What effect is Texas’ booming population having on how the state’s moving politically? Some signs as we approach November.
A Texas company faces federal allegations of a price-fixing conspiracy pushing up rents across the U.S.
Want to grow a veggie garden this fall? An expert shares tips for choosing plants, protecting from freezes & more.
Two astronauts are stranded in space until next year, way beyond initial plans for their mission. A former astronaut weighs in on what’s happened and what comes next.
And: Remembering groundbreaking DJ Steve Crosno, who helped make El Paso’s music culture the rich scene it is today.
North Texas
Record number of employees leave Houston ISD after state takeover
New ratings suggest big improvements for Houston schools, but not everyone is excited about the changes: In the wake of the state’s takeover, a huge number of teachers and staffers have been leaving.
An Abilene family’s experience with a fentanyl overdose has sparked a citywide call to action. KACU’s Alexis Jones reports.
As rent falls in some places, many people are finding an ever greater portion of their paychecks going to cover housing.
Amid concerns about shark attacks this summer, a new report shows a rapidly growing population of baby bull sharks along the Texas Gulf coast.
Tips for insurance and tree care as Texas recovers from Beryl
More than 1 million Texans are still without power in the wake of Hurricane Beryl’s sweep across Southeast and East Texas. Brent Taylor of the Houston Office of Emergency Management joins with the latest on damage assessments, ongoing outages and the growing concerns about heat.
What do Texans need to keep in mind as they repair and rebuild? More on insurance considerations for those affected, plus guidance on caring for trees after a major storm.
Also: In recent years, Texas has lost more rural hospitals than any other state. Now mobile clinics are rolling out to provide vital medical services where they’re needed most.
They’re worked like dogs – but for these canines, farm rustling is the life
The Department of Education launched a renewed version of the FAFSA financial aid form at the end of last year, and the late rollout has caused major issues for applicants and colleges.
Cattle in the Panhandle got sick last week, their milk suddenly turning thick and discolored, after coming down with avian flu.
Many Texans hold jobs in the agricultural sector. But there’s one job on a few cattle farms –and whole lot of sheep farms – that’s literally gone to the dogs. The Standard’s Sarah Asch has the story.
As Bitcoin mining operations grow in Texas, a new wave of attention aimed at crypto turns a spotlight on Austin’s so-called “bitcoin underground.”
How frontline workers fared during COVID and how best to protect them
A Texas senator wants to reopen impeachment proceedings against Attorney General Ken Paxton – but it’s unlikely to happen.
What have recent heavy rains done for drought conditions in Texas?
A plan to overhaul the way the U.S. Census Bureau counts people with disabilities has received so much pushback that the agency is rethinking the updated questions.
And: lessons learned from the pandemic about the impact on frontline workers.
State has seen rise in teen births since abortion ban was enacted
After Donald Trump’s win in the New Hampshire primary, what are the implications and ripple effects as Texas’ primary day approaches?
The Republican Party of Denton County has issued a resolution calling for Brent Hagenbuch to drop out of race for District 30 of the Texas Senate. At issue: allegations that Hagenbuch doesn’t live in the district.
A federal appeals court has given a second chance to Mexico’s $10 billion lawsuit against gun manufacturers, one of the biggest potential setbacks for gun manufacturers in recent memory.
A new study from the University of Houston finds a rise in teen birth rates a year after Texas’ six-week abortion ban went into effect.
And: Analysis of the Supreme Court’s ruling on razor wire at the border.
The challenges facing Texas food banks as hunger rises
At least three members of Congress from North Texas have decided not to run for re-election. Is it a broader signal for Texas politics? Alexandra Samuels of Texas Monthly has more.
One man and thousands of open records requests: A push for government accountability? Or something else?
Texas veterinarians are keeping a close eye on the spread of a deadly respiratory illness affecting dogs. We’ll learn more about what to look for.
And Texas food pantries say they’re serving more families than ever.
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.
Is Houston still affordable?
An orange haze, a vicious wind, in some places visibility cut close to zero – is an exiting dust storm a warning of more? With high winds expected to return later this week, what the layers of dust across Texas may tell us about changes to our climate.
A recent survey from the U.S. Census Bureau revealed roughly four out of five Houstonians are stressed out about recent price increases – raising the question of whether Houston still deserves its long-held reputation as one of the most affordable large cities in the country.
Tens of thousands protest against the president in Mexico amid concerns about threats to elections there.
A bill set to raise the penalties for illegal voting in Texas gets the green light from a Senate committee.
On Rare Disease Day 2023, we’ll hear how advocates for people with such diseases are pushing for change.
And an online hack targeting Asian Texans.
What is a ‘constitutional sheriff’?
Inauguration ceremonies at the capitol lift the curtain and set the stage as the 88th legislature gets underway in earnest. We’ll have more on the inauguration of the Governor and the Lt. Governor. Also a prison hunger strike and allegations of retaliation. And the constitutional sheriffs movement and why advocates of police reform are concerned a vow to uphold the law is being twisted into something that subverts the law. Also 50 years of BBQ. The barbecue editor of Texas monthly on what’s changed in those decades, and it might be a lot more than you think. Plus, commentator W.F. Strong in celebration of Texas grammar, a Politifact check and more today on the Texas Standard:
New NSA recruitment effort underway in San Antonio
Sticker shock at the grocery store. We’ll explore whether and how pandemic disruptions continue to affect the food supply chain. Also the race-motivated mass shooting at an El Paso Walmart in 2019 ruptured a community and captured the world’s attention. But the prosecution of the shooter has languished. What’s happening now? We’ll explore. And Russia’s invasion of Ukraine kicked off a series of events that are now having an impact on the Texas Gulf Coast. We’ll explain. Plus one of San Antonio’s biggest employers is hiring. Now the secretive National Security Agency is sharing a bit about its Texas operation. And the playoff win on the road that broke a decades-long streak for the Cowboys. All of those stories and more today on the Texas Standard.
Texas Standard: May 3, 2022
“We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled” – that’s a quote from Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito in an opinion leaked last night. We’ll talk about what happens next on today’s show. Plus the cost increases for Operation Lone Star. As the border security mission drags on, it’s being funded by money meant for state agencies. And an intercontinental railway that will now bypass Texas. We’ll tell you why. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: December 13, 2021
The Texas secretary of state asks for detailed information on the 2020 presidential election from 4 Texas counties. Why? We’ll have more on whats described as phase two of a controversial audit of voting in Texas in the November 2020 elections. Also the national guard’s involvement in an ongoing border mission, and new concerns about soldier deaths, car crashes and other issues. And Texas grapefruit growers grow concerned over the future of their industry with a lifting of rules on imports. Plus an artist committing the tastes of her Texas community to canvas. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: September 27, 2021
A full forensic audit of the November vote in Harris, Dallas, Tarrant and Collin counties… but why? And why these four counties? The election audit was announced hours after a letter to the Governor from former President Trump. We’ll have the latest. Also, allegations of graft against Houston’s mayor results in the sacking of the person overseeing affordable housing. And call them signs of leadership: the former aide to Ann Richards finds a novel way to remind Texans of the former Governor’s legacy. The backstory on the Ann Banners. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: September 3, 2021
An early end to the special session at the capitol but the work far from over. Next up redrawing the political maps of Texas. As lawmakers gavel out a second special session, where do we stand and what comes next? A closer look with the editor of the quorum report. Also the search for a new permanent home for the battleship Texas as a piece of history battles the ravages of time. And 10 years after the most destructive fire in Texas history. What happened and what’s happened since. Plus the week in Texas politics with the Texas Tribune and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: July 13, 2021
Texas Democratic lawmakers board planes and leave the Lone Star State, putting the brakes on the special session. Now what? In a dramatic turn to break the Texas legislature’s quorum, more than 50 house members leave Texas for Washington DC, hoping to stop Republican-led proposals to tighten the state’s voting laws. As Republicans mull a procedural move that could allow law enforcement to track down the absent lawmakers, Texas democrats say they’ll be asking their federal colleagues to pass legislation to pre-empt the proposed changes to Texas voting laws. The latest on this fast developing story and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: October 22, 2019
Huge political news in the Lone Star state as one of the most powerful politicians in Texas government says he won’t seek reelection amid scandal. We’ll have the latest on House speaker Dennis Bonnens decision. Also, the Texas city once hyped as greenest in the nation is now suing to get out of its solar power deal. We’ll have the latest. And ex Baylor coach Art Briles returns to football, in a place even some locals were surprised to find him. Plus, how do so-called red flag gun laws work in real life situations? Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: November 8, 2018
Lost in large part in the immediate aftermath of the midterms: do you really know what’s changed in the Texas legislature? We’ll get you up to speed. Lt. Governor Dan Patrick may have held on to his partisan supermajority, but he may have a tougher fight over issues of social conservatism. Two state lawmakers, a Democrat and a Republican offer a reality check. Also, a gut check when it comes to probiotics. They’re all the rage, promising better digestion and better health, but a Texas researcher raises serious new questions. And did Texas shut down the world biggest marketplace for human trafficking? A politifact check and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: September 25, 2018
Proposed changes to legal immigration here in the U.S. that would especially affect the poor. We’ll take a look at the possible impacts. Plus, President Trump has signed the largest VA budget ever. What the money is going towards and where it’s coming from. And we’ll head to Sonora, Texas where unprecedented flooding has damaged hundreds of homes. Also we’ll hear how Texas waterways when not causing the damage like in that city, can provide access to parts of the state that are otherwise off-limits. Plus why Mexico’s new president-elect could change the messaging on birth control, and why Laredo city officials have found themselves in a tough position when it comes to next steps for a border wall. All those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: August 28, 2018
After NAFTA, now what? The president says a new trade deal with Mexico doesn’t need Canada along for the ride. What does it mean for Texas? We’ll take a look. Also, for only the second time ever, Texas politicians assemble to drum up support from the state’s disability community. Who’s saying what and do prospective voters like what they’re hearing? And Beto and Ted’s excellent adventure: why a filmmaker is turing a midterm Battle Royale into a motion picture. And starving in the Texas suburbs: hidden hunger and the effort to address it. Plus prehistoric insects buggin the Lone Star State? Those stories and so much more on today’s Texas Standard: