As the temperatures fall, along with precipitation, millions of Texans stranded or worse by winter weather. Coming up, conversations with reporters from across Texas on how Texans are weathering conditions that have brought large parts of the state to a standstill. Also, missing out on the vaccine but getting something else instead: scammed. A report from Houston. Plus a major disconnect with rural Texas: concerns that a lack of broadband is leaving some Texas towns far behind. And new efforts to reunite families separated by U.S. immigration policies. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Vaccine
Texas Standard: February 12, 2021
It’s freezing out there. We’ll get a look at weather conditions across the state and what’s to come. We’ll also check in on how the state is weathering extended economic challenges posed by COVID-19. We’ll hear from the state’s top budget official. And the energy industry plays a part in that economic outlook. New proposals aim to tax some polluting practices. Plus a lesson in Texas border history that you might not be familiar with. And we’ll also wrap up the week in Texas politics and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: February 11, 2021
The second impeachment trial of Donald Trump is underway. So what have we learned and will any of it affect the chances of a conviction? We’ll explore. Also, the COVID-19 vaccine could put an end to this pandemic in the way we’ve been living it so far, but only if people get the vaccine. We’ll explore some challenges. And Mexico doesn’t get the credit it deserves when it comes to the way it’s shaped the global economy. That’s the premise behind a new book. What we could stand to learn about our neighbor to the south. And the growing backlog of unsolved murders in Texas and what it tells us about policing in the state. Plus we’ll take a break and nerd out a bit about gaming graphics. All that and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: February 10, 2021
The wait for a vaccine and the frustration of many over even getting on a list. We put some questions to a doctor on the state’s Expert Vaccine Allocation Panel today on the Texas Standard. So how is Texas allocating vaccines and why did the state open up phase 1B wider than the CDC recommendations? We get some answers. We’ll also explore the equity of vaccine distribution… and whether should teachers be higher on the priority list. Plus a push by Texas sports team to legalize betting. And the new voice that’s come out in hesitation. And Texas through the lens of a new PBS Nature documentary. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: February 5, 2021
A new University of Houston Survey reveals a canyon in Texas separating the two parties over election fraud. In addition to those findings: fully a third of all Texans say they would not accept a COVID-19 vaccination. Kirk Watson of the Hobby School joins us to talk about the findings. Also, Elon Musk fighting gravitational forces in south Texas where its SpaceX vs the FAA. And how Texas is making an appearance of sorts in this weekends Super Bowl, the week in politics with the Texas Tribune and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: February 4, 2021
Beto for senate, Beto for President…now Beto for governor? What may be shaping into a high profile challenge to governor Greg Abbott. Evan smith, CEO of the Texas Tribune on the possibility of an Abbott vs Beto battle for the top office in Texas. Also not all vaccine rollouts in Texas are created equal. Just ask the folks in Amarillo where there’s no online signup, and people from other states are coming to get vaccinated. We’ll have a revealing picture from the panhandle. And amid jokes about coping with the isolation of pandemic, no laughing matter for people struggling with substance use. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: February 2, 2021
It was billed as a State of the State address. But a closer reading might reveal the not-to-subtle start of a new campaign season in Texas. We’ll break down governor Greg Abbott’s 5 emergency items. Also the latest on bottlenecks in the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines in the Lone Star State. And rural Texas, disconnected? A state lawmaker warns funding cuts could cut off internet and phone service for many sparsely populated parts of Texas. Plus a new opening for transmigrantes and how that could create new opportunities and new dangers at the border. Those stories and more today on the Texas standard:
Texas Standard: January 29, 2021
Could you draw a map of the state of Texas? Try drawing the political maps. This year, it promises to be tougher than ever. As redistricting begins in Texas, what to look for in what is likely to be another highly contentious process. Also, are you having trouble getting the COVID-19 vaccine? Many are. Our own Terri Langford set out to try to navigate the journey to get vaccinated in Texas, and it wasn’t pretty. We’ll hear what she learned firsthand. And the story of a Texas-based video game store stock that rocked Wall Street: a morality tale? The truths not quite so simple. All that and more today on the Texas Standard:
Vaccines
The distribution of a vaccine is providing some light at the end of the pandemic tunnel. While that light is still in the distance and what we’ll find when we get to it is still unknown, this Typewriter Rodeo poem is focused on the hope of drawing nearer to it.
Texas Standard: January 28, 2021
As the governor announces a plan to get more COVID-19 vaccines to rural Texas, a major urban county could be reaching a vaccination milestone. El Paso is fast approaching vaccination levels of 10 percent, though it’s a trade off that could leave many in areas hardest hit by the virus without being vaccinated. That story coming up. Also, the impediments to getting vaccines to people in more rural parts of the Lone Star State. Speaking of: president Biden under growing pressure to do more at the federal level to reach out to help rural communities nationwide. And is tech trendsetter Elon Musk getting into the Texas gas biz? Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: January 26, 2021
In Texas’ most populous metro area, a rethink of how the COVID-19 vaccine is being distributed, we’ll have the latest. Plus, when the Texas capitol city cut the budget for its police department by almost a third last year, Texas’ governor warned there would be a price to pay. Now, with the Texas legislature in session, what the governor plans to do to keep other Texas cities from following Austin’s move. And the Biden administration’s plan to increase the minimum wage. Is now the right time and do the numbers add up? Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: January 19, 2021
Sorting through legislative priorities: what legislators will pass but probably shouldn’t and what they won’t pass but probably should. The good the bad and the ugly…the good? It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood but with Mr. Rogers gone, a woman in the Texas Hill Country and her dog are filling those shoes. And speaking of the neighborhood, a new neighbor plans a move to Texas. It’s the National Rifle Association and its Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. Also the ugly evolution of fascism, plus the challenges of COVID-19 continue, but Dallas is looking for a more equitable distribution of vaccines. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: January 18, 2021
Is there a doctor in the House? At least one COVID-19 case reported among Texas lawmakers and what that may mean for getting back to business at the Texas capitol, we’ll have the latest. Also, President elect Joe Biden says one of the first things he’ll do after inauguration is rejoin the Paris Climate accords but new research from Texas A&M suggests one of the targets for temperature limits is already on track to being exceeded. Game over? Not quite. We’ll hear why and what comes next. And federal officials approve new standards of health care in a crisis for people with disabilities. So what changes in Texas? Also, amid a new reckoning on race, remembering Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. All of those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: January 14, 2021
In a long list of unprecedented events theres another one. For the first time two of the three highest offices in the land will be lead by women. Women make better leaders in a time of crisis, so says the Harvard Business Review. We’ll tell you why. Plus, how are teachers taking current events and turning them into teachable moments? And how Texas Tech companies are pulling their dollars away from politicians. Plus, what’s going on with the COVID-19 vaccine? Stay tuned, it’s Texas Standard time:
Texas Standard: January 12, 2021
The start of the 2021 Texas legislative session, minus some lawmakers who plan to skip what they call as a super-spreader event. Also, as the governor announces several new hubs for the distribution of covid vaccines, others worry about Texas’ role as a hub for vaccine misinformation. Plus Dr. Fred Campbell of UT Health San Antonio takes on more of your questions about COVID-19 and the vaccine in Texas. And disorder in the court: as case go unresolved due to the pandemic. And fights over water: an ongoing part of the Texas story, but could the final chapter be forthcoming thanks to new research? Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: January 8, 2021
Will prominent Texas politicians who sided with unsubstantiated election fraud claims pay a price for that position after Wednesday? And what is a coup? It’s a question many Americans are asking about and arguing over after the invasion of the capitol. We’ll talk with a Texas scholar whose focus includes authoritarian regimes. And she’s one of the few health providers for miles around in a rural part of east Texas. And right now she’s overwhelmed with demand for vaccinations, we’ll talk with her. Also the impact of the pandemic on the future of Texas public schools, the week in Texas politics and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: January 6, 2021
As Georgia goes, so goes Texas? What the results of the senate runoffs in Georgia may tell us about changing politics in the Lone Star State. Major population growth, shifts in suburbs once reliably republican… sound familiar? Could politics in the peach state tell us something about political change coming to Texas, too? Texas based ABC News analyst Matthew Dowd with a closer look. Also, Texas’ two senators, both Republicans, not on the same page when it comes to certification of the electoral college vote…more on that plus why people of color in Texas may have less of a shot at getting the COVID-19 vaccines they need. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: January 5, 2021
Even as more Texans get vaccinated, hospital beds fill with COVID-19 patients and Texas may be approaching a critical tipping point. COVID-19 patients now occupy one in 5 hospital beds in Texas, and many ICUs statewide are at their limits. The state of the state of care and what health officials fear may come next. Also many Texans eligible for vaccination, but can find anyone to administer the vaccine. And asylum seekers south of the Texas border hoping for change from the Biden administration. Plus what that change at the White House might mean when it comes to Texas and the courts. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: December 28, 2020
A new survey shows changing attitudes on vaccinations in Texas, and the numbers offer even more surprises and important insights. We’ll take a deeper dive in to what that means. Also, 12 states have not expanded medicaid, Texas among them. Economist Ray Perryman on why Texas lawmakers should consider 2021 an opportunity to turn things around. Plus a happier new year for Texas’ top energy commodity? Our energy insider with a reality check. And a profile of the person tapped to head up the Dallas police department. Plus the protests of 2020 and those of 5 decades earlier: a new book recalls the often overlooked intersection of activism and the church. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: December 21, 2020
We have a winner in a hotly contested state senate election. Can it tell us anything about the Texas Republican party? We’ll explore. Also, some health care providers across Texas have now received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Next up should be nursing home patients and staff. We’ll look at how one provider is feeling about it all. And UT-Austin is changing the way it determines who gets into a certain program. How an algorithm can show bias. Also Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s lawsuit too overturn some election results was a failure, on all but one front. We’ll explain. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard: