Texas does more business with Mexico than any other nation, and with 25% tariff threats now on the table from President-elect Trump, what should we expect? We’ll take a closer look.
The Texas Public Utility Commission issues a report on CenterPoint Energy’s much-criticized response to Hurricane Beryl.
Squaring economic data points with how voters felt going into this year’s election.
An educational oasis for some students is out of reach for others. A warning about community college deserts.
Democrat
How Republicans broke a losing streak in South Texas
The words “historic election” have been far overused, but they’re worth considering when examining results out of Starr County. A look at a political shift in South Texas.
Texas’ oil and gas regulators requested an emergency influx of $100 million dollars in state money to address oil well blowouts and contamination. What’s happening in the oilfield?
Even during election time, you probably don’t give a lot of thought to the office of the Justice of the Peace. Why it matters – especially right now in Harris County.
Microsoft Windows users could soon face some consequences if they haven’t updated their software in a while. Our tech expert has tips on what steps to take now.
Plus, there was a plan to bring an exiled Napoleon to Texas. And no, it didn’t happen. Our W.F. Strong has been looking into this strange bit of history.
Can you trust polls saying Texas could turn blue?
As immigration returns to center stage in American politics, a curious reversal in messaging in one of the state’s most closely watched races.
It’s happened before: polls show a statewide race tightening up, hopes rising among Texas Democrats, only to be dashed on Election Day. Do you trust polls that suggest Texas turning blue? A guide for optimists and pessimists.
The latest on a lawsuit brought by inmates and their supporters over intense heat in Texas prisons.
And the dedication of a new national historic site to help explain an era when Texas created separate schools for Hispanic children.
Southlake teen Sam Watson sets speed climbing records ahead of Paris Olympics
Kamala Harris consolidates Democratic support, shattering fundraising records. How does this change things for Texas Republicans?
After the death of veteran Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, who takes her place for the remainder of her term and on the ballot for her open seat?
Sam Watson, an 18-year-old from Southlake, holds the three fastest times ever in speed climbing and will be competing at the Paris Olympics.
The Rio Grande Valley faces an unprecedented water crisis as drought intensifies.
And: a new push to change how Texas imposes the death penalty.
Texas Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett pledges full support for VP Harris
U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Dallas has thoughts for fellow Democrats who haven’t been quick to support Vice President Kamala Harris.
Prison farm labor isn’t just part of Texas history; it’s a reality today. An investigation into the practices and what we don’t know about what goes on in the fields.
A mammoth find for Texas researchers – literally. What a team from Baylor plans to do with the discovery of some ancient DNA.
We’ll take you inside some San Antonio record stores where the love for vinyl keeps going around.
And: The emerging path forward for psychedelics when it comes to treating PTSD.
After attempted Trump assassination, a look at politically motivated violence in the US
We’re taking a closer look at the implications of the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, and a Texas perspective on the future of politics and democracy:
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller was in the crowd at Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday and shares a firsthand account.
The assassination attempt comes during one of the most politically volatile moments in our American history, but this is far from the first time political violence has threatened democracy. Presidential historian and professor Jeffrey Engel of Southern Methodist University on whether this may further galvanize divisions or lead to a shift in political rhetoric and rancor.
Also: State lawmakers are calling for an investigation into the slow power restoration process in the Houston region, where 264,000 remain without electricity a week after Hurricane Beryl hit.
Texas Democrats plot election year strategy at convention
Texas Democrats reconvene for their annual convention, plotting an election year comeback. What’s the plan? The Texas Newsroom’s Julián Aguilar tells us more about the Texas Democratic convention that just wrapped up in El Paso.
A change in the state’s Medicaid rules would eliminate several major nonprofit health plans from the program.
UT’s flagship campus taking disciplinary action against recent pro-Palestinian protesters.
The case of the stolen smokers – Daniel Vaughn shares the tale.
And the Mavericks, down but not out as the NBA playoffs shift to Dallas for Game 3.
Rio Grande Valley again draws attention ahead of 2024 elections
Is the boom in home prices in Austin, one of Texas’ hottest markets, over? And what might that mean for affordability?
Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, long a champion of free markets, is now calling for lawmakers to take action and curb large-scale home purchases from institutional investors.
Some national politics watchers are pondering whether this is the year a long-time stronghold for Texas Democrats – Rio Grande Valley – turns solidly red.
And when it comes to chili, ¡Viva Terlingua! But chili’s got a new challenger. Texas Monthly barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn samples what’s cookin.’
What does the MLS referee lockout mean for the 2024 soccer season?
In a closely watched primary battle near the top of the statewide ballot, we’ll have more on the showdown between two Democrats with considerable name recognition hoping for a chance to take on Ted Cruz in the fall.
A question about Texas seceding from the U.S. was kept off the GOP primary ballot – but it was the closest the Texas Nationalist Movement has come to putting the so-called “Texit” up for a vote in its nearly two decades of trying.
Major League Soccer referees have been locked out ahead of the start of the 2024 season, after Professional Soccer Referees Association union members voted against a bargaining agreement.
And we’ll meet Jon Muq, a Texas-based artist bringing the sounds of his native Uganda to American music.
What new data says about the future of Texas agriculture
It’s the first day of early voting in the Texas primary. What you need to know before casting a ballot and why turning out matters.
What exactly does “residency” mean when running for office? The answer might surprise you.
Every five years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture conducts a census – tallying things like livestock, tractors, combines and crops – for a dense report packed with clues on where American farming is heading.
And: Remembering Sandy Wood, who helped stargazers navigate the universe for nearly 24 years as the voice of the radio program Stardate.
What new polling says about Texans’ presidential preferences
With the Texas House and Senate in special session, border security is taking center stage – including one measure that sparked a verbal brawl in the state Capitol on Wednesday night.
Tech expert Omar Gallaga tells us why social media companies are de-emphasizing news, and what that means.
Also, a new poll from the Texas Public Policy Project shares clues on where Texans stand on the eve of the 2024 election cycle.
In attempts to ban library books, Texas leads the nation
Texas prisons are under a statewide lockdown as officials search for contraband to stem a rise in prison homicides.
More than 700 new state laws took effect in Texas on Sept. 1 out of the almost 3,000 that were filed – meaning the vast majority didn’t become law. Texas Public Radio’s David Martin Davies tells us more.
Texas had the most book challenges of any state last year, according to the American Library Association.
Outlaw country, born in the 1970s, has long been dominated by men. But female artists have been making noteworthy contributions, especially recently.
Plus the week in Texas politics with the Texas Tribune.
A Texas program pushes drivers to pay old tickets – and over 600,000 have lost their licenses
A federal courtroom was filled with anger and tears as relatives of the victims of the 2019 mass shooting at an El Paso Walmart faced the gunman ahead of his sentencing. Julián Aguilar of the Texas Newsroom shares more.
A program aimed at helping Texans pay off old tickets has left hundreds of thousands without driver’s licenses and tangled in red tape.
Amid a stalemate between House and Senate Republicans over property taxes, House Democrats weigh in with a plan.
A new study has found air pollution from U.S. oil and gas production is responsible for $77 billion in health impacts every year, with Texas among the states with the highest proportion of health damages.
Houston is celebrating 50 years of hip-hop with an exhibit and film screenings at the Houston Museum of African American Culture.
And the week in politics with the Texas Tribune.
Why the Rio Grande Valley is a transit desert
It started 5 months ago, and if all goes according to plan, it ends this week. Sergio Martínez-Beltrán of the Texas Newsroom joins us with his look ahead at the final days of the Texas legislative session. And what happens to the many proposals that didn’t pass? To understand, a knowledge of zombies might be beneficial.
Why have so many Democrats been lining up with Republicans on key items this session?
And you’ve heard the song “Whiskey River”? Though the song’s a fable, a new book shows how whiskey flows through Texas history more than you might expect.
Breaking down the saga at the Dallas Zoo
School vouchers, now styled as school choice, are back before state lawmakers. They have been rejected in the past, but will this year be different? Senate Bill 8 would provide Texas parents with an education account, taxpayer money that could be used to send students to private school. And the bill has special features designed to win over traditionally reluctant rural Republicans.
The Houston Independent School district braces for the implications of a state takeover.
Jamie Landers of the Dallas Morning News has put together a fuller picture of what happened with a string of crimes at the Dallas Zoo.
And seven Texas teams are spicing up March Madness on the men’s side.
What Texans think lawmakers should prioritize this legislative session
Texans say the border should be the top priority for the state Legislature this session, according to a new poll. We’ll dig into the results.
Questions about how the Center for Law and Human Behavior at the University of Texas at El Paso selected two Border Patrol agents for fellowships.
Taco expert Mando Rayo talks about his favorite traditional mom-and-pop eateries across the Lone Star State.
Piano music fills the air as El Paso hosts the Borderland Chopin festival spotlighting the beloved composer.
Texas Republican says banning college polling places is about safety. Students don’t buy it.
The Supreme Court hears oral arguments in two challenges to student loan forgiveness. With Texas having the second highest number of student loans in the nation, a University of Houston legal scholar offers analysis and what comes next.
There’s a push in the Texas Legislature to ban polling places on college campuses – but some students see it as voter suppression.
Once upon a time in the not-so-distant past there was a planned mega-merger in the publishing biz. Today: the postscript.
What Texas House committee assignments say about this session
Two prominent names in Texas politics get key assignments on Capitol Hill in a pushback against GOP investigations.
Democrats lose top slots on influential Texas House committees. What could that mean for some hot-button issues before the Texas legislature?
A directive from the governor’s office to state colleges and universities to consider employment on merit alone, calling diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives a rebranded form of employment discrimination.
And DQ’s are a Texas thing, right? We’ll get the full scoop.
What’s happening at the Cutoff in East Texas?
As cities grow, so do tensions between state and local officials over policy direction. A bipartisan coalition of 18 big city mayors team up to press state officials over top priorities. What they’re planning and more in our conversation with the mayor of Fort Worth. Also, how transgender youth and their families are gearing up to fight several new proposals in the GOP led Texas legislature. And an update over public access to a beloved east Texas body of water called The Cutoff. Plus rising grocery prices and the SNAP gap for those needing help to get food on the table. These stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
El Paso scraps plans for multimillion dollar arena
Another day, another attempt to elect a speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. Fights over who should lead lawmakers aren’t limited to D.C. There have been similar surprises in Pennsylvania and Ohio. So could it also happen in Texas? Brandon Rottinghaus of the University of Houston shares his insights. Also Bloomberg with a list of ten lawmakers to watch in 2023: one’s from Texas, and the choice just might surprise you. Plus with a controversy over LGBTQ content in libraries, city leaders in Huntsville decide to put the library in the hands of a private company. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard: