Healthcare providers and people on both sides of Texas’ abortion ban are working together – kind of – on an effort to clarify the law.
The VA is trying to trim its budget without affecting patients. A closer look at the plans and their potential holes.
The number of nurses in Houston public schools has dropped by 50% in the past year. Now there’s an effort at the Texas Capitol to set requirements for having nurses on campuses.
What you need to know as the federal government restarts collections on federal student loan borrowers in default.
And: We’ll introduce you to Porfirio Salinas, the Texas painter who captured the Hill Country in a way that inspired Lady Bird Johnson.
Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas. You can support our work by becoming a sustaining member at supportthispodcast.org.
Veterans Affairs
A Texas company says it’s brought the dire wolf back from extinction
How shutting down the Department of Education will affect the rights of students with disabilities.
Dallas-based company Colossal Biosciences says it’s successfully created three genetically engineered wolf pups resembling the long-extinct dire wolf.
How the state makes it hard for journalists to track the deaths of abused and neglected children.
Military veterans helped elect President Trump. Now many are protesting his administration’s deep government cuts.
And: As state agencies implement return-to-office mandates, workers report cramped conditions, insufficient parking and more.
A year after the Smokehouse Creek Fire, recovery is still underway
Concerns are growing about a measles outbreak in West Texas as some legislators push to rollback vaccination requirements.
It appears the threat of cutbacks from the federal government may already be having an effect on health services for veterans.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted targeted enforcement actions in Austin last month, and Hispanic business owners say the impact has been immediate.
And: Nearly one year ago, downed power lines sparked wildfires that ultimately burned more than 1 million acres in the Texas Panhandle. The recovery effort is ongoing today.
After nearly 50 years, food critic Pat Sharpe asks for the check
Texas leaders are among President-elect Trump’s biggest supporters. Are they being left off the list of Cabinet picks?
She’s traveled and tasted dishes from across the Lone Star State: After 50 years, Texas Monthly food critic Pat Sharpe is retiring and sharing what she’s learned on the job.
The details of a plan to turn an old golf course into a world-class arboretum in San Antonio.
And: An update on the results of a rural summit bringing residents, local officials and state lawmakers together.
Is Tesla running out of power?
Twisters up north, flooding to the east, wildfire dangers out in the far west and a forecast that won’t let up… yet. Boat rescues reported in central east Texas and many road closures as riverbanks swell from the rain. Meteorologist Eric Berger with the latest and what to expect.
On the heels of layoffs in April, the state’s wealthiest resident moves to make deeper cuts at the nation’s top EV maker. A tipping point for Tesla?
An update on what Travis County officials describe as the worst outbreak of opioid overdoses in years.
Plus, a preview of a new podcast exploring the state’s takeover of the Texas’ biggest school district.
Dr. Phil is back, and he’s broadcasting from the Metroplex
With a trial date fast approaching will securities fraud charges against Ken Paxton ever reach a jury? After years of delays, lawyers for the attorney general now say he’s been denied the right to a speedy trial, and that his prosecution is unconstitutional.
Amid a border security standoff between the Biden administration and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, many residents of Eagle Pass say they feel caught in the middle.
Also: Phil McGraw, aka Dr. Phil, plans to use Dallas as a launchpad for a new TV network.
Drilling down on the state takeover of Houston schools
Today, the Standard debuts “The Drill Down,” a new segment highlighting enterprise journalism from our partners across Texas. Today we’ll hear from Dominic Anthony Walsh of Houston Public Media on where things stand more than six months into the state’s takeover of the Houston Independent School District.
Democrats challenging Ted Cruz for his seat in the U.S. Senate debate for what may be the only time before the primaries. Sergio Martínez-Beltrán of The Texas Newsroom shares more.
And: A 90-year-old program designed to help blind or visually impaired people find jobs is losing participants, with many leaving because they can’t make a living.
Workers rally to fight state bill ending water breaks
As Texans brace for another week of extreme heat, there’s pushback against a new state law that nullifies local rules requiring mandatory water breaks for outdoor workers.
Austin has ended its policing partnership with the Department of Public Safety – but Gov. Greg Abbott is sending more troopers to the capital city.
Some legal experts say the Supreme Court’s student debt decision may have scrambled the issue of standing, or whether a plaintiff has enough interest in a particular matter to stand before the court to request legal intervention. UT Law professor Stephen Vladeck explains.
And a new documentary on Jesse Treviño honors the late San Antonio artist, long considered one of the city’s finest.
Performers pay tribute to Willie Nelson for his 90th birthday
A push in the state Legislature to end countywide voting on Election Day. Nearly 100 counties in Texas allow voters to cast their Election Day ballots anywhere in the county. But now a move to require voters to cast their ballots in specific district locations. Why the push, and why it matters.
The Veterans Administration is looking into a new application for artificial intelligence: suicide prevention.
An oil tanker bound for Houston seized by Iran. What this move may signal.
And country music luminaries pool their talents for an album to celebrate the 90th birthday of the Red Headed Stranger Willie Nelson.
Texas Republican says banning college polling places is about safety. Students don’t buy it.
The Supreme Court hears oral arguments in two challenges to student loan forgiveness. With Texas having the second highest number of student loans in the nation, a University of Houston legal scholar offers analysis and what comes next.
There’s a push in the Texas Legislature to ban polling places on college campuses – but some students see it as voter suppression.
Once upon a time in the not-so-distant past there was a planned mega-merger in the publishing biz. Today: the postscript.
What does the new year have in store for Texans’ pocketbooks?
In just over a week, lawmakers gather again at the capitol. What to expect in the upcoming Texas legislative session? Niki Griswold of the Austin American Statesman and James Barragán of the Texas Tribune with more on what to look for in the 88th legislative session. Also new incentives to buy an electric car. What does it mean for those in the market and will it be enough to jumpstart reluctant buyers? Plus the latest on a lawsuit to address racial bias in veterans benefits. And a big win for the Horned Frogs puts them in contention for the National College Football crown. TCU’s winning ways and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: June 20, 2022
A green light for COVID-19 vaccines for kids under 5. A Texas doctor on the importance at this stage of the pandemic fight, we’ll have the latest. Other stories we’re tracking: hispanics and COVID-19 vaccinations. What a new study tells us about vaccine hesitancy and health information. In other news, Texas republicans at their convention in Houston approve a platform including the false claim that President Biden’s election was illegitimate. We’ll have more from that event. Also reflections on Juneteenth and the progress and perils in the pursuit of racial justice. The comments of UT scholar Peniel Joseph and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: March 21, 2022
Historic confirmation hearings begin for the first Black woman nominated to sit on the highest court in the nation. What to expect in the confirmation hearings for Ketanji Brown Jackson. A Houston-based legal scholar weighs in. Also, the U.S. repose to the invasion of Ukraine. With President Biden set to go to Europe this week, Texas democratic congressman Mark Veasey of Fort Worth joins us to talk about what comes next. And a Johnson Space Center Historian on Making Space for Women in the story of NASA. And big trouble for small airports across the Lone Star State. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: January 21, 2022
What, exactly, does Governor Abbott’s newly unveiled “Parental Bill of Rights” really mean for Texas public schools? Also, many renters in Hays county brace themselves as federal dollars for a covid rent relief program disappear. Those stories, the week in politics, and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: November 12, 2021
Roads, bridges, electric charging stations… in all some 35 billion dollars earmarked for Texas in the infrastructure bill. So what comes next? San Antonio mayor Ron Nirenberg joins us. Also, a new law aimed at preventing deaths due to drug overdose has a policy expert warning about the fine print. Plus the week in Texas politics and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: May 14, 2020
How to make up for lost time: reopen school for a full year? Texas educators struggle with what to do in the fall and thereafter, we’ll have the latest. Plus, a new phase in the battle against the spread of the Coronavirus as businesses try to reopen. We’ll hear more on the state of testing in the state of Texas. And Dr. Fred Campbell of UT Health San Antonio takes up more of your COVID-19 questions. Also, who’s in charge, where? The back and forth over seemingly contradictory safety orders from state and local officials. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: March 25, 2020
They are the toughest measures yet to deal with Coronavirus in Texas. What’s the real world significance of new stay in place orders in cities across the Lone Star State? We’ll take a closer look. Also, the tenth biggest economy in the world asks Washington for help. What Texas wants to do with that disaster money. And how even NASA’s trying to shelter in place, while preparing for liftoff. Plus maintaining faith amid quarantine, how communities are staying together while keeping their distance. All those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: March 3, 2020
It’s Super Tuesday in Texas. We’re connecting with reporters statewide to get a sense of how things are going at the ballot boxes. And just as the field of democrats challenging president Trump has dramatically fallen, so too will the number of challengers in a key senate race and many other contests statewide. And by the way, what if you voted early and your candidate dropped out? Also, 5 things to watch for tonight as the tallies roll in. And chaos over COVID-19 in San Antonio, where the mayor’s made an emergency declaration. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: December 2, 2019
21 dead in a shootout south of the border involving Mexican forces and drug cartels. Drug related violence or terrorism at the Texas border? What’s in a name? Although president Trump has threatened to designate Mexico’s drug cartels terrorist organizations, people in Mexico view the violence through a more complicated lens, according to a new survey…We’ll have the latest. Also, the outline of the AR-15: a form factor in the debate over gun control, now facing another test before the supreme court. And the Texas ranch sisterhood. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: September 20, 2019
At least two dead, nearly 4 feet of rain and some parts of southeast Texas calling it worse than Hurricane Harvey. Our own Michael Marks joins us with the latest on tropical storm Imelda’s toll in Texas. Also, you’ve heard the phrase ‘it takes a village’, but to go to Mars? Why SpaceX is offering to buy an entire south Texas community. And Houston says Howdy Modi as the Indian Prime Minister makes Texas a centerpiece of his U.S. visit. Plus the week in Texas politics with the Texas Tribune and more today on the Texas Standard: