A plan will cap co-pays for state subsidized child care – how much of a difference will it make in stemming a childcare crisis?
On Wednesday, a federal appeals court heard the latest arguments over SB 4, Texas’ controversial new immigration enforcement law. In the meantime, where does the legal back-and-forth leave migrants?
Ennis, a North Texas town that attracts 100,000 visitors each April to see its bluebonnets, has an extra draw for tourists this year: It’s in the eclipse’s path of totality.
And: Why the Judd Foundation, named for Marfa’s most famous modern artist, is taking on Kim Kardashian in court.
Lawsuit
Bitcoin miners came to rural Texas – and brought disruption with them
Critics say that Attorney General Ken Paxton’s lawsuit against five Texas cities over marijuana enforcement is all politics – but what does the law say?
In rural Texas, neighbors of bitcoin miners say the noise is causing migraines, sleepless nights and the flight of wildlife.
Texas freelance journalist Tamir Kalifa has won a top national prize for coverage of the shooting in Uvalde. We’ll meet him and hear how he approaches his reporting.
And: How Tex-Mex has become the MVP of the Super Bowl.
State has seen rise in teen births since abortion ban was enacted
After Donald Trump’s win in the New Hampshire primary, what are the implications and ripple effects as Texas’ primary day approaches?
The Republican Party of Denton County has issued a resolution calling for Brent Hagenbuch to drop out of race for District 30 of the Texas Senate. At issue: allegations that Hagenbuch doesn’t live in the district.
A federal appeals court has given a second chance to Mexico’s $10 billion lawsuit against gun manufacturers, one of the biggest potential setbacks for gun manufacturers in recent memory.
A new study from the University of Houston finds a rise in teen birth rates a year after Texas’ six-week abortion ban went into effect.
And: Analysis of the Supreme Court’s ruling on razor wire at the border.
Texas voting restrictions challenged in court
The trial of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton continues, but not for long. We’ll have details on the latest testimony from the Senate floor.
State senators could start deliberations in Paxton’s impeachment trial as soon as Thursday.
Texas voting laws go on trial in San Antonio. We’ll have details about a case challenging state bans on 24-hour polls and drive-thru voting.
All that, and how to keep your trees fungus-free, the best bean and cheese taco in Texas, and the latest headlines from across the state. It’s coming up today on the Texas Standard.
Historic heat makes Texas’ ailing water infrastructure even harder to fix
A plan for state officials to take over special education in the Austin Independent School District is being reconsidered. Becky Fogel of KUT in Austin shares more.
Record heat this summer statewide has led to widespread water leaks amid an already pressing need for repairs – but will a fund earmarked for fixes be enough?
With five deaths from fentanyl on average in Texas each day, a growing number of those deaths is among young people. The Dallas Morning news turns a monthlong spotlight on a growing crisis.
Bears are returning to Texas, whether we’re ready or not
A state law, dubbed the “Death Star bill” and designed to preempt a large number of local ordinances, has been ruled unconstitutional by a Texas judge. But the battle’s far from over.
A new state budget takes effect Friday, with a large portion earmarked for border security.
Decades ago, black bears were all but driven from the state by overhunting and population growth. The bears are back – will Texans co-exist with them any better this time around? The Standard’s Michael Marks reports.
State policies cause Texas to slip from top business rankings
A lawsuit challenging Texas’ new prohibition on hormone blockers and other treatments for transgender youth.
Lawmakers failed to pass new rules on locating concrete batch plants – what do those pushing for change plan to do next?
A report shows modest economic growth in Texas, we’ll hear more. Plus – Texas slips in the rankings of business-friendly states. Why and what are the implications?
A hit, or a swing and a miss? A certain sport using bats and balls arrives in Texas for summer, but are Texans ready for professional cricket?
Plus the week in Texas politics with the Texas Tribune.
Houston sues state over ‘Death Star’ law that will block local ordinances
Houston has sued the state to try and block the “Death Star” law that will block local regulations from being enacted at the city and county level.
Why several homes and businesses flooded during Hurricane Harvey may be passing up a last chance for compensation.
A new documentary, “Every Body,” turns the spotlight on people in the intersex community.
Plus, with digital streaming services upending the old model for making money in music, tech expert Omar Gallaga explores ways to support one’s favorite artists.
What a Handshake is Worth
How much is a promise worth? How much is it worth if you guarantee the promise with a handshake? What is the value of one’s word? In Texas, once, all these taken together were worth over ten billion dollars in a court of law. Texas Standard commentator WF Strong has the story.
NASA’s new head scientist on the future of space exploration
Two lawsuits in Texas, one in Galveston and one in Amarillo, have potential impacts on a post-Roe v. Wade world. SMU legal scholar Seema Mohapatra on the implications for people seeking abortions in Texas and beyond.
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn says he plans to block a Biden administration proposal that would allow thousands of migrants to live in the U.S. while their asylum cases are being considered.
We talk to Dr. Nicola Fox, who has been named NASA’s new head of science – a dream gig that comes with a $7.8 billion budget and responsibility for more than 100 missions.
And a new book, “The People’s Hospital: Hope and Peril in American Medicine,” claims a hospital in Houston could serve as a model for improving health care access nationwide.
Almost 1 in 10 Texas hospitals at risk of closing
A new sort of crisis for Texas hospitals as experts warn one in ten statewide could close; one in four in rural Texas. We’ll have more on that story. Also, why the city of Uvalde is suing Uvalde county as investigations into the shooting at Robb Elementary continue. And the usual trajectory: high school then a bachelors degree, but what about both at the same time? A project to take early college in Texas to the next level. And after more than a hundred years in the dark, the return of a landmark beacon to the Texas Gulf Coast. Plus, the week in politics with the Texas Tribune. All this and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: November 1, 2022
With accusations of war profiteering, President Biden threatens a windfall tax on oil companies, we’ll have details. Plus after Uvalde, how much is the issue of gun safety moving Texas voters as we approach election day? We’ll take a closer look. Also, local propositions that could have major ripple effects: a focus on efforts to spend more on housing for teachers. And from Corpus Christi, a civil rights lawsuit over plans for a desalination plant. Plus more on a traditional Mexican celebration that’s a big part of the fabric of life in Texas…marking Dia de los Muertos and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: August 24, 2022
Hours away from a new law that amounts to a near total ban on abortions in Texas and a new legal challenge to that law. As Texas’ version of a post Roe vs. Wade trigger law takes effect, reproductive rights groups are suing the state attorney general. We’ll hear about the strategy and the prospects. Also, 5 years after Hurricane Harvey there are ongoing attempts to buyout the homes of people living in land that repeatedly floods. So how’s that working out? We’ll hear the latest. Also actor and comedian Mo Amer on a new Netflix series some say is the first of its kind to really capture the feel of a modern Houston. Plus a Politifact check and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Service providers raise concerns about the likely new manager of Austin’s homeless shelter
The city is set to approve a contract with a California-based nonprofit that faces a handful of lawsuits back home. Service providers say the city moved too quickly. KUT’s Andrew Weber reports.
Texas Standard: July 15, 2022
The state of Texas is suing the Biden administration over abortion guidance to hospitals. The federal rules instruct emergency room doctors to provide abortion services in emergency conditions. Texas’ own law provides exceptions for the health of the pregnant patient. So why is the state suing? Also, the state terminating its guardianship over scores of young runaways once in the care of child protective services. What happens to those young people? Other stories include the Austinite who many believe invented psychedelic rock. Plus the week in politics and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: June 29, 2022
As the investigation continues in a migrant smuggling tragedy, border officials in El Paso sound an alarm over migrant deaths due to water. Coming up: a Texas pre-Roe abortion ban blocked by a Harris county judge. We’ll have the latest. Plus a conversation with the eldest daughter of Norma McCorvey, the Texan better known as Jane Roe in the landmark Roe v Wade case. And a first of its kind in Texas, diplomas for newly minted podiatrists. We’ll talk with the inaugural dean of Texas’ first school of podiatry and why its location is so critical. And the GOP platform call for Texas to secede: could Texas do that? A Politifact check and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: December 12, 2022
For the first time ever the Red Cross declares a national blood crisis. We’ll look at what that is and what is needed from Texans. Also: masks, social distancing, vaccinations, booster shots, now pills have been added to the COVID-19 fighting arsenal, though many Texans may not have heard about this development or know who’s eligible. We’ll get some answers. Plus Texas’ Rice University among a group of prestigious private institutions of higher learning being sued over financial aid practices. And a new push to compensate Texans unwittingly affected by nuclear testing dating back to the cold war era. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: September 22, 2021
In what could be a test of SB8, Texas’ new abortion law, at least two private persons have filed suit over an abortion, invoking one of the most controversial provisions of SB8. We’ll hear more. Also, one of the biggest players in the energy industry sells off all its holdings in the Permian Basin. What this move might mean for West Texas, and what it may say about growing climate concerns. And on that subject a warning about a disease that could get worse as Texas gets hotter. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: August 19, 2021
The Biden Administration recommends booster shots for many vaccinated Americans. We’ll take a look at who’ll get them first, why they’re needed and more of what we know about the latest push on the federal front to fight the spread of the Delta variant. Also, what Governor Abbott has made the center of his own pandemic strategy, and why. And a lawsuit that challenges what hospital employers can and can’t mandate. Plus, in our Tech Segment, Omar Gallaga on what the T-Mobile hack may mean for you. And a state lawmaker pushing for changes in virtual learning statewide. All those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: January 19, 2021
Sorting through legislative priorities: what legislators will pass but probably shouldn’t and what they won’t pass but probably should. The good the bad and the ugly…the good? It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood but with Mr. Rogers gone, a woman in the Texas Hill Country and her dog are filling those shoes. And speaking of the neighborhood, a new neighbor plans a move to Texas. It’s the National Rifle Association and its Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. Also the ugly evolution of fascism, plus the challenges of COVID-19 continue, but Dallas is looking for a more equitable distribution of vaccines. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard: