Trafficking

Unraveling the ‘Iron Pipeline’ of gun smuggling from Texas to Mexico

Following the state’s takeover of Houston schools, a plan to eliminate libraries and use the space for kids who misbehave in class.

Watch that water bill: Not only is use up, some municipalities are raising rates to try to drive down demand.

A three-part series explores how the Texas Attorney General’s Office became an incubator for conservative legal strategies that are reshaping Texas and the nation. Eleanor Klibanoff of the Texas Tribune joins with more.

A new focus on trying to cut down the flow of arms from Texas into Mexico.

And we’ll talk to Sethward, the Texan who’s become a viral sensation for losing on “America’s Got Talent.”

Texas Standard: April 9, 2019

Texas officials raising lots of eyebrows after taking quick action to sue the companies involved in recent chemical disasters. A change of heart? We’ll take a look. Also, who’s helping the growing numbers of people crossing the border right now? Highly strained resources for migrants in the valley as their numbers mount. And is the STAAR test aimed too high for Texas students? New complaints getting a hearing at the state capitol. Plus a closer look at the possibility of a former Texas governor taking over as head of Homeland Security. All of those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: February 13, 2019

A year after Parkland, what if anything is changing to make Texas schools safer? Five things you need to know about what happens next. Also: The end of El Chapo’s career, but not his cartel. After years of work to win convictions against the drug kingpin, what changes? We’ll take a look. And as many New Yorkers rethink the three billion dollar price tag to land Amazons second headquarters, a researcher says New York could learn a thing or two from the Texas experience. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: January 14, 2019

Leaders of both the Texas senate and the house promising to hike teacher salaries so more will stay in the classroom. But how much money is enough? Also, to weather the government shutdown, the state steps in to help people who rely on what used to be known as food stamps. But experts warn of a hidden hit for grocers. We’ll hear about it. Plus a prominent Texas politician pitches his hat into the 2020 presidential race. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: January 7, 2019

Crisis on the border? Depends on who you ask. We’ll check in with McAllen’s Mayor to find out what he’s seeing and what he’d tell President Trump. Also, Texas’s largest school district gets some harsh attention from the Governor. How we got to this point and what’s next. And it’s game day. The college football national championships will bring in big money for the coaches and schools. How should players benefit? Plus the telenovela bridges country lines and generations. We’ll explore the cultural phenomenon. And space exploration in 2019 could definitely be out of this world. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: February 27, 2018

Turnout looks up at the polls and some political rallies draw big crowds. But what does excitement about the primaries really mean for election results? We’ll explore. Also, there’s been a lot said about more women running for office and more minorities. Today a look at what veterans could bring to the race. Plus federal legislation on sex trafficking is getting some pushback from technology companies. Why they’re concerned about culpability. And another delay on DACA: It’s continued protection from deportation for those enrolled in the program but also continued uncertainty. What all the back and forth could be doing to their health. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: January 12, 2018

Texas violated federal law by denying countless kids access to special education services. The governor orders a plan to fix in 7 days, we’ll have details. Also, a tractor trailer truck with a dozen immigrants in the back, police in San Antonio charge the driver with human smuggling. Now the Lt. Governor asking if San Antonio police broke the law, we’ll hear why. And file under Big Gulp: what this week’s immigration raids on 7-11 stores tell us about the future of enforcement. And do smartphone makers have a duty to limit kids screen time? All that plus the week in politics with the Texas Tribune and a whole lot more, today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: August 14, 2017

This time Charlottesville, next time College Station? The warning from white nationalists and the pushback from students, we’ll have the latest. Also, while you were sleeping or trying to avoid the blazing heat: the Texas legislature mopping up last minute business as the special session enters its closing hours. We’ll take a look at what’s passed and what hasn’t. Plus: ready-fire-aim: a gun adopted by scores of police departments raises concerns in Dallas and Houston, concerned about accidental discharges. And what’s a small town to do when there aren’t enough kids for the football team? Six man football struggles with a stigma. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: July 24, 2017

Of the 19 items on the governor’s agenda 17 are already headed to the Texas senate for a full vote. The House: that’s another story, we’ll have details. Also, how did it happen? The deaths of at least 9 locked in the back of a tractor trailer in San Antonio this weekend raise concerns about the persistence of human trafficking in Texas. And government by and for the donors? Why watchdogs are worried this special session is becoming a spigot for campaign contributions. And the appeal of California vs. the lure of Texas: the migration patterns are clear, but what might this mean in political terms? Those stories and lots more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: April 18, 2017

What do Texans believe to be the number one issue facing the state and the nation? Some eyebrow raising findings in a new statewide survey, we’ll explore. Plus, one little word at the center of a new debate over evolution vs. creationism in Texas classrooms, we’ll explain. And apocalypse now? The great brick and mortar retail implosion has been predicted for more than a decade. Why analysts think the moment has arrived. And what’ll it take for a new commitment to space exploration? A new documentary shoots for the moon. Also truancy no longer a criminal offense in Texas, but now new charges for chronic class skippers. All that and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: February 13, 2017

Texas on ICE: for weeks they were unconfirmed reports, now evidence of immigration sweeps across Texas and 10 other states, we’ll have the latest. Also: mind the gap. Who’s gonna fill the hole between two competing spending plans, for Texas and what does it mean in real terms? And a price bubble in the middle of the Texas desert, set to pop? Plus how do you write about a war when the final chapter is far from over? Veterans of the War on Terror offer a rare insiders view. And a sweeping investigation of the state of human trafficking in the lone star state. All that and much more, today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: January 12, 2016

Texas set to announce a crack down on 21st century slavery. We’ll meet the woman in charge and why she’s doing it. Also the Houston based head of one of the nation’s most notorious biker gangs convinces a judge he’s no flight risk: why federal officials have set their sights on the Bandidos. And what’s killing the lights over and over outside Houston? A Texas teenager named to Forbes 30 under 30 and his invention inspired by the BP oil spill. Plus the white house promises an out of the ordinary state of the union…how far could they go? Those stories and much more today on the Texas standard: