Reports of massive staffing cuts at USAID are rattling the federal bureaucracy and supporters of foreign aid. Andrew Natsios, a Texas A&M professor and a Republican who once served as a USAID administrator, joins the show with his take on the claims of waste and inefficiency at his former agency.
A new historical marker stands outside Rockport building that was once the art studio of Simon Michael – a painter who founded the Fulton School of Painting and played a pivotal role in shaping the region’s artistic community.
Plus: The Standard celebrates our 10th year on the air with a look back at our top 10 film & TV interviews.
Typewriter Rodeo
Flu surge shuts down schools in North Texas
What to expect from this weekend’s State of the State address, where Gov. Greg Abbott will reveal his emergency items for the current legislative session.
Have you noticed the flu is going around? There’s actually more than one virus making folks sick at the moment. We’ll check in with a doctor.
One of the many ways public media organizations raise funds is through vehicle donations. But how exactly does a donated car translate into a revenue stream? Texas Standard’s Sean Saldana followed one donation from driveway to dollars.
And: The 67th annual Grammy Awards take place Sunday, and once again, Texas is well-represented among the nominees. We’ll have a preview.
A closer look at the country music Grammy nods
As lawmakers prepare to take up a school voucher-like plan, many state public schools are struggling with more cutbacks.
Gov. Greg Abbott is seeking an extension of a tuition freeze for public colleges and universities.
What the tiny town of Rockdale, Texas, could teach us about the energy transition and rising demand.
Mando Rayo of the Tacos of Texas podcast breaks down the state’s new Michelin-recognized restaurants.
And: What the Grammy nominations tell us about the changing landscape of country music – and why it’s sounding a lot more like an increasingly diverse Texas.
Texas Democratic Party chair resigns after controversial comments
The head of the Texas Democratic Party has resigned following controversial comments about transgender rights and the issue’s role in elections. Lauren McGaughy of the Texas Newsroom joins us with the latest.
He’s Texas’ senior senator for now, but could he soon be known as Senate Majority Leader John Cornyn? We’ll hear more, as well as a who’s who list of some prominent Texans who might be going to Washington as part of the incoming Trump administration.
And a new children’s picture book highlights the beauty of West Texas.
San Antonio’s Institute of Texan Cultures eyed for demolition
It’s possible the most closely watched statewide race in Texas this election cycle could also be the closest once the ballots are counted. How Ted Cruz and Colin Allred are making a final push in the days before Nov. 5.
In San Antonio, plans to demolish a building once part of a World’s Fair might be put on hold because of its history. Jack Morgan of Texas Public Radio tells us more.
And: The new book “The Fall of Roe” explores the decade before the Dobbs decision and the political apparatus that made it possible.
Presidential campaigns make high-profile stops in Texas
With less than two weeks until Election Day, presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are both making high-profile stops in Texas today.
A nonprofit is helping Black farmers in Texas build a home-grown community.
Filmmakers share the story behind “Subtopia,” a new Texas-based mockumentary about HOA drama.
And: Remembering Sister Angela Murdaugh, a Franciscan Sister of Mary and certified nurse midwife who was named to the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame.
PBS special explores untold Latino history
With immigration a major issue in presidential politics, the Fifth Circuit takes up Texas’ challenge to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
North Texas car dealerships accused of racially discriminatory practices are now suing the Federal Trade Commission, saying their interference is unconstitutional.
A new study finds Black and Latino consumers are twice as likely to be prone to digital scams or cyber attacks.
And: The PBS special “American Historia: The Untold History of Latinos” sheds light on the evolving story of Latinos in media, academia and beyond.
Presidio County seeks ownership of international bridge
A massive dockworkers strike has ended – but the settlement reached is only a tentative deal, and it leaves one of the most contentious issues still unsettled.
Presidio County wants to gain control of an international crossing that’s currently in the hands of the state. But the process might be more complex than it seems.
A new documentary, “We’re Here,” examines the aftermath of the Smokehouse Creek Fire that scorched millions of acres in the Panhandle earlier this year.
And: Austin’s Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is coming alive with its annual Fortlandia exhibit. The Standard’s Patrick M. Davis and takes us behind the scenes.
New student data system has Texas school worried
Texas’ Supreme Court Justices weigh a misconduct case against a top aide to Attorney General Ken Paxton.
The state’s education agency updates how it gathers data on Texas 12 hundred plus school districts…but now many of those districts worried they’ll pay a steep price.
With wind a bigger part of the energy mix in Texas, concerns about what happens to those gargantuan wind blades once they wear out. A lab in Colorado may have a solution.
In time for elections, the debut of a satire challenging stereotypes and the Latino vote…
The week in politics with the Texas Tribune and much more.
Texas athlete Ryan Medrano heads to his first Paralympic Games in Paris
Election Day is fast approaching, and controversies in Texas over who’s eligible to cast a ballot are picking up steam. The Texas Newsroom’s Blaise Gainey has an update on Republican-led efforts to purge voter rolls and growing concerns about what could be a recipe for confusion come November.
As Texas public schools see enrollment numbers drop along with their budgets, an idea being tried by some districts in West Texas is garnering lots of attention – and apparently lots of money.
Texas is again well represented in Paris: We’re talking with El Paso fitness trainer Ryan Medrano, who’s running in the Paralympic Games this weekend.
Plus: the week in politics with The Texas Tribune and poetry from the Typewriter Rodeo.
How Texas is likely undercounting heat-related deaths
Just how dangerous is triple-digit heat in Texas? They say the numbers don’t lie. Last year was the deadliest on record in Texas, but there’s reason to think we don’t know just how bad it really was – or is.
As schools begin welcoming students back to class, data shows nearly 1 in 5 will be chronically absent.
Are you a mosquito magnet, or does it just seem that way? What the science says, and what you can do about it.
Plus, the week in politics with the Texas Tribune and poetry from the Typewriter Rodeo.
New survey reveals bipartisan concern over Texas housing affordability crisis
With Kamala Harris in the spotlight, there appears to be a major momentum shift in presidential politics. Is it moving the needle in Texas?
A new survey indicates that 90% of Texans believe housing costs are too high, with Democrats and Republicans in agreement.
Schools are struggling to grapple with a rise in vaping among students.
A conversation with Oscar nominated actor Colman Domingo on his new movie “Sing Sing.”
And: the week in politics with The Texas Tribune.
What’s ahead for U.S. gymnastics at the Olympics
A faculty committee at UT Austin found that university leaders violated their own rules when calling police to respond to protests over the war in Gaza at the end of the spring semester. Audrey McGlinchy of KUT News shares the latest.
Five years after the mass shooting at a Walmart in El Paso, a new memorial is unveiled to honor the 23 people killed.
Serious questions have been raised over a private contractor providing healthcare services to prison inmates in many states, including Texas.
And: Texas was well-represented at the men and women’s gymnastics team and all-around events at the Paris Olympics. A look at what’s ahead for the athletes.
What VP Kamala Harris said at her Houston stop
The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee comes to Houston talking teachers, Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Andrew Schneider of Houston Public Media was at Kamala Harris’s speech to the American Federation of Teachers. We’ll hear what she had to say in her sprint toward the convention and Election Day.
How El Paso could teach the rest of Texas a thing or two about the future of managing water.
In the Panhandle, a federal plan to expand a wildlife refuge tenfold. Not everyone’s happy about it, either.
Corn or flour? Taco journalist Mando Rayo on some choices we Texans must face.
Plus, the week in politics with the Texas Tribune and poetry from Typewriter Rodeo.
Massive disruption worldwide blamed on latest Microsoft update from Austin-based CrowdStrike
A massive disruption that knocked businesses and services offline worldwide – grounding planes, keeping bank customers from accessing their balances and more – was blamed on the latest Microsoft update from Austin-based cybersecurity company CrowdStrike.
The Justice Department has sued the Texas-based nonprofit Southwest Key Programs, alleging sexual abuse of migrant children in their care.
A new study sounds an alarm over the safety of tampons after finding found toxic metals, including arsenic and lead, in over a dozen popular brands. We’ll hear from the lead researcher.
Also: the week in politics with The Texas Tribune and poetry from the Typewriter Rodeo.
Remembering iconic Texas actress Shelley Duvall
Five days after Hurricane Beryl’s landfall, more than 800,000 Texans are still without power as frustrations and questions rise along with the heat – and officials say half a million people may not get power back until next week.
Thirty-five percent of Texas students scored zero on the writing portion of STAAR test, raising big questions about the jump in low scores as computers take over the grading process.
Remembering Fort Worth native Shelley Duvall, who made a big mark on Hollywood and left it all for the Hill Country.
Also: the week in politics with The Texas Tribune and poetry from the Typewriter Rodeo.
50 years on the road with Texas Highways
Hurricane Beryl bears down on Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, raising red flags for Texas. Meteorologist Matt Lanza brings us the latest on the storm and what parts of Texas may be most affected.
The U.S. Supreme Court says it will take up a case involving Texas’ new law requiring adult-oriented sites to obtain age verification from users.
A milestone for any magazine, Texas Highways turns 50.
Border enforcement and the role of a one-time Texas Ranger in shaping how we view the issue today.
Plus, the week in Texas politics with the Texas Tribune.
Former Uvalde school police chief indicted over failed shooting response
A grand jury investigating the failed police response to the Robb Elementary shooting has issued indictments against two law enforcement officers on the scene, including former Uvalde school police chief Pete Arredondo.
Kathleen Dorothy Blackburn, author of the new book “Loose of Earth,” talks about her family’s search for faith healers as father died – and later, her effort to learn more about the so-called “forever chemicals” he was exposed to.
A look at the life and legacy of the incomparable Kinky Friedman, who died yesterday at his ranch outside Medina.
And: The week that was in politics includes multiple questions about the ethics of Texas lawmakers.
Supreme Court upholds domestic violence gun law in North Texas case
In an 8-1 decision, the Supreme Court has issued a major ruling on gun rights, effectively disarming domestic abusers.
A meeting today to consider the exceptions to the state’s near-total abortion ban: It’s an effort to deal with fears about prosecution cited by many Texas doctors.
The latest on what could be upcoming federal rules on heat protection for workers.
Elon Musk gets the green light to reincorporate Tesla in Texas – but he’s far from alone. How the move is a part of a larger shift to reincorporate in the Lone Star State and why.
A conversation with Tara López, whose new book “Chuco Punk: Sonic Insurgency in El Paso” examines the city’s punk scene from its beginning to the turn of the century.
And: the week in politics with The Texas Tribune.
Supreme Court rejects a Trump-era ban on bump stocks
The Supreme Court has struck down a Trump-era ban on bump stocks – devices that can be attached to a semiautomatic gun to make it fire more quickly – in a case brought by Michael Cargill, a U.S. Army veteran and owner of a gun store in Austin.
The State of Texas wants to replace the judge overseeing the lawsuit over its foster care system, Judge Janis Jack, saying she can’t be impartial.
There’s been a rash of near-misses between planes at busy airports. A new piece of equipment in Austin could help prevent that.
Plus: A new investigation finds that thousands of Texans live near oil and gas wells that could be leaking excess amounts of hydrogen sulfide, putting their health at risk.