poetry

Rare ‘Cattle Tyrant’ spotting dominates birders’ attention

Traumatic injuries are the leading cause of death in the U.S. for people under 45, and the odds of survival may depend on what part of the state you’re in. Lauren Caruba of the Dallas Morning News joins us to talk about a new investigation.

The Texas Standard’s Sean Saldaña has the latest on what some may see as contradictory signals in new employment numbers in Texas.
Are Texas roads considerably less congested? Why a new state-mandated report may raise some eyebrows.

And why the visit of a Cattle Tyrant to Corpus Christi drew excited fans from far and wide. The Standard’s Raul Alonzo explains.

Hospice

We’ll all have unavoidable goodbyes on Earth. The details may be different but those left living will undoubtedly face big and complex and changing feelings. This Typewriter Rodeo poem offers one experience as an example.

How to Go For a Walk

It’s one way to enjoy your neighborhood and maybe work up a little sweat. But do you need a little motivation to go for a walk? This Typewriter Rodeo poem says you can’t do it wrong.

Is this the end of efforts to keep Fairfield Lake State Park public?

For the first time in modern memory, the Texas House is set to take up a school voucher-like plan.

How do you put a price tag on a state park? We’ll hear more about the challenges facing Texas Parks and Wildlife as it tries to reclaim parkland purchased by developers.

In a dramatic U-turn this week, China’s president appears to be trying to warm up to the U.S. Some clues as to why might be found in a new report from the Dallas Federal Reserve.

Also: What some forecasters are calling a “super El Niño” is coming soon to Texas.

Celebrating the Positive

Sometimes the outlook is bleak — or even downright awful. Even in the worst case scenario, some find hope in identifying the good. That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.

How Texas lowering requirements to become a teacher in the 2000s impacted the profession

As the first week of a fourth special session draws to a close, the Senate passes a voucher-like plan for education.

A teacher shortage and what a new study tells us about the implications of past plans to bring in and retain teachers in Texas classrooms.

The independent market monitor for the Texas power grid steps down after blowing the whistle on what she claims were artificially inflated energy prices.

Texas, once a red-hot housing market, has lost a lot of sizzle, yet many still struggle to get a house of their own. We’ll take a closer look at what’s happening.

Plus, the week in politics with the Texas Tribune and poetry with the Typewriter Rodeo.

Emmitt Smith’s latest move is fighting opioid overdoses

Texas governor Greg Abbott’s prediction a school voucher bill would pass now looks unlikely as the latest special session winds down.

Legendary running back and three-time Super Bowl champ Emmitt Smith teams up with NARCAN to reduce opioid deaths.

How Texans cross into neighboring New Mexico for abortions. We’ll have a special report.

A Texas town’s long-lost photos go on display. What residents hope to learn about their past.

And how a notorious monster has helped generations of parents get children to behave – especially at bedtime. Kristin Cabrera explains the Cucuy.

The Ozark Howler

Texas Standard has been Tracking Texas Cryptids. Some are known for their distinctive appearance. Others are known for their unique sounds. That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.

Neighborhood Halloween

Some blocks are trick-or-treat duds — no porch lights on, no one ready with the Halloween candy, no one home? Other blocks, are like the one that inspired this Typewriter Rodeo poem. (And maybe, there’s even the full-sized candy bar house!)

The Jackalope

The Texas Standard team is Tracking Texas Cryptids this spooky season. There’s La Lechuza, the Hairy Man of Round Rock — and the Jackalope? One of these is a bit more adorable than abominable. That was the inspiration of this Typewriter Rodeo poem.

The science on why it’s fun to be scared

Recriminations over donations and demands for a high-level resignation: What’s behind the latest political fight between Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan?

The Senate green-lights a voucher-like plan to provide public money for private school tuition. Matthew Watkins of the Texas Tribune joins us with more on the week in politics.

How to safely view Saturday’s annular eclipse over Texas.

Ken Burns returns with a new PBS series on the American Buffalo.

And: On Friday the 13th in this spookiest month, why so many folks love to get scared.

The Beast of Bear Creek

This spooky season, Texas Standard is Tracking Texas Cryptids. The Typewriter Rodeo team is also in on the hunt. The target of this poem is said to live in Kimble County.

Ken Paxton whistleblower says his fight is not over

He was one of the whistleblowers against Attorney General Ken Paxton, and he says his fight is not over.

What appears to be a 180° turn by the Biden Administration as it waves environmental laws and resumes construction work on a border wall in South Texas.

Hundreds of thousands of Texans dropped from Medicaid rolls post-‘peak COVID’ – some wrongly so, whistleblowers say – due to errors at the state health department.

What could be an epic football battle this weekend: the Red River Rivalry. Are the Longhorns back, for real?

Also, the week in Texas politics with the Texas Tribune.

Music Festivals

With temperatures (finally) cooling down, music festival season is ramping up across Texas. That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.

Why homeschooling is on the rise across the ideological spectrum

Sean Theriault of UT-Austin with a look at why government shutdowns have become so common, and what needs to happen to avoid another come Sunday.

The summer of 2023 was the second hottest on record in Texas. But for renters, air conditioning isn’t legally required — at least not everywhere in the state.

Over the past couple of years, there’s been a shift in the way that many Texans school their kids, with more folks opting for homeschooling – for reasons that span the political spectrum, or lie completely outside it.

Writer Andrew Leland on losing his vision and the struggle to understand the changes, as told in his new memoir, “The Country of the Blind.”

Why the Barbie Movie is Causing so Many Break-Ups: Some Theories

The Barbie film was one of the summer’s runaway hits. Some may be still feeling ripple effects from it. That inspired this Typewriter Rodeo poem.

Summer’s Over

The last official day for summer in 2023 is Sept. 23. Though the temperatures haven’t really changed that much yet, many are embracing the early signs of fall. That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.

The Benefits of Cheese

Some Typewriter Rodeo poems are serious. Some are timely. This one is about cheese.

An old shipwreck was found in coastal East Texas. What’s in it?

The Pentagon says it is likely that the head of a failed coup in Russia was killed, though questions swirl around the incident.

The digital divide in Texas was brought into sharp relief during the height of COVID. Now lawmakers are trying to bridge the gap between those with broadband and those without.

As the water line recedes along the Neches, a shipwreck emerges outside of Beaumont.

With the return of Friday night lights across the Lone Star State, there’s a new effort to protect referees from overly aggressive fans.

Summer Training

While school is beginning again, the calendar still reads summer — and so does the temperature gauge. This Typewriter Rodeo poem embraces the challenge of exercising in the heat. Still, be careful out there!