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:
politics
Texas Standard: July 6, 2021
Today is the day when you will learn what SB7 stands for. In short it’s the voting bill that was killed but could come back, we’ll have the latest. Also, Immigration courts are re-opening today after being out for a year, we’ll have details. Plus, are you one of the 3.4 million Texans who are caring for an adult family member? It’s pricey and it’s uncomfortable to put a price tag on their care, but there may be some help on the way. And do you know your history? What about your Asian American history? And speaking of history and historic moments – the story of the first astronaut to do an untethered space walk. All of that and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: July 2 , 2021
There’s outings and get-togethers planned. The weekend mood for many is celebratory. But doctors worry about COVID-19 variants, we’ll have details. Also, COVID-19 may have been the biggest work-place hazard to our health in 2020 but there are other things affecting workers then and now, we’ll tell you more. We’ll also talk about the when, the who, the what… every question you may have about why are other Republican Governors are sending their law enforcement to the Texas-Mexico border? And trees are much more than a marker for a healthy environment, they can also signal class and even race if you look at which neighborhoods can have trees and which ones cannot. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: June 25, 2021
Texas lawmakers are coming back to the capitol for a special session. But what’s going to be on the agenda? We’ll have a few predictions. Plus: accountability. That’s at least one thing critics say has been lacking in the way the Army handles sexual assault and harassment cases. Efforts to change that. And for a small college a big financial gift opens up huge opportunities. The story from Odessa. And in Austin: understanding an incredible spike in housing prices. Plus even DJ Screw’s biggest fans admit there’s a lot they don’t know about the late, great Hip Hop icon. A new attempt to delve deeper. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: June 18, 2021
For the third time the Supreme Court struck down a challenge to overturn the Affordable Care Act. So is the fight over? We’ll explore. Also, Governor Greg Abbott has until Sunday to veto items from the legislative session. A look at how much power the Governor holds in that process. And the results are in for some statewide standardized tests. What they tell us about how the pandemic may have affected learning. Plus, for the first time this weekend’s Juneteenth celebrations are part of a federal holiday. The story behind a new mural in Galveston and a challenge to confront the country’s history. And we’ll have a special nod to Father’s Day. All of that and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: June 11, 2021
Governor Abbott wants Texas to build more border wall and says state police can intervene with crossers. We’ll take a closer look. Also, Beto O’Rourke has long been rumored as a potential challenger to Abbott. But what do the numbers say about his chances after losing two other races? Plus a Bexar County Sheriff’s officer used a taser on a 16 year-old in a migrant shelter. What the incident might reveal about the system. And what consumers need to know about Apple’s renewed efforts on privacy. Also, how theatre programs survived the pandemic and are moving forward now and a whole lot more on todays Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: June 7, 2021
Wins in Texas for the GOP this weekend, but also some party turmoil. Who’s in charge? We’ll take a closer look. Also, we’ve been living with COVID-19 for a long, hard while now. But we’re continuing to learn about it. What some Texas researchers say the virus does to hide in your body. And a big international business deal in Houston has some scratching their heads and could pose some risks for those living in the area. We’ll explore. Plus, we’ll take a look at a San Antonio business and the hard lessons its learned during the pandemic. And what exactly is critical race theory and how will recent moves affect what’s taught in Texas classrooms? We’ll hear from an educator. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: June 4, 2021
It is being described as one of the most important elections in Mexico’s history and the implications for Texas could be enormous. We’ll have more on the stakes for Texas as voters go to the polls this weekend in Mexico. Also, a major energy pipeline as a target for hackers? Foreseeable. But why was a slaughterhouse hit by a cyberattack, and what are the lessons for Texas? We’ll take a closer look. Plus the lone Black freshman representative in the Texas House on lessons learned from the just concluded session, and what comes next. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: May 31, 2021
It’s Memorial Day and we have a special show for you. “Overlooked No More: How Asian Texans Shape the State”. Here on the Texas Standard.
We’ll talk about How the Asian American community has changed from 1870 – the first time the US census counted people from China to today.
We’ll meet a group called the “Pershing Chinese” – a story of Chinese immigration through Mexico.
Then, we’ll travel to the border where a vibrant Filipino community settled.
Is it time to re-evaluate the holidays we celebrate in Texas???
Plus, K-Pop and activism. And, the state of jobs and healthcare during COVID.
Texas Standard: May 28, 2021
There’s been many memorable Legislative sessions in Texas. This one promises to go down in the history books, too.
An observer with the quorum report calls the session “a buffet of red meat”
Jumping off to COVID-19 news: no one is rushing to get vaccinated anymore. How can the state of Texas motivate people to get the shot?
Also the US Energy Secretary is visiting Texas and she made a stop at the Texas Standard.
And, could a complete re-framing of Israeli-Palestinian relations finally lead to a solution in the region?
It’s a a new mindset with a Texas perspective.
All that and more.
Texas Standard: May 21, 2021
Days after marking zero COVID-19 deaths, Texas hits a grim milestone. How will the state prioritize federal funding for pandemic relief? Also, state lawmakers get closer to passing the state’s two-year budget. We ask how schools will fare. Plus why opponents to Texas’ restrictive new abortion law may have trouble challenging it. And fewer people are being sentenced to death across the country, but a new report shows there may not be adequate defense for those facing life-in-prison sentences. And what the 50th anniversary of the dedication of the LBJ Presidential Library and Museum reveals about Texas then and now. Those stories and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: May 14, 2021
A change in CDC guidelines on masks, new COVID-19 variants, vaccinations for kids as young as 12. Are we at a new inflection point? Top infectious disease expert Dr.Peter Hotez of the Baylor College of Medicine on where we stand in the pandemic fight and what challenges are ahead. Also, tax breaks for big business projects. Who really pays the price? The Houston Chronicle’s been taking a closer look, and we’ll hear about it. And a Spur for the spirit of San Antonio: pro basketball legend Tim Duncan set to be inducted into the NBA hall of fame. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: May 7, 2021
Changes to the states election laws approved by the house in the wee small hours of this morning. So what happens next? Richard Pineda of the University of Texas El Paso on the battle in the Texas legislature over more restrictions for what some voting rights groups claim are already some of the toughest voting rights rules in the nation. Also in a state with one of the biggest muslim populations in the U.S., not a single state lawmakers is a Muslim. How some in the Texas Muslim community are trying to offset a lack of direct representation. Plus a Grammy winner’s tribute to coastal Texas and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: April 30, 2021
Where’d the 11 billion go? Now there’s a plan for federal pandemic aid money for Texas public schools. Emily Donaldson of the Dallas Morning News education lab on how badly needed federal aid will be distributed to Texas public schools. Also it’s election day tomorrow and one of the most talked about ballot measures in the state will be decided in Lubbock. How that city found itself at the center of the debate over abortion restrictions. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: April 23, 2021
As rates of vaccination rise in Texas, the number of Texans seeking vaccines is tapering off – raising concerns. A closer look today on the Texas Standard.
Some parts of Texas are now closing vaccination hubs as demand falls. Though, a majority of Texans have yet to be vaccinated at all. We’ll find out why this is happening and what it could mean for efforts to reach herd immunity.
Also who’s minding the militias? A push to update and enforce Texas laws against private militias in the wake of the January 6th storming of the US capitol.
And a question many Texans are asking: why so many caterpillars? Those stories and more.
Texas Standard: April 16, 2021
As another mass shooting makes headlines, victims families and survivors of a mass shooting in Texas make their case against the Air Force. The case underway in a San Antonio courtroom asks whether the Air Force should be held liable in the Sutherland Springs church shooting in which 26 people were killed, 20 others injured in 2017. We’ll have the latest. Also amid a debate over so called vaccine passports, a proposal in Texas that would change the way records for vaccinations are collected by the state. Plus how Ramadan is becoming more and more a part of the multicultural fabric of Texas. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: April 9, 2021
Allegations of abuse at a migrant detention center for unaccompanied minors in San Antonio. What’s known and what’s not. Other stories we’re tracking, a booster shot for efforts to get more Texans vaccinated against COVID-19 by putting the clinic on wheels. We’ll hear the how and why. Plus a bill to bring broadband to rural Texas, as well as urban areas that can’t get connected. What the proposal does and doesn’t do, when it comes to an increasingly critical piece of the infrastructure puzzle. And how waste is suddenly affecting a way of life in south Texas. Those stories and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: April 2, 2021
Voting during the pandemic brought a specific set of challenges. Now, Texas lawmakers are considering measures that would restrict workarounds. Today on the Texas Standard.
Another much-watched issue in Austin right now is what lawmakers are going to do about problems with the Texas electric grid revealed during February’s deadly winter storm. We’ll have the latest.
Plus, along with the huge numbers of valid unemployment claims Texas has seen during the pandemic, there’s an uptick in fraudulent claims made by folks who are stealing identities. We’ll break down the challenge.
And, a big award nomination for a little library out west and the latest in our effort to track COVID-19 vaccination distribution.
Today on the Texas Standard.
Texas Standard: March 26, 2021
After mass shooting incidents in Georgia and Colorado, Texas lawmakers considering several measures to expand gun rights. A review of gun legislation moving through the Texas legislature. Also, redrawing the political maps of the state, almost certain to be delayed. And what does this mean for the future of Texas elections? And calls for Texas to rework the power grid to adapt to climate change, the latest in our listener vaccine tracker, the week in Texas politics with the Texas Tribune and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: March 19, 2021
The Asian American community in Texas and beyond demanding change in the wake of shootings in Atlanta. Also, after concerns at Forth Hood and elsewhere about sexual harassment complaints being ignored. What’s the army doing to change things? And an ongoing journey helping immigrants and refugees navigate healthcare in the U.S. Plus Texas families struggling with virtual learning. Also a film about a Texas whistleblower and the line between breaking the law and speaking out to stop violations of the law. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard: