What an investigation shows about a “shock and awe” exercise that was meant to take place in El Paso on election day. We’ll learn more about the forces behind this exercise and about the reporter who uncovered it. Also, money is tight for the country, for the state, for families. And federal unemployment benefits will end for Texans in a matter of days. We’ll look at the implications. And as the climate changes, researchers learn from Houston and from some of its strategies. Plus Manufacturing is alive and well in Texas. We’ll take a quick look at the tech companies that are building here. And we’ll honor the men and women who have died in service to the country. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
energy
Texas Standard: May 20, 2021
The Legislature has the power, but does it have the will? Where’s the long promised fix to prevent massive outages like the one last winter? What happened to a much anticipated overhaul aimed at preventing another deadly round of power failures. Also an update on prison and bail reform. And as cryptocurrencies crash, the transplanted Texan who seems to have unusual power in the markets. Plus the best community college in the nation? a hint: it’s in the Lone Star State. And an historian pushes back on a project aimed at teaching what are described as Texas values. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: May 17, 2021
Much work still left to do before the gavel falls on the Texas legislative session. Reporters from the Houston Chronicle and the Dallas Morning News weigh in on what’s been done and what’s left to do in the final two weeks of the legislative session. Also millions of dollars to help stop evictions in Houston. Why aren’t all landlords taking the cash? And despite changes in policies under the new administration, transgender migrants stuck on the other side of the border. And something big brewing in Pennsylvania…now brewing in Texas, too? Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: May 3, 2021
Mayoral contests in San Antonio and Fort Worth, a public camping ban in Austin and much more on the May first ballot. We’ll have more on some closely watched ballot propositions including voter approval of an ordinance in Lubbock that would ban abortions in that city. A move that’s almost certain to face a legal challenge. Plus, the great American road trip: running on fumes by the summer? Why some fear there could be gasoline shortages at the pumps. And at one of Texas’ top vacation destinations, detour signs as firefighters battle flames in Big Bend. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: April 27, 2021
A pickup of 2 seats in congress and the electoral college. A missed opportunity for Texas? A top demographer over the state’s population boom and why estimates for a bigger gain didn’t materialize. Also, a special election in Texas that may offer a window on the state of state politics at large. And Texas leading the nation in the rate of hospital closures…a look at who’s hardest hit and what’s being done to turn things around. Plus a new culinary piece de resistance: French Tacos? for real? All of that and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: April 19, 2021
A warning of a hotter than average summer sends shudders as lawmakers try to avoid a repeat of winter power outages in Texas. Lawmakers shift gears as they try to come up with a fix for increased power demand and limited supply. Also, the full extent of how COVID-19 affected nursing home residents in Texas has been unknown, until now. A member of the Texas Tribune reporting team on the findings. And have you had to pay out of pocket to get a COVID-19 shot? Some Texans have, although it’s supposed to be free-of-charge. Also a proposal for the national parks: return them to native peoples. Plus making the case for no more borders. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: April 14, 2021
It is not a recall, but a pause in the use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. Starting today the FDA and the CDC begin evaluating an extremely rare type of blood clot found in six women who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, this after 500 thousand doses of that vaccine were administered in Texas. Also Texas’s attorney general taking the Biden administration to court for the third time. Now: over the end of the Trump Administrations remain in Mexico program. And SpaceX’s potential setback on terra firma south Texas. Those stories and more when today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: April 9, 2021
Allegations of abuse at a migrant detention center for unaccompanied minors in San Antonio. What’s known and what’s not. Other stories we’re tracking, a booster shot for efforts to get more Texans vaccinated against COVID-19 by putting the clinic on wheels. We’ll hear the how and why. Plus a bill to bring broadband to rural Texas, as well as urban areas that can’t get connected. What the proposal does and doesn’t do, when it comes to an increasingly critical piece of the infrastructure puzzle. And how waste is suddenly affecting a way of life in south Texas. Those stories and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: April 6, 2021
Do the state’s numbers add up? A Houston Chronicle investigation finds twice as many deaths due to the February storm and blackouts. Other stories we’re tracking, the return of baseball and the absence of the Governor who turned down the opportunity to throw the first pitch. But he may have lobbed an early salvo in a much bigger matter over changes to voting laws in Texas, one with huge implications. Gromer Jeffers of the Dallas Morning News explains. Also the story of the Texas women who led a revolution in voting rights. Plus, trying to buy a home in Texas? You may not believe who you’re competing against. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: April 5, 2021
2 trillion for infrastructure. The big push from the Biden administration. But what might those big plans mean for the Lone Star State? We’ll have details. Plus, going to a concert? Baseball game? Getting on a plane? You may need a passport for that. The push for and the controversy over so-called vaccination passports. Also Dr.Fred Campbell of UT Health San Antonio takes on more of your COVID-19 questions. And new lockdowns in other parts of the world and the ripple effects on Texas and the energy business. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: March 30, 2021
As the Texas Senate votes to force power generators to better prepare for weather extremes, new insights on what Texans actually want. A new University of Houston hobby school survey on the impact of the February freeze and power outages, and how Texans want the system to change. Also more on an 8 billion dollar plan being pitched to Texas lawmakers that promises a 7 day power backup in the event of future emergencies. And as vaccines are rolled out in Texas prisons, a new report card on how well lockups and juvenile facilities in Texas have tracked the spread of COVID-19. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: March 22, 2021
50 years after they were declared unenforceable and illegal, could racial covenants finally be coming off property deeds in Texas? Coming up, Texas Senator Royce West on the push in the legislature to remove racial covenants from property conveyances and why this has become a priority. Also, Texas voices from the pandemic, the one from the previous century, that is. And the difficult task of calculating the loss to Texas due to COVID-19. Plus museums selling art to make ends meet. And the oil rally, already over? What it means for the industry and consumer prices at the pump. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: March 8, 2021
Let’s set the table: we got a lot of food on the show today. From restaurants to citrus to food for thought. In the food for thought category we start with some little known side-effects of the COVID-19 vaccine. We also imagine what if would be like to be homeless from the book “You Are My Brother”. And we imagine the political cost of the pandemic and freeze. Then we visit restaurants still open and remember those that have closed during the pandemic. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: March 5, 2021
We pretend to be a fly on the wall at the hearings where the failings of the state’s electric grid are being argued, we’ll have details. Also, did you know there’s money available for renters who are struggling? We tell you how to apply and hopefully how to get it. Plus, the good the bad and the ugly on vaccine distribution. And I bet you thought you knew everything there is to know about Selena Quintanilla. But as they say there’s always more to the story. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: March 4, 2021
The president calls it Neanderthal Thinking. But in places like Lubbock, Governor Abbott’s rollback of restrictions getting more mixed reviews. We’ll have more on the Governor’s lifting of COVID-19 restrictions effective next Wednesday. But what changes at school? Texas educators and parents asking questions. Also a shot in the arm for Texas teachers, we’ll hear more. Plus a new report on how failures in the state’s mental health system are leading to a cycle of misery for many. And an investigation in Dallas claims big banks are profiting from low-income apartments and illegal red-lining. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: March 1, 2021
As March rolls in, the effects of the February winter storm continue to ripple across rural Texas. We’ll have a conversation with local officials. Also, a new month, the rent is due, and the home is still a wreck broken pipes, to water damage and worse. Any of this sound familiar? What are your rights? We’ll get answers from an expert. Also a new COVID-19 vaccine gets federal approval. What it means for Texans waiting to get the shot. And the state’s biggest university temporarily waves the SAT and ACT requirement. The shape of longer-term things to come in higher ed? And Texas researchers connect the dots on dinosaur extinction. All those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: February 26, 2021
The deregulated electric market was set up to save money for Texas consumers. So why did Texans end up paying $28 billion more? That story coming up on the Texas Standard.
A Wall Street Journal analysis shows the Texas electrical grid not only failed during the storm, but failed consumers for decades by leading to higher bills. We’ll hear what happened and why. Plus the latest on hearings by Texas lawmakers.
With a disaster declaration in Texas, what comes next? The nuts and bolts of accessing federal aid.
The University of Texas RGV in hot water for turning away eligible people seeking vaccines.
Plus the week in Texas politics and much more.
Texas Standard: February 25, 2021
After days of finger pointing and demands for accountability, hearings get underway at the Texas Capitol to get the the bottom of last weeks outages. We’ll have the latest. Also, details from the governor’s statewide address last night on what comes next as Texans demand answers in the wake of last week, and solutions to prevent such failures in the future. And what Texas can learn from Australia when it comes to massive power outages and the politics of renewable energy. Plus a federal judge puts an indefinite hold on President Biden’s attempts to freeze deportations at the border. The implications plus much today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: February 23, 2021
After a death from hypothermia, a Conroe family among the many filing suit against Texas electric grid manager. But can ERCOT be sued? Under the doctrine of sovereign immunity, a governmental entity cannot be sued without its consent. But ERCOT, a private non-profit corporation, claims it is protected too. What’s behind the claims and counterclaims mounting across the Lone Star State? Also, could technology embraced during the pandemic lead to and end to snow days for schools across Texas?Plus another lingering effect of the storm, the rise of so-called Buy Nothing groups. All those stories and a whole lot more coming up today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: February 22, 2021
Stop right there: an order from the public utility commission to put the brakes on outrageous power bills after the winter storm. As lawmakers step in to get answers to ongoing questions about who and what’s to blame for the meltdown in utilities statewide, another long term ripple effect looms: the impact to Texas’s reputation. We’ll hear more. Also hurricanes, pandemic, then a winter storm… what compounding natural disasters can do to mental health in Texas, and what to look out for, yourself. Plus with the power back on for most, many Texans still dealing with water issues. We’ll have expert advice on tap and much more today on the Texas Standard: