San Antonio

Documentary tells story of landmark Texas archaeological site

As the clock ticks down on the legislative session, how close is Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick to completing his wish list?
Weekend balloting across Texas brings some big local changes. We’ll hear from reporters statewide.
Texans dominate at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson golf tournament in McKinney.
The documentary “The Stones Are Speaking” tells the story of Michael Collins, the man who helped open the Gault site to researchers.
And: Who’ll be the next mayor of San Antonio? Voters have narrowed a field of 27 candidates down to two.

Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.

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How Texas schools fared in long-awaited TEA accountability grades

After lawsuits and a long delay, the Texas Education Agency releases rankings for schools in the Lone Star State. The school rankings are more than just an indicator of how well students are doing, they can have ripple effects on the schools themselves, as well as on housing prices and more. KERA’s Bill Zeeble joins us with what the report cards tell us.
After record levels of deaths connected to police car chases, what, if anything, do Texas lawmakers plan to do?
A historic theatre, once a hub for Mexican American entertainment, is coming back to life in San Antonio.
Plus, Texas breweries rebrand themselves as public spaces.

Bird flu is spreading across Texas wildlife

Bird flu is spreading fast among wildlife including foxes and raccoons in Panhandle counties.
Twenty-seven candidates are running to become the next mayor of San Antonio – the city’s biggest field in recent memory – as voters head to the polls next month.
Deployed Resources, a Texas company that grew into a contracting giant building tent shelters, is turning its focus to deportation.
Looking to buy a vehicle? What you should know about the car market amid tariff uncertainty.
And: The history of cascarones – colorful confetti eggs – a Texas Easter tradition.

Baylor bets big on E-sports with first-ever program director and coach

A second child has died of measles in Texas as cases continue to rise. How this latest outbreak compares with that of the ’90s.
Baylor has just hired its first-ever E-sports director and coach: Adam Stanley of Brewton-Parker College, a small private college in Georgia and powerhouse in E-sports.
Hosting the Final Four of the college men’s basketball championship has been a big boon to San Antonio. We’ll hear more as the Houston Cougars get set for their championship game against Florida tonight at the Alamodome.
And: A homecoming for Texas actor and comedian Michael Yo as the Moontower Comedy Festival gets underway in Austin.

Navy destroyer headed to the southern border region

A U.S. Navy destroyer armed with tomahawk missiles enroute to the gulf waters off the coast of Texas. What’s this all about?

Investigative reporter Lauren McGaughy of The Texas Newsroom with word that the Texas government appears to be maintaining a list of people asking for information about changing the sex on their driver’s licenses. Who’s compiling this list and what is it being used for?

Five years after the declaration of a pandemic, what’s happened with vaccination rates?

And an AI service used by millions for free is about to go behind a paywall.
Plus, why Texas Monthly’s barbecue editor is busy making his list and checking it twice.

What’s a wolf moon?

It’s go-time at the Texas Capitol as the 89th legislative session opens tomorrow, running through June 2. Blaise Gainey of The Texas Newsroom has a preview of what to expect.

War on drugs? Or drug users? How a mass overdose event underscores what critics say is wrong with Texas’ anti-drug strategy.

You’ve heard of a super moon, blood moon, harvest moon. But what exactly is a wolf moon?

Also: an artistic linkup between San Antonio and Havana, Cuba.

The best of The Texas Newsroom

We’re taking a look back at some of our favorite stories of the year from our public radio reporting partners across the state, including:

A Dallas ISD program that’s getting more Black and Latino men into classrooms.

Mobile health clinics rolling out to provide vital medical services as the state loses rural hospitals.

And: A visit to the traditional Mexican rodeo in San Antonio.

Cold snap grips West Texas and the borderlands

What possible cuts to Medicaid under the new Trump administration could mean in Texas, which already limits coverage.
A cold front is blowing through El Paso, bringing high winds and freezing temperatures.
Princeton’s growing pains have led to tension in its mayoral runoff election.
Most of those involved in high-speed chases by state troopers going after suspected smugglers are teens and young drivers. An interview with one of those behind the wheel.
And: We’ll take a look at the two Texas teams that made it into the college playoffs, the Texas Longhorns and the SMU Mustangs.

Is new fertilizer behind Texas cattle deaths?

A climate-friendly fertilizer turned out to be tainted with so-called “forever chemicals” that are killing cattle and other ranch animals.
Education Savings Accounts are on the legislative agenda and likely to pass. What they are and why they’re controversial.
Historic horse-drawn carriages will become a thing of the past in San Antonio as the city phases them out.
Public health experts in Texas say vaccine hesitancy in the state could grow under the new Trump administration.
And: the call for research on mountain lions, the state’s last big cat.

After nearly 50 years, food critic Pat Sharpe asks for the check

Texas leaders are among President-elect Trump’s biggest supporters. Are they being left off the list of Cabinet picks?
She’s traveled and tasted dishes from across the Lone Star State: After 50 years, Texas Monthly food critic Pat Sharpe is retiring and sharing what she’s learned on the job.
The details of a plan to turn an old golf course into a world-class arboretum in San Antonio.
And: An update on the results of a rural summit bringing residents, local officials and state lawmakers together.

San Antonio’s Institute of Texan Cultures eyed for demolition

It’s possible the most closely watched statewide race in Texas this election cycle could also be the closest once the ballots are counted. How Ted Cruz and Colin Allred are making a final push in the days before Nov. 5.
In San Antonio, plans to demolish a building once part of a World’s Fair might be put on hold because of its history. Jack Morgan of Texas Public Radio tells us more.
And: The new book “The Fall of Roe” explores the decade before the Dobbs decision and the political apparatus that made it possible.

Marijuana is on the ballot in two more Texas cities

Areas around Austin, San Antonio and North Texas set records for the first day of early voting this week. But the story was different in El Paso.
A Democrat won a state House seat in Collin County last election cycle – but Republicans think they can flip it back.
What it means that decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana possession is on the ballot in more Texas cities.
A look at the impact of the ongoing IV fluid shortage on Texas hospitals.
And: We’ll ask whether it matters than an elected official in Harris County hasn’t clocked into work in about four years.

West Texas town dealing with insect invasion

Why an arrangement to care for an aging millionaire is raising questions about a Texas Supreme Court Justice and state ethics rules.
More and more college-age students are steering clear of campus life and turning to “microcredentials” as a path to employment.
We’re talking with Nico Lang, author of “American Teenager,” a new book on growing up LGBTQ+ in modern America.
Also: Why red flour beetles have taken over the town of Socorro, just southeast of El Paso, and what’s being done to deal with an unprecedented infestation.

A second siege of the Alamo

Even though the words “Remember the Alamo” are available on t-shirts, bumper-stickers, and kitchen kitsch, the Alamo wasn’t always remembered with the reverence it is today. For a long time, the Alamo was used mostly as a warehouse. Even the church, which people rather universally think of as the Alamo, was used as an army depot for decades. Texas Standard commentator WF Strong has the story of two women who helped to change that.

Taco Pop Culture

From Taco shticks, antics in media and pop culture and cultural appropriation, we’ll explore the highs and lows of taco pop culture. Guest is Stephanie Guerra from San Antonio’s Puro Pinche.

A geyser of oily water erupts in West Texas desert

On request from Florida, Texas sends teams of emergency officials to support local authorities as they brace for the arrival of Hurricane Milton.
A geyser erupted in West Texas last Wednesday, shooting salty, oily water 100 feet into the air – an unexpected event that continued through the weekend.
At the heart of San Antonio’s historic Spanish Colonial Missions are their iconic bells, which have been ringing for centuries to mark major community events.
Plus: There’s a growing age gap between Texans and their elected representatives – and emerging leaders are working to reshape the political landscape.

Spanglish, Botanas and Border Cultura

If you grew up along the border in Tejas, you can speak con ganas, know where the good tacos and botanas are and your identity runs as long as the Rio Grande across Texas. Guest is Eddie Vega, Taco Poet and San Antonio Poet Laureate.

Can you trust polls saying Texas could turn blue?

As immigration returns to center stage in American politics, a curious reversal in messaging in one of the state’s most closely watched races.
It’s happened before: polls show a statewide race tightening up, hopes rising among Texas Democrats, only to be dashed on Election Day. Do you trust polls that suggest Texas turning blue? A guide for optimists and pessimists.
The latest on a lawsuit brought by inmates and their supporters over intense heat in Texas prisons.
And the dedication of a new national historic site to help explain an era when Texas created separate schools for Hispanic children.

Alamo Trust battles to keep Ferris wheel out of historic neighborhood

Rick Perry, the longest-serving governor in Texas history, is returning to the Capitol as an adviser for House Speaker Dade Phelan. What it means for Texas politics.
Five years after a mass shooting in Odessa, a new sculpture rises in hopes of helping the city heal.
Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing the State Fair of Texas and the city of Dallas over a gun ban at the fair.
A fast-spreading disease is threatening grape harvests and vineyards across the state.
And: The Alamo Trust is working to block the construction of a proposed Ferris wheel near the historic site.

What Texas Democrats can look forward to as the DNC kicks off

Texas has the third-largest delegation at the Democratic National Convention. We’ll hear more about the four-day political spectacle getting underway in Chicago and what it could mean for the Lone Star State and the presidential race.
Conservative activists, led by the Houston-based group True the Vote, are submitting lists of names to county election officials all over Texas, claiming the listed people are illegally registered to vote.
More and more school districts in Texas taking cellphone bans seriously as students return to class.
Also: Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have developed a special type of self-watering soil that can actually pull water from the air and slowly release nutrients to plants.