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.
Streaming
How East Texas is recovering after massive storms
As heat replaces rain as the top weather concern, East Texas is still weathering the remnants of our stormy spring.
You’ve heard about a shortage of mental health facilities and doctors, but for those who do get treatment, what comes the day after discharge? How little-known clubs are filling the gap.
In a year that started with excitement for the San Antonio Spurs, it’s now the Dallas Mavericks with a shot at the title. Looking ahead to the NBA Finals, which start tonight.
And: Why are so many finding that “breaking up is hard to do” when it comes to tech providers? Omar Gallaga breaks it down.
Inside Harris County’s guaranteed income experiment
Heavy rain, high winds and snow, elevated fire danger and more prompt the governor to raise the emergency preparedness level in Texas. We’ll have the latest overview of weather concerns.
A new report reveals high levels of toxic benzene exposure in a Houston suburb.
A plan to test a guaranteed basic income gets underway today in Harris County.
We’ll hear who’s eligible and where the money’s coming from.
The town of Diboll is seeking to be officially designated the “Quinceañera Capital of Texas.”
And: Remember cutting the cord for cable TV? Why many households are cutting the streamers, too.
Legislature takes up ban on vaccine mandates at private businesses
Years after peak COVID, Texas lawmakers are taking steps to ban vaccine mandates by private businesses.
Amid a nursing shortage in Texas and beyond, the journey of a new nurse trying to make a difference.
An award-winning novel set near the border takes the western genre to a whole new place. We’ll talk with ‘Valley of Shadows’ author Rudy Ruiz.
Also: As a new NBA season approaches, there are big expectations building for the San Antonio Spurs’ 19-year old Victor Wembanyama.
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.
Marfa art exhibit honors the railroad’s Chinese laborers
Nearly 400,000 homes and businesses are still without power in Texas, but the worst of the freezing rain may be behind us. Mose Buchele of the Disconnect podcast and KUT Austin joins us with more on the power situation.
A new poll suggests a disconnect between the headlines and what Texans really think of the state’s public schools.
Our focus on the push to cut property taxes in the Texas Legislature turns to how schools are funded in Texas.
And an effort to turn attention to a largely forgotten story of how Chinese labor helped to build West Texas.
What we watched in 2022
In 2022, Texas played more than just bit parts on screens big and small. We look back at the year that was for Texas on film and TV. We’ll have our conversation with one of the most celebrated directors of the Lone Star State, Richard Linklater, on his movie about growing up in Texas at a time when the US was aiming for the moon. Also an actor and comedian from Houston by way of Kuwait, Mo Amer, on his hit Netflix series and what his title character tells us about the Texas of today. And South Texas born comedian, actor and author, Cristela Alonzo on her streaming success, and gettin middle classy. These stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
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: April 21, 2022
An expected assault in Mariupol called off by Vladmir Putin. What does that mean for what comes next? Global security expert Michael Mosser of the University of Texas breaks it down. Also the state’s largest teacher prep and recruiting program of its kind gets failing grades from state auditors, but with a massive teacher shortage, many questions about what to do. And historian Doris Kearns Goodwin on a major donation of archives to a top Texas center for history. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: December 28, 2021
She was a new Texas attorney with little experience who won her case before the Supreme Court setting a precedent on reproductive rights. The passing of Sarah Weddington comes as many across the nation wonder how much longer the rights established in her best known case, Roe vs. Wade, will endure. We’ll have more. Also, with winters’ return an investigation of the hazards of portable power generators linked to fatalities during the statewide blackouts. And researchers in South Texas seek answers to the question ‘why are Latinos disproportionately affected by Alzheimer’s?’. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Kendrick Speaks!
In this episode of The Breaks
- Confucius and Fresh talk about Kendrick Lamar’s recent announcement that his upcoming record will be his last with Top Dawg Entertainment.
- Both hosts talk about the recent addition of Aliyah’s music to streaming services.
- In this week’s installment of “Hip-Hop Facts” you’ll learn interesting things about T.I., Diddy, Ghostface Killah, Wish Bone, 50 Cent, Clipse and more.
- Fresh voices the Unpopular Opinion that Austin artists need to improve the way they promote their songs.
- In his Confucius Segment Confucius stresses the need for people to have the same expectations for themselves as they have for other people.
You can hear the latest full broadcast of The Breaks Saturday night show.
Texas Standard: November 20, 2020
Is the presidential contest still a real contest? Texas’ senior senator says it’s still too close to call, we’ll have the latest. Also, he pledged to heal the soul of the nation, but when it comes to immigration, some wonder why that topic doesn’t make it too Joe Biden’s top 5 list of policy priorities. We’ll hear about the concerns of advocates of immigration reform. And airlines may be hard hit by the pandemic, but some Texas towns with ties to the skies are taking off. We’ll hear why. Plus the week in Texas politics with the Texas Tribune and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: October 15, 2020
Theres the vote, and there’s that other count that will determine representation in the Lone Star State. And the deadline is tonight. Have you been counted? Although the Census Bureau says 99.9% of households are accounted for, only 62 percent of Texans have completed the census. We’ll hear about the potential impact and how to get counted before the deadline. Also, An inter party tiff turns into a potential tipping point in the U.S. Senate race in Texas. And when you wish upon a star, you turn into a streaming service? Tech expert Omar Gallaga tells us why Disney’s making a major shift amid a pandemic. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
The Breaks: Babyface vs Teddy Riley vs Technology
This week on The Breaks, Fresh and Confucius
- Talk about the decrease in streaming during the pandemic and what it means for the music industry.
- Touch on the continuing beat battles, including the technical difficulties in the battle between Babyface and Teddy Riley.
- In his Unpopular Opinion, Fresh says that Diddy would smoke Jermaine Dupri in a beat battle and that Dr. Dre would beat, but not annihilate, Diddy in a beat battle.
- Confucius reminds people to stick by their values especially in this time.
- This week’s Local Song of the Week is TEMPLO by Angélica Rahe.
Listen to this episode of The Breaks
Listen on The Apple Podcasts App, Spotify or Stitcher
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Texas Standard: March 27, 2020
Concerns about safety for people in detention and behind bars in Texas. Whats best for their health and efforts to stem the spread of COVID-19? We’ll explore. Also, a steep learning curve for stay at home students statewide, as well as their parents and teachers. We’ll hear about that challenge. And in a state that loves pickup trucks, how manufacturers are shifting gears, using parts to help wage war against the Coronavirus. Plus with bars and music venues shuttered all over Texas, the parties move inside and online this weekend. All of that and then some today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: October 10, 2019
A stern warning from the federal judge overseeing reform of Texas’ foster care system: further resistance will be worse than futile. We’ll have the story. Also, the president makes it clear he won’t be cooperating with the house impeachment process. What’s less clear: what this means for what many have predicted to be a transitional election season in Texas politics. We’ll explore. And skyrocketing heat-related injuries in the military. Now there’s an attempt at a radical ‘about face’. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: May 16, 2019
Are church officials hiding information related to sex abuse claims? We’ll look at how police are explaining a raid of the Catholic Diocese of Dallas. Also, diplomatic families sent home, energy companies battening down the hatches, amid reports of contingency plans for a possible military confrontation with Iran. A long time White House adviser helps us understand what’s happening. Plus, a modern day home on the range? Why Midland has become a magnet for millennials. And top tips for movie searching in the age of multiple streaming services. All of that and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: March 28, 2019
A tipping point at the border and pessimistic projections about the possibility of tragedy amid record numbers of asylum seekers. We’ll have the latest from El Paso where migrant families are being fenced into a makeshift shelter under a highway bridge. Also, a Texas mother files a federal lawsuit seeking 125 million from the Weather Channel after a tragedy involving storm chasers. Plus, Apple: the latest to enter the streaming wars, but are we already in over our heads when it comes to movies on demand? Also Hamilton comes to Texas and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard: