Attorney General Ken Paxton’s effort to get business records from Annunciation House, a group that helps migrants, is blocked by an El Paso judge.
As firefighters move closer to containing the blazes that have consumed large parts of the Panhandle in recent weeks, many locals are looking more closely at the causes and asking hard questions about why more wasn’t done to prevent those fires.
As politicians bicker over federal funding, members of the military and their families struggle with worries and fears amid a near-constant threat of a government shutdown.
And: Anyone else feeling a post-COVID time warp? What the science says about perceptions of time.
District Attorney
Ballet folklórico competition comes to North Texas
Former president and presidential candidate Donald Trump wades into Texas politics with downballot endorsements.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton takes aim at a faith-based group in El Paso providing services for migrants.
In Texas farm country, concerns grow over a lack of water.
In the congressional district that includes 800 miles of the state’s border with Mexico, four republicans are challenging the GOP incumbent as polls show high voter interest in border security.
Plus: High schools push for competitive ballet folklórico.
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.
San Antonio ISD could close as many as 17 schools
San Antonio ISD could close nearly one-fifth of its schools as it deals with aging buildings and falling enrollment. But it’s not just San Antonio – this reflects a larger challenge facing many school districts across Texas.
A mystery at the Tarrant County Appraisal District has led to an office shake-up that may leave some taxpayers holding the bag.
What’s happening to the Texas economy? The Standard’s Sean Saldana’s been getting some clues from the Dallas Fed’s new Beige Book entry.
And: What’s to become of Benito, a giraffe in a Juárez park at the center of a controversy?
Challenged on the right, progressive Corpus Christi DA seeks higher office
Gov. Greg Abbott has been ordered to remove a controversial buoy barrier from the middle of the Rio Grande.
Among the new laws now taking effect in Texas are new penalties aimed at cracking down on illegal voting. But just how much of a departure from the past is it? The Standard’s Sean Saldana has more.
Facing a trial to force his removal, Mark Gonzalez, a progressive DA in Nueces County, has resigned and announced a challenge to U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz.
And we’ll hear from Pedro Martín, the author and illustrator of “Mexikid: A Graphic Memoir,” a graphic novel about a road trip to Mexico already being called an instant classic.
Why Fort Worth ISD is canceling sex ed this year
Fallen trees and branches, downed power lines and more as Texas weathers the first statewide winter storm of 2023. The worst of the weather stretches along a line west of I-35, but most Texans are feeling the impact one way or another, with driving extremely hazardous and scattered outages leaving hundreds of thousands without power.
There’s been lots of talk about property taxes in this legislative session. How’d they get so high in the first place?
Fort Worth ISD scraps its plans for a sex education course after spending millions in the ramp-up. So why the reversal?
Also a PolitiFact check of gun violence claims.
New NSA recruitment effort underway in San Antonio
Sticker shock at the grocery store. We’ll explore whether and how pandemic disruptions continue to affect the food supply chain. Also the race-motivated mass shooting at an El Paso Walmart in 2019 ruptured a community and captured the world’s attention. But the prosecution of the shooter has languished. What’s happening now? We’ll explore. And Russia’s invasion of Ukraine kicked off a series of events that are now having an impact on the Texas Gulf Coast. We’ll explain. Plus one of San Antonio’s biggest employers is hiring. Now the secretive National Security Agency is sharing a bit about its Texas operation. And the playoff win on the road that broke a decades-long streak for the Cowboys. All of those stories and more today on the Texas Standard.
Here’s how you can help discover new galaxies
A record setting state surplus. So how do Texas lawmakers plan to use it? With just 40 days to go before the Texas legislature gets back to work, education and energy at the top of the list of priorities for the most powerful figure in the Texas senate. Patrick Svitek of the Texas Tribune helps unpack the latest. Also high drama in an El Paso courtroom where the top prosecutor in the case against the accused Wal-Mart mass shooter is a no show and the judge threatening possible arrest of the DA. And a shout out for amateur skywatchers to help Texas researchers find galaxies. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: October 20, 2022
The Texas Secretary of State says inspectors will be sent to Harris county polling sites, citing breaches of election management in 2020. A Harris county official calls the timing of the letter suspicious. We’ll hear more. Also science fiction is now science fact, and big business, too. We’ll look at Texas’ role in the artificial intelligence boom. And after Hurricane Ian the ripple effects reaching the Texas citrus industry. Plus the Texas podcaster preserving some spooky storytelling traditions. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: October 19, 2022
As El Paso struggled to shelter rising numbers of migrants, did the White House scuttle the city’s plans to declare a state of emergency? We’ll take a closer look. Also with days before early voting, a race in San Antonio that has debates about policing in the spotlight. And Texas new abortion ban changing the conversation for people who are dating. Plus new research on deaths attributed to intimate partner violence in Texas. And some Texas ranch owners make an unusual discovery, not on their property but under it. Also the biggest birthday boy in Texas turns 70, a Politifact check and much more 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:
KUT Morning Newscast for October 6, 2022
Central Texas top stories for October 6, 2022. KUT Mayors forum. Robberies in North Austin. Hays county District Attorney candidate forum. New Travis county tax office. Austin Bergstrom busy October.
Texas Standard: August 31, 2022
18 months after a deadly statewide electricity blackout, state officials adopt new weather preparedness standards. But is it enough? We’ll look at what the new rules are and whether they have the teeth to prevent future events like the 2021 Winter Blackouts. Also, El Paso’s DA under fire and facing a petition seeking her removal. But she calls it a political move. Plus drug cartels in Mexico shifting production to an unusually lethal synthetic opioid that has health officials in the U.S. concerned about an overdose crisis. Those stories, a Politifact check on teacher salaries and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: February 21, 2022
The governor’s race gets most of the attention, but who really holds the reigns of power in Texas politics? A closer look at how Dan Patrick is leveraging the role of Lt. Governor. Also, changes to sex education standards in Texas schools; why some say the changes don’t go far enough. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: July 30, 2019
Day one, round 2: as democrats in the race for the White House duke it out in Detroit, what should Texans be looking for? We’ll explore. Plus, bad blood between some Houston police officials and the Harris county district attorney’s office. Some top cops complaining prosecutors are too soft on crime. Also, a new drug testing policy for some students near Amarillo casting a very broad net, and raising eyebrows nationwide. We’ll take a look. And a crisis at the border fueling a crisis for some church congregations? Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: April 24, 2019
A Texas democrat enters the race for U.S. senate, facing a 3 term incumbent with a massive war chest. Veteran M.J. Hegar throws her hat into the ring for the Senate seat held by John Cornyn. What are her chances and what does it mean for another much talked about potential challenger? Also, the Dallas D.A. getting pushback from the governor and others over plans not to prosecute some petty thefts. The D.A. says its criminalizing poverty. And one giant leap for legalized hemp in the Lone Star State. All those stories and more today on the Texas Standard: