Mask mandates, Mask directives and the 9 lawsuits against school districts coming from the Texas Attorney General’s Office. We’ll look at the latest. Also there are no easy answers for Foster care in Texas. The state continues facing challenges. And the heart breaking reality of a rising number of young kids who struggle with suicidal thoughts. There’s some help for parents and caregivers. And a new book on Texas politics. The title? “One Star and Bloody Knuckles”… that should tell you something. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
politics
Texas Standard: September 10, 2021
The US attorney general says the Texas abortion law is one “all Americans should fear” in announcing a legal challenge to new abortion restrictions in Texas. We’ll hear about the justice departments plans. Plus officials hesitant to issue sweeping vaccine mandates out of fears of being sued may have it all wrong. So says a Texas scholar, we’ll hear why. And veterans, Gen-Z and 9/11… how different groups of Texans are reflecting on the attacks of 20 years ago. Plus the week in politics 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: 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 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: August 13, 2021
Texas by the numbers: new census details for the Lone Star State kick off a new round of redistricting with major political implications. 5 of the 10 fast growing municipalities in the country are in Texas, according to the new census numbers, and Texas stands to pick up two more seats in Washington as a result of all the growth. We’ll do the numbers and discuss what that means for the state’s political maps. Also the pickup truck capitol of the world, poised to become ground zero for building the electric pickups of the future? And the week in politics with the Texas Tribune and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: August 9, 2021
With the Delta COVID variant spreading and a gubernatorial mask mandate in place what are local officials to do? Some say mandate masks anyway. More today on the Texas Standard. A battle over mask mandates and why the issue could end up in court. Also, what parents are thinking about a return to school. Vaccine mandates at the federal level, why enforcing them is proving to be a challenge. The great bitcoin migration from China and why many miners are coming to Texas to dig for virtual gold.
And growing up in the Lone Star State–two authors look for a common thread that binds some of the best known figures of modern Texas history. Those stories and a whole lot more.
Texas Standard: August 6, 2021
As the Delta COVID variant spreads rapidly nationwide, what’s the big picture looking like for Texas? A new model provides some answers. That and more today on the Texas Standard.
A spike in COVID cases or something more? Researchers at the University of Texas have a better idea of the Delta variant’s trajectory- and we’ll hear what they’re projecting.
An increase in migrants and asylum seekers reaching a tipping point in McAllen as city leaders begin building shelters, calling it as matter of public safety. We’ll hear more.
And the new official Texas state fungi? No, it’s not some guy named McConaughey, we’re talking mushrooms- and a whole lot more.
Texas Standard: August 5, 2021
As front line workers warn of the spread of the Delta variant, a top Texas pediatric doctor intensifies warnings about back to school. That today on the Texas Standard.
The latest from the pediatrician in chief at Texas Children’s Hospital says 80% of new hospital admissions are COVID related. We’ll hear an update.
Also, the close of a special session brought to an early standstill. What comes next? And will anything change?
And, the threat to cutoff capitol pay- if you’ve put in the work, aren’t you entitled to the money, period? Yes. Unless there’s a loophole, and a Texas law professor says there is one. Those stories and more.
Texas Standard: August 4, 2021
Back to school? How’s that going to work with Texas now a top state for the spread of a new COVID variant. That and more on today’s Texas Standard.
Rates of COVID infection are back up near pandemic highs in Texas and younger and unvaccinated people appear to be more vulnerable to the Delta variant. And schools are scrambling to get ready. We’ll talk with reporters in Dallas and El Paso and get the latest.
Also, Governor Abbott’s executive order restricting the transportation of migrants is dealt a blow by a federal judge. And what is it that makes Texas gymnast Simone Biles the greatest of all time. Those stories and more.
Texas Standard: August 3, 2021
A call out for more nurses to respond to a health care crisis in the coastal bend as hospital reach a critical point in caring for COVID patients. More today on the Texas Standard.
As many parts of Texas sound the alarm over the rapid spread of the Delta Variant, local officials scramble to come up with answers. We’ll hear from the judge of Nueces County issuing an all cal for nurses, and from a doctor in Temple who says she’s seeing more severe cases among pregnant women than at any time in the pandemic. Also, an effort to deal with food insecurity through food literacy. And the search for true history of the battle of Medina. All those stories and more.
Texas Standard: August 2, 2021
The expiration of an eviction moratorium. What comes next for hundreds of thousands of Texans behind on rent? A closer look today on the Texas Standard.
Other stories we are tracking: the federal government sues the state of Texas over a new order from the governor restricting the transportation of migrants. We’ll have details. Also a new chapter for a legendary Texas publishing house. The impact of the switch to the SEC for student athletes. Spiritual healers from the borderlands and their often overlooked impact and legacy. And a surprise victory for a Texas republican whose challenger was endorsed by Trump. What happened? Those stories and more.
Texas Standard: July 30, 2021
We’re going into another academic year that will be impacted by the pandemic. What we know now about how it’s affected student progress. Also, the DACA program can no longer accept new applicants based on a Texas judge’s ruling. So what’s that mean going forward? And the pandemic’s impact on employment has meant some gains for Americans with disabilities. What employers can learn. Also the pandemic’s partly responsible for Texas’ frenzied housing market. But will the bubble burst? We’ll ask an expert. We’ll also remember a dark day in Texas history, 55 years ago. And we’ll wrap up our Friday with the top news from this week in Texas politics. All of that today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: July 26, 2021
As a new variant of COVID-19 takes hold in Texas, we’re learning about one of the deadliest places to be in Texas after the pandemic hit. After the pandemic first gripped Texas, veterans homes overseen by George P. Bush suffered fatality rates of 25% or more, well above the statewide average for nursing homes. We’ll talk to one of the investigative reporters behind these new findings. Also, the Governor’s bid for re-election: two challengers so far, but how much of a contest is it shaping up to be? And an effort to turn back time at Fort Stocktons Comanche Springs plus a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: July 23, 2021
After the winter outages, Texans have been demanding a rethink of the Texas electricity market. Is it finally coming? Weathering criticism for its handling of winter outages, The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, announces a redesign of the electricity market. We’ll explore the planned changes and what they add up to. Also, is Mexico breaking the free trade agreement with its Mexico-first oil policy? A bipartisan group of Texans asks President Biden to intervene. And endangered sea turtles on the Texas coast, now facing a new threat. Those stories and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:
The Electricity Game
How did we get the power grid we have today? Andrew Weber has the story — and it involves football, subterfuge and a whole lot of lobbyists.
You can find a full transcript of this episode here.
Texas Standard: July 21, 2021
The special session walkout: a stalemate? Or could this add up to a new political math in Texas longer term? A new group of younger Texas democrats willing to sharpen their message and their elbows, see the walkout as energizing the base and perhaps changing the political mix longer term. But are they right? We’ll explore. Also, Texans going for the gold in Japan…though the cloud of COVID-19 hangs over the Olympics, a view from a Texan in Tokyo covering the games. And in a Texas city known for its distinctive sound, a distinctive new installation aimed at the ears. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: July 19, 2021
A Texas judge puts the brakes on a program designed to defer deportations of younger migrants to the U.S. We’ll hear about the implications, short and long term, for the DACA program after a federal judge in Houston rules it unlawful. Also, 5 Texas democratic lawmakers who left the Lone Star State to protest proposals for new voting restrictions have tested positive for COVID-19, and Texas doctors voice concerns about rising numbers of juvenile and adolescent covid cases. We’ll have the latest. Plus Van Horn Texas prepares for its moment in the national spotlight. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: July 16, 2021
A plane trip back to Austin for Texas Democrats, courtesy of the House speaker. We’ll have the latest in a huge political stalemate still unfolding. With Texas Democratic House and Senate members in D.C. right now, a maneuver to deny a quorum and stop legislation to further restrict voting in Texas. The political theatre is getting more dramatic with very real political fallout. Also, with Texas growing exponentially the state transportation department wants to spend billions widening highways, but some are wondering if that mindset should be thrown into reverse. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: July 9, 2021
For some communities in Texas when it rains, it pours. We’ll speak with the mayor of Rockport about the ongoing storms. Plus, a look at how vulnerable Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton may be on his next bid for office. And how proving that major transportation projects do not discriminate against riders can unleash massive amounts of money from the federal government. And how the punishment for a men’s soccer team is affecting a women’s soccer team, today on the Texas Standard: