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.
LGBTQ
After devastating tornadoes, Sanderson residents begin to rebuild and recover
The Texas Medical Board has offered guidance to doctors on the emergency medical exception to the state’s abortion ban.
How the small town of Sanderson in West Texas is recovering after a pair of tornadoes.
Shipments of avocados and mangoes from the Mexican state of Michoacán to the U.S. are suspended after two U.S. Department of Agriculture workers in the region were detained by local protesters and later removed from the area, leaving inspections of produce on hold. What will it mean for prices?
Reading, writing and roasting: Texas A&M is hoping to school the next generation of coffee experts by offering a Coffee Processing and Quality Certificate.
And: what Texas architecture of the mid century tells us about the Lone Star State and its complicated aspirations – we’re talking to the author and photographer behind “Home, Heat, Money, God: Texas and Modern Architecture.”
The latest on the bird flu outbreak among dairy cows
Storms continue to wreak havoc with flooding in some places north of Houston, the worst they’ve seen since Hurricane Harvey.
A preview of a big election tomorrow to fill a seat that hasn’t been vacant since the early 80’s.
Efforts to curb property taxes. How well’s that actually going?
The United Methodist Church does a 180 on LGBTQ clergy. We’ll talk with the Bishop of the Rio Texas Conference.
A big night for Dallas sports fans on more than one front. We’ll hear why and what’s at stake.
Do’s and don’ts for Cinco de Mayo.
Plus the week in politics with the Texas Tribune.
Effort to preserve Indigenous cemetery in Presidio is finally complete
A court says the foster care system in Texas is failing many vulnerable children. Why that’s especially true for trans kids.
A practically forgotten burial ground for Indigenous people in West Texas now has a proper memorial.
How a shortage of shipyard workers is contributing to delays for the Navy.
We’ll talk to author Jonny Garza Villa, whose new book “Canto Contigo” features a love story set to mariachi music.
Also: Why do so many bluebonnets pop up next to Texas highways?
Children at Risk’s annual ranking of Texas schools is out
Texas officials say they’re reassigning workers to deal with an ongoing problem of providing care for foster kids without placement.
The 2022-2023 school ratings report from Houston-based nonprofit Children at Risk sheds light on progress and problems that districts are facing statewide.
Former Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo, who also had a short stint in Houston, will soon take on a new position overseeing Austin’s police department.
And a giraffe in a park in Juárez, who made headlines last year, is getting a new home.
Examining Texas’ legacy of anti-LGBT laws
After seven months pushing a school voucher-like plan, Gov. Greg Abbott gets a firm pushback from fellow Republicans. Scott Braddock of the Quorum Report shares the latest.
Mexico plans to offer “know your rights” educational sessions in Texas as lawmakers send a wide-ranging border security bill to the governor.
Amid slowing sales of EV’s, one city in Texas seems to be leading the switch away from gas pumps to charging stations.
The past legislative session saw the filing of a historic number of bills impacting LGBT Texans – but that’s just the latest effort in what’s been a half-century of criminalizing these communities, according to a new investigation from KXAN TV.
Last Time, at the Gay Bar
It’s Pride Month. But there have also been sustained efforts this year across the country to stifle the voices of and limit the rights of LGBTQ+ people. This Typewriter Rodeo poem reflects what it looks like to celebrate yourself in a time when violence against LGBTQ+ people is commonplace.
Senate adopts rules for Ken Paxton impeachment trial
The rules are in: How Texas senators will manage the history-making impeachment trial of suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Texas parks officials want to keep nearly 2,000 acres of parkland open to the public using eminent domain. Leaders in the county where Fairfield Lake State Park is located say not so fast.
First Twitter, now Reddit? The details are different, but another information-sharing site is seeing major owner/user conflict.
She has one of the most recognizable names in Texas history, but how much do you really know about Lady Bird Johnson? A new podcast explores.
Plus, the latest on severe weather across the state.
East Texas county lacks power during summer heat wave
Weekend storms knocked out power to tens of thousands in East Texas, amid dangerously hot temperatures and few options for cooling down. We’ll have the latest.
LGBTQ+ teens in Katy, outside Houston, are creating community in the midst of a culture war.
In San Antonio we’ll meet people who are building new lives after escaping the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Some North Texas neighbors found a solution to their fireworks problem – in church.
Plus, ever seen a ‘robot ump’? More changes ahead to Major League Baseball are already underway at AAA stadiums, including one in Central Texas.
Cloud seeding has never been proven, but drought-stricken Mexico is ready to try
At first, media coverage of the Cleveland, Texas, shooting focused on the manhunt for the gunman. But what about the victims lost?
As the clock ticks away for the 88th legislative session, there are some bills with bipartisan support that advocates say could have a positive effect on the state’s LGBTQ residents.
Housing affordability in Texas: is the state losing a certain edge? The Texas Standard’s Sean Saldana explains.
The cost of living is hitting Texans hard – how a group in San Antonio is fighting back with coupons.
Mexico is trying its hand at a controversial technique – cloud seeding – to break its drought.
Plus the week in politics with the Texas Tribune.
What it’s like in a self-defense class for LGBTQ Texans
The latest on a massive manhunt following the shooting deaths of five people in San Jacinto County.
As the Texas Legislature enters the final month of its biennial session, there’s a push to get more money for public schools.
There’s more turbulence ahead for Texas-based American Airlines as pilots say they’re ready to strike.
The border with Mexico is experiencing what many see as a surprising rise of Chinese migrants.
And fighting for the right to be free from fear: the Standard goes inside martial arts sessions for members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Evidence suggests Texas Rangers may have created mass gravesite
Is a plan to advance credit for early parole to prisoners with good conduct records or educational advancements a good idea for Texas?
A deadly shooting in West Texas. The victims: migrants. The suspects: brothers in law enforcement. Seven months later, questions mounting about what’s happened to the investigation. Angela Kocherga of KTEP El Paso with more.
The FAA is grounding SpaceX in the aftermath of a historic and messy launch in South Texas.
Also the story behind a Texas furniture store owner, known as much for his TV commercials as for his big league sports wagers.
The ‘forever chemicals’ used in fracking in Texas
Calls for justice in Ciudad Juárez after dozen of migrants die in a fire at a detention facility. New details emerge about what happened just across the border from El Paso on Monday night.
Texas school districts banned hundreds of books last year. Now, the Legislature is looking to create standards that could pull even more books off the shelves.
Research increasingly shows that “forever chemicals” are making their way into our environment – especially in Texas, where they’re used in oil and gas extraction.
Plus an update from commentator W.F. Strong and a climate referendum in El Paso.
This West Texas town has been under a boil-water notice for nearly 5 years
State lawmakers heard hours of testimony on a bill that would restrict gender-affirming care for minors. Senate Bill 14 wouldn’t just end access to gender-affirming care for young Texans, it would also revoke the medical license of any doctor who provides it.
How Texas’ first family of oil and gas both regulates and profits from the energy industry.
And in far West Texas, the community of Toyah is dealing with a boil-water notice that seems like it will never end.
How are Texas ranchers dealing with a hay shortage?
Two prominent scholars weigh in on what Texans should be listening for in tonight’s State of the Union address.
School vouchers or something quite similar promise to play a big role in the Texas legislative session now underway.
After a drought and ice storms, many Texas ranchers are facing a hay shortage and are fighting rising prices and scrambling for alternatives.
And a case from Texas 20 years ago that had ripple effects nationwide: our conversation with Wesley Phelps, the author of “Before Lawrence v. Texas: The Making of a Queer Social Movement.”
KUT Morning Newscast for January 31, 2023
Central Texas top stories for January 31, 2023. Winter storm warning extended. EMS overpass concerns. Pre-treating Austin’s roads trial run. Williamson County winter storm response. Taylor winter storm response. Saving energy. Blood donation requirements changing.
What’s happening at the Cutoff in East Texas?
As cities grow, so do tensions between state and local officials over policy direction. A bipartisan coalition of 18 big city mayors team up to press state officials over top priorities. What they’re planning and more in our conversation with the mayor of Fort Worth. Also, how transgender youth and their families are gearing up to fight several new proposals in the GOP led Texas legislature. And an update over public access to a beloved east Texas body of water called The Cutoff. Plus rising grocery prices and the SNAP gap for those needing help to get food on the table. These stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: November 25, 2022
Had your fill yet? No need to loosen the belt…we’re serving up something different today. As many Texans dash about in search of gift-giving deals on this Friday, we’ve made out a list of some of our favorite books this past year. From tales of trailblazing women clearing the way for the final frontier of space to an examination of re-wilding as a way to get back to a balance with nature and make cities more livable. A memoir from a music superstar and the hidden histories of gay power in high places. Just a few of the reading selections we’ve been perusing today on the Texas Standard:
Patricia “Ms. Pat” Williams (Ep. 45, 2022)
On this week’s In Black America, producer and host John L. Hanson, Jr. speaks with Patricia “Ms. Pat” Williams, a standup comedian, author, radio host, podcaster and actress from Atlanta whose popular, Emmy-nominated sitcom “The Ms. Pat Show” recently premiered its second season on BET.
Texas Standard: September 26, 2022
Abortion, gun laws and much more. What might be on the agenda as Texas lawmakers prepare to reconvene? Some of the political patterns emerging for Texas in the aftermath of the Texas Tribune festival. Political writer Patrick Svitek ties some of the strands together. Also eyes on the skies, as Hurricane Ian enters the gulf what it could mean for the energy cap of the world. You know the one. And speaking of energy, guess which state has the most blackouts? We’ll shed some light on that. Also not for the down and out, we’ll meet the man who literally wrote the book on the Texas dive bar. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard: