Did the on-scene Commander in Uvalde put the lives of police ahead of the lives of children? New pieces of the story emerge. On today’s show, State Senator Paul Bettencourt with reaction to yesterday’s Senate hearing on law enforcement’s response in Uvalde. Meanwhile a bipartisan group of 13 big city mayors in Texas calls on state leaders to hold a special session to prevent more mass shootings. We’ll talk with the mayor of Arlington. And you bought it, but can you fix it? Legally? Why a new law covering power wheelchairs in Colorado may have big ripple effects here in Texas. Also a Politifact check and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Governor Greg Abbott
Texas Standard: June 15, 2022
Governor Abbott says he was livid, misled by falsehoods in the aftermath of the Uvalde school shooting. But where was he getting his information? What do the governor’s handwritten notes from his first press conference in Uvalde reveal about the source of misinformation over law enforcement’s response? We’ll have more. Also Texas’ so-called dead suspect loophole and why it may prove an obstacle to getting more detailed information about the shooting. And the rise of a movement to get Asian American Pacific Islanders in Texas more politically engaged, particularly in this election year. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: May 27, 2022
In the aftermath of the Uvalde school shooting, law enforcement facing many questions about whether they moved quickly enough. The grief among many families in Uvalde now compounded by anger over why it seemed to take so long to stop the gunman who killed 19 students and two teachers at Robb elementary. Investigative reporter Tony Plohetski with the growing demand for answers about the timeline. Also a new report on domestic gun violence, the correlations with age and gender, and what data points to when it comes to policy solutions. Plus the week in politics with the Texas Tribune and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: May 25, 2022
It is the worst school shooting in Texas history. The people of Uvalde, their fellow Texans and people across the nation are searching for answers. Coming up we’ll hear from people in Uvalde, struggling to comprehend the killing of at least 19 children and two adults at Robb Elementary yesterday. We’ll be joined by reporters from Texas Public Radio and the Associated Press to hear what is known so far about the incident. We’ll also be checking with experts in the field of school safety, the ripple effects, the psychological trauma of this tragedy, how to talk with kids who may be frightened by the news and the lingering questions of how to move forward.
Texas Standard: May 17, 2022
There’s an election going on and all week we’re profiling the races. Today it’s the Democratic runoff for Land Commissioner. We’ll have details. Also, Sweden and Finland want to join NATO after decades or even centuries of military nonalignment. A look at the road ahead for the alliance. And comparing the leaked draft Supreme Court opinion on Roe v. Wade to a brief submitted by the architect of some of Texas’ abortion restriction laws. And not a leak, SCOTUS released a final opinion on a case involving campaign finance yesterday. The plaintiff was U.S. Senator from Texas Ted Cruz. Plus we’ll slow things down in a conversation focused on the legacy of Houston’s DJ Screw. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: May 12, 2022
Public or private? Tho Texas lawmakers have rejected vouchers, Governor Abbott puts the school choice debate into play this election season. With complaints from conservatives over what’s being taught in Texas public school classrooms, Governor Abbott says he wants to give parents a choice for private school. We’ll take a closer look. Also, how ‘where you live’ may be hazardous to your health. And Ukraine’s military partnering with state national guard forces. Plus, why a rise in gun theft from autos. And Tech expert Omar Gallaga on what to do if you’re locked out of Google. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: May 11, 2022
What happened to more than a billion dollars in federal COVID-19 relief funds for Texas? Officials want to know whether the money was misspent. Were COVID-19 relief funds used to defray the costs of the governor’s border crackdown? That story plus, how nominally non-partisan school board elections in Texas became a magnet for big money donations, and what that could mean for what’s taught in public school classrooms. Also higher ed in Texas prisons: a new report outlines big gender disparities in opportunity. And the work of the code inspector, and why it often isn’t working to help many apartment renters. Plus a Politifact check on SB8 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 14, 2022
A crack in the governor’s crackdown on inspections of commercial border traffic. But the supply chain likely to remain tangled. We’ll have details. Also three top staffers for Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo indicted in a contract award scandal. Why and what it might mean for a politician considered to be a rising star among Texas democrats. And a Texas university told it cannot charge out of state students more for tuition than undocumented students. What the decision could mean for colleges and universities statewide. Plus a case 75 years ago that shook the separate but equal status quo in Texas and beyond. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: April 13, 2022
We’re still a ways off from November but already issues cropping up including a shortage of workers at the polls for a special election, we’ll have details. Other stories we’re tracking: governor Abbott’s new inspection protocols for commercial trucks at the border drawing accusations of political theatre from the left and the right. This as democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke lobs a broadside at president Biden over his plans to change policies at the border. We’ll hear all about it. Also the story of a Texas librarian fired after taking a stand on library censorship. And concerns among farmers in the panhandle that the drought could leave them high and dry. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: April 7, 2022
Governor Abbott announces a plan to send busloads of migrants to Washington D.C. in protest of the Biden administrations immigration policies. We’ll have more on an increasingly pitched battle over immigration between the Biden Administration and Texas’ Governor. Also, the passage of a near total ban on abortion in neighboring Oklahoma, and the implications for Texas. And the first outbreak of avian flu in Texas reported at a commercial pheasant farm, and how experts are hoping to avoid a worst case scenario. Plus is feral hog hunting having the opposite of the intended effect? Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: April 6, 2022
After a Texas law that restricted abortion access went into effect, some Texans sought abortions in Oklahoma. But now that state’s legislature has passed a bill that would make performing them a felony. Plus rural Texas is losing population. We’ll tell you about how one town in East Texas is trying to stop that trend. Also news on farmers and ranchers recovering from wildfires and the latest headlines from up and down the Lone Star State. All of that and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: March 15, 2022
The Texas National Guard has a new leader. Will that mean a new direction for its operation on the border? Operation Lone Star continues under new leadership. We dig into what’s next for the border security mission backed by Governor Abbott. Also make sure to shake out your piggy bank, your nickels may be worth more than five cents, thanks to a shortage. Plus a decline in heritage tourism in Mexico. We’ll tell you why spring break hasn’t brought back the expats like it once did. All that and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: October 29, 2021
Was the Governor on the right track with the COVID-19 plan until a change of course? A case study in the politics of the pandemic. Other stories we are tracking: an ambitious effort to reduce poverty in North Texas. And questions over how to gauge success, or quite the opposite. Also the Houston Chronicle’s Chris Tomlinson on that other major factor in climate change that Texas has an outsized role in. And a serious role reversal: the noted Texas lawyer who joined the priesthood. And remembering an ugly chapter in Texas history that many North Texas locals would rather not revisit. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: August 16, 2021
A self inflicted wound? A former Ambassador to Afghanistan on the fall of Kabul and the end of what’s been called the longest war. Also, a tough year for the Texas governor. But going into an election year, many political writers say he seems unstoppable. We’ll talk with a top writer at Politico. And the redistricting battle in Texas and its repercussions way beyond the state border line. Also remembering a singer songwriter who left a little bit of small town Texas wherever her songs were heard. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: July 12, 2021
As some Texas Democratic lawmakers make their way back to Texas are there signs that the special session quorum break may be breaking up? How much longer can Texas democrats hold out? Also what some are calling a constitutional crisis looming over the budget. And with the rapid spread of the Delta Covid variant and back to school pressures, what we know and what we don’t know about the spread among kids. And more listener parents weigh in on what they plan to do about the return to school. All of that and then some today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: August 10, 2021
As the Delta variant continues to infect Texans and strain hospitals, more schools are defying the Governor’s orders and mandating masks. The Austin Independent School District joins Dallas and likely Houston in mandating masks. We’ll talk to AISD’s Superintendent about how the district came to this decision and what challenges may lie ahead. We’ll also check-in with our doctor on call about what decisions parents are weighing as they consider whether to send students to in-person learning. Plus the Texas Legislature is back in session again. And this time it looks like they may soon have enough lawmakers in attendance to do business. What that means as Democrats still try to fight a bill over how Texans can vote. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: June 17, 2021
The freedom day celebration that began in Texas gets national attention. Juneteenth is poised to become a federal holiday, we’ll have details. Also, the Supreme Court has voted down Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s Challenge to Obamacare. We’re watching reaction unfold. And Texas Democrats met with Vice President Harris. How she wants them to help her on a mission focused on voting access. Plus will Governor Abbott veto funding for lawmakers and others based on his assessment of the just complete legislative session. And some advice from our tech expert before you book a summer vacation rental. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: June 2, 2021
The walkout at the capitol over voting restrictions sparks one kind of response from the governor, but a different tone from the GOP House speaker. As governor Abbott threatens to withhold legislative pay over the house’s failure to pass a restrictive voting bill, the GOP speaker of the House defends the democratic walkout that scuttled the bill. Also in parts of Texas hardest hit by COVID-19, vaccination rates now surpass those of the rest of the state. We’ll hear why. And the real death toll from the winter freeze and power outages, a new report claims a massive undercount.Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: May 19, 2021
A new executive order from the governor on masks mandates, getting pushback from some local officials. Also, in some of Texas’ biggest cities, protests over continued violence between Israelis and Palestinians. Foreign policy specialist Jeremy Suri on what’s behind this latest round of deadly clashes, and efforts aimed at a cease fire. And righting a past wrong: Texas lawmakers push for two Texas tribes to offer gaming on their land denied by earlier legislation. Plus as U.S. and Chinese rovers leave their marks on mars, whose planet it it, anyway? Those stories and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard: