A few years ago, six longtime friends — all retired — decided to form a ukulele band together. It wasn’t really planned, but after one of them decided to take up the instrument as a hobby, five more followed suit. Now they all meet up every week to catch up, chat, and play the ukulele together as the ‘Austin Ukuladies.’
Retirement
Texas Standard: June 13, 2022
Less than democrats hoped for but more than they expected, that’s how a new bipartisan gun safety deal, led in part by Texas Senator John Cornyn, is being characterized by some. We’ll hear what’s in it and what isn’t. Also, the tight market for homes in Austin and elsewhere in Texas; would-be homebuyers might be surprised what they’re up against. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: November 23, 2021
After 30 years in Congress, a top Texas Democrat decides not to run for another term. Our conversation with Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson. Also, small town Texas was once a haven for those fleeing rising home prices in Texas’ cities. Not so much anymore. The Texas Standards Jill Ament on housing affordability in small town Texas. And a house divided: a split at a Fort Worth church leaves congregants picking sides and picking up the pieces. And what’s been described as a victory for the Land Back movement as ancestral burial grounds in Presidio are returned to the Lipan Apache. Those stories and much more on todays Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: November 19, 2021
More than 20 Texas representatives say they won’t be seeking re-election next year. The latest to announce, one of the most senior members of the house. Our conversation with Garnet Coleman of Houston on why after 30 years, he’s stepping aside. Plus from natural disasters to COVID-19, Army and Air National Guard troops have been on the front lines. Now signs of strain in the ranks of the guard. We’ll have the latest. Also a more complicated history of Thanksgiving than the story so often retold and how to talk about it with kids. Plus the week in politics with the Texas Tribune and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: October 1, 2019
Another Texas Republican retirement from Washington, this one coming as a shock to some but seems different to others. We’ll have the latest. Also, frustration and confusion in the Texas capitol city over the school district’s plan to shut down a dozen schools. We’ll take a look. Plus, a lack of access to healthcare is reaching crisis level is some rural parts of Texas. Why hospitals are closing and what can be done about it. And the transgender community in Dallas is reeling after the shooting of yet another trans woman. What we know about the problem. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: April 4, 2019
Texas house lawmakers give the green light to a 9 billion dollar school funding bill plus a teacher pay raise. But what happens next will be critical. Also, after a slap on the wrist from the nation’s high court, a major change coming to Texas’ execution chamber. We’ll have the what and why. Also, the pay gap for women in tech. And what could be rare bipartisan action in congress, this time to deal with what some call a retirement savings crisis. Plus your weekend trip tip and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: March 1, 2019
Surprise! You thought you were insured but got an unexpected medical bill. Now a plan to help Texas patients left holding the bag, we’ll have the latest. Plus a new attempt to clear a backlog of untested rape kits statewide, we’ll have details. And for seniors, independent living facilities can be costly. That’s why one Texan’s alternative retirement plan is making national headlines, we’ll talk to him. Also, mariachi is nothing new, but here’s what is: a statewide festival of students embracing the tradition. We’ll look at why it marks a turning point of sorts. All of those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: January 31, 2019
First the ranches, then the big cities. Come 2020, is the next great political battleground in the Lone Star State the suburbs? We’ll take a closer look. Also, senator John Cornyn now warning fellow Republicans that President Trump could lose Texas in 2020. Is the Lone Star State no longer reliably red? The answer might be found in the suburbs. And although the Permian basin’s booming, we might be on the road to a new foreign energy dependence, we’ll hear why. All that and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: July 30, 2018
Retired Texas teachers say they feel let down by a vote that could mean lower pension checks. We’ll explore the impact and the next steps. Also a multi-million dollar settlement involving a Houston-area refinery accused of doing too much polluting. We’ll look at the legal moves that made it happen. Plus, the story of a small town principal jailed for murder and the questionable evidence that put him there. And when wildfires pop up across Texas it’s often volunteer firefighters that are there first to put out the flames. We’ll look at why many volunteer departments are struggling. And keep an eye on your cacti. The insects that could destroy your xeriscape, yuck up your yucca and obliterate your agave. All of that and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: July 26, 2018
Deadline day on the Texas Mexico border: a federal judge orders immigrant family reunifications completed by today. Will it happen? We’ll have the latest. Also, Texas has some of the least restrictive gun laws in the U.S., but a decision in the most liberal district in the US is taking gun rights much further, finding a constitutional right to openly carry firearms. We’ll explore the implications. And what is the fastest growing segment of the workforce? If you’re thinking millennials, think again. The rush for jobs among people 75 and older. Plus the centuries old book about an expedition to Florida that may be the most important book about early Texas: now, a new chapter for 21st century readers. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: January 15, 2018
With just under two months til primary voters go to the polls in Texas, the US supreme court wants to weigh in on the state’s election maps. We’ll explore what that means. Also, after a bitter legislative session in 2017, an unlikely coalition of republicans and democrats are going after the Lt. Governor, and there are signs that his allies are worried. We’ll hear the backstory. And Gen Xers worried about retirement: how much does it take to retire in Texas? Also, Sex and the single cow? More like single sex cows at the center of new legal battles. And a Texas musician retools a rock classic, and it smells like Teen Sprite. Those stories and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard: