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:
energy
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:
Texas Standard: June 14, 2022
A June heatwave across Texas testing the limits of our power grid and shattering records statewide. Any relief in sight? We’ll take a closer look. Other stories we’re tracking: with more Supreme Court opinions expected to be issued tomorrow, what a pre-Roe Texas might tells us about what could happen should the high court reverse its landmark abortion rulings. Also, the Texas Standard’s Alexa Hart reports on what’s compelled so many Texans to put their lives on hold and travel hours to visit Uvalde. And the north Texas church denied approval to appoint two pastors who identify as LGBTQ, but the church appointed them anyway. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: June 7, 2022
Record setting heat on tap for much of Texas. Will there be enough electricity to meet demand? And what about the rest of the summer? Coming up, the latest on heat warnings across Texas, and what it portends for the rest of the summer amid anxieties about whether the electrical grid can stand the strain. Also a federal judge moves to hold Texas’ foster care services in contempt as court monitors continue to find deficiencies in a system once declared unconstitutionally unsafe for children. Paul Flahive of Texas Public Radio with the latest. And what’s in a name? Some Mexico distillers say cultural appropriation. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: June 6, 2022
When it comes to curbing mass shootings some experts say in Texas, politics is the problem. Or is it? As a familiar pattern among politicians emerges in the aftermath of the mass shooting in Uvalde, the democratic nominee for Lt. Governor says there’s the prospect for serious change. Our conversation with Mike Collier. Also gas prices hit a new all time record in Texas. Any prospects for relief? Industry analysts Matt Smith with the latest. And in the depths of space: is one potential solution to climate change “out there”? A Texas researcher exploring what she sees as some very real possibilities. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: May 16, 2022
Early voting starts today in the primary runoff elections. What you need to know about what’s on the ballot, and voting by mail. Also, one of the highest-profile races on the Republican ballot is for Attorney General. Incumbent Ken Paxton was considered vulnerable, but will current Land Commissioner George P. Bush be able to defeat him? And language in Texas’ recent abortion legislation has some doctors and pharmacists concerned about providing care for miscarriages. We’ll take a look at why. Also take a closer look at the Texas electric grid and why hot temperatures have so far been a challenge. Plus a conversation with a Texas researcher involved in that new photo of a black hole. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: May 13, 2022
White house flags ordered to half staff as the U.S. reaches what President Biden marks as a tragic milestone in the pandemic. As public health efforts against COVID-19 continue to scale back, deaths from COVID-19 in the US approach the 1 million mark, and Texas has the second highest number of those deaths among the 50 states. We’ll take a closer look. Also the Texas Supreme Court overturns the statewide injunction on investigations of parents providing gender affirming care to transgender youth. We’ll have the latest. Plus a Texan’s journey into the kitchens of Mexico becomes a rapturous revelation. And the effort to give an endangered Texas toad a fighting chance at survival. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
The Texas Power Grid
In February of 2021, the Texas power grid was within minutes of total failure because of high demand in response to unusually cold weather. Most Texans went without power for some period of time — many suffered in the dark and cold for days. Some also lost access to water. Hundreds died. The following winter did not provide a true test of the grid infrastructure — but a very hot summer could. Texas Standard listener Katy Manck requested this poem.
Texas Standard: May 6, 2022
Sandals, shorts, and fingers crossed as summer makes an early appearance, putting a big strain on the Texas power grid. As Texans prepare for a heat wave with temps climbing toward the triple digits, how vulnerable is the state’s power grid? Matt Largey of KUT Austin has been looking into that. Also, what if they held an election and no challengers came? With election day tomorrow, and some big decisions on the ballot, some Texas counties grappling with just such a prospect. And an effort to turn a spotlight on everyday volunteers who put their lives on the line for abortion access. Those stories, the week in politics with the Texas Tribune and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: May 2, 2022
As Governor Abbott weighs the possibility of declaring an invasion at the southern border, legal challenges over immigration policy pile up. We’ll have details. Also growing calls for a European embargo of Russian oil and the ripple effects felt closer to home. And a medical mystery in south Texas as health officials warn of a rash of pediatric hepatitis cases in young kids, sometimes necessitating liver transplants. We’ll talk with a specialist from UT Health San Antonio. And a production in Fort Worth bearing witness to racist violence against Black people blurring the boundaries between actors and audiences. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: April 27, 2022
In Governor Abbott’s Operation Lone Star border security mission: a death among the ranks brings new scrutiny from lawmakers. Republican Representative James White talks with the Standard’s Laura Rice about the death of Texas Army National Guard Specialist Bishop Evans and the future of Operation Lone Star. Also as many families move to Texas, others are deciding they have to leave for the sake of their kids. This after new polices take effect aimed at parents of trans kids. Plus a stay issued in the case of Melissa Lucio, the mother originally set to be executed for the death of her two year old. What happens next? That and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: April 20, 2022
In 2013 she made a name for herself with a filibuster against proposals to restrict abortion. In 2022, Wendy Davis is back in the headlines. The latest today on the Texas Standard.
Despite many unsuccessful challenges to SB8, former State Senator Wendy Davis is front and center in a legal challenge against a law that effectively bans abortions in Texas. We’ll hear how this legal effort differs from previous challenges.
Back to the future for DeLorean? This time it’s with a big Texas twist and a battery boost.
Also must see TV for Texans? The co-founders of a Texas based television festival on what to watch.
Texas Standard: April 19, 2022
Many Texas homeowners stunned by the increase in property tax valuations as prices reflect a booming market. What happens next? That and more today on the Texas Standard.
Other stories we’re tracking: details of a pipeline leak that lasted only a few minutes but spewed as much methane as 16,000 cars would give off in a year. What’s known about what’s being called a “ultra-emitter” event.
Also, only days after his office set a new execution date for a Texas death row inmate, the DA in Nueces county withdraws the death warrant. We’ll talk to him and hear why the largely unexpected move.
Also, home run or serious error? Houston’s Astros embrace high tech that could be a game changer.
Texas Standard: April 18, 2022
Let em roll: Texas’ governor lifts his recently announced state inspections on commercial traffic at the border. What impact did Abbott’s beefed up border inspection protocol really have on immigration and the economy? Molly Smith of El Paso Matters with more. Also, as consumer prices rise at rates not seen since the early 1980s, what some in South Texas are doing to try to make ends meet. And he’s best known from Netflix’ Queer Eye, but in his role as a Texas based author, Jonathan Van Ness hopes that sharing his own story will help others embrace life’s complications. Our conversation and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: April 11, 2022
A woman charged with murder in Texas after an alleged self induced abortion has been released, but that’s far from the end of the story. Many fear the arrest and murder charge in Starr County could be a harbinger of what’s to come amid a rise in abortion restrictions and an expected ruling from the United States Supreme Court. We’ll hear more. Also the hype over hemp: what new data says about the legalization of the hemp industry in Texas and whether it has turned out to be as big an economic boon as advocates had hoped. And the race to save the stories behind a musical movement: reclaiming and preserving San Antonio’s Westside sound. All of that and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: March 28, 2022
Major property damage and evacuations as wildfires spread across parts of Central Texas. We’ll discuss the ongoing dangers amid efforts to fights the blazes. Other stories we’re tracking: As the war in Ukraine drags into its second month, the push to get more Texas oil to global markets, and why that’s easier said than done. Also the impact of the war on the global food situation. Plus a new chapter for libraries? A survey of universities finds a push for what are libraries of the future. We’ll hear what they might look like. And a new documentary on the life and times of one of Texas’ most astute and ascorbic political observers. You likely know her name. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: March 24, 2022
Urgent meetings between President Biden and NATO officials. What’s next in the pushback against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine? Other stories we’re tracking: a new Omicron variant sparks new concerns for Texans, as health officials alter their approach in the fight against COVID-19. We’ll have the latest. Also how the pandemic is changing the nursing profession. And Texas’ missing ocelots. Only a hundred or so are believed to be living free in south Texas, but experts are hoping to turn things around. How they plan to do that plus Omar Gallaga on tech dramas taking over video streaming menus and much more today on the Texas Standard: