Vladimir Putin

Historic heat makes Texas’ ailing water infrastructure even harder to fix

A plan for state officials to take over special education in the Austin Independent School District is being reconsidered. Becky Fogel of KUT in Austin shares more.

Record heat this summer statewide has led to widespread water leaks amid an already pressing need for repairs – but will a fund earmarked for fixes be enough?

With five deaths from fentanyl on average in Texas each day, a growing number of those deaths is among young people. The Dallas Morning news turns a monthlong spotlight on a growing crisis.

Time > Money

Confucius and Fresh discuss Swizz Beatz recent comment that for him, time is more important than money. Then they discuss whether being a public figure makes dating more complicated.

You’ll learn Hip-Hop Facts about Dr. Dre’s and Ice Cube’s un-released record “Helter Skelter,” who the role of Rob was originally written for in the movie “3 Strikes,” what the highest-grossing hip-hop tour of all time is, and more.

Fresh states the Unpopular Opinion that it is beneath Lil’ Kim to do a Verzuz with Nicki Minaj.

Confucius talks about the alleged assassination attempt on Vladimir Putin by Ukraine, Ron Desantis’s recent trip to Israel and his ongoing troubles with Disney, the recent bill that passed through the Texas Senate that would allow the Secretary of State to overturn elections in Harris Country, and more on Confucius Reads the News.

Texas Standard: September 27, 2022

One small crash for a rocket, how much of a leap for humankind? Why the dart asteroid mission matters. Other stories we’re tracking, fresh threats from Russia to use nuclear weapons as it creates a pretext for the permanent annexation of parts of eastern Ukraine. A Baylor professor and former advisor to the Ukrainian government talks about what comes next. Also the Texas workforce commission says it overpaid many unemployment recipients. But critics say their tactics to get the money back are heavy handed and in many cases, target the wrong people. Also brand Beto and the gubernatorial race: Dan Solomon of Texas Monthly with a closer look and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: September 13, 2022

More details emerge about the horrific conditions faced by youths locked up in Texas’ juvenile justice facilities. Locked in a cell 22 hours per day with no place to use the restroom… That’s how some of the kids in Texas’ youth detention system spend their weekends, thanks to short staffing at the facilities. We’ll learn more about what’s being done to fix it. Plus an offensive by the Ukrainian military found Russian troops on the back foot. What’s it mean for the future of the war? Also on today’s show we’ll learn about two kinds of butterflies, health insurance for Texas musicians and the evolution of the copyright. All of that and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: September 06, 2022

A democrat running for a top statewide office gets a big endorsement from a prominent Republican. Could it shake up the midterms in Texas? Other stories we’re tracking: what’s happening with home prices in Texas? Why price trends are pointing toward a return to a buyers market…with some big caveats. Plus, a study that could lead to reclaiming toxic wastewater from oil and gas production. And Peniel Joseph, author and scholar, on the Third Reconstruction. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: August 31, 2022

18 months after a deadly statewide electricity blackout, state officials adopt new weather preparedness standards. But is it enough? We’ll look at what the new rules are and whether they have the teeth to prevent future events like the 2021 Winter Blackouts. Also, El Paso’s DA under fire and facing a petition seeking her removal. But she calls it a political move. Plus drug cartels in Mexico shifting production to an unusually lethal synthetic opioid that has health officials in the U.S. concerned about an overdose crisis. Those stories, a Politifact check on teacher salaries and 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:

TROY NōKA Speaks

This week on The Breaks:

Texas Standard: July 23, 2018

The endangered species act, now on the endangered list? Activists and environmentalist sound alarms, we’ll learn more. And as we fast approach the anniversary of Harvey and plunge further into hurricane season, rescue efforts underway for the National Flood Insurance program. We’ll hear what’s happening, and why they’re underwater. Also, ranchers balk at a plan to brand lab-grown protein “clean meat”…what’s in a name? Some say a multi-billion dollar industry. And journalists abandoning social media does it matter? All this and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: July 20, 2018

A challenge from a Texas GOP congressman to fellow lawmakers on his own side of the aisle: whatever happened to checks and balances? In what is his strongest condemnation yet of President Trump post-Helsinki, Republican congressman Will Hurd writes an op ed in the New York Times calling on congress to defend the U.S. from Russia, if the president won’t. We’ll explore the political implications. Also the President’s promise to change business as usual when it comes to immigration. Upon closer inspection, just how much has changed down at the border? And the tiny town of Edna Texas loses a Walmart and maybe something less tangible, too. Plus the week in Texas politics and much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: July 18, 2018

Helsinki’s halo effect for the left? If the Texas Senate contest is any indication, it could mean stiffer pushback from Democrat challengers, we’ll have details. Also, we’ll take a closer look at how the President’s remarks at the summit with Russia might already be reflected in the race between Beto O’Rourke and Ted Cruz. Kevin Diaz of the Houston Chronicle joins us from Washington. Plus, what would be whistleblowers are telling us about conditions in immigrant detention centers in the Rio Grande Valley. And the fifth highest paid University administrator in the nation talks about student debt: Texas A&M’s John Sharp joins us and so much more on the National News Show of Texas:

Texas Standard: July 17, 2018

It’s being called by some treasonous; more and more Republicans now breaking with the President. Words matter. We’ll try to decode them. Also, MS-13, a hyper violent gang from Central America at the center of a new litmus test in U.S. politics. How much of a threat does the gang really pose in the Lone Star State? And how the zero-tolerance border backlash has put some San Antonio lawyers in the national spotlight raising 20 million dollars to help separated families. Plus in our spotlight on health: what looks like a psychiatrist shortage in west Texas. And east Texas bugs beware: the mosquito assassins are in the air. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: March 15, 2018

20 billion dollars in debt: a Texas-based giant in the entertainment industry files for bankruptcy, we’ll explain. Also, big pushback against Putin a day after the UK announces sanctions against Russia, the US issues sanctions of its own over election interference. We’ll have the latest. And Texans getting sandbagged by callers claiming to be from the IRS. How a Texas company is fighting back. And from a magazine known for its progressive politics: a call to drop the turn Texas blue narrative. We’ll hear the thinking behind it. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard: