Democrat

A shunned GOP candidate could regulate Texas oil and gas

Texas Republican leaders previously shunned Bo French for his racist social media posts. Now they want him to regulate the state’s oil and gas industries.

The Austin City Council voted in May to annex a 2,600-acre site in the eastern part of the city. City leaders had planned the Dog’s Head development for months, but neighbors nearby only had a few days to make their voices heard about those plans.

What happens to the dead animals the city picks up on the roads here in Austin? In the latest from our ATXplained project, we meet some of the people handling that service with care.

Austin Signal is made possible by listeners like you. You can support our work by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org

Where things stand with Big Bend border wall plans

He wants to ban Islam in Texas and now he’s the GOP pick for a seat on one of Texas’ most powerful commissions. Who is Bo French? A closer look at why, after this week, a race for a seat on the Texas railroad commission suddenly carries more weight than it might seem at first blush.

A longtime U.S. Senator from Texas forced to give up his seat — what the end of the John Cornyn era says about Texas politics today.

And where to things stand with plans for a border wall in the Big Bend region?

Also, first it was streaming that rewrote the rules for the music industry — now it’s AI. Tech expert Omar Gallaga on two very big music deals involving TikTok and Spotify and why they matter.

Big Thief guitarist Buck Meek talks solo album ‘The Mirror’

As Corpus Christi and neighboring cities try to head off a water catastrophe, water demand exceeds supply across Texas and there are new staggering estimates for a statewide water plan. We’ll go over the numbers, what’s behind them, and what comes next.
A runoff for lieutenant governor looms in Texas — but do Texans know either of the candidates?
Also: Born in Houston, raised in Wimberley, and leaving his mark on music worldwide — singer-songwriter Buck Meek on his new solo album, “The Mirror.”

Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.
You can support our work by becoming a sustaining member at supportthispodcast.org.

Would could the Prairieland decision mean for future federal prosecutions?

Fire warnings, scary high winds, dust storms out west, temps plummeting 30 and 40 degrees in some places… We’ll get the latest on a wild weather weekend.
Guilty verdicts in a trial involving the shooting of a police officer outside a North Texas immigration detention center. Could the Prairieland decision be a possible template for future federal prosecutions against antifa protestors?
Texas’ laws on abortion access: New housing data suggests the economic ripple effects of such laws.
And March Madness bracket season with a Texas twist. What’s the best Texas movie? Let the games begin.

What’s driving Central Texas early voters to the polls

Early voting in the March 3 primary wraps up Friday. Turnout is trending upward across Central Texas, with more voters casting ballots in Travis, Hays and Williamson counties compared to previous primaries. We’ll taking a closer look at who’s showing up and what patterns are beginning to emerge at polling locations locally and across the state.

Questions about how ballots should be counted continue to spark debate. We’ll tell you about Republicans in one Texas county who are planning to hand count election day ballots.

We’ll also hear the story of the Texas musician known as the “Jimi Hendrix of the accordion.”

Plus, KUTX’s Ryan Wen stops by with the Austin music you need to know about.

Austin Signal is made possible by listeners like you. You can support our work by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org

The Texans in the Epstein files

Can Sylvia Garcia, Houston’s only Latina U.S. representative, hang on to her seat? We may know sooner than some realize.
If you were waiting for this fall for the start of election season, wait no more. Early voting in the state’s primaries is set to begin tomorrow. A closer look at a race with huge implications for Texas – and beyond.
Amid concerning reports from the immigration detention center at Dilley, what are conditions really like inside? Ask the children being held there. We’ll talk with a ProPublica reporter who did just that.
Also, the Texans found in the Epstein files.

Democrat makes surprise win in solid-red Texas district

In a little-watched race, Taylor Rehmet’s surprise win for Democrats in Texas may be a potential warning shot for Republicans in a midterm election year. Is this a one-off, or is the GOP in trouble in the Lone Star State?
Also, Texas environmental regulators greenlight what looks like the largest fossil-fueled power plant project in the country. We’ll dig into what it might tell us about energy and the environment in Texas going forward.

Camp Mystic faces lawsuits over deadly flood

A few Democrats join Republicans in an effort to end the federal shutdown. We’ll have details.
Families of girls killed in the July 4 Hill Country flood sue Camp Mystic.
Car-dominant Texas needs more public transit to meet future needs. So says a new report from TxDOT.
And on this Veteran’s Day, the Voces Oral History Center pays homage to a helicopter pilot who served in Vietnam.