Gulf of Mexico

The Gift of the Tidelands

Texas Standard commentator W.F. Strong has a little holiday tradition. Every December he likes to count our collective blessings as Texans by highlighting a great gift to Texas.

He says the tidelands were special because the giver didn’t realize how much goodness would continue to flow from them.

What’s behind the massive oil spill in the Gulf?

An oil spill in the Gulf is considered to be among the worst in U.S. history. After two weeks, why is it getting so little attention?

We’ll hear about an unintended impediment to the growth of electric vehicle manufacturing in the U.S.

After a political fight over a school voucher-like program, salary bumps for Texas teachers are off the table. Why some teachers say they’re OK with that.

Also: What’s behind Mark Cuban’s sale of the Dallas Mavericks, and what could it mean?

Diaspora Network’s worship service represents nationwide shift in church demographics

We’re tracking Tropical Storm Harold, which is set to bring considerable rain and wind to large parts of South Texas. Meteorologist Matt Lanza of Space City Weather join us with the latest.

House managers preparing for the impeachment trial of Ken Paxton have published nearly 4,000 pages of documents as the Senate gets set to decide the fate of the currently suspended attorney general.

And though polls show more people turning away from organized religion, many migrants in Texas are forming communities around churches.

The Gulf of Mexico is getting warmer

Sergio Martínez-Beltrán of the Texas Newsroom shares a look ahead at the Texas Legislature as bills make their way to committees this week. Plus, what could be a relatively rare bipartisan agreement: clearing the way for fentanyl testing strips as a harm-reduction measure.

How some Texas schools are dealing with teenagers caught with THC vape pens. Even though those vapes may be technically legal, some young people face felony arrests that can stick to their records.

And the Gulf of Mexico is warming at twice the rate of the world’s oceans.

The Port Mansfield Cut and the treasure discovered there

Running from Corpus Christi to near Brownsville, Padre Island is the longest barrier island in the world. Up until the late 1950s, you could drive the entire 113 miles of the island if you had a vehicle with decent four-wheel drive. That option was blocked in 1957 when the Port Mansfield Cut was dredged. The waterway had been a dream of Laguna Madre locals for decades. Texas Standard commentator W.F. Strong tells us how the island was split and what was found.

Texas Standard: July 19, 2021

A Texas judge puts the brakes on a program designed to defer deportations of younger migrants to the U.S. We’ll hear about the implications, short and long term, for the DACA program after a federal judge in Houston rules it unlawful. Also, 5 Texas democratic lawmakers who left the Lone Star State to protest proposals for new voting restrictions have tested positive for COVID-19, and Texas doctors voice concerns about rising numbers of juvenile and adolescent covid cases. We’ll have the latest. Plus Van Horn Texas prepares for its moment in the national spotlight. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: August 24, 2020

As Marco and Laura bear down on the Gulf Coast, the governor issues disaster declarations. Our conversation with the meteorologist in charge at the National Weather Service covering Houston and Galveston on possible evacuations plus impacts already to the energy sector. Also, the the grand old party’s turn: how Texas Republicans are gearing up for the national convention this week. And remaking the political maps of Texas. What lessons can be learned from the past? Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Sea Turtles Hatching

The public releases of Kemp’s ridley sea turtle hatchlings just wrapped up for the year. The annual ritual draws many to the Texas Gulf Coast. That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.

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 16, 2018

With US missiles striking Syria over the weekend, the calculus changes for Texas’ biggest export. What does the conflict mean for the lone star state? We’ll explore. Also, a 92 year old Texas political matriarch said to be surrounded by family after an announcement that she’s now declining medical treatment. More on the former first lady Barbara Bush. Also, as the number of seniors in Texas skyrockets, a shortage of physicians to care for them. What’s next? We’ll explore. And will Democrats win the US house of representatives? NY times columnist Frank Bruni says “ask Texas”. We’ll ask Mr. Bruni just what he sees. And a second chance to see long lost moving images from the Lone Star State… the you tube of Texas? Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: July 5, 2017

North Korea has launched a rocket that can reach the United States. It’s a game changer, says a top Texas expert on national security, we’ll have the latest. Also, if you’re a retired teacher living in Texas, stay healthy, because the other option is about to get a whole lot more expensive. Troubling holes in a statewide safety net. And the comments that rocked college station: 5 years after an A&M professors remarks about race and violence, the dust is far from settled. We’ll hear the what and why. And a Grammy winning troubadour on leaving Texas in the rear view mirror and the close ties that bind him to home. You might second the emotion…all those stories and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard: