As hospitals struggle to deal with rising COVID-19 caseloads amid an Omicron surge, what about long term care facilities in TX? We’ll have the latest. Also, almost 20% of Dallas firefighters are out sick with COVID-19. We’ll look at how the city’s trying to deal with staffing shortages. And Governor Abbott taking bipartisan heat over suicides, and low morale among National Guard troops at the border. We’ll hear more. Plus a Texas expert on communication and rhetoric revisits President Biden’s speech marking the one year anniversary of the capitol insurrection. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
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Texas Standard: October 13, 2021
Was election day in South Texas 2020 an omen for Democrats in 2022 and beyond? A prediction and a prescription getting a lot of attention. Coming up, a warning for democrats hoping to pick up swing states, and what it could mean for Texas. Also the Biden Administration’s plans for a border reopening. Angela Kocherga has more from El Paso. And the image of the firefighter: iconic, and often male. An effort to give teenage girls hands on experience that could lead to careers fighting wildfires. Plus Texas bracing for the effects of hurricane Pamela. We’ll have the latest on that front and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: September 3, 2021
An early end to the special session at the capitol but the work far from over. Next up redrawing the political maps of Texas. As lawmakers gavel out a second special session, where do we stand and what comes next? A closer look with the editor of the quorum report. Also the search for a new permanent home for the battleship Texas as a piece of history battles the ravages of time. And 10 years after the most destructive fire in Texas history. What happened and what’s happened since. Plus the week in Texas politics with the Texas Tribune 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: December 4, 2019
Kamala out, Julián blames the media. The lone Texan still running for president on coverage of people of color. After Harris’ decision to suspend her candidacy in the race for the White House, we’ll have more of what fellow democratic presidential contender Julián Castro calls a double standard in the presidential race. Also, wildfires caused by downed power lines: a thing of the past? A team at Texas A&M comes up with technology that could be a game changer. Plus, a Politifact check on Latina wages and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: November 5, 2019
Election Day in Texas: we’ll check with reporters on how the balloting appears to be playing out across the state. Also, while state workers clear out homeless encampments in the Texas Capitol City, a closer look at an underlying problem with affordable housing: skyrocketing land prices. And as wildfires threaten housing developments in California, in central Texas, the possibility of wildfires threatening developers plans. Plus the Santa Fe high school mass shooting suspect: three doctors find him incompetent to stand trial. What next? All of that and then some today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: August 29, 2019
And then there were 10: Houston sets the stage for the third round of Democratic presidential debates. We’ll look at how this time things will be different. Other stories we’re tracking: the path of hurricane Dorian as it bears down on the U.S. mainland, a storm that promised to put the new governor of Puerto Rico to the test. Also a new effort by Texas to test for THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. And the future of the space industry in Texas after another launch this week. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: August 2, 2019
A surprise announcement from a Texas congressman. We’ll take a look at what Will Hurd’s exit from Capitol Hill means for the GOP and the Lone Star State. Also, so much for the honeymoon with the new Texas house speaker Dennis Bonnen, now caught up in a scandal. More on a secret meeting and the tale of the tape. And after another fire at a petrochemical plant, how Harris county Judge Lina Hidalgo plans to get the industry to take environmental protections seriously. Plus the Texas Tribunes Evan Smith with the week that was and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: May 30, 2019
The latest front in the culture wars? A game of political chicken, sandwiches? We’ll look at the backstory behind the conservative cry to save Chick-fil-a. AT&T is one of the biggest and best known brands in the world, but it ain’t your parents Ma Bell anymore. How the Dallas based phone company is morphing into a digital media giant. And a wake up call to save older buildings across the Lone Star State. Plus how Texas got its name: there may be more to the story than you think. All of those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: April 16, 2019
The images captured the world: Notre Dame on fire. Yellow smoke billowing, the spire falling. We’ll have the view from Texas. Also, could a voting error land you in jail? The Texas Senate just passed a bill to increase the penalties of so-called voter fraud. We’ll explore. And more states are allowing certain teachers and staff to carry guns in schools, but there’s no federal standard to govern the trend. Plus, off the coast of Texas: old oil rigs actually contributing to the environment, and what’s causing ship wreckage that’s been around for more than a century to disappear now. All those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: April 10, 2019
Texas is in the spotlight again over race in higher ed admissions. What a settlement with Texas Tech Medical School means for affirmative action. Also we’ll take a look at the links between health and wealth. And just in time for tax season, a bill to keep the IRS from providing online free tax filing. Plus the matador fighting to keep both the bulls and the sport alive and a Politifact check about the criminal activity of migrants here illegally. All of that and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: April 3, 2019
Just two weeks after the petrochemical disaster in Deer Park, another chemical fire at a plant outside of Houston: this one deadly. We’ll have the latest. Plus: 9 dead, 20 injured, nearly 200 arrested and 4 years later, all cases dismissed yesterday without a single conviction. What happened after the Waco biker shootout? And what are the lessons? Plus, a warning about a quarter of Texas’ dams, we’ll take a look. And they call it the Rio Grande Valley, but where are the mountains? Our commentator W.F. Strong on an etymological mystery and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: March 27, 2019
When it comes to health care, now what? An unexpected move by the Justice Department to side with Texas in fighting the Affordable Care Act, we’ll have the latest. Also, days after that fire was extinguished at a chemical plant near Houston, losses and lawsuits are starting to mount. And greyhound racing is legal in Texas. But some wonder for how much longer, after a complaint about a wave of injuries to dogs and questions about oversight. Plus the team at Politifact double check a claim about Texas child care workers. Do only 11% meet quality standards? All that and more when today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: March 22, 2019
Safe or unsafe? After assurances that smoke from a petrochemical fire near Houston was not toxic, concerns grow over the environmental implications. From the Gulf Coast west to Katy and beyond, efforts are underway to assess the full impact of the 4-day long fire. Also, the head of homeland security comes to Texas amid reports of overcrowding in detention centers. Texas lawmakers take up medical marijuana plus other top stories from the week that was in Lone Star politics and a whole lot more.
Texas Standard: March 12, 2019
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is removing all diplomatic staff from Venezuela, where he calls the situation “deteriorating.” He tells us why. Also, Houston making headlines for not being chosen to host the 2020 Democratic National Convention. The city pay issue that may be at the center of that choice. Plus, some college-level Black Studies programs are celebrating 50 years, how they’ve changed. And several countries are grounding planes like the one in a deadly weekend crash. But not the U.S. We’ll look at why. All of those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: March 7, 2019
Alarming figures from the border show an 11 year high in the number of migrant families apprehended. But do the numbers add up? Just a few weeks ago, we were hearing that the claim of a border emergency was overblown, but now mainstream news outlets report what sounds like, at the very least, a crisis overwhelming customs and border patrol. We’ll try to get a better sense of what’s happening. Also, a first of its kind effort in Texas to be prepared for wildfire season. And a top doctor warns of a looming crisis in Texas health care. All of those stories and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: July 30, 2018
Retired Texas teachers say they feel let down by a vote that could mean lower pension checks. We’ll explore the impact and the next steps. Also a multi-million dollar settlement involving a Houston-area refinery accused of doing too much polluting. We’ll look at the legal moves that made it happen. Plus, the story of a small town principal jailed for murder and the questionable evidence that put him there. And when wildfires pop up across Texas it’s often volunteer firefighters that are there first to put out the flames. We’ll look at why many volunteer departments are struggling. And keep an eye on your cacti. The insects that could destroy your xeriscape, yuck up your yucca and obliterate your agave. All of that and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: July 11, 2018
A tough test for NATO and for the Texan appointed to represent us before the alliance in Brussels. Also, today trial gets underway against the man accused of torching a mosque in Victoria. Federal prosecutors say he wasn’t working alone. And do you know what your middle schooler is learning about energy and the environment? There’s a new curriculum sponsored by the natural gas foundation. A question of balance versus bias in science class. And the rescue of those Thai students trapped in a cave. With so much going on in the world, why does this sort of story command the world’s attention? The baby Jessica effect and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: April 2, 2018
Familiar words you may have forgotten: DACA, tweets and border wall. We’ll hash them out today. The president says DACA is dead, but what do lawmakers have to say? We’ll explore. And the mysterious death of Rogelio Martinez and the sheriff who claimed there was no crime. And if the country is soon to be divided by EPA standards, which camp will Texas be in? Also, it’s small, non-descriptive and endangered. The captivating story of the Texas Hornshell Mussel. Plus the state’s favorite dog and so much more, today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: September 25, 2017
Could Ted Cruz sink the latest republican attempt at Obamacare repeal? Yes. Will he? That’s now the question, we’ll explore. Also, what really happened that caused fires to break out at a chemical plant during Harvey. We’ll hear what environmental regulators are looking into one month later. Plus Pulitzer Prize winning reporter and native Houstonian David Farenthold sent shock waves thru campaign 2016 with his stories on Donald Trump. And what impact has the Trump era had on Texas politics? What Farenthold says might surprise you. Our conversation coming up. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard: