Legislation

What to know after black bear sightings in East Texas

As the dust settles on this year’s legislative action at the Capitol, where do the two main parties stand?
If you buy beef, you may have noticed that it’s gotten more expensive lately. Michael Marks has the story, and whether there are any signs of relief.
For several years, black bears have gradually spread throughout the Trans-Pecos region. But recently, bear sightings in East Texas have earned headlines, too
What does “BU” mean to you? The latest on a trademark battle between Boston and Baylor.

Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.

You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org

New state law will give farmers a heads-up on pests and diseases

The fight over redistricting has shifted from the Capitol to the courthouse, but plenty of serious work is still on the table when legislators return to their offices Tuesday. The Texas Newsroom’s Blaise Gainey joins with a look at what’s left on the agenda.
A new law in effect today creates a statewide alert system for pests and diseases that affect plants and wildlife. The Standard’s Michael Marks has the story.
And: The Standard continues celebrating 10 years on the air with a look back at some memorable animal stories.

Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.

You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org

California weighs in on Texas redistricting fight

A much-talked-about redistricting battle starts to take a back seat to other legislative priorities at the Texas capitol.
As the battlefront over redistricting shifts to a multistate fight with Texas and California setting the pace, top California Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger has a message for his fellow Republicans in Texas. The Houston Chronicle’s Lisa Falkenberg tells us about her conversation with the Governator.
Details of new anti-DEI laws set to take effect in just a few days. How laws like SB 12 may impact Texas’ LGBTQ+ students.
Also, this week in Texas music history remembers Jimmy Garcia, beloved star of conjunto music.

Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.

You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org

Noah Hawley talks ‘Alien: Earth’

At the Texas Capitol, a big shift in focus as the spotlight swings from bare-knuckle politics to long-delayed flood relief.
Food is labeling set to change in Texas as a sweeping new law takes effect aimed at, among other things, alerting shoppers to ingredients long the focus of concern in other countries.
Austin-based filmmaker Noah Hawley likes to play in the worlds of some of his favorite directors – and he’s doing it again with Ridley Scott’s “Alien.” Hawley joins the Standard to talk “Alien: Earth.”
Alpha School, an AI-focused private school in Austin, puts an emphasis on parental choice. The Standard’s Zachary Suri has the story.
Plus: How the looming college football season is looking for Texas teams.

Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.

You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org

The Texas House passes new district map designed to give Republicans an edge in Congress

President Trump claims a big win in Texas as the state House passes new congressional maps giving the GOP an edge in 2026. Blaise Gainey of The Texas Newsroom and Andrew Schneider of Houston Public Media share what it means for the political landscape going forward.
Are Americans falling out of love with their credit cards? Not quite, but a new trend suggests a certain spending binge is over.
Texas’ top taco journalist, Mando Rayo, previews the new season of the Tacos of Texas podcast.
In the U.S., peyote – important to Indigenous religion – is only naturally grown in Texas. But the supply is drying up.

Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.

You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org

A Texas firm tackles space junk

After national headlines and a pledge from California to offset Texas’ redistricting plans, the walkout by Texas House Democrats is over. Blaise Gainey of The Texas Newsroom has the latest on the Dems’ return to Austin and what comes next.
Old satellites, tools, even food wrappers: Space debris is piling up. Now, a Texas company’s recycling initiative has NASA’s attention.
A new fight is emerging over the sale in Texas of kratom, an herbal supplement with opioid-like effects often found for sale at convenience stores.
And: A UT Austin-led team has discovered the oldest, most distant black hole yet – 13.3 billion years old.

Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.

You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org

Virtual public school enrollment surges

Gov. Greg Abbott threatens a concurrent second special session with a Democratic walkout still underway. Is there any end in sight?
Details from a new release of materials withheld by Uvalde County and the Uvalde school district in the wake of the 2022 Robb Elementary school shooting.
What’s behind a massive growth in virtual schooling in Texas?
W.F. Strong meditates on what welcomes Texans back home after a long time away.
And: The scene at Voz de la Paloma, a women’s mariachi competition in honor of a San Antonio ranchera icon.

Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.

You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org

Dinosaur tracks uncovered near Austin after floods

Just one more full week is left in the Texas Legislature’s special session, and with House Democrats away, what happens next?
Some of those Democrats have decamped to California, which is now mulling a possible redistricting effort to offset potential Republican gains in the midterms.
The IRS says churches can now endorse candidates, a move that could give Texas pastors more power than ever.
And: The recent flooding in Travis County revealed fossilized dinosaur tracks. UT Austin paleontologist Matthew Brown describes what was found.

Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.

You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org

The rise of Maren Morris

As lawmakers return to Austin for a special session, who got the most accomplished in the regular? Why the numbers don’t tell the whole story.
With state legislators set to take up flood relief and related matters, we’ll hear how the region’s fairing two weeks after those deadly flash floods, and we’ll hear about efforts concentrated on the Spanish-speaking community in one of the hardest-hit counties.
A longstanding effort to provide healthcare services at the border, shut down over cutbacks.
Plus, Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Maren Morris is bucking industry expectations with a new album.

Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.

You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org

Waco adult education program faces budget uncertainty under DOGE cuts

State lawmakers passed several bills affecting how Texans vote. What that means at the ballot box.
Among the allegations detailed in a lawsuit about conditions inside immigrant detention centers in Texas holding families: fighting for drinking water and children denied medical care.
Why an effort by a Las Vegas company to legalize gambling in the Lone Star State failed.
How cuts to federal funding will affect adult learning programs. The Standard’s Sarah Asch reports from Waco.
And: some good news for endangered sea turtles this nesting season on the Texas coast.

Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.

You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org

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.”

Data centers may start creating their own power plants

Gina Ortiz Jones made history over the weekend, becoming San Antonio’s first openly lesbian mayor and only the third woman to hold the office.
An assault case is exposing deeper failures in Texas group homes.
With the rise of data centers across Texas, a push for private power plants run by natural gas.
The new documentary “Sally” explores the private life of public space hero Sally Ride. We’ll talk to writer and director Cristina Costantini.
And: Diving into the history of Adolph Hofner, the Texas-born bandleader who popularized Czech music and made it swing.

Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.

You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org

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.

You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org

How one West Texas town built its own broadband lifeline

Texas lawmakers are considering a plan that could help prevent fentanyl overdoses in the state. Why it may not become law.

A decade after the deadly biker shootout in Waco that led to nine deaths and more than 100 arrests, some civil cases against the city are still moving forward.

Some Texas law enforcement agencies are getting rid of a gun they consider too risky for their officers – by selling them to civilians.

State and federal money has been set aside to connect rural Texans to the Internet. When the remote West Texas town of Monahans couldn’t get that help, they did it themselves.

And: Texas cities once again top a list of the fastest-growing in the U.S., led by Princeton, a suburb east of Frisco.

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’s next as Gregg Popovich steps away from the Spurs?

State lawmakers from the House and Senate reach a deal lowering property taxes. Will it pass?
It’s the ultimate company town: How Space X’s launch site in South Texas became a city.
Generic and house brands are taking off as people look to save on grocery bills. But that’s not the only reason shoppers prefer them.
What’s next for Gregg Popovich in his new role with the Spurs.
And: Author Rachel Cockerell on her new family memoir about an effort in the early 1900s to create a Jewish homeland in Texas.

Documentary tells story of landmark Texas archaeological site

As the clock ticks down on the legislative session, how close is Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick to completing his wish list?
Weekend balloting across Texas brings some big local changes. We’ll hear from reporters statewide.
Texans dominate at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson golf tournament in McKinney.
The documentary “The Stones Are Speaking” tells the story of Michael Collins, the man who helped open the Gault site to researchers.
And: Who’ll be the next mayor of San Antonio? Voters have narrowed a field of 27 candidates down to two.

Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.

You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org

Questions remain after death of man in Dallas County jail

Though a voucher-like plan has passed in Texas, lawmakers are far from done with education-related changes. What’s still on the legislative docket? Just about a month left before scheduled sine die at the Texas capitol, Andrew Schneider of Houston Public Media shares some of the less well-known school-related measures lawmakers are considering.
In other news, a death at a Dallas County jail raises questions about how such deaths are investigated and reported. Marina Trahan Martinez of KERA North Texas drills down on what happened and what’s at stake.
Also, after federal cutbacks, long lines at Social Security offices and why they may get longer.

Valley bakery raid sparks immigration debate in region swept by Trump

The Texas House has approved its version of the state’s two-year budget. Blaise Gainey of The Texas Newsroom gets us up to speed on what Texas’ representatives want to spend taxpayer money for, and where they’ll have to work out the kinks with the Senate.
A test for President Trump in South Texas – and how a certain bakery there came to play an outsized part in the political drama.
They call it Y’all Street: What the emergence of Dallas as a financial center means for Texas and the big money business.
And: Five years after COVID, how have high school sports changed?

Baylor bets big on E-sports with first-ever program director and coach

A second child has died of measles in Texas as cases continue to rise. How this latest outbreak compares with that of the ’90s.
Baylor has just hired its first-ever E-sports director and coach: Adam Stanley of Brewton-Parker College, a small private college in Georgia and powerhouse in E-sports.
Hosting the Final Four of the college men’s basketball championship has been a big boon to San Antonio. We’ll hear more as the Houston Cougars get set for their championship game against Florida tonight at the Alamodome.
And: A homecoming for Texas actor and comedian Michael Yo as the Moontower Comedy Festival gets underway in Austin.