Migrant

Challenged on the right, progressive Corpus Christi DA seeks higher office

Gov. Greg Abbott has been ordered to remove a controversial buoy barrier from the middle of the Rio Grande.

Among the new laws now taking effect in Texas are new penalties aimed at cracking down on illegal voting. But just how much of a departure from the past is it? The Standard’s Sean Saldana has more.

Facing a trial to force his removal, Mark Gonzalez, a progressive DA in Nueces County, has resigned and announced a challenge to U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz.

And we’ll hear from Pedro Martín, the author and illustrator of “Mexikid: A Graphic Memoir,” a graphic novel about a road trip to Mexico already being called an instant classic.

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 National Guard used WhatsApp to spy at the border

An investigation of Operation Lone Star finds a prohibited intelligence unit using WhatsApp to spy on migrants and smugglers. Davis Winkie of the Military Times shares more.

A new Texas law, the Crown Act, takes effect this week, banning discrimination based on hair texture or hairstyles associated with race.

Close your eyes and think of Texas. What comes to mind for most Americans? Commentator W.F. Strong on how Hollywood has shaped Texas in the popular imagination.

Plus, the record-breaking return of Simone Biles.

Why Will Hurd didn’t make the cut for the first Republican presidential debate

The Feds push back in court over Gov. Greg Abbott’s deployment of buoys in the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass.

The City of Dallas has received $1.5 million in federal dollars for a major cleanup of contaminated sites. But will it be enough?

Researchers in El Paso are trying to tap another source of potential alternate energy, inspired by the prickly pear cactus.

There are growing concerns about challenges faced by deaf kids in the Texas foster care system.

Plus, San Antonio native Karen Tumulty of the Washington Post shares the latest on tonight’s GOP primary debate – and why former U.S. Rep. Will Hurd of Texas won’t be there.

What’s changed for migrants on the border after Title 42’s end?

Students get grades, but so do Texas schools – and with a change in evaluations, administrators are concerned.

Critics say a state lawsuit against Planned Parenthood is an attempt to completely wipe out what was once a prime provider of abortion services in Texas.

How people experiencing homelessness are trying to cope with life-threatening temperatures.

The end of pandemic restrictions against migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. prompted a lot of speculation about how the situation at border would be affected. We’ll take a look at what’s actually changed on the ground.

Also, what put a once-sleepy town in the shadow of Dallas on the fast track to becoming one of Texas’ biggest cities.

San Antonio nonprofit forges community for veterans through knife-making

An increasing border presence by state troopers has led to a rise in police chases ending in crashes in El Paso.

A once-pregnant prison guard who says she was told she couldn’t leave her shift as she was experiencing contraction-like pains is now suing over the death of her child. Texas Tribune reporter Jolie McCullough joins with more.

In the wake of a San Antonio police shooting of a woman with mental health issues and an investigation of officers involved, questions remain about how well the department polices itself.

And a San Antonio nonprofit, Reforged, helps veterans forge ahead through knife-making classes and a peer-support group.

Examining the skills gap in a post-pandemic workforce

Border Patrol agents say Texas efforts to address migration are disrupting their work. Troopers say complaints are overblown.

We’ll have an update on the state’s wildfire risk as the dangerous pattern of hot and dry conditions continues.

How one Texas school district spent the the summer addressing safety concerns.

Reports of a concerning trend in the workforce: new employees that just aren’t ready to do the job.

There’s bipartisan support for rolling back some environmental regulations to speed up the production of U.S.-made semiconductors.

And we’ll hear from Kiana Fitzgerald, author of the new book “Ode to Hip-Hop: 50 Albums That Define 50 Years of Trailblazing Music.”

Heat and the next Great Migration

An exemption to Texas’ abortion ban is on hold after an appeal by the state attorney general. What comes next?

Just how powerful are social media algorithms? Texas researchers test whether changes could help defuse political polarization.

Texas Public Radio’s David Martin Davies got in a kayak to take an up-close look at Gov. Greg Abbott’s floating wall in the Rio Grande.

And a warning that climate change could reverse demographic trends showing major population growth in places like Texas: Could there be a great migration northward?

Remembering Paul Reubens and Pee-wee’s ties to Texas

Triple-digit temperatures are having a cooling effect on the the Texas economy, with a projected $9 billion in losses this summer due to the heat alone, according to economist Ray Perryman.

Gasoline prices at the pump rise an average 30 cents in one month. What’s behind those increases?

A tribute to Paul Reubens, the Pee-wee Herman actor who forgot everything … but remembered the Alamo and won his way into the hearts of many a San Antonian.

And we’ve got the smokers, we’ve got the pit masters – so why is Texas pulled pork so wrong? Texas Monthly’s barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn weighs in.

64,000 Texans stand to benefit from Biden student loan forgiveness

More people in Texas are set to benefit from student debt forgiveness than in any other state.

The Houston Police Department has released a comprehensive report on its investigation into the 2021 Travis Scott Astroworld festival tragedy.

Texas’ major cities are on track to lose lots of jobs to AI, and soon – San Antonio tops the list; Austin and Dallas are not far behind.

Also, billions of dollars have been announced for rural broadband, but apparently there’s a disconnect when it comes to funding the buildout.

Booksellers sue Texas over law that will restrict school library books

On Capitol Hill, a former military officer-turned-whistleblower shares out-of-this world claims about UFOs and what he says the government’s hiding.

Following sex discrimination lawsuits over Texas’ border security crackdown, the state has started placing migrant women in state prisons as well.

The Austin school district is considering nearly doubling the size of its police department to comply with a new state law that takes effect in September.

A lawsuit by booksellers and publishers targets new book restrictions for Texas school libraries.

New research on Alzheimer’s finds Texas a hot spot, with border counties hit harder than the rest of the state.

And a women’s soccer champion from Georgetown weighs in on the women’s World Cup.

What we know about Ken Paxton’s upcoming impeachment trial

The Department of Justice has sued the State of Texas over its floating border barrier near Eagle Pass, alleging Texas doesn’t have the authority to place barriers in the Rio Grande. Gov. Greg Abbott’s reply? “See you in court.”

Sergio Martínez-Beltrán of the Texas Newsroom brings us the latest developments in Ken Paxton’s upcoming impeachment trial.

Congressman Greg Casar is calling for federal regulations to protect workers against heat-related illness in light of state law that will undo local rules starting Sept. 1.

And why a goat that went missing from a livestock show has captured the imagination of lots of folks in the Rio Grande Valley.

As one special session ends, the next one begins

Has the Texas border become like the Iowa State Fair, a mandatory stop for Republican presidential candidates?

It’s a long, hot summer for Texas lawmakers as the governor calls another special session, focusing solely on property taxes.

Rethink35, the organization questioning another expansion of the interstate highway that cuts through Austin, has given up its legal battle – at least for now. Why other cities in Texas
are watching closely.

Also, how Muslims in Texas are celebrating a holiday often referred to as Big Eid.

Insurers are bailing on homes in disaster-prone regions. Is Texas next?

The Texas Senate passed three new bills on border security – but with the House adjourned, does it mean anything?

The Texas Education Agency has taken over the Houston Independent School District, and already some major reforms are taking shape.

Two major insurance companies say they won’t write new homeowner policies in California, citing the costs of climate change. Could something similar happen in Texas?

Pro baseball is a favorite summer sport for many Texans, but a rule change is making it a little less lazy than it once was – for better or for worse? We’ll take a look.

What did the Legislature accomplish for rural Texans?

The U.S. House approved a measure lifting the debt ceiling, but we’re not out of the woods quite yet.

As state lawmakers continue to tangle with the governor’s priorities, what actually was accomplished in the regular legislative session? A roundtable of Texas reporters looks at changes for rural Texans.

A federal district judge will hear arguments today on the future of DACA in a case brought by the attorney general of
Texas, who’s now been impeached and suspended. How much does that change things, if at all?

Also, they’re not just a time suck but a money pit, too: What can be done to cut the cost of meetings?

Podcast explores whether a Texas Ranger extracted a false confession

Two major changes in federal policies within the past 24 hours having outsized implications for Texas. Change number one: the end of Title 42 rapid deportations. But for tens of thousands now trying to cross the Mexico border into Texas, the deportations continue.

The end of an era for the pandemic as the national emergency is lifted, but a Texas epidemiologist says that doesn’t mean an end to the COVID-19 threat.

A confession of guilt during a Texas murder investigation, but was the confession real or compelled by questionable interrogation techniques?

Also the week in Texas politics with the Texas Tribune and poetry from the Typewriter Rodeo.

What to watch for as the Texas Legislature sprints to Sine Die

With just 19 days to go before the end of the 88th Texas legislative session, where do we stand?

A bill to raise the age to purchase a semi-automatic rifle made it out of a House committee – but as the Texas Newsroom’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán reports, it may not get much further.

Hundreds of migrants line up in El Paso for processing in advance of a major change to immigration policy tomorrow.

What some believe is a banking crisis: Should Texans be worried, and should there be a different approach to regulation?

Also, the story of a teacher fired in 1975, and why it resonates with the politics of Texas today.

A man died working on the Tesla Gigafactory. The company didn’t tell officials.

A car crash in Brownsville: 8 dead, 10 injured. An accident or was it intentional?

One day before a vote to expel a Texas house representative, a resignation. Sergio Martínez-Beltrán of the Texas Newsroom on the state lawmaker accused of an inappropriate relationship with an intern.

Questions about the heat death of a worker helping to build Tesla’s Texas Gigafactory and whether reporting rules are being followed.

And a Texas based Go-Go, Head Over Heels about her new role with a stage production. Our conversation with Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Kathy Valentine.

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.

Performers pay tribute to Willie Nelson for his 90th birthday

A push in the state Legislature to end countywide voting on Election Day. Nearly 100 counties in Texas allow voters to cast their Election Day ballots anywhere in the county. But now a move to require voters to cast their ballots in specific district locations. Why the push, and why it matters.

The Veterans Administration is looking into a new application for artificial intelligence: suicide prevention.

An oil tanker bound for Houston seized by Iran. What this move may signal.

And country music luminaries pool their talents for an album to celebrate the 90th birthday of the Red Headed Stranger Willie Nelson.