Water crisis. That’s the label communities on the border are giving the current conditions as reservoirs are drying up. But it’s not just on the border that water is a concern. We’ll talk with an expert about the current state of groundwater across Texas and the long-term forecast. Plus a shot in the arm for a Liquid Natural Gas facility in Brownsville. What a big contract means for its future. And in Uvalde the community still in the early days of recovery is trying to access the financial help promised, but doing that is easier said than done. And we’ll remember an Austin radio icon beloved by throng and truly one of a kind. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
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Texas Standard: July 26, 2022
The House Committee Report on the school shooting in Uvalde and what may be conspicuous omissions. Jim Henson of the Texas Politics Projects says a closer inspection of the House report on Uvalde may be revealing about the intersection between the investigation and politics as usual. We’ll hear more. Also what’s behind a low-key review of votes from 2020 in Tarrant County? And the Feds open a civil rights investigation into Houston’s response to complaints about illegal dumping. Plus will abortion restrictions translate into more young Texans turning out at the polls this November? Those stories and much 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 7, 2022
A new report finds police missed multiple opportunities to stop the Uvalde mass shooter before he entered the school building. The report from the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training Center, at Texas State University says at one point police had the gunman in their sights outside the school in Uvalde, but did not act. Investigative reporter Tony Plohetski with what we’re learning. Also, with new abortion restrictions, the Texas Standard’s own Shelly Brisbin with growing concerns about the use of period tracker apps and access to sensitive personal data. Plus an historic moment on the Texas Gulf coast for a critically endangered species. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: July 1, 2022
What the Supreme Court ruling in an environmental case filed by West Virginia means for Texas and the world at large. Its a decision seen as severely hampering the Biden Administrations efforts to curb climate change. We’ll take a closer look. Also a pair of first amendment rulings on religious freedom and what they add up to for everyday life. And Texas police chiefs offer a list of recommendations to reduce the number school shootings including changes to gun laws. Plus more listener reaction to the demise of Roe v. wade, the week in politics with the Texas Tribune and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: June 23, 2022
The head of the Uvalde school police force put on administrative leave amid growing questions about law enforcement’s response. Investigative reporter Tony Plohetski with the latest on a back and forth over what actually happened in those long minutes before police stormed the school shooter in Uvalde. Also as Capitol Hill takes up a bipartisan gun safety bill, Texas Republicans lambasting the Republican Texas Senator at the center of talks. We’ll hear more. And what does it mean to be resilient? A Texas coach on why we get resilience wrong and what science suggests we should get better at. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: June 21, 2022
An excruciating inside look at what happened during a critical 70+ minutes inside Robb Elementary on that May 24th, 2022 in Uvalde. Though officials have been reluctant to release video evidence from the mass shooting in Uvalde, Terri Langford of the Texas Tribune has seen critical footage from inside the school. She shares with us what she’s discovered. Also Brian Chasnoff of the San Antonio express reports that classroom doors may not have been locked, contrary to one of the key claims made by law enforcement. We’ll have details. Also a very public transitioning for a Texas small town celebrity. And an update on what’s left for the Supreme Court. All of that and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: June 16, 2022
In the wake of the Uvalde shooting, state lawmakers talking more money for mental health resources and for law enforcement, we’ll have the latest. Other stories we’re tracking: a widely expected reversal of Roe vs Wade. Sergio Martínez-Beltrán of the Texas Newsroom with a closer look at changes to Texas abortion laws over the last decade. And the water’s back on in Odessa, but don’t drink it just yet. How a city of more than a hundred thousand has coped without water during days of blistering temperatures. And this week’s election results from South Texas that have political observers here (and way beyond) buzzing big time. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: June 8, 2022
After the school shooting at Sandy Hook more than a decade ago, Texas passed a plan to address school shootings. But why have so few districts opted in? Texas’ school marshal plan called for teachers to be armed to defend schools from mass shooters. Only 84 districts out of more than 1200 have gone that route. Kate McGee of the Texas Tribune on what this could mean for the debate about school safety after the shooting in Uvalde. Also, more than a hundred days since Russia’s detention of WNBA star Britney Griner, why suddenly more prominent sports figures and others are publicly demanding her release. Plus a Politifact check and 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:
Texas Standard: June 1, 2022
If not this then what will it take? The president of the Texas State Teachers Association with a plea to Texas lawmakers. As Uvalde mourns the loss of 19 elementary school kids and 2 teachers, Ovidia Molina of the Texas State Teachers Association joins us to discuss concerns about school safety and what she sees as empty promises from state officials. And despite pledges for mental health resources, where has the money gone? We’ll take a closer look. Plus the proliferation of claims about the shooting online. Sorting the falsehoods from the facts. Also reckoning with the past at TCU, now acknowledging two forgotten founders. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: May 26, 2022
After the 2018 Santa Fe High School shooting, new laws took affect aimed at making schools safer. Why did they fail in Uvalde? We’ll have the latest on the killing of 19 kids and 2 teachers at Robb Elementary and the growing sense of frustration over previous efforts at addressing school shootings in Texas, and what state leaders intend to do, or not do. As those state leaders point to the need for more mental health resources, what’s being done on that front–especially in rural Texas? Plus a Politifact claim about baby formula and politics getting in the way. And COVID-19 case numbers in Texas rising again with the start of summer, we’ll have the latest on todays Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: May 25, 2022
It is the worst school shooting in Texas history. The people of Uvalde, their fellow Texans and people across the nation are searching for answers. Coming up we’ll hear from people in Uvalde, struggling to comprehend the killing of at least 19 children and two adults at Robb Elementary yesterday. We’ll be joined by reporters from Texas Public Radio and the Associated Press to hear what is known so far about the incident. We’ll also be checking with experts in the field of school safety, the ripple effects, the psychological trauma of this tragedy, how to talk with kids who may be frightened by the news and the lingering questions of how to move forward.
Texas Standard: May 11, 2022
What happened to more than a billion dollars in federal COVID-19 relief funds for Texas? Officials want to know whether the money was misspent. Were COVID-19 relief funds used to defray the costs of the governor’s border crackdown? That story plus, how nominally non-partisan school board elections in Texas became a magnet for big money donations, and what that could mean for what’s taught in public school classrooms. Also higher ed in Texas prisons: a new report outlines big gender disparities in opportunity. And the work of the code inspector, and why it often isn’t working to help many apartment renters. Plus a Politifact check on SB8 and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: May 6, 2022
Sandals, shorts, and fingers crossed as summer makes an early appearance, putting a big strain on the Texas power grid. As Texans prepare for a heat wave with temps climbing toward the triple digits, how vulnerable is the state’s power grid? Matt Largey of KUT Austin has been looking into that. Also, what if they held an election and no challengers came? With election day tomorrow, and some big decisions on the ballot, some Texas counties grappling with just such a prospect. And an effort to turn a spotlight on everyday volunteers who put their lives on the line for abortion access. Those stories, the week in politics with the Texas Tribune and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: April 26, 2022
Election season and property tax valuation season coincide in Texas as two constitutional amendments come up for a vote. As many Texas property owners see historic increases in their tax valuations, a pair of constitutional amendments come up that could provide some relief, but how much? And will it make a difference? Two reporters from the Texas Newsroom offer a primmer. Also, from five to just four days of school each week? Long a dream for many a student, many Texas school administrators are making the shift. We’ll hear why. And Texas-based presidential scholar Mark Updegrove reconsiders the legacy of JFK. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: April 25, 2022
Border bottlenecks brought on by ramped up Texas inspections cost business billions. But a surprising potential longer-term effect, too. A new relationship between Texas and 4 border states in Mexico? Angela Kocherga has that story. Plus a new report reveals San Antonio’s south side, one of the nation’s hardest hit by the pandemic. Also an update on COVID-19 and kids in Texas. And what our neighbors to the east may be able to teach Texas as plans for a coastal Ike Dike get the green light. Also ChicanX utopias. What pop culture tells us about the politics of the possible. All that and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: February 7, 2022
A Texas official takes on listener questions about new vote-by-mail rules. Also, the energy implications of last week’s winter storm and the lingering psychological impacts of the winter storm of 2021. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: January 19, 2022
Central and southern Texas braces for its first winter storm event of 2022 as emergency teams in Bastrop struggle with a wildfire and evacuations. Plus, a wave of resignations from Texas school superintendents. Also, Texas experts offer a projection of when Omicron may peak in Texas. Join us for all this and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: January 14, 2022
School districts are buckling under the current pressures of the pandemic. The leader of a Texas teacher’s organization asks, where’s the state in all this? Some districts are shutting down others are asking parents to fill in. We want to hear from you about the current challenges for schools. Also, Governor Greg Abbott’s border enforcement program violates the constitution. That was the ruling yesterday. We’ll look at where it goes from here. And Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton must turn over records related to his time in Washington last January 6th. We’ll get into the exceptional details. Plus, going back in time to 1883 and the depiction of a family’s journey west across Texas. Our interview with one of TV’s rising stars. That and more on today’s Texas Standard: