A new Texas law requires posting the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms. We’ll look at the looming legal battle.
Where do Texans stand on how well state legislators are doing their jobs? What about how well the president is doing his job? A new poll by the Texas Politics Project offers a look.
The Mexican flag, long flown at restaurants and at cultural events, is more recently making a prominent appearance in protests. We’ll talk about perspectives on symbolism and cultural expression.
And: Once a company town built around sugar production, Sugar Land is now seeking to preserve its complex history with the city’s acquisition of the Imperial Historic District.
Houston
Gov. Greg Abbott vetoes THC ban, breaking with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick
A closely watched bill to ban THC products gets vetoed by Gov. Greg Abbott – but that’s far from the end of the story, with the governor calling for a special legislative session aimed at regulating THC.
After U.S. airstrikes targeted against Iranian nuclear facilities, what comes next? One of Texas’ top foreign policy experts suggests this war could be ending more quickly than many fear. And Texas energy prices may be a leading indicator.
Also: a conversation with Laredo-born Adrian Quesada on his highly anticipated new album, a follow-up to “Boleros Psicodélicos.”
Inside a teen’s five months in a Texas migrant detention facility
Texas has spent years challenging the federal government. So why not fight a recent order to end in-state tuition for undocumented students?
Using DNA testing to solve cold cases involving abandoned babies.
Why Texas doesn’t require most employers to use E-Verify, the federal system that checks a worker’s legal status.
The new book “Detained” shares the story of a 14-year-old’s life inside a U.S. detention camp in Texas for migrant children.
Also: Why customers are using buy now, pay later services – not just for big-ticket items, but basic necessities like food.
Houston startup eyes two-hour flights across the Pacific
The 89th Legislature is history. We’ll look at what lawmakers accomplished and what was left to do.
We continue our series on an adult literacy program in Texarkana that does much more than help people get an education – and why it could be a model for other parts of the state.
A Houston-based aerospace company successfully tests a hypersonic engine and hopes to one day fly passengers from the U.S. to Asia in just two hours.
And: Popular images of gunslingers are pretty on target, according to the new book “The Gunfighters: How Texas Made the West Wild.”
Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.
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As the clock winds down, Texas lawmakers scramble to pass key bills
A look at the behind-the-scenes dealmaking happening at the Texas Capitol with less than two weeks until lawmakers gavel out on June 2.
How proposed cuts to SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, would impact Texans.
Apple has a plan to make it possible to use your laptop, phone and even smartwatch with brain control. Tech reporter Omar Gallaga says it’s no gimmick and could bring serious accessibility benefits.
Plus: A new coach, a new star – and a bumpy takeoff for the Dallas Wings.
Potentially historic heatwave settling in over much of Texas
A record-breaking heat wave will blanket big sections of the state. Is this a preview of summer?
The U.S. has suspended imports of cattle from Mexico as a devastating pest, the New World Screwworm, makes its way north, threatening livestock.
The Houston City Council kicks off budget hearings this week, weighing steep cuts.
The new book “Freedom Season” by Texas author Peniel Joseph explores how the year 1963 transformed civil rights in America.
And: Planning a pit stop at Buc-ee’s? Some of you can now enjoy bathroom art galleries.
Houston is the fastest-sinking city in the US, study finds
Abortion pills, denial of bail, and a ban on land purchases for some people: What’s happening in the final weeks of the Texas Legislature?
After jackpot controversies, multiple resignations and a ban on online lotto ticket sales, the state’s lottery system is now under investigation.
Cities on the rise across Texas are quite literally sinking, with Houston faring the worst out of any major U.S. metropolis.
The latest projections on a fast-approaching hurricane season.
And: Checking in with Catholics across the state on the first Sunday with a new pope.
What Texas can learn from wildfire history
A Texas case before the U.S. Supreme Court on verifying ages for adult content has bigger implications than just whether one free speech law can stand.
TikTok users are flocking to other Chinese-owned apps as they await a ruling on whether the U.S. can ban TikTok. But a lot could still change.
Carbon capture is a growing technology in the Houston area. How it’s also now showing up in the classroom.
Texas has huge potential for offshore wind. What do bird conservationists think about the plans?
Plus: As firefighters continue to battle blazes in California, what Texas’ wildfire experts want you know about conditions here and planning ahead.
Could Houston send water to West Texas?
With temperatures on the rise, beware the temptation to let down your guard: a waning winter storm and what it means for drivers today.
Gov. Greg Abbott is keen on an idea to pipe Houston’s surplus water to drought-stricken West Texas.
With the U.S. inauguration just 10 days away, what’s in store for the relationship between Washington and Mexico City?
Plus: 2025 taco hacks from taco journalist Mando Rayo.
Is new fertilizer behind Texas cattle deaths?
A climate-friendly fertilizer turned out to be tainted with so-called “forever chemicals” that are killing cattle and other ranch animals.
Education Savings Accounts are on the legislative agenda and likely to pass. What they are and why they’re controversial.
Historic horse-drawn carriages will become a thing of the past in San Antonio as the city phases them out.
Public health experts in Texas say vaccine hesitancy in the state could grow under the new Trump administration.
And: the call for research on mountain lions, the state’s last big cat.
H-E-B’s road to Mi Tienda
What led H-E-B to go full Hispanic aisle? With the Mi Tienda brand, HEB went full into target Latino consumers from barbacoa, salsas y tamales. Guest is Manny Colunga, store leader at Mi Tienda in Houston, Texas.
Tools of the Taco Trade
Cazos, Discadas y parrillas, oh my! Take a tour of La Tia Pancha Flea Market in the northside of Houston as we discover the tools that taqueros y taqueras use to create their muy ricos tacos.
Plastic piles up as advanced recycling program in Houston struggles to get off the ground
Jefferson County, Texas, may not feel the brunt of Hurricane Francine but has prepared for any possible changes in the storm’s path.
Will last night’s presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump move the needle at all?
Campus libraries across Cy-Fair ISD are open only part of the time this year after trustees cut librarian positions in half.
An investigation into so-called “advanced recycling” in Houston reveals that hundreds of thousands of pounds of plastic waste have been piling up since 2022.
And: Elvis Presley wasn’t a Texan – but he owed the state a lot.
Sul Ross raises its own bucking horses to keep rodeo tradition alive
We’re taking a look at the new laws that took effect in Texas on Sept. 1.
Hauling freight on trains is a multibillion-dollar industry in Texas. The latest on safety concerns.
A report from the Paralympics in Paris, where Texans are making a strong showing.
Sul Ross State University in Alpine is the birthplace of collegiate rodeo – and is now raising their own bucking horses.
And: Standup comedian Sheng Wang, a Houston native, is bringing his comedy back to the Lone Star State.
Setbacks stall two big energy projects in the Rio Grande Valley
A Houston housing program designed to increase affordability isn’t helping the lowest earners. Is it a failure – or is it more complicated than that?
Two liquified natural gas projects set to be built in the port of Brownsville are on hold after a court ruling. What that means for the plans long-term.
The safe return of two astronauts aboard the International Space Station remains a top priority for NASA.
We’ll introduce you to a pair of Dallasites working to preserve Black histories in a changing neighborhood, the Tenth Street district.
And: What to do when you need a physical copy of something and just don’t have a printer.
What VP Kamala Harris said at her Houston stop
The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee comes to Houston talking teachers, Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Andrew Schneider of Houston Public Media was at Kamala Harris’s speech to the American Federation of Teachers. We’ll hear what she had to say in her sprint toward the convention and Election Day.
How El Paso could teach the rest of Texas a thing or two about the future of managing water.
In the Panhandle, a federal plan to expand a wildlife refuge tenfold. Not everyone’s happy about it, either.
Corn or flour? Taco journalist Mando Rayo on some choices we Texans must face.
Plus, the week in politics with the Texas Tribune and poetry from Typewriter Rodeo.
Former Houston police chief speaks out about ouster
Today in Houston, one of the first speeches by the new presumptive Democratic nominee for president, though not formally a campaign speech. Vice President Kamala Harris delivering the keynote to the American Federation of Teachers meeting in Texas’ biggest city.
Also in Houston, a former police chief alleges he was pushed out to bury a department scandal.
With more frequent extreme weather, Texans are worried about keeping the lights on: Californians? Not so much. What we might learn from their experience.
And you’ve heard “Hooray for Hollywood,” but what about Waco? Lights, camera and all the action on today’s Texas Standard.
Southlake teen Sam Watson sets speed climbing records ahead of Paris Olympics
Kamala Harris consolidates Democratic support, shattering fundraising records. How does this change things for Texas Republicans?
After the death of veteran Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, who takes her place for the remainder of her term and on the ballot for her open seat?
Sam Watson, an 18-year-old from Southlake, holds the three fastest times ever in speed climbing and will be competing at the Paris Olympics.
The Rio Grande Valley faces an unprecedented water crisis as drought intensifies.
And: a new push to change how Texas imposes the death penalty.
Meet Sugar Gay Isber, the ‘Hit Man’ jewelry designer
A new report says that a year before Hurricane Beryl, the federal government denied a request from CenterPoint Energy for $100 million to reinforce power lines in the Houston area. Could that have prevented the widespread outages of recent days?
Attorney General Ken Paxton is appealing a court decision denying his attempt to shut down an El Paso nonprofit providing temporary shelter to migrants.
Making a movie involves a lot more than actors and directors. We’re talking to Central Texas artist and jewelry maker Sugar Gay Isber, who added her shine to the latest Richard Linklater film, “Hit Man.”
And: pushback over a proposed name change for one of the oldest colleges in the state, Texas A&M Commerce.
Remembering iconic Texas actress Shelley Duvall
Five days after Hurricane Beryl’s landfall, more than 800,000 Texans are still without power as frustrations and questions rise along with the heat – and officials say half a million people may not get power back until next week.
Thirty-five percent of Texas students scored zero on the writing portion of STAAR test, raising big questions about the jump in low scores as computers take over the grading process.
Remembering Fort Worth native Shelley Duvall, who made a big mark on Hollywood and left it all for the Hill Country.
Also: the week in politics with The Texas Tribune and poetry from the Typewriter Rodeo.