Midland

What you need to know about viewing the upcoming solar eclipses from Texas

Though Attorney General Ken Paxton has been acquitted on all impeachment charges, whistleblowers say they’re not giving up. Sergio Martínez-Beltrán of the Texas Newsroom shares more.

It’s rare for an eclipse to be visible at the same location within several years, much less a few months – but the skies over a portion of Texas will be ground zero for observing both an annular and a total solar eclipse.

At the Rescue Mission of El Paso, plenty of food is coming in – but it’s not to feed people experiencing homelessness. Instead, those people are feeding others. Texas monthly barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn shares the mission of Hallelujah! BBQ.

What’s next as pandemic-era housing assistance winds down

Several bills are aimed at building more homes, but what about Texas renters, many reeling from the end of assistance programs? State lawmakers are being urged to take action on housing affordability, or more precisely, the lack thereof.

What’s an education savings program? Critics say it’s just another spin on school vouchers. Sergio Martínez-Beltrán of the Texas Newsroom previews Senate committee hearings on the measure.

Is there really such a thing as “too low” when it comes to unemployment rates? The Standard’s Sean Saldana explains.

And remembering El Rey de la Cumbia, Fito Olivares.

Texas Standard: August 31, 2022

18 months after a deadly statewide electricity blackout, state officials adopt new weather preparedness standards. But is it enough? We’ll look at what the new rules are and whether they have the teeth to prevent future events like the 2021 Winter Blackouts. Also, El Paso’s DA under fire and facing a petition seeking her removal. But she calls it a political move. Plus drug cartels in Mexico shifting production to an unusually lethal synthetic opioid that has health officials in the U.S. concerned about an overdose crisis. Those stories, a Politifact check on teacher salaries and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: May 16, 2022

Early voting starts today in the primary runoff elections. What you need to know about what’s on the ballot, and voting by mail. Also, one of the highest-profile races on the Republican ballot is for Attorney General. Incumbent Ken Paxton was considered vulnerable, but will current Land Commissioner George P. Bush be able to defeat him? And language in Texas’ recent abortion legislation has some doctors and pharmacists concerned about providing care for miscarriages. We’ll take a look at why. Also take a closer look at the Texas electric grid and why hot temperatures have so far been a challenge. Plus a conversation with a Texas researcher involved in that new photo of a black hole. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: May 13, 2022

White house flags ordered to half staff as the U.S. reaches what President Biden marks as a tragic milestone in the pandemic. As public health efforts against COVID-19 continue to scale back, deaths from COVID-19 in the US approach the 1 million mark, and Texas has the second highest number of those deaths among the 50 states. We’ll take a closer look. Also the Texas Supreme Court overturns the statewide injunction on investigations of parents providing gender affirming care to transgender youth. We’ll have the latest. Plus a Texan’s journey into the kitchens of Mexico becomes a rapturous revelation. And the effort to give an endangered Texas toad a fighting chance at survival. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: March 22, 2022

Tornados, damaging winds and hail wreak destruction across Texas. Several state agencies still responding to storm damage in north and central Texas and tens of thousands are reported without power. We’ll have the latest on the weather front. Also, the head of investigations for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services resigns as questions mount over allegations of sexual exploitation at a shelter in Bastrop. Plus efforts to secure the return of a Houston native and WNBA star now held in Russia. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: January 5, 2022

As COVID-19 cases bring hospital ICU’s to capacity statewide, FEMA now saying help is on the way. But will it be enough? Today, our conversation with Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley on the challenges they face during this latest spike in cases. Also, Governor Abbott announces another lawsuit against the Biden Administration, this time over vaccination mandates for Texas National Guard troops. Plus a new years cold snap, a plunge in energy production, and a huge release of pollutants. What an incident last weekend tells us about Texas’ energy industry and readiness for the next freeze. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: January 3, 2022

With schools statewide returning to classes and Omicron cases rising, many Texans are asking: now what? Some answers from a doctor today on the Texas Standard.
Other stories we’re tracking- the US Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments this week over Biden Administration vaccination mandates. We’ll have the latest. Also, the 5th Circuit is set to hear arguments in another challenge to SB8- the state’s new abortion restrictions.
Earthquakes spark an order from state officials affecting fracking in the Midland area.
And, you’ve seen the bumper sticker “Don’t California my Texas”? Why some in South Texas are now saying don’t “Austin-ify our Brownsville”. Those stories and more.

Texas Standard: May 6, 2021

A bill that would restrict abortions and likely prompt a test of Roe vs. Wade is now on the fast track in the Texas legislature. Andrea Zelinsky of Texas monthly joins us with details of a fetal heartbeat bill picking up momentum in the Texas legislature. Also Lauren McGaughy of the Dallas Morning News with more hot water for the state’s attorney general. Plus a drop in people seeking vaccinations in west Texas. What comes next? We’ll explore. And a central Texas mother and her daughter on their options should a new bill pass defining gender affirming treatments as child abuse. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: August 3, 2020

One year after the deadliest attack against Latinos in recent history, Texas remembers those lost in El Paso during a day of reflection and healing.
Democrats beating republicans in fundraising for Texas congressional races- a closer look.
Also, a battle in Midland before and after a vote to rename a city high school.
The storm before the storms. What Hurricane Hanna might add up to for Texas’ energy sector.
And packets of mystery seeds from China raising concerns–a Texas A&M expert is on the case. Those stories & much more.

Texas Standard: June 15, 2020

A spike in COVID-19 hospitalizations in Texas raising concerns, we’ll have the latest. Other stories we’re tracking: troops that refused to deploy to cities during demonstrations over the killing of George Floyd now face possible discipline. Also the tweet from Texas that sparked a national conversation about life as a person of color in higher ed’s ivory tower. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: June 2, 2020

The president threatens to send in federal military forces to control unrest if governors don’t take tougher steps to reign in looting. Can he do that? We’ll explore. As protests over police brutality targeting African-Americans and other people of color continue in many cities in Texas, we’ll bring you the latest. Also, amid unrest on the streets and the dangers of pandemic, Texas democrats kick off their statewide convention. And a tale of three big Texas cities set to take major economic hits. One will not fare as well as the others. Those stories and a lot more today on the National News Show of Texas:

Texas Standard: January 28, 2020

As the Trump administration begins to wrap up its defense, is the Bolton book looking like a tipping point in the impeachment saga? We’ll take a closer look. Also, a Texas A&M constitutional scholar weighs in on what happens next in the senate trial of Donald J Trump. And A plan to reboot space exploration gets kicked to the sidewalk. A step forward for Boeing, but some say a giant leap backward for U.S. space exploration. Plus the ongoing issue of migrant family separation few are talking about. All that and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: December 26, 2019

The most powerful factor in the Texas economy? Energy. This hour, we’ll explore how changes out west are affecting the entire landscape of the Lone Star State. They used to call it the fracking boom. New technologies that made it possible to extract more oil and gas from the ground. Texas’ Permian Basin has become the most productive patch of petroleum development in the U.S. leading some to suggest the endless cycle of boom and bust may be over. What happens in west Texas affects us all, so what’s next? That’s our focus in Untapped: a Special Edition of the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: September 4, 2019

How well do you think democracy is working in America? Texans weigh in and talk about about what poses the biggest threat to democracy. We’ll have details from the just released annual survey of political attitudes in the Lone Star State, the Texas Lyceum Poll. Also, what we’re learning about how the Permian Basin shooter obtained his weapon and how that’s putting Texas lawmakers in a politically precarious position. Plus is the U.S. not only the top oil and gas producer but tops in cutting emissions, too? A Politifact check and more when today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: September 3, 2019

We’re learning more about contact between the Permian Basin shooter and law enforcement before the shooting spree started. We’ll have the latest on the investigation into the second mass shooting in west Texas in a month, and a conversation with the mayor of Odessa. Also, some say we should batten down the hatches for an eventual economic downturn. How do you do that, exactly? Plus: America the gerontocracy? A provocative look at the body politic and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: September 2, 2019

The Governor says The status quo is unacceptable in the aftermath of the second mass shooting in West Texas in a month. We’ll have more on reaction to this weekend’s mass shooting in the Midland Odessa region and the mounting sense of frustration over what to do to end what the governor calls the status quo. Also, a closer look at a possible end to America’s longest military conflict. And a Texas-sized balancing act between climate control and historic preservation. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: May 16, 2019

Are church officials hiding information related to sex abuse claims? We’ll look at how police are explaining a raid of the Catholic Diocese of Dallas. Also, diplomatic families sent home, energy companies battening down the hatches, amid reports of contingency plans for a possible military confrontation with Iran. A long time White House adviser helps us understand what’s happening. Plus, a modern day home on the range? Why Midland has become a magnet for millennials. And top tips for movie searching in the age of multiple streaming services. All of that and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: April 30, 2019

To be or not to be a Senate candidate. Democrats puzzled why an expected challenge to John Cornyn is slow to materialize, we’ll have the latest. Plus, amid what appears to be growing support for gun control efforts in other parts of the U.S., the nation’s biggest gun rights group takes aim against itself? A leadership struggle at the NRA poses one of the most serious threats to the organization in years. And a Texas senator moves to stop publishing the final words of prisoners facing the death sentence. All that and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: April 4, 2019

Texas house lawmakers give the green light to a 9 billion dollar school funding bill plus a teacher pay raise. But what happens next will be critical. Also, after a slap on the wrist from the nation’s high court, a major change coming to Texas’ execution chamber. We’ll have the what and why. Also, the pay gap for women in tech. And what could be rare bipartisan action in congress, this time to deal with what some call a retirement savings crisis. Plus your weekend trip tip and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard: