politics

Texas Standard: December 23, 2016

Twas the weekend of Christmas and all thru the state, the challenge of homelessness would not abate. Pregnant and homeless… how much room for compassion, with resources already stretched thin. Also one year ago a twisters ripped thru North Texas. Today, a return to ground zero to re-explore the ongoing efforts to rebuild a sense of community. And a few years ago, he wrote a song that said a little too much about holiday gatherings…and to his surprise it became a Texas classic. A conversation with Robert Earle Keene about christmas with the fam-o-leee. All that and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: December 16, 2016

A federal warning for pregnant women: do not travel to Brownsville. But what if you live there? What the new Zika warning means for a mother to be..today on the Standard.

Repeal and replace Obamacare. What’s that gonna mean for coverage? We’ll take it up today with the powerful Texas lawmaker who’s setting the stage right now with a rare recess conference on Capitol Hill.

Also, as holiday fliers prepare to deal with screaming babies on board, the one thing worse–and ways to cope.

Plus, could it happen this Christmas? A legendary honkytonk awaits the return of Gary Floater. But don’t hold your breath. Or maybe you should. All that and more…today on the Texas Standard.

Texas Standard: December 15, 2016

Don’t drink the water. Don’t even bother boiling it. Corpus Christi closes schools and lines form for bottled H2O in a fresh scare over safety. Details today on the Standard.

What’s afta NAFTA? With a promise from the President-elect to pull out of the trade deal, Congressman Will Hurd gets an earful from Texans living along the border. And we’ll hear from the Congressman.

And the energy capital of the US is…Denver? Colorado snags BP operations from Houston. What the move means for Texas.

Plus the best Texas book from 2016? The editor of Kirkus Reviews says nothing else comes close. We’ll hear his pick –and why. Plus a whole lot more all coming up today on the Texas Standard.

Texas Standard: December 14, 2016

The countdown is on- just 5 days left until a new rule takes effect across Texas, and no one’s quite sure how to implement it. The story today on the Texas Standard

Closing in fast on 500: across the border from what was recently called the safest city in the nation, a new surge in killings could shatter records. We’ll hear the backstory…

Also, a wave of resignations and a serious shortage of police in Dallas. This, only months after reports of an avalanche of applications from would be cadets.

And its official, but as Rick Perry prepares to be grilled for a gig as energy secretary, how do his past statements rate on the Truth-o-Meter? All that and much more today on the Texas Standard.

Texas Standard: December 13, 2016

Commerce, education and…the third one… I can’t…oh yes: Rick Perry has been tapped for energy secretary. Is he ready? The story today on the Standard.

Federal officials come to Texas and get an earful from parents of special ed students. We’ll hear what they heard.

Also, notes of dischord among musicians in Fort Worth have some big city symphonies trying to maintain harmony. We’ll hear how.

From frosted flakes to shoes and home appliances: the new political frontier– is everywhere and everything. How the politics of what we shop for affects the state of our union.

Plus, potential SCOTUS picks and more…turn it up y’all , it’s Texas Standard time.

Texas Standard: December 12, 2016

An oil industry tycoon from Wichita Falls and a hacking scandal involving presidential politics. What do they have in common? The story today on the Texas Standard.

As college students cram for finals, an tumultuous test for the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. One that could put the degrees of thousands of students in jeopardy.

Also, what’s the color of liquid gold? The west Texas town of Fort Stockton bets it’ll be crystal clear. We’ll hear why.

And the desiccation of the Alamo: will cooler heads prevail in the coming battle to save it?

Texas Standard: December 9, 2016

Breaking news: three top members of the Texas Veterinary board resign after a scathing state review. A state senator bites back today on the Texas Standard.

What’s the difference between a light drinker and a heavy drinker? It may be the genes. A possible breakthrough reported by a Texas researcher.

For the 30 thousand kids in the state’s troubled foster care system, a new plan to help them stay healthy, we’ll hear how it works.

One of the state’s best known Texas republicans opens up her political warchest to battle for women. The moment that sparked her outrage, and what she’s doing about it.

Plus the week in politics and much more—turn it up, it’s Texas Standard time.

Texas Standard: December 8, 2016

He’s one of the most colorful figures in Texas politics, and published reports say he’s a major source of fake news. His explanation? That’s today on the Texas Standard.

A state of emergency: with child deaths and case mismanagement making headlines, the Governor announces action to protect the most vulnerable kids in foster care. We’ll hear the plan.

A Texas measles epidemic by 2018? A warning from a top pediatrician about the state as a battleground over mandatory childhood vaccinations.

And a stir in education circles over a plan to force schools to share information about a child’s sexual orientation with parents.

Texas Standard: December 7, 2016

Not since 1787 has the US had a constitutional convention. Now, what was once considered the unthinkable looks possible. The story today on the Texas Standard

The problems of prognostication. Politics: you’re not alone. We’ll look at forecasting through an unlikely lens.

Also a new Texas rule to require burial of fetal remains–for those seeking an abortion, what this means as a practical matter.

They’re calling it the flooding capitol of the nation. It’s also set to become the third largest city in the US. As development continues, can a flood czar help? Or is it too late?

Texas Standard: December 5, 2016

After a phone call from Taiwan and a few tweets from the President-elect, a potential global crisis. A goof, or something more: the story today on the Standard

A pension plan meltdown that could leave Dallas bankrupt. But the rest of us are ok…right? The state controller warns, this could hurt all of Texas. He’ll tell us how and why.

Guess who’s making a massive new investment in drilling in the Gulf of Mexico? Here’s a hint: its initials are B and P.

And the bizarre disappearance of 300 rare blind salamanders from a Federal research center in Texas. Some wonder if they’re part of a black market in exotic animal trafficking. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard.

Texas Standard: December 2, 2016

Another teenage suicide in Texas blamed on Cyberbullying. Now attention turns to David’s law. A conversation with David’s father today. Plus a second surge at the border: a catholic nun providing emergency relief there gets an audience today with Senator Cruz. We’ll hear her message to Washington. And after the protests, what then? As environmental activists calculate action in a trump era, they might want to take a tip from Texas. We’ll explain. And a new multimillion dollar stadium, a new professional baseball team, but no name until now. We’ll hear about the name from the man who came up with it. That plus the week in politics and much more…no matter where you are, its Texas Standard time:

Texas Standard: November 30, 2016

Not since 2008 has OPEC cut oil production. But now, it appears, it’s happening. And it’s raising prices and moods across Texas, we’ll have the latest. Also two chambers, two republican leaders, two very different ways of doing business, and two very different agendas. What’s the divide between lieutenant governor Dan Patrick and House Speaker Joe Strauss means for the rest of us. And what do phrases like extraordinary rendition have to do with a women’s privacy bill- or even the alt-right? What’s in the labels we use and whether they’re really worth fighting over. And do bag bans really make people sick? Politifact weighs in and much more today on the Standard:

Texas Standard: November 25, 2016

Improving education: a lot of Texans know the talk, but a Texas lawmaker walk the walk. We’ll meet him and hear his strategy. Plus as mainstream media continues to wrestle with how they got the election so wrong, what’s next? How the events and the outcome of campaign 2016 translate for tomorrow’s journalists. Plus free stuff. Anybody up for that? Viral videos claim to teach consumers how to get expensive high tech goodies without paying. We’ll explore the truth behind the claims. Also a conversation with one of the Lone Star State’s best known film makers: Richard Linklater. Plus the week in Texas politics and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: November 18, 2016

According to some in Sacramento, the election outcome is an existential threat. Has California become the new Texas? Plus Texas has legalized the medical use of cannabis oil, but the fees for doing business may make it impossible. A co author of the bill wonders if that wasn’t part of the plan, we’ll hear from her. Also, a prominent public figure delivers a concession speech: only this one’s not politics, it’s football. We’ll hear what the fuss is about, and why it matters in a larger sense. Plus a Texas history textbook from the 1950’s rediscovered, and reviewed. And the week in politics and much more coming up today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: November 17, 2016

Oreos, Netflix, New Balance, Amazon: consumer boycotts as a proxy for the ballot box. But who’s buying it, and do they work? We’ll explore. Also he campaigned to repeal and replace Obamacare, but what would Trumpcare mean for texans? We’ll look at the range of possibilities. Plus the changing of the guard in Washington could leave a few holes in Texas politics. Who’ll fill the seats, and how. Also, did he really sell his soul to the devil? As San Antonio prepares to celebrate an iconic bluesman, a few myths get broken along the way. And the robots are coming: whose jobs will they take? Those stories and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: November 15, 2016

Money, religion and wait, there’s something else that’s not part of polite conversation, right? Talking politics at work: a how to guide. We’ll explore. Also in the ongoing stare down between Texas and the EPA, did someone just blink? We’ll explore why Washington regulators are taking Texas off a clean air blacklist. The iconic retailer Neiman Marcus build its brand selling luxury goods to the wealthy, now it soon may be looking for a shopper of another sort, we’ll explain. And how much would you pay for the handcuffs used on Lee Harvey Oswald …do I hear 50 thousand dollars? Also remembering Gwen Ifill and much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: November 11, 2016

The supreme court’s docket could get much lighter with a few strokes of the pen, and the impact for Texas could be profound. Plus the President elect promised to drain the swamp. But a Texas republican with first hand experience staffing the white house says that’s gonna be messier than Mr.Trump might imagine. We’ll hear why. And in the wake of Tuesday, how are conversations going around your dinner table? We’ll have some words of wisdom on how to keep the heat in the kitchen when relatives want to talk politics. Plus the week that was according to the Texas Tribune and much more today on the Texas Standard:

Election Results 2016

No matter which party you voted for last Tuesday, this election has revealed a lot about the psychology of our country. There is a lot of anger, alienation, and fear on both sides and it will take hard work to recover and move forward.

We might not be ready to do so now, and that is okay. We are all feeling the effects of the aftermath, and it can be tough to get a sense of perspective; in either victory or defeat.

However, in this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke, offer a few words of advice on how we can repair, forgive, and move on.

Texas Standard: November 10, 2016

Is governor Perry going to Washington after all? Why the president elect may be looking to Texas to fill some top jobs, we’ll explore. Also, a prominent congressman from Texas tells us the Senate should kill the filibuster. Not that there’s no precedent for such a rule change, as Senate democrats may recall. Plus Wendy Davis tells us this week’s vote stands for something perhaps less obvious: the need for a new focus on education. We’ll hear her explanation and the potential for a democrat challenge to Ted Cruz in 2018. And tips for your weekend getaway, how to eat tacos and write about them too and much more, today on the Texas Standard: