The devastation was enormous: billions in damage, tens of thousands displaced. But will the anger over Hurricane Harvey impact the mid-terms? We’ll explore. Also, Texas families with children with special needs are finding it harder to access healthcare. It has to do with how and whether providers are getting paid. We’ll explain. And a state park in the Rio Grande Valley beloved by birdwatchers could close if a border wall goes up. What Texas Parks and Wildlife is doing about it. Plus those who tout ideas of racial purity often point back to a time when Europe was white, but a Texas researcher says that just wasn’t the case. And fossils aren’t just old bones. We’ll tell you all about ’em and where you can find ’em in the Lone Star State, today on the Texas Standard:
Security
Texas Standard: July 3, 2018
Worried about a second American civil war? If it’s war we’re worried about, we may be facing the wrong direction. As Russia hosts the World Cup, no one seems to be paying attention to what the Kremlin is doing this moment in Syria: a bombing campaign and a fight that could eclipse the battle for Aleppo. Why few seem to care, and is that not Vladmir Putin’s calculus? Also, great expectations among Texans as they consider the promises of Mexico’s president elect. And the scourge of diabetes among hispanics in Texas, we’ll have details. And remembering the long forgotten trains that ferried orphans to America’s west. All that and much more on today’s Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: May 28, 2018
People who’ve illegally immigrated to the United States with underage minors are being separated from their children. What’s happening to those kids? Over the weekend reports have spread that some 15 hundred kids seized by border agents are now lost, but is that story true? What’s happened to those kids? We’ll hear what’s behind the story. And states of emergency declared along the gulf coast, welcome to hurricane season 2018. And are others tracking your travels by tapping into your cellphone data? What one privacy expert says is a bigger scandal than Cambridge Analytica. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: May 3, 2018
Who will be the next speaker of the Texas house of representatives? The answer could have a big impact on you. We’ll look at how the race is shaping up. Who’s the next Joe Straus? That is: who’s likely to take over as the third leg in the triumvirate of Texas politics, and what will that mean for the rest of us? We’ll explore. Also, guess who’s coming to Dallas: the National Rifle association in the spotlight. And the Texas school that gave out too many scholarships- UT tyler struggles with a perfect storm. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: April 23, 2018
The state’s political maps: will they need to be re-drawn? The stakes are high in a case to be argued before the U.S. Supreme Court, we’ll have the latest. Also in Texas there’s a lot of love for Southwest. But today, lots of frustrated travelers as the Dallas based airline grounds nearly a hundred planes for engine inspections. We’ll hear what inspectors are looking for. And the nation’s biggest psychiatric ward also happens to be a county jail. How did the criminal justice system become the biggest provider of services to the mentally ill? We’ll explore. And a new wave of National Guard troops arrive at the border. How’s this playing out down in the Valley? We’ll take you there. Those stories and so much more on today’s Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: February 22, 2018
Governor Abbott is not having it: schools need to implement safety measures or be be called out publicly, we’ll explore. Also, the reverend, crusades, and the role Texas played in all this. Plus, presidential Elections are coming up in Mexico: what’s different from US elections? And in Texas how do you become “election judge”? We’ll tell you. Also, the tug of war for the “rainy day fund”, could it pay for flooding? Plus boots that sustain the soul and a tech giant that’s house hunting. All that and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: February 14, 2018
Nine Democrats are on the primary ballot for Texas Governor. We’ll introduce you to a handful of those hoping to replace Greg Abbott. Plus a new study reveals that Texans are some of the worst in the country when it comes to voter turnout. We’ll try to answer why. Also, the flu season isn’t over yet but Texas schools hope the worst of it is gone. We’ll check in with a superintendent who shut down his district because of the flu. And the official shape of February must be the heart: unraveling the mysteries this organ still presents to doctors. Plus understanding the all-female species of fish named for the Amazon that lives only on the Texas/Mexico border. Those stories and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: November 22, 2017
Hundreds of thousands of Texas homes were damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Harvey. But getting a total cost estimate of all that? It’s complicated, we’ll have the latest. It perhaps comes as no surprise. But new details reveal just how tied Texas is to Mexican drug cartels and corrupt officials. Plus- many a doorstep will be flooded with Amazon packages this holiday season. A closer look at how those boxes got there. And fighting traffic this holiday weekend? The “rude” maneuver that’s actually helping to move things along faster. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: September 28, 2017
They say it’ll help balance the budget, grow the economy, create more jobs, but what does it add up to for Texas? We’ll explore. Also after this week’s highly watched senate race in Alabama, what’s the take away for Texas? We’ll hear how that election could have shockwaves for the lone star state, and for one top congressman in particular. Plus Homeland Security will start gathering social media information for all immigrants, an effort sparked by the 2015 San Bernardino attack. But what’s the government looking for and does it make sense for security? Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: August 1, 2017
It’s been one year since students with concealed handgun permits have been allowed to bring weapons on campus. We’ll explore what’s happened since. Plus, what skipping to the front of the security line at Texas airports might cost you in privacy. Also, a glimpse inside the personal notes and snapshots belonging to playwright and actor Sam Shepard. And, how hard is to change a birth certificate in Texas? Those stories and lots more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: January 25, 2017
From sea to shining sea, or something else? The White House order goes out today to build that wall. Also, Governor abbott issues a threat to a central Texas sheriff over her sanctuary city plan: if she doesn’t back down, we’ll remove her from office, we’ll have more. Also, more than 300 thousand in bondage in Texas. The first hard numbers on what’s been called modern day slavery. Plus, something special in the air? Fight attendants at a major Texas based airline say their uniforms are making them sick. And a new focus for space researchers: what’s happening to astronauts’ eyesight? All that and lots more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: January 2, 2017
A federal judge in Texas issues a nationwide injunction seen as another blow to transgender rights and the Obama administration, we’ll explore today. Also, we’ve heard the warnings from the mayor himself: Dallas could be forced into bankruptcy because of a pension fund meltdown. Now, the mayor’s asking the Texas Rangers to step in. Plus, it’s black Monday for pro football. Why this matters to you, even if you’ve never so much as touched a pigskin. And what do you call a fish found all across Texas that doesn’t swim? Our resident expert calls it a pest. What you can do if you find yourself on the hook. All that and much more coming up on today’s Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: December 21, 2016
Texas officials fulfill a promise: no more Medicaid money to Planned Parenthood. The implications and what comes next. Plus a multi million dollar emergency infusion for child protective services. The plan: hire new caseworkers and give raises to keep others from leaving. But there’s a hitch, just in time for the holidays. We’ll hear about it. Also she was a full throated communist, cast as a a working class hero and a villain. And then her story was almost lost to history. A revival of interest in the lady called ‘the passionate one from Texas’. And veterans signing on to wage a new kind of war…in cyberspace. All of that and lots more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: November 21, 2016
Police ambushed in three states this weekend including an officer killed in San Antonio. Mere coincidence, or coordinated? We’ll explore. Plus he calls them the worst of the worst: how does the president elect’s plan to deport millions of undocumented immigrants with criminal convictions square with reality? Also, no longer going Strong? After a weekend loss, Texas’ football coach appears all but fired, but critics say it’s the university that’s fumbled. We’ll hear why. And the rise of a new music city not powered by musicians as much as their producers. Plus the anatomy of a fake news story and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: September 15, 2016
Remember that Washington Post poll that put Clinton ahead by one in Texas? New numbers suggest that may not be too far off the mark. More on the Texas Lyceum poll, with a new snapshot of Texas voters as we enter the home stretch. Also, in the wake of a report that the state’s limiting access to special education programs, there’s this: plans for cuts in a state program that helps kids with developmental issues. Plus, a doctors shortage in Texas and an aging cohort of baby boomers. Now what? Experts say its time to get creative. We’ll hear one prescription. And the future of law enforcement: robocops? May be more real than you think. All that and then some today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: May 26, 2016
Echoes of 2014? A surge of unaccompanied kids and families crossing the Rio Grande…sparks new concerns for the summer. Also Texas and 10 others states take on the Obama administration, again, but at what cost to taxpayers? You’ve heard of shareholder activism—how’s that working for environmentalists trying to change Exxon Mobil? A view from the inside. And back in the news—but not for all the wrong reasons—as Waco finds its mojo. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: March 28, 2016
The border surge: some called it a cynical political move. But now even local critics concede they feel safer. We’ll explore. Also from security on the Texas border to terrorism abroad. Officials have been warning of so-called lone wolves. How do attacks in Brussels and Pakistan change the conversation? And a federal judge orders a complete restructuring of the Texas foster care system. Now the man who leads the whole department is stepping down. We’ll hear why, and whether he thinks things can be fixed. And the Christmas twisters- three moths after the storms and the media spotlight. What changed and what hasn’t? All that and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: February 3, 2016
Unlikely allies: the states top republican and a prominent democratic congressman seek answers about border security. We’ll explore. Following the money trail: money disappears from public coffers Mexico and ends up in Texas. The corrupt go to jail… but what happens to the money? Also salad days for aquaponics: veggies from fish waste? We’ll go deep. And remembering the day the music died…and coming soon: the last Texas music chart? What that says about the state of the music industry. All those stories and lots more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: January 29, 2016
Equal Rights. Equal Obligations? A rite of passage for men may become a legal requirement for young women, too. Details today on the Texas Standard. Efforts are underway to remove a last vestige of sexism in the military. Not all women are thrilled about it, however. We’ll explore. Also Is growth is Texas making economic segregation worse…how one texas community may have found a solution. Plus lariats and laureates: lassoing the allure of cowboy poetry. Those stories and lots more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: December 21, 2015
Going online: the army powers up cyber protection units in Texas and beyond amid new reports of power grid hackers- the latest today. Plus they call them the iceboxes…a new report on border detention centers reveals what migrants describe as overcrowded freezers used as holding cells…we’ll have details.And a plan to bail out some who’ve fallen prey to unscrupulous lenders. Also the possible perils of holiday comestibles…especially when one’s taking prescriptions. And the best books of 2015—pay attention last minute shoppers. Those stories and many more on todays Texas Standard: