It’s a day marked by feasts and celebrations: Thanksgiving Day across Texas and the US. Our producers, reporters and others behind the scenes share some of the stories they’re grateful for over the past year. From efforts to preserve an historic Freedmen’s cemetery in North Texas, the Black Women kayakers breaking down racial barriers in recreational sports, the work being done to save turtle hatchlings along the Texas coast, to the efforts to preserve the voices and stories of San Antonio’s historically vibrant West Side music scene. These stories and much more today on a Thanksgiving edition of the Texas Standard:
San Antonio
Texas Standard: November 22, 2022
Texas has more residents without health insurance than any other state; now a Wall Street Journal investigation shows how obstacles are put in front of patients who would be eligible for financial aid. We’ll have more. And the US supreme court mulling a case out of Texas that involves Native Americans and foster care. Also, a new report on a nursing shortage in Texas. And what the city of Dallas is trying to do to cut down on street encampments. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: November 17, 2022
Arbitrary and capricious- so says a federal judge ordering an end to COVID-19 related rapid expulsions at the border. We’ll look at what’s next for Title 42. Other stories we’re covering: an 800% spike in ER visits for young people facing mental health emergencies in Texas. Anna Bauman of the Houston Chronicle with more. And tens of thousands of Tech company layoffs in rapid succession. Our go-to Tech expert Omar Gallaga has been looking into the whys and what’s next. And concerns about an outbreak of canine influenza in Texas. What pet owners and caregivers should know those stories and much more coming up 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: October 19, 2022
As El Paso struggled to shelter rising numbers of migrants, did the White House scuttle the city’s plans to declare a state of emergency? We’ll take a closer look. Also with days before early voting, a race in San Antonio that has debates about policing in the spotlight. And Texas new abortion ban changing the conversation for people who are dating. Plus new research on deaths attributed to intimate partner violence in Texas. And some Texas ranch owners make an unusual discovery, not on their property but under it. Also the biggest birthday boy in Texas turns 70, a Politifact check and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: September 28, 2022
In Florida, as flood warnings go out ahead of hurricane landfall, echoes of Texas’ Hurricane Harvey. The managing editor of space city weather with a live update on Hurricane Ian and parallels to a catastrophic storms in Houston. Also after relatively upbeat reports on Texas’ economy, is the Dallas fed changing its tune? Plus an update on the trial of the mass shooter accused in the attack on an El Paso Walmart. And non-profits taking a new tack to encourage Texas farmers to use less water. Plus a Politifact check of a claim about democrats objecting to presidential election outcomes. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: September 27, 2022
One small crash for a rocket, how much of a leap for humankind? Why the dart asteroid mission matters. Other stories we’re tracking, fresh threats from Russia to use nuclear weapons as it creates a pretext for the permanent annexation of parts of eastern Ukraine. A Baylor professor and former advisor to the Ukrainian government talks about what comes next. Also the Texas workforce commission says it overpaid many unemployment recipients. But critics say their tactics to get the money back are heavy handed and in many cases, target the wrong people. Also brand Beto and the gubernatorial race: Dan Solomon of Texas Monthly with a closer look and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: September 22, 2022
A priority, she says, is doing something about the disappearance of rural hospitals. So why does she want to be Texas’ next agriculture commissioner? Today, we meet Susan Hays, the democrat trying to unseat the incumbent republican. Also they used to be considered inexpensive, modest, though iconic structures. Why adobe homes in Marfa and other parts of West Texas are at the center of a political fight. And a retail store in Frisco inspires a countdown and lines to get in on opening day. Any guesses what the name of that store might be, fellow Texans? Those stories and much more coming up today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: September 21, 2022
A resource center in San Antonio now in the spotlight. It’s the focus of a national controversy over transporting migrants out of state. At least three migrants from Venezuela file suit against Florida’s governor and other top officials alleging false promises designed to lure them to travel from San Antonio to Martha’s Vineyard. We’ll have details. Also after a hurricane strike’s Puerto Rico, a privatized power grid leaves more than a million without electricity. Echoes of Texas’ own power grid issues? We’ll explore. And as the U.S. moves to over the counter hearing aids, privacy advocates are raising concerns. We’ll hear why plus a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: September 20, 2022
A Texas sheriff opens a criminal investigation into the flying of nearly 50 migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard. Florida’s governor under investigation for emulating the tactic of Texas’ governor, flying migrants out of state. We’ll take a closer look. Also, many in the town of Uvalde turning to politics after frustration with how elected leaders have handled the aftermath of the mass shooting there last May. We’ll have the Texas newsroom with details. And President Biden pushing for online privacy legislation. Guess who’s pushing back: a hint, she’s not a Republican. Plus UT’s Steven Vladeck on Texas’ social media law, and what comes next. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: September 16, 2022
A demographic shift decades in the making is finally here. So what’s it mean for the state’s future? New data from the census bureau shows there are now more Hispanic than white residents in Texas. We’ll talk it over with the state’s demographer. Plus the story of a novelty website purchased for one and a half billion dollars. We’ll hear from the author of a new book that charts the rise of Youtube. All that, and of course the week that was in Texas politics today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: September 14, 2022
Texas’ border security mission has cost more than four billion dollars and counting. Where’s all that money coming from? Operation Lone Star put 10,000 Texas National Guard troops along the state’s border with Mexico. Today we’ll help you make sense of how the state’s paying for it. Also a looming railroad strike could mean pain for people in the checkout line and Democrats at the polls. What’s the Biden administration doing to keep the trains running on time? And do people with low incomes get audited more than others? We’ll see how that claim holds up under scrutiny from Politifact. All that and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: September 2, 2022
A vote about a change to the social studies curriculum in Texas public schools. Only it’s not the sort of vote some advocates wanted. Proposals to add teaching about Junetheenth, the murder of George Floyd and LGBTQ rights are on long term pause. We’ll hear the backstory. Also how what’s happening in San Antonio could give larger clues about how climate change is affecting Texas. And a perfect storm for animal shelters as more pets are abandoned, costs rising with inflation, and a shortage of vets and staffers have shelters scrambling. Plus the end of the bitcoin mining gold rush in Texas? The week in politics with the Texas tribune and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: August 26, 2022
A Texas gun restriction for 18 to 20 year olds ruled unconstitutional. This, just 3 months after a young gunman’s deadly attack on a school in Uvalde. A judge in Fort Worth rules that Texas can’t ban 18 to 20 year olds from carrying handguns. We’ll hear more about what’s behind the decision and what comes next. Also beyond debt forgiveness: what can be done to bring down the cost of higher ed in the first place? And amid a water shortage in the Valley, one community moving to reclaim water for the future. Also a teacher shortage today, a crisis for the future? Plus the week in politics with the Texas Tribune and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: August 24, 2022
Hours away from a new law that amounts to a near total ban on abortions in Texas and a new legal challenge to that law. As Texas’ version of a post Roe vs. Wade trigger law takes effect, reproductive rights groups are suing the state attorney general. We’ll hear about the strategy and the prospects. Also, 5 years after Hurricane Harvey there are ongoing attempts to buyout the homes of people living in land that repeatedly floods. So how’s that working out? We’ll hear the latest. Also actor and comedian Mo Amer on a new Netflix series some say is the first of its kind to really capture the feel of a modern Houston. Plus a Politifact check and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: August 2, 2022
7 years in prison: a Texan gets the longest sentence handed down so far in the prosecution of January 6th riots at the capitol. We’ll have the latest. Other stories we’re tracking: a once in a decade rewrite of the state’s public school curriculum gets underway amid debates over how race and LGBTQ issues are addressed in the classroom. Also the planned demolition of Uvalde’s Robb Elementary school, and how the city plans to honor its namesake. Plus extreme heat and the disparate impact on communities in one of Texas’ largest cities. And the story of a Texas radio show that picked up where the progressive newspapers of the 60’s and 70’s left off. All that and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: July 19, 2022
Outrage and demands for action as Uvalde’s school board meets with members of the community to hear concerns about school safety. Camille Phillips of Texas Public radio was at last nights school board meeting in Uvalde, we’ll hear details. Also the Texas Newsrooms Sergio Martínez-Beltrán talks with former Texas supreme Court justice Eva Guzman, one of the co-chairs of the Texas House panel which on Sunday released its report on the shooting. Also an unexpected botanical discovery in Big Bend. And why car repossession’s are up… Way up and what that could portend. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: July 11, 2022
How hot is it? Hot enough for ERCOT to ask the state to dial back its power use at temperatures climb back into the triple digits. We’ll have the latest. Also a recent pipe burst in Odessa left the city’s hundred thousand plus residents without water for days. Now comes a warning for lots of small to midsized cities about a ticking time bomb of aging pipes and underground stressors. We’ll hear more. Also a new effort aimed at tracking drug overdoses, most of which go non-reported. And a comeback for the Guadalupe bass. And Texas versus Volkswagen: how the carmakers novel defense could put millions of dollars at stake. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: July 5, 2022
Abortion and gun Violence. How issues in focus for the nation could carry a lot of weight in Texas come November. We’ll take a close-up look at the implications. Also, LGBTQ Texans and their families leaving the Lone Star State? KERA’s Bret Jaspers has more. Plus the push for more changes to Texas voting rules. What pre-session rumblings suggest Republicans may propose. And the research that could lead to a rethink of the contentious relationship between ranchers and prairie dogs. Also the indigenous people fighting to save scores of native trees that shade San Antonio riverbanks. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: June 7, 2022
Record setting heat on tap for much of Texas. Will there be enough electricity to meet demand? And what about the rest of the summer? Coming up, the latest on heat warnings across Texas, and what it portends for the rest of the summer amid anxieties about whether the electrical grid can stand the strain. Also a federal judge moves to hold Texas’ foster care services in contempt as court monitors continue to find deficiencies in a system once declared unconstitutionally unsafe for children. Paul Flahive of Texas Public Radio with the latest. And what’s in a name? Some Mexico distillers say cultural appropriation. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard: