For the first time in centuries, an American-built – and more specifically, Texas-built – spacecraft has touched down on the moon.
Multiple law enforcement officers who responded to the 2022 Uvalde school shooting have been ordered to appear before a grand jury investigating the failed police response.
The folks calling the shots in the Texas oil industry seem to be getting younger. What does this change mean for the industry?
A giant among advocates for people with disabilities in Texas steps down after a quarter century. We’ll talk with Dennis Borel of the Coalition of Texans with Disabilities about the challenges ahead.
Plus, the week in politics with The Texas Tribune.
Robb Elementary
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.
Could Texas’ electric grid finally connect to other states?
A grand jury in Uvalde will consider possible charges over law enforcement’s failed response to the mass shooting at Robb Elementary.
An Air Force general who was stationed at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph faces a court-martial over charges of sexually assaulting a subordinate.
The Texas power grid is famously separate from the rest of the country – but a plan has been quietly moving forward to connect it to a grid operating in the southeastern U.S.
And: Shipping lanes are shifting routes amid attacks in the Red Sea. What are the ripple effects in Texas?
Standoff between Texas and the feds continues over Rio Grande access
Tensions between Texas and the federal government intensify over Border Patrol access.
On the day after the release of the findings of a federal investigation into the 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, what we’re learning and what it could mean for accountability.
With the intensification of winter weather this week, how advocates for people experiencing homelessness are trying to shelter and care for Texans left out in the cold.
A sneak peek at the Super Bowl prospects for the Houston Texans, facing a big playoff challenge this weekend.
And we’ll have the week in politics with Matthew Watkins of the Texas Tribune.
The long push for using public dollars to pay for private schools
What the battle over charter schools in Texas 30 years ago reveals about the fight that’s currently underway at the state Capitol over changes in education policy.
Serious questions abound about the reliability of a highly in-demand fighter jet built in Fort Worth.
The legend of La Llorona – the crying woman – no doubt arrived in Texas with the earliest Mexican settlers and has haunted our rivers, lakes and streams ever since. Commentator W.F. Strong shares one version of the story.
Plus, a political crisis in Guatemala and the implications for migration.
What’s in store for lawmakers’ first special session?
The gavels have fallen on the 88th legislative session, yet lawmakers are still in action, as the governor called the first of what are expected to be multiple special sessions. We’ll look at the unfinished business on the agenda, and a special focus on where we stand with several bills related to public education.
The nonprofit organization Refugee Services of Texas – the largest resettlement agency in the state – is shutting down after four decades, citing mounting financial pressures.
Also, journalist Maria Hinojosa with more on a new special on Uvalde set to debut on PBS tonight.
What are the weirdest laws in Texas?
At the Capitol, an intraparty rivalry between Republicans explodes into the open. The dueling charges between Attorney General Ken Paxton and House Speaker Dade Phelan are so personal and serious, some longtime Capitol watchers are characterizing the battle as among the most significant in Texas political history. Lauren McGaughey of the Dallas Morning news will have details.
After a scandal at a Bastrop foster care facility, Texas lawmakers pass two new bills to crack down on abuses.
We’ll have more on a vigil last night in Uvalde marking the one-year anniversary of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary.
The Texas Legislature will finish its session having made lots of new laws. But there are plenty of old laws on the books that seem pretty weird by today’s standards.
And debt collectors get a new high-tech tool.
Sen. Roland Gutierrez on Uvalde, one year later
On the one-year anniversary of the mass shooting in Uvalde that left 19 fourth-graders and two teachers dead, state Sen. Roland Gutierrez says he’s still pushing for gun reform. Meanwhile, trust in police remains frail in Uvalde.
A report from Matamoros on migrants in limbo after the end of Title 42.
As Austin firefighters rack up millions in overtime, the department is working to address mental health needs.
And state officials team up with a Texas producer for a walk on the wild side: a musical celebration of Texas parks.
What do Texans think of the Legislature’s actions this session?
Economists call it political theater, but the implications of failure to reach a debt ceiling deal are very real.
As Washington faces a debt deadline, lawmakers in Texas race to beat the clock on the end of the legislative session, and one issue in particular could send them into overtime: The latest on the big divide over cutting property taxes.
With much of this session focused on culture war issues, where do registered voters in Texas stand? A new survey from the Texas Hispanic Policy Foundation may offer more than a few surprises.
It’s do or die for the Dallas Stars in the Stanley Cup race.
And a toxic worm that’s got Texans talking.
Why the Rio Grande Valley is a transit desert
It started 5 months ago, and if all goes according to plan, it ends this week. Sergio Martínez-Beltrán of the Texas Newsroom joins us with his look ahead at the final days of the Texas legislative session. And what happens to the many proposals that didn’t pass? To understand, a knowledge of zombies might be beneficial.
Why have so many Democrats been lining up with Republicans on key items this session?
And you’ve heard the song “Whiskey River”? Though the song’s a fable, a new book shows how whiskey flows through Texas history more than you might expect.
Singer-songwriter Robert Ellis returns with new sound and perspective
Texas is on the brink of becoming the latest state to ban gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott asks the governors of other states to provide police and military forces to help secure Texas’ border with Mexico, as the numbers of reported unauthorized entries plummet.
Tech expert Omar Gallaga tells us about congressional hearings on regulating artificial intelligence.
And the musician formerly known as the Texas Piano Man sheds his fancy white suit and hat: Robert Ellis tells us how fatherhood and Fort Worth factor into his new release, “Yesterday’s News.”
Kate the Chemist aims to answer ‘the big questions’ about science with new podcast
Erin Douglas of the Texas Tribune joins with details on water infrastructure efforts that have bipartisan support, but a chasm separating House and Senate proposals – and just 11 more days to come to agreement.
More money for Texas public school teachers? Some educators say the proposals on the table aren’t enough to keep them in the classroom.
In San Antonio, what appears to be a first-of-its-kind effort to dramatically improve access to public bathrooms for people with disabilities.
And UT-Austin chemistry professor Kate Biberdorf – aka Kate the Chemist – shares a preview of her new podcast, “Seeking a Scientist.”
How two Uvalde survivors are rebuilding their lives
Almost a year after the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, two injured fourth graders are still trying to recover. Edgar Sandoval of the New York Times talks with us about his profile of two children injured in the shooting – and the months since.
Yesterday’s half-hour grounding of Southwest Airlines departures was blamed on technical issues. Why the FAA and other investigators want a closer look.
Why some lawmakers are pushing to keep Texas crypto miners from cashing in on a tool to help the power grid survive during times of peak demand.
Indigenous chefs take center stage at Willie Nelson’s Luck Reunion
Almost a year after the Uvalde school shooting, a new investigation by the Texas Tribune reveals it was the type of weapon used, an AR-15, that prompted officers to back off from the room where the shooter was holed up. Reporter Zach Despart joins us to explain.
A closer look at bills in the Legislature focused on hot-button social issues, including what’s being taught in public schools.
And at Willie Nelson’s annual food fun and music shindig in Luck, Texas, there’s something extra special on the menu: The Standard’s Kristen Cabrera has more on the Indigenous food on the table.
In Texas, you can be forced to sell your condo
Eight months after the school shooting in Uvalde, Democratic state Sen. Roland Gutierrez announces a package of gun safety reforms. Will Texas Republicans take it up?
A decades-old Texas is law forcing some condo owners to leave their homes.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the first lab-grown meat product for human consumption. But will consumers bite?
After conquering the hearts of many a Texan, Willie Nelson and Family take Sundance.
And a PolitiFact check of President Biden over whether wages are keeping up with inflation.
How a ban on TikTok at UT-Austin affects journalists and other students
The Texas House and Senate release their spending roadmaps for the session, leaving tens of billions on the table unspent. It may be an understatement to say the state is awash in cash. Both chambers are now proposing unprecedented outlays. Bob Garret of the Dallas Morning News joins us to help with the numbers. Also pressure on Texas lawmakers to take more action on gun safety in the wake of the school shooting in Uvalde. Also what health experts are learning about Long Covid and chronic fatigue. And Omar Gallaga discovers a de facto treasure trove for PC gamers. And time runs out for TikTok on many Texas campuses. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
There’s a growing push to recycle fracking wastewater in Texas
As temperatures fall, a humanitarian crisis in El Paso deepens as there is a scramble to find shelter for thousands of migrants. Now Texas National Guard troops have been called in to maintain order at the scene. We’ll have the latest on a tenuous situation along the border. Plus, what to do with all the water used in fracking. Recycle it, maybe? We’ll hear why the idea is catching on now. And we’ve got one-on-one interview with a broadway star who’s got south Texas roots. These stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Almost 1 in 10 Texas hospitals at risk of closing
A new sort of crisis for Texas hospitals as experts warn one in ten statewide could close; one in four in rural Texas. We’ll have more on that story. Also, why the city of Uvalde is suing Uvalde county as investigations into the shooting at Robb Elementary continue. And the usual trajectory: high school then a bachelors degree, but what about both at the same time? A project to take early college in Texas to the next level. And after more than a hundred years in the dark, the return of a landmark beacon to the Texas Gulf Coast. Plus, the week in politics with the Texas Tribune. All this and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: November 15, 2022
Citing what he calls widespread problems, Governor Abbott calls for an investigation into the midterm vote in Harris County. The Texas governor says allegations of improprieties on election day in Harris county include claims of insufficient paper ballots in Republican precincts. Taylor Goldenstein of the Houston Chronicle joins us with details. Also a Dallas Morning News investigation into an app designed to alert authorities to suspicious behavior and curb school shootings. Is it working? We’ll take a closer look. And after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, more refugees settled in Texas than any other state. How those refugees are trying to help thousands left behind. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: November 7, 2022
The midterms now just hours away. In Texas: 5 things to watch for as the returns come in Tuesday night. Although the battle for governor is at the top of the ballot, some say it’s the number two position that wields the most power at the Texas Capitol. We’ll take a close up on the Lt. Governor’s race. Also a focus on a contest for a congressional seat in North Texas held for decades by the same Democratic congresswoman. And families from Uvalde making a final pre-election day push. And how some schools will be closing on election day out of concerns over safety. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard: