was experiencing contraction-like pains is now suing over the death of her child. Texas Tribune reporter Jolie McCullough joins with more.

In the wake of a San Antonio police shooting of a woman with mental health issues and an investigation of officers involved, questions remain about how well the department polices itself.

And a San Antonio nonprofit, Reforged, helps veterans forge ahead through knife-making classes and a peer-support group.

‘Lone Stars Rising’ profiles 50 Texans changing our world

The sheriff of Bexar County is pushing for charges to be brought over migrant flights to Martha’s Vineyard.

Where did high-profile bills dealing with higher education wind up this legislative session? Kate McGee of the Texas Tribune joins with an overview.

An investigation has revealed a culture of sexism and discrimination in the El Paso Police Department.

Is air travel getting bumpier, or does it just seem that way? A Texas A&M expert explains what’s known as clear air turbulence.

Texas Monthly editor Jeff Salamon discusses “Lone Stars Rising,” a look at 50 Texans who have made a lasting impact in the past 50 years.

And stop the presses: A one-day walkout at the Gannett-owned Austin American-Statesman turns the spotlight on journalists in Texas moving to unionize.

Sen. Roland Gutierrez on Uvalde, one year later

On the one-year anniversary of the mass shooting in Uvalde that left 19 fourth-graders and two teachers dead, state Sen. Roland Gutierrez says he’s still pushing for gun reform. Meanwhile, trust in police remains frail in Uvalde.

A report from Matamoros on migrants in limbo after the end of Title 42.

As Austin firefighters rack up millions in overtime, the department is working to address mental health needs.

And state officials team up with a Texas producer for a walk on the wild side: a musical celebration of Texas parks.

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.

Podcast explores whether a Texas Ranger extracted a false confession

Two major changes in federal policies within the past 24 hours having outsized implications for Texas. Change number one: the end of Title 42 rapid deportations. But for tens of thousands now trying to cross the Mexico border into Texas, the deportations continue.

The end of an era for the pandemic as the national emergency is lifted, but a Texas epidemiologist says that doesn’t mean an end to the COVID-19 threat.

A confession of guilt during a Texas murder investigation, but was the confession real or compelled by questionable interrogation techniques?

Also the week in Texas politics with the Texas Tribune and poetry from the Typewriter Rodeo.

Feral hogs are a big problem in Houston

It’s spring in Texas, and that means tornadoes. We’ll find out what’s expected this season.

A federal judge has ordered banned books be put back on the shelves in Llano County.

The CBP One App is a lifeline for migrants stuck on the border seeking an appointment to apply for asylum. But many simply cannot connect.

A new hybrid school in Dallas teaches kids remotely part of the week and in person the rest.

And feral hogs are a growing problem across the state – one place they’ve caused trouble recently is Harris County.