Democrat

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:

Texas Standard: October 17, 2022

Is South Texas ground zero for a political shift in 2022? Republicans, Democrats and the Latino vote are in the spotlight. Politics watchers say three republican Texas women, Latinas themselves, stand to lead an historic shift in voting patterns. We’ll take a closer look at what’s behind that. Also, has Mark Zuckerberg’s company gone too Meta? As valuations of the company formerly known as Facebook continue to slide, a reality check on whether its Metaverse strategy is grounded in reality. And from far west Texas, a sweet sound 50 years in the making. And for a family, a dream come true.
Those stories and much more when today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: October 11, 2022

As protests have grown over the school boards’ handling of the aftermath of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary, the Uvalde school superintendent announces his retirement. We’ll have more on Monday night’s school board session. Also: are national democrats conceding republican gains in south Texas come November? The cancellation of campaign ads in the Rio Grande Valley raising questions. And the annual college rankings: a go to for students and parents. But how useful a tool in the real world? Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: September 30, 2022

The first and so far only gubernatorial debate in Texas set for tonight. Greg Abbott the incumbent republican and democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke square off tonight in the Rio Grande Valley. Sergio Martínez-Beltrán of the Texas newsroom with what to look for. Also despite democrats’ high hopes, Alex Samuels of the 538 writes for democrats to succeed in Texas, they need more than Beto. We’ll hear her analysis. And after a long campaign, a long segregated schoolhouse in Marfa approved for national historic site status. The long fight for recognition, the week in politics and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: September 28, 2022

In Florida, as flood warnings go out ahead of hurricane landfall, echoes of Texas’ Hurricane Harvey. The managing editor of space city weather with a live update on Hurricane Ian and parallels to a catastrophic storms in Houston. Also after relatively upbeat reports on Texas’ economy, is the Dallas fed changing its tune? Plus an update on the trial of the mass shooter accused in the attack on an El Paso Walmart. And non-profits taking a new tack to encourage Texas farmers to use less water. Plus a Politifact check of a claim about democrats objecting to presidential election outcomes. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: September 09, 2022

The death of Queen Elizabeth II and the end of an era; historian Caroline Ritter of Texas State University and our own WF Strong on its significance to Texans and the impact more broadly. Also, a leak reveals large membership numbers in Texas for an extreme right wing group linked to the January 6th insurrection. And rethinking tax breaks for businesses coming to Texas. These stories and more today on the Texas Standard: