UT-Austin historian H.W. Brands is known for taking a very personal approach to history. This is an extended interview about his latest book, America First: Roosevelt vs. Lindbergh in the Shadow of War.
President
Plastic piles up as advanced recycling program in Houston struggles to get off the ground
Jefferson County, Texas, may not feel the brunt of Hurricane Francine but has prepared for any possible changes in the storm’s path.
Will last night’s presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump move the needle at all?
Campus libraries across Cy-Fair ISD are open only part of the time this year after trustees cut librarian positions in half.
An investigation into so-called “advanced recycling” in Houston reveals that hundreds of thousands of pounds of plastic waste have been piling up since 2022.
And: Elvis Presley wasn’t a Texan – but he owed the state a lot.
What VP Kamala Harris said at her Houston stop
The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee comes to Houston talking teachers, Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Andrew Schneider of Houston Public Media was at Kamala Harris’s speech to the American Federation of Teachers. We’ll hear what she had to say in her sprint toward the convention and Election Day.
How El Paso could teach the rest of Texas a thing or two about the future of managing water.
In the Panhandle, a federal plan to expand a wildlife refuge tenfold. Not everyone’s happy about it, either.
Corn or flour? Taco journalist Mando Rayo on some choices we Texans must face.
Plus, the week in politics with the Texas Tribune and poetry from Typewriter Rodeo.
Milk or meat? For modern cattle ranchers, the answer may be both
Texas is moving quickly toward primary day – but where are the debates? Why there’s been a decline in an election institution.
What the families of Uvalde victims are expecting as a grand jury examines law enforcement’s response to the Robb Elementary shooting.
Why Collin County seems to be playing an outsized role in Texas politics right now.
On Texas ranches, you’ve got dairy cows and bovine raised for beef. But the distinctions may be blurring. We’ll hear about a different sort of “cattle crossing.”
And concerns about the bestselling video game “Palworld,” which looks like “Pokémon” but plays like something much more grim.
As one special session ends, the next one begins
Has the Texas border become like the Iowa State Fair, a mandatory stop for Republican presidential candidates?
It’s a long, hot summer for Texas lawmakers as the governor calls another special session, focusing solely on property taxes.
Rethink35, the organization questioning another expansion of the interstate highway that cuts through Austin, has given up its legal battle – at least for now. Why other cities in Texas
are watching closely.
Also, how Muslims in Texas are celebrating a holiday often referred to as Big Eid.
The rock stars and unsung heroes of Texas guitar playing
2 years after the insurrection on Capitol Hill the implications of the event and its aftermath for Texas and Texans. We’ll have more. Also on this January 6th, a look at concerns about extremism among some who previously served their country in the military. And order in the court? Despite discrepancies in representation between men and women in many fields, Texas bucking national trends with what some have called a golden age of elected female judges. And taco journalist Mando Rayo serves up some tips for home cooking. Plus the greatest Texas guitarists of all time, the week in politics with the Texas Tribune and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: October 7, 2022
A major turning point for marijuana laws or more political smoke and mirrors? A sweeping pardon for federal marijuana possession convictions announced by president Biden. Though federal and state marijuana laws remain in place, what are the implications in Texas? And what else should Texans be looking for? We’ll explore with a top expert on drug policy at Rice University. Also Facebook’s gone Meta. Twitter may be going to Musk. Who’s the new king of social media and why does it matter? Also the week that was in Texas politics and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: April 1, 2022
The release of oil from the nation’s strategic reserves; an effort to lower gas prices but also turn up the heat on Texas oil and gas producers? Also, what’s believed to be a first of its kind conference for Texas’ nine historically Black colleges and universities set for Austin. And, the week in politics with the Texas Tribune. All this and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: January 27, 2022
With news of Stephen Breyer’s retirement, a Texas legal scholar offers an inside look at who might be on President Biden’s short list for the supreme court. Also, a new commodity for Texas farmers and ranchers that could help save the world; why so few are currently buying in. Plus, Omar Gallaga with some choice words about the Wordle craze. These stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: January 24, 2022
Austin has ’em, so does San Antonio–now, almost five years after Hurricane Harvey, Harris County officials are looking into massive underground tunnels to help with flooding. Also, why Texas is one of only four states where employment numbers have bounced back to pre-pandemic levels. And, Austin-based author on her new book exploring the Mexican American experience in Texas. Those stories and more, today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: April 5, 2021
2 trillion for infrastructure. The big push from the Biden administration. But what might those big plans mean for the Lone Star State? We’ll have details. Plus, going to a concert? Baseball game? Getting on a plane? You may need a passport for that. The push for and the controversy over so-called vaccination passports. Also Dr.Fred Campbell of UT Health San Antonio takes on more of your COVID-19 questions. And new lockdowns in other parts of the world and the ripple effects on Texas and the energy business. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: November 24, 2020
How did an agency that oversees managing office space and procuring supplies come to play such a role in the presidential transition? Gimme a T for transition: what changes and how for Team Biden with an election acknowledgement by a key government agency? Also, who Biden’s tapping for his administration and what it could mean for Texas. Plus Mexico’s president also slow to concede the outcome of the U.S. presidential election. What that could mean for relations with our crucial neighbors to the south. And before the family gatherings begin, a north Texas family offers a warning informed by experience. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: November 12, 2020
Texas crosses a critical 1 million mark in COVID-19 cases, and the governor sends help to Lubbock as hospitals reach capacity, we’ll have the latest. Other stories we are tracking: a post-election push to update voting machines in Texas’ biggest county. What’s wrong with the old ones? We’ll follow the paper trail, or lack thereof. Also the top vote getter in Texas history and what it says about the intersection of politics and how top judges get picked in Texas. Plus he was a Texas sharecroppers son in a Jim Crow Navy. Now a super carrier will bear his name. 8 decades after his heroics at Pearl Harbor, Dorie Miller gets his due. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: November 2, 2020
One final push before election day 2020. Where do we stand? And what should Texans be looking for as returns come in tomorrow? Reporters from our partners in Dallas, Houston, El Paso and more with the latest on the general election as we prepare for a final vote in the general election and what many expect to be a long final tally. Also the many issues voters will be deciding across the Lone Star State that often get squeezed out by the big banner headlines. Plus a celebration of 20 years of life in outer space and the death of a very good machine puts some El Paso musicians in the international spotlight. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: October 8, 2020
At least you could hear the candidates actually speak, but in a nation so politically polarized, did anything said in the vice presidential debate have the potential to affect the outcome? Also, the governor set to reopen more of Texas as COVID-19 cases stabilize. And one of the largest stock exchanges in the world moving from the Big Apple to the Big D? To be fair it’s only part of NASDAQ in talks with Texas, but it could be part of a seismic shift in high finance. Those stories and so much more on todays Texas Standard:
Kanye for President?
This week on The Breaks, Fresh and Confucius:
- Discuss Kanye’s West’s announcement that he is running for president.
- Touch on the impact of COVID-19 on Austin’s live music venues.
- Talk about ACL Radio’s Blues on the Screen curated by Jackie Venson.
- In his Unpopular Opinion, Fresh urges the biggest Black artists in Austin to speak out about their experiences of racism in the Austin music scene.
- In his Confucius Says, Confucius explains that loyalty is a two-way street.
Listen to this week’s episode of The Breaks
Texas Standard: June 2, 2020
The president threatens to send in federal military forces to control unrest if governors don’t take tougher steps to reign in looting. Can he do that? We’ll explore. As protests over police brutality targeting African-Americans and other people of color continue in many cities in Texas, we’ll bring you the latest. Also, amid unrest on the streets and the dangers of pandemic, Texas democrats kick off their statewide convention. And a tale of three big Texas cities set to take major economic hits. One will not fare as well as the others. Those stories and a lot more today on the National News Show of Texas:
Texas Standard: March 4, 2020
Joe Biden may have won the popular vote in Texas, but it wasn’t a bust for Bernie Sanders. What are the top Takeaways from Super Tuesday in the Lone Star State? Texans Matthew Dowd of ABC news, Karen Tumulty of the Washington post and Victoria de Francisco Soto of the LBJ school among the experts helping us decode the many messages from the ballot box. Plus Bloomberg’s big bet on Texas goes bust, debunking some dubious coronavirus claims and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: February 28, 2020
As Texas barrels toward Super Tuesday, democratic presidential candidates are scouring the state for delegates. We’ll hear how Elizabeth Warren says she plans to deal with some of the top issues facing Texas. Also another sort of battleground in the Lone Star State as parties scramble to get newcomers registered. Plus the week in Texas politics and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: February 18, 2020
As Bloomberg surges in the polls, his Texas strategy draws national attention, as another billionaire bets on Texas as a turning point. Our conversation with Tom Steyer on how the former hedge fund manager is pitching himself as an outsider here in the Lone Star State. Also on this first day of early voting, long time democratic members of congress from Texas facing challenges from progressives, in a fight for the soul of the party. Plus religious tattoos: new research suggests they’re making a distinctive mark. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard: