Abortion, gun laws and much more. What might be on the agenda as Texas lawmakers prepare to reconvene? Some of the political patterns emerging for Texas in the aftermath of the Texas Tribune festival. Political writer Patrick Svitek ties some of the strands together. Also eyes on the skies, as Hurricane Ian enters the gulf what it could mean for the energy cap of the world. You know the one. And speaking of energy, guess which state has the most blackouts? We’ll shed some light on that. Also not for the down and out, we’ll meet the man who literally wrote the book on the Texas dive bar. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
energy
Texas Standard: September 12, 2022
Four months after Uvalde, what do we know about the role of the Texas Department of Public safety in the response? A deep dive into the history of Texas DPS Director Steve McCraw and the role he played (or didn’t) during the state’s deadliest school shooting. Also, Migrants are being released into the streets in El Paso, that’s because detention centers and shelters to support them are full. And energy prices are very high in Europe; we’ll look at energy weaponization. Also, what does it mean to re-wild and why is San Antonio an example of this tactic? These stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
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: August 29, 2022
A booster rollout: ready for launch? As a long awaited Omicron vaccine gets ready for release, are Texans ready for another round of shots? We’ll explore. Other stories we’re covering: families of victims of the Uvalde shooting gather at the capitol to tell their stories and demand action. And military rules on weight leading to eating disorders and some say the services are do too little to address that issue. Also, the business of college football changing as never before with some players getting paid de facto salaries at bigger schools and altering the calculus for recruitment. Those stories and much more coming up today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: August 25, 2022
Are billions in school debt owed by Texans about to be written off the books? We’ll look at what President Biden’s announcement adds up to for Texans. Other stories we’re tracking: buying out of flood prone property: what it could mean for a region ravaged by Hurricane Harvey 5 years ago. Also after this weeks rains in North Texas, how the struggle’s just beginning for some families. And as housing prices skyrocket across Texas and many parts of the nation, military allowances not keeping up. And is the University of Texas about to pass Harvard as the country’s wealthiest university?Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: August 11, 2022
Multiple sources tell The Texas Tribune Governor Greg Abbott is exerting unprecedented control over who will lead the state’s power grid. Locked in a potentially tight reelection race and facing criticism over the grid’s 2021 collapse, we hear how the governor has put a stranglehold on the search for the operator’s CEO search. Plus the Biden Administration announced earlier this week it’s ending the controversial “Remain in Mexico,” program. What it means for migrants awaiting asylum hearings. All that and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: August 8, 2022
Congress is on the cusp of passing climate legislation that has major implications for the Lone Star State. The multi-billion dollar package does quite a lot of things, but focuses on measures that will slow global warming. We’ll have the details today. Plus Houston’s food scene bows to no one. Why one new writer in the Bayou City says it’s among the most exciting food places on the planet. And putting artificial intelligence to good use: a new Texas partnership is trying to figure out how. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: August 5, 2022
Monkeypox declared a public health emergency nationwide. We’ll talk with the state epidemiologist about what Texans need to know. Other stories we’re covering: after the Dobbs decision, more than 100 military installations in states where abortion is now banned. What this means for service members seeking abortion care. And as temps hover in the triple digits across much of Texas, the new season of a podcast examines whether the power grid can stand the strain. Mose Buchele, host of the disconnect, joins us. And a Texas based band garnering international attention for its Texas-themed tales of a “Bummer Year”. A conversation with the frontman of the band Good Looks and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: August 1, 2022
Water crisis. That’s the label communities on the border are giving the current conditions as reservoirs are drying up. But it’s not just on the border that water is a concern. We’ll talk with an expert about the current state of groundwater across Texas and the long-term forecast. Plus a shot in the arm for a Liquid Natural Gas facility in Brownsville. What a big contract means for its future. And in Uvalde the community still in the early days of recovery is trying to access the financial help promised, but doing that is easier said than done. And we’ll remember an Austin radio icon beloved by throng and truly one of a kind. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Porosity Complicated
Last week’s episode focused on the concept of “porosity” a term developed by anthropologist Tanya Marie Luhrmann and psychology researcher Kara Weisman, to help understand the root of religious and spiritual beliefs. They argue that at the heart is the concept of a porous boundary between mind and world and that people in all human societies have conflicting intuitions about this boundary.
Here at Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy find this concept interesting and thought we would spend a little time, not only understanding it but complicating it.
In this second in our three-part series on porosity we ask a few questions about how it manifests in our daily lives and why we should care.
“Porosity is The Heart of Religion”
Texas Standard: July 20, 2022
Beto O’Rourke setting fundraising records and narrowing the gap in the polls. Does this portend a political turnaround in Texas? A pulse check on the Texas Governor’s race, as the democratic challenger appears to build momentum in his race against republican incumbent Governor Greg Abbott. Also as monkeypox spreads in Texas, how a shortage of vaccine and confusion over who’s at risk are complicating efforts to control the spread. And the heat, the drought and lots and lots of cattle going to market. We’ll hear how Texas ranchers are trying to get through was could be an historic moment for the industry. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: July 15, 2022
The state of Texas is suing the Biden administration over abortion guidance to hospitals. The federal rules instruct emergency room doctors to provide abortion services in emergency conditions. Texas’ own law provides exceptions for the health of the pregnant patient. So why is the state suing? Also, the state terminating its guardianship over scores of young runaways once in the care of child protective services. What happens to those young people? Other stories include the Austinite who many believe invented psychedelic rock. Plus the week in politics and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: July 12, 2022
Demands for transparency in the investigation of the mass shooting in Uvalde. The focus: hallway surveillance footage. We’ll have the latest. Also why a big fight may be brewing between Austin and Washington over new air pollution regulations in West Texas. And military annual fitness checks getting swapped out for Fitbits? Plus an immigration lawyer on the front lines to keep families together at the border, reflects on his own migrant past and others directly affected by immigration policy. And new images of events millions of years in the past, the excitement over the space telescope and what the pictures tell us. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
News Brief 7-12-2022 9AM
Daily morning news update from the KUT newsroom. Hot weather and a potential energy shortfall. Round Rock ISD board election.
Texas Standard: July 11, 2022
How hot is it? Hot enough for ERCOT to ask the state to dial back its power use at temperatures climb back into the triple digits. We’ll have the latest. Also a recent pipe burst in Odessa left the city’s hundred thousand plus residents without water for days. Now comes a warning for lots of small to midsized cities about a ticking time bomb of aging pipes and underground stressors. We’ll hear more. Also a new effort aimed at tracking drug overdoses, most of which go non-reported. And a comeback for the Guadalupe bass. And Texas versus Volkswagen: how the carmakers novel defense could put millions of dollars at stake. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: July 6, 2022
Texans trying to stay cool this summer could get pretty steamed once they see their power bills. What’s behind rising electricity costs? We’ll take a look. Other stories we’re tracking: the defense department offering assistance to military families wanting to leave states with laws seen as anti LGBTQ, but many face barriers. Carson Frame of Texas Public radio with more. And despite the collapse in crypto markets, crypto mining continues to grow in Texas, now some miners using flared gas to power their operations. And a big win for proponents of the Texas high speed rail project, but the company behind it may be somewhat off the rails. The backstory and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: July 5, 2022
Abortion and gun Violence. How issues in focus for the nation could carry a lot of weight in Texas come November. We’ll take a close-up look at the implications. Also, LGBTQ Texans and their families leaving the Lone Star State? KERA’s Bret Jaspers has more. Plus the push for more changes to Texas voting rules. What pre-session rumblings suggest Republicans may propose. And the research that could lead to a rethink of the contentious relationship between ranchers and prairie dogs. Also the indigenous people fighting to save scores of native trees that shade San Antonio riverbanks. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: July 4, 2022
The Texas Supreme Court says Texas can enforce its 1925 abortion ban. We’ll have a closer look at the implications of the decision. Also, with many Texans traveling by car for the holiday, lots of folks feeling the pinch of gas prices firsthand. An update from our go to energy expert Matt Smith. And we revisit our conversation with singer songwriter and Spoon frontman Britt Daniel who shares how a Texas vibe got baked in to one of the most highly anticipated rock albums of the year. Plus reflections on this land and who it really belongs to. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: July 1, 2022
What the Supreme Court ruling in an environmental case filed by West Virginia means for Texas and the world at large. Its a decision seen as severely hampering the Biden Administrations efforts to curb climate change. We’ll take a closer look. Also a pair of first amendment rulings on religious freedom and what they add up to for everyday life. And Texas police chiefs offer a list of recommendations to reduce the number school shootings including changes to gun laws. Plus more listener reaction to the demise of Roe v. wade, the week in politics with the Texas Tribune and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: June 17, 2022
Is there a big push for Governor Abbott at the Texas GOP Convention? Not exactly… Sergio Martínez-Beltrán of the Texas Newsroom with the latest. Other stories we’re tracking, more warnings of record demand for electricity in coming days as Texas tries to beat the heat. While wind and solar getting credit for helping us avoid major blackouts, why these ongoing warnings? And is Texas moving quickly enough to meet constantly growing demand? Also, a new massive SpaceX rocket test cleared for liftoff in South Texas? The FAA imposes new restrictions. And reflections on Juneteenth: do Black Texans consider themselves really free? Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard: