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.’
Democrat
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:
What this cold snap means for Texans experiencing homelessness
A last minute scramble to keep the Government funded as Texans clamber in advance of dangerously cold weather. We’ll have more on efforts to piece together a 1.7 trillion dollar spending bill; much debate centering on what’s happening at the border. Also as Texans prepare for a blast of Arctic air, we’ll speak with an official in Irving who’s been mobilizing efforts to help folks in the metroplex experiencing homelessness, who are especially vulnerable. Also a crisis among caregivers assisting Texans with disabilities. These stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
There’s a growing push to recycle fracking wastewater in Texas
As temperatures fall, a humanitarian crisis in El Paso deepens as there is a scramble to find shelter for thousands of migrants. Now Texas National Guard troops have been called in to maintain order at the scene. We’ll have the latest on a tenuous situation along the border. Plus, what to do with all the water used in fracking. Recycle it, maybe? We’ll hear why the idea is catching on now. And we’ve got one-on-one interview with a broadway star who’s got south Texas roots. These stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Almost 1 in 10 Texas hospitals at risk of closing
A new sort of crisis for Texas hospitals as experts warn one in ten statewide could close; one in four in rural Texas. We’ll have more on that story. Also, why the city of Uvalde is suing Uvalde county as investigations into the shooting at Robb Elementary continue. And the usual trajectory: high school then a bachelors degree, but what about both at the same time? A project to take early college in Texas to the next level. And after more than a hundred years in the dark, the return of a landmark beacon to the Texas Gulf Coast. Plus, the week in politics with the Texas Tribune. All this and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: November 23, 2022
Where are the Texans? With a change in House leadership, the expectation was that Texans, who send more GOP representatives to congress than any other state, would be well represented in leadership posts. Why hasn’t that happened? We’ll have some answers. And we’re digging in to some of Texas’ favorite dishes and poking our head into the kitchens of Mexico. Also Rick Martínez takes us on a road trip where he made some delicious discoveries in the kitchens of Mexico. Plus, the pandemic was tough on Texas eateries, but many of those that managed to survive or get off the ground are among the tastiest places in Texas. We’ll hear a list of best new restaurants. These stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: November 09, 2022
On the day after midterms question marks loom over Washington, but in Texas, some big surprises for both sides of the aisle. Though Democrats didn’t manage to pull off victories in key statewide offices, they did manage to hold off a widely expected red wave in South Texas. Nonetheless, a GOP victory in one Texas district marks an historic turn in that region. We’ll have reaction from both sides as well as a closer look at the signals sent by Texas voters in the midterms. And what might results in Texas legislative races spell for the upcoming session? These stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: November 04, 2022
It’s the last day to vote early in the midterm elections but Texans haven’t been showing up at the pace they did last time; we’ll look at why. And one of the races on every Texan’s ballot is for state comptroller. So what exactly does the comptroller do and what separates the two top party candidates? Also on the ballot may be a change to your city charter, what’s that mean and what’s at stake? And we’ll meet a 75-year old Texan running his 75th marathon. These stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: November 03, 2022
With early voting numbers coming in lower than expected, leaders of both parties are looking for answers. Also a focus on one of the most consequential contests on the ballot when it comes to climate concerns, though with a name like The Railroad Commission, many may not realize it. And a new book documenting the challenges of undocumented motherhood. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard: