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.
Lubbock
Is the industry ready for Beyoncé’s country music album?
As Texans prepare to cast their first ballots in 2024, a conversation with Colin Allred, one of the top Democratic challengers for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Republican Ted Cruz.
Lubbock throws the switch to join Texas’ open electricity marketplace – for better, and some fear, for worse.
A new ‘queen’ of country music? Houston-born Beyoncé generates buzz with a stylistic shift.
Also: Commentator WF Strong on a notorious Texas partnership in crime, and a love story at the heart of it.
Why is Texas’ Railroad Commission wading into school textbook policy?
New Texas schoolbooks are raising concerns about the long-term implications for attitudes about climate change.
The state-appointed board now running Houston’s independent school district is dealing with more than what’s happening in the classroom, but also struggling to regain trust.
Apple weighs in on a push to give consumers the right to repair their gadgets. What that means for a growing “right to repair” consumer movement.
Plus, plans to build a major energy plant on the Texas coast on hold after a court rules Texas regulators should have applied stricter emissions standards.
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After a pandemic boost, what’s the next chapter for independent booksellers?
Fort Worth ISD temporarily closed its school libraries as the district worked to comply with a new state law over adult content.
Texas is one of only 10 states that hasn’t expanded Medicaid. Why?
The pandemic boost for books, and its aftermath: the Standard’s Sean Saldaña on the next chapter for independent booksellers.
The most dangerous jails in Texas may not be the lockups that get the most attention. Eric Dexheimer of the Houston Chronicle shares more.
And the Texan trying to redefine travel TV, and what travel looks like in the real world, too.
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.
What’s next after Texas judge rules abortion medication illegal
A ruling in Amarillo that could be the most consequential abortion decision since last year’s case overturning Roe v Wade. The ruling late Friday effectively bans Mifepristone, an abortion drug. But minutes after that ruling, another in Washington state orders the FDA to do nothing to restrict the pill’s availability. What happens next?
Two Democratic state legislators expelled last week in Tennessee. Could something similar happen in Texas?
And fentanyl: why experts are calling it the “social media drug”, and why interdiction efforts may be misplaced.
How to testify at the Texas Legislature
After the Texas Education Agency’s announcement that it will take over the Houston Independent School district, we’re taking a look at what previous state takeovers could signal for this one.
“Stand up and be heard” – that’s what we’re often told to do when the Legislature’s in session. But how does one do that, exactly? We’ll hear a step-by-step primer.
Our go-to tech expert Omar Gallaga shares some key takeaways from the tech side of South by Southwest.
Plus, the creators of “The Lady Bird Diaries” join us to talk about the new film.
Texas Standard: July 18, 2022
Systemic failures and poor decision-making cited in a damning report on the Uvalde school shooting. More on the Texas House committee’s 77 page report released this weekend. Also, Texas Democrats gather in Dallas; what’s the game plan for November? And more on record-setting heat expected all week in the Lone Star State. These stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: May 23, 2022
Plans to lift Title 42 at the border today are now on hold. We’ll look at what this means for the future of immigration and deportations. Other stories we’re tracking: how the mass shooting in Buffalo, New York is resonating in El Paso, the site of a racist shooting at a Wal Mart three years ago. Also what a political runoff in South Texas tells us about an intra-party ideological battle among Texas Democrats. And more than a year ago, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality announced a social justice initiative. So what’s happened since, and what hasn’t? And a new film that puts a more human face on a larger than life Texas baseball legend. All that and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: April 25, 2022
Border bottlenecks brought on by ramped up Texas inspections cost business billions. But a surprising potential longer-term effect, too. A new relationship between Texas and 4 border states in Mexico? Angela Kocherga has that story. Plus a new report reveals San Antonio’s south side, one of the nation’s hardest hit by the pandemic. Also an update on COVID-19 and kids in Texas. And what our neighbors to the east may be able to teach Texas as plans for a coastal Ike Dike get the green light. Also ChicanX utopias. What pop culture tells us about the politics of the possible. All that and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: March 10, 2022
A murder in Lubbock turns a spotlight on violence faced by Trans Texans. We’ll have the latest. Also, a Trump administration directive ordering rapid deportations, still imposed by the Biden Administration. But court orders are chipping away at it. How much longer will Title 42 be sustained? Possible changes coming to border enforcement. And progressives in Texas making serious headway? A deeper dig into details from the recent Texas primaries. Also the push to open up Texas to online gambling, and the pushback from some in health care. And the in-person return of one of Texas biggest international events. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: February 10, 2022
A government investigation into the death of a migrant teenager in 2019 puts blame on the Border Patrol–what happens next? Also, some 18 Austin police officers could face charges involving the use of so-called less lethal munitions during protests in the summer of 2020. Plus, the future of the post office. These stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: January 6, 2022
Texans reflect on the anniversary of an event that many fear has called into question the future of American democracy itself. On the one year anniversary of the capitol insurrection, President Biden warns of the ongoing dangers to our democracy. Today, a conversation with representative Collin Allred of Dallas who was on the floor of the House that day and says the threat, rather than fading into history, remains. Also a reckoning for the role of Texans in that attack of January 6th 2021. Plus the Texas primaries as an acid test for Trump and the Republicans. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: November 10, 2021
Executions in Texas have halted while courts resolve whether Texas prisoners can have a spiritual advisor touch them as they’re being put to death. We’ll have the latest on the arguments in D.C. Plus, what went wrong at AstroWorld? A crowd safety expert gives us his thoughts on avoiding future catastrophes. And a steel house on the staked plains. It could be yours, for the right price. All that and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: September 20, 2021
A rough and tumble year in Texas politics is set to get even tougher as Texas lawmakers gather today to redraw the states political maps. As redistricting takes center stage again in Texas, a major change in how those maps will be redrawn has many worried communities of color and interest stand to lose their strength without federal oversight. We’ll hear more. Also why so many companies, eager to position their brands, are avoiding weighing in on Texas’ new abortion law. And a new documentary on a woman who changed the face of the Supreme Court, but is seldom thought of as a native Texan. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: August 27, 2021
It was the story of the summer in Texas Politics. Now proposals at the center of a legislative walkout appear set to become law. The Texas House, where a quorum was broken over Democratic opposition to a voting bill, has just passed its version of that voting bill. Was the walkout all for nought? We’ll hear more. Also at a healthcare hub in west Texas, ER wait-times climb to 20 hours. We’ll have the latest as we continue to track the spread of the Delta COVID variant. And 100 miles in a hundred degrees. What would you call it? How the hotter than Hell bicycle race is rolling into its 40th year. Plus the week in politics and more when today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: August 24, 2021
They walked out over a voting bill. Now, as Texas House Democrats return and the session resumes, what comes next? Republicans say Senate Bill One is needed voting reform. Democrats say it further disenfranchises against marginalized Texans. But right now, that bill appears to be on the fast track again, we’ll have the latest. Also 650 plus new laws coming to Texas in September, including one that allows anyone who legally owns a gun in Texas to carry openly without a permit. We’ll take a closer look at what this change means for Texas, fake COVID-19 vaccination cards, plus COVID-19 questions from listeners and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: August 20, 2021
Some jaws drop at the capitol as a handful of Texas Democrats end the walkout and return a quorum to the lower chamber. Also, 70% vaccination rates, room in ICU units, and more. Is there something El Paso’s doing that the rest of the state could learn from? And claims and questions about cloth masks amid the spread of the Delta variant: what makes a safe mask? Plus a civil rights complaint that Port Arthur residents hope will clear the air. Those stories and much more when the Texas Standard gets underway right after this:
Texas Standard: June 30, 2021
To declare a disaster or to not declare a disaster? That is the question before counties along the border. The disaster declarations are part of a bigger plan from Governor Abbott that includes his wall. We’ll talk about that in light of his visit to the border with former president Trump. We’ll also look at how Abbott ending federal unemployment benefits also ends state benefits for some Texans. And Bastrop is growing. We’ll look at the plans for a new state of the art film studio. And speaking of growth, Lubbock has a plan for its growth over the next 20 years. Will communities often forgotten be included this time? Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: June 7, 2021
Wins in Texas for the GOP this weekend, but also some party turmoil. Who’s in charge? We’ll take a closer look. Also, we’ve been living with COVID-19 for a long, hard while now. But we’re continuing to learn about it. What some Texas researchers say the virus does to hide in your body. And a big international business deal in Houston has some scratching their heads and could pose some risks for those living in the area. We’ll explore. Plus, we’ll take a look at a San Antonio business and the hard lessons its learned during the pandemic. And what exactly is critical race theory and how will recent moves affect what’s taught in Texas classrooms? We’ll hear from an educator. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard: