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Singer-songwriter Robert Ellis returns with new sound and perspective

Texas is on the brink of becoming the latest state to ban gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott asks the governors of other states to provide police and military forces to help secure Texas’ border with Mexico, as the numbers of reported unauthorized entries plummet.

Tech expert Omar Gallaga tells us about congressional hearings on regulating artificial intelligence.

And the musician formerly known as the Texas Piano Man sheds his fancy white suit and hat: Robert Ellis tells us how fatherhood and Fort Worth factor into his new release, “Yesterday’s News.”

Kate the Chemist aims to answer ‘the big questions’ about science with new podcast

Erin Douglas of the Texas Tribune joins with details on water infrastructure efforts that have bipartisan support, but a chasm separating House and Senate proposals – and just 11 more days to come to agreement.

More money for Texas public school teachers? Some educators say the proposals on the table aren’t enough to keep them in the classroom.

In San Antonio, what appears to be a first-of-its-kind effort to dramatically improve access to public bathrooms for people with disabilities.

And UT-Austin chemistry professor Kate Biberdorf – aka Kate the Chemist – shares a preview of her new podcast, “Seeking a Scientist.”

How the ‘We Buy Ugly Houses’ company preyed on desperate and elderly sellers

Migrant crossings at the border with Mexico are reported to be dramatically down after the end of Title 42.

Adolescent medicine doctors at Dell Children’s Medical Center in Austin are out amid calls from politicians for an investigation of gender-affirming care at the hospital.

A bill to preempt new local regulations on a variety of issues including labor and the environment moves quickly toward an expected passage in the Texas Senate.

And what’s the story behind those “We Buy Ugly Houses” signs? A ProPublica investigation reveals that the buyers behind the signs took advantage of elderly homeowners.

What to watch for as the Texas Legislature sprints to Sine Die

With just 19 days to go before the end of the 88th Texas legislative session, where do we stand?

A bill to raise the age to purchase a semi-automatic rifle made it out of a House committee – but as the Texas Newsroom’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán reports, it may not get much further.

Hundreds of migrants line up in El Paso for processing in advance of a major change to immigration policy tomorrow.

What some believe is a banking crisis: Should Texans be worried, and should there be a different approach to regulation?

Also, the story of a teacher fired in 1975, and why it resonates with the politics of Texas today.

A man died working on the Tesla Gigafactory. The company didn’t tell officials.

A car crash in Brownsville: 8 dead, 10 injured. An accident or was it intentional?

One day before a vote to expel a Texas house representative, a resignation. Sergio Martínez-Beltrán of the Texas Newsroom on the state lawmaker accused of an inappropriate relationship with an intern.

Questions about the heat death of a worker helping to build Tesla’s Texas Gigafactory and whether reporting rules are being followed.

And a Texas based Go-Go, Head Over Heels about her new role with a stage production. Our conversation with Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Kathy Valentine.

Has Texas cracked down on protest after 2020’s racial justice demonstrations?

Do Texans support raising the minimum age to purchase firearms? We’ll hear the results of a new study by the Texas Politics Project.

The struggle to find staffing for the state’s psychiatric hospital system as needs for mental health support post pandemic have grown.

In response to the murder of George Floyd and police brutality broadly, people across Texas headed out to protest. A few years after those demonstrations, there’s been a backlash, writes the Houston Chronicle’s Jeremy Wallace.

Fusion … or something more? Taco journalist Mando Rayo on the similarities between food from Mexico and the Philippines.

And the Standard’s Shelly Brisbin on what may be emerging as the front-runner to replace Twitter.

Is prosecuting librarians the next front in Texas’ book wars?

You’ve heard about library book bans in Texas, but behind the scenes there is a campaign underway to prosecute librarians for putting certain books on the shelves of school and public libraries.

After four decades, Texas politician Ben Barnes comes clean about his role, and that of former Texas Gov. John Connally, to delay the release of 52 American hostages held in Iran in order to ensure the election of Ronald Regan. Peter Baker of the New York Times joins us.

Also Texas gets a new professional sports franchise – not football or basketball, but Major League Cricket.

Indigenous chefs take center stage at Willie Nelson’s Luck Reunion

Almost a year after the Uvalde school shooting, a new investigation by the Texas Tribune reveals it was the type of weapon used, an AR-15, that prompted officers to back off from the room where the shooter was holed up. Reporter Zach Despart joins us to explain.

A closer look at bills in the Legislature focused on hot-button social issues, including what’s being taught in public schools.

And at Willie Nelson’s annual food fun and music shindig in Luck, Texas, there’s something extra special on the menu: The Standard’s Kristen Cabrera has more on the Indigenous food on the table.

Texas outlawed red-light cameras years ago – but this town still has them

As a deadline approaches for bills to be filed in the Texas Legislature, proposals on guns and secession are making headlines. There is rare bipartisan support building around a proposal that proponents say would boost the effectiveness of background checks for buying a firearm, a move prompted by the school shooting in Uvalde.

When it comes to property tax relief, are Texas Republicans a house divided? There is a possible battle looming between the Texas House and Senate.

And the last red-light cameras still giving out tickets in Texas – and the push to switch them off for good.

Why many Texas cotton farmers are planting less this year

After a disastrous season for cotton production, could Texas lose its crown as top producer? Three Texans on the front lines talk about why some fear 2023 could be a tipping point.

The head of the University of Texas System Board of Regents puts a pause on new diversity, equity and inclusion policies.

With student debt forgiveness plans on hold, what are the implications for those struggling most to get out from under it?

Also tech expert Omar Gallaga on the rising price of social media verification and whether it pays to buy into the changes.

Why a brand-new mental health hospital is sitting empty

There is a critical shortage of mental health care professionals amid surging demand statewide, with almost 99% of Texas designated as a shortage area for mental health professionals.

With heightened demand for mental health treatment, you’d expect the Kerrville State Hospital – a new, $30 million state-owned inpatient mental health facility – to be full. Instead, it’s completely empty.

A professor at Texas Woman’s University says Chat GPT and other AI tools present an opportunity to teach and learn in new ways.

And the story of Herman Barnett, a Black veteran who desegregated a Texas medical school.

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.

How a ban on TikTok at UT-Austin affects journalists and other students

The Texas House and Senate release their spending roadmaps for the session, leaving tens of billions on the table unspent. It may be an understatement to say the state is awash in cash. Both chambers are now proposing unprecedented outlays. Bob Garret of the Dallas Morning News joins us to help with the numbers. Also pressure on Texas lawmakers to take more action on gun safety in the wake of the school shooting in Uvalde. Also what health experts are learning about Long Covid and chronic fatigue. And Omar Gallaga discovers a de facto treasure trove for PC gamers. And time runs out for TikTok on many Texas campuses. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:

Largest teacher prep program in Texas at risk of losing accreditation

A long awaited report on Maternal Mortality in Texas is now two months delayed and may not be available for the next legislative session. We’ll have the latest. Other stories we’re tracking: amid a statewide teacher shortage, the biggest teacher accreditation program in Texas now facing the possible loss of accreditation. We’ll hear more. And after several local ordinances to decriminalize marijuana pass on the November ballot, a pushback from many local officials. Also a singer from El Paso who’s new release, Frontera, is turning a spotlight on latino voices in country music. Our conversation with Valerie Ponzio, the week in Texas politics with the Texas Tribune and much more today on the Texas Standard:

Corpus Christi designated a World War II Heritage City

A date that will live in infamy, and a new designation for Corpus Christi as a World War II heritage city. We’ll have details. Other stories we’re covering: as the thoughts of many Texans turn to winter preparedness, concerns grow over the power grid and staffing problems for the agency that oversees it. Also a Politifact check of a claim about gun homicides. And remembering a Lubbock-born Texas iconoclast who transformed the creative landscape. Michael Hall of Texas Monthly looks back on the words and music of Jo Carol Pierce who passed away last week. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: November 16, 2022

With an expected split in power on Capitol Hill, what does that mean for Texans? Coming up, the Texas Tribune’s Matthew Choi on bills that could affect Texas in a big way, and the potential for gridlock In Congress. Also, after the winter power disaster of 2021, Texas officials rolling out a plan to help one of the most vulnerable groups of Texans: dialysis patients. And for the first time since the end of the Apollo program, NASA takes a giant leap to the moon. More on today’s launch of Artemis 1 and what’s ahead. And with interest rates rising and turbulence in the housing market, the Dallas fed raises red flags. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: October 12, 2022

After the shooting at Robb Elementary, Uvalde came together. Now, concerns that Uvalde’s becoming a town divided by tragedy. Coming up, our conversation with the mother of a 10 year old killed in the mass shooting at Robb Elementary and her concerns that as questions continue to swirl around accountability and gun violence, some in the community just want to move on. Also the biggest grant in the history of the university of North Texas leads to potentially groundbreaking research on Alzheimers. And a Politifact check of claims by a Texas congressman about immigrants from Venezuela. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: September 23, 2022

With record numbers of detentions at the border, where do we stand with immigration enforcement? We’ll have the head of Customs and Border protection today. Also with fewer than 50 days until statewide elections, today the second interview in our look at the Agriculture Commissioner’s race. Yesterday it was the democratic challenger. Today, our conversation with incumbent republican Sid Miller. Also details of a new survey of Texans on gun regulations and, in the wake of Uvalde, the psychological impact on parents, teachers and students. Plus concerns about a shortage of certified teachers in the classroom, the week that was in Texas politics and more today on the Texas Standard:

Uvalde: What’s Next? – A Texas Standard Special (Rebroadcast)

Texans are still reeling from the stories of Uvalde. But are schools any safer now? Today we’ll hear from Texans: students, educators, experts in crime and mental health. But also victims and survivors. We’ll sort through going back to class in the wake of the state’s deadliest school shooting. Uvalde: What’s Next? A special rebroadcast on today’s Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: August 26, 2022

A Texas gun restriction for 18 to 20 year olds ruled unconstitutional. This, just 3 months after a young gunman’s deadly attack on a school in Uvalde. A judge in Fort Worth rules that Texas can’t ban 18 to 20 year olds from carrying handguns. We’ll hear more about what’s behind the decision and what comes next. Also beyond debt forgiveness: what can be done to bring down the cost of higher ed in the first place? And amid a water shortage in the Valley, one community moving to reclaim water for the future. Also a teacher shortage today, a crisis for the future? Plus the week in politics with the Texas Tribune and more today on the Texas Standard: