A Democratic congressman resigns early creating what the GOP says is an opportunity to flex political muscle in South Texas. What Filemón Vela Jr. decision to leave congress early might mean for the GOP efforts to shift south Texas from blue to red. Also, how Texas new voting law disenfranchised some long term Texas voters. And they were first spotted in Texas in 2002. Twenty years and much destruction later, University of Texas researchers say they’ve found kryptonite for crazy ants. Also how the pandemic changed the recipe for a long running survey of the best restaurants in Texas. All that and more today on the Texas Standard:
Voter
Texas Standard: March 8, 2022
A Houston native and American basketball icon arrested and detained in Russia. What can the U.S. do to secure her release? We’ll have more on WNBA star Brittney Griner and concerns she’s being held as a political prisoner in Russia as western pressure over Ukraine swells. Also, decades after NASA’s big move to Texas, economist Ray Perryman sizes up the space industry’s multi-billion dollar trajectory. And the Rolling Pines Fire reconsidered: a report on what caused the most recent big fire near Bastrop, and what it could mean long term. And the case for the face of the new right in Texas. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: February 15, 2022
As early voters begin to cast primary ballots, Black Voters Matter activists draw attention to what they call a crisis of voter suppression. Also a snapshot of political sentiment as voters prepared to pick nominees for statewide offices. The results of a new UT-Texas Politics Project poll. And student journalists report firsthand on the effects of the pandemic on Young Americans. Plus a homecoming of sorts for one of Texas’ best known rock and roll exports. Our conversation with Spoon frontman Britt Daniel on his band’s new release. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: August 24, 2021
They walked out over a voting bill. Now, as Texas House Democrats return and the session resumes, what comes next? Republicans say Senate Bill One is needed voting reform. Democrats say it further disenfranchises against marginalized Texans. But right now, that bill appears to be on the fast track again, we’ll have the latest. Also 650 plus new laws coming to Texas in September, including one that allows anyone who legally owns a gun in Texas to carry openly without a permit. We’ll take a closer look at what this change means for Texas, fake COVID-19 vaccination cards, plus COVID-19 questions from listeners and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: March 25, 2021
Once again, Texas in the spotlight as the nations attention turns to immigration and the thousands of undocumented minors coming across the southern border. Where to house them for how long and under what conditions? We’ll hear the latest from Dallas where a convention center has been converted into makeshift housing. Also, voter fraud prosecutions in Texas and a pattern of targeting people of color at disproportionate rates. And a major gulf coast energy project being shelved after much fanfare. All of those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: November 16, 2020
Texas’ top law enforcement official Ken Paxton faces more legal hot water, this time from some of his own former top aides. We’ll have the latest. Also, a city’s convention center transformed into a field hospital as COVID-19 cases soar in El Paso. We’ll have more. And lessons for the lockdown era: a book to help kids cope with the Coronavirus. Also the twists and turns of Texas elections without straight ticket voting. And we’ll take a closer look at what drove so many young latinos and latinas to the polls. Plus the re-release of a mid-century classic offers a critical re-examination of Texas small town life. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: November 10, 2020
He is a major political figure who has yet to publicly recognize Joe Biden’s victory in the general election. But he’s not a republican hold out, either. Texas democrats upset that the president of Mexico, a country often seen as maligned by President Trump, is reluctant to accept the outcome of the U.S. general elections. We’ll explore why not. Also, this is the season for the Texas legislature: packages calling for voting reform and more land at the capitol in the run up to the next session. And NASA says to a company in Midland with big plans for space. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: November 9, 2020
And we have a winner. What changes for Texas in a Biden- Harris administration, and how quickly? With the presidential contest now called, attention turns to fixing what’s broken and moving forward. We’ll have some projections from a veteran politics watcher and professor. Also, the states top law enforcement official facing a mushrooming scandal and new questions about how much longer he can hang on as Attorney General. And digging a little deeper into the Latina turnout in so-called battleground states. Plus, not your parents biodiesel: as oil prices fall, attention, turns to renewable diesels. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Ofrenda: A Decimation Of People, A Celebration Of Life
Today is the day when we present our Ofrendas, our offering of sounds honoring the lives of those who have left us. A decimation of people a celebration of life. We’ll take a look at the soothing tradition of remembering the dead. On a year where Texas has been hit again by natural disasters, a global pandemic and an economy that is fighting to stay afloat, we still have a presidential election coming up. We’ll see Texans pulling together to feed each other. And how the mystery of the Monarch butterfly invites us to think about re-birth and the afterlife. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: October 29, 2020
Early voting numbers in Texas have been high. Texas still leading in the raw numbers of youth turnout. But what’ll that mean come ballot counting time? We’ll explore. Plus, what’s going on at Texas Juvenile detention centers? A new complaint indicates some big concerns. We’ll have the details. And 5G is coming. You’ve probably heard it means faster speeds, but will it, really? And staying at home to watch your favorite scary movie is a pandemic-friendly option this Halloween. We’ll examine why The Texas Chainsaw Massacre might be the top choice in many homes across the state. All of that and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: October 23, 2020
News of the first FDA-approved COVID-19 treatment comes at a time when cases in Texas are starting to spike. We’ll explore the details and what’s next. And: Did you get a chance to watch the presidential debate last night? What are your thoughts? We’ll have a recap. Also: A new documentary about the life of Horton Foote who won an Oscar for his screenplay adaptation of “To Kill a Mockingbird”. Plus: The week in Texas politics with our friends from The Texas Tribune and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: October 21, 2020
As Texas’s Governor takes steps to lift pandemic restrictions on businesses, worries grow for a Texas hotspot nearing critical levels, we’ll have details. Plus, 2020 has left tens of thousands in the oil and gas industry unemployed. Now many in the energy capitol of the world looking to Thursday nights debate and what the candidate will have to say about changes in policies. Also, reports of involuntary sterilizations among women in immigration detention. We’ll have a talk with the Texas representative calling for a congressional investigation. And as voters try to limit contact with others due to COVID-19, a method of casting a ballot less talked about than the mail in option. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: October 16, 2020
As Coronavirus cases tick upwards again in Texas, some schools are returning to laptops and tablets. But others are going the opposite direction. Coming up our conversations with the superintendents of two Texas school districts where back to school is the rule, despite concerns about an uptick in Coronavirus cases. We’ll hear the rationale. Also you’ve heard of the great recession. Now the spotlight turns to what Texas researchers are calling the economic “she-session” of 2020. Plus the week in Texas politics with the Texas Tribune and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: October 15, 2020
Theres the vote, and there’s that other count that will determine representation in the Lone Star State. And the deadline is tonight. Have you been counted? Although the Census Bureau says 99.9% of households are accounted for, only 62 percent of Texans have completed the census. We’ll hear about the potential impact and how to get counted before the deadline. Also, An inter party tiff turns into a potential tipping point in the U.S. Senate race in Texas. And when you wish upon a star, you turn into a streaming service? Tech expert Omar Gallaga tells us why Disney’s making a major shift amid a pandemic. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: October 1, 2020
T minus 12 days and counting: are you ready to cast a ballot in Texas’ general election? We’ll have a list of practical steps to take now if you plan to cast a ballot in one of the most contentious elections in our history. Also the COVID-19 wake up call: why was Texas caught flatfooted even though plans had been in the works to deal with a pandemic? A Houston Chronicle investigation finds some surprising answers. And harsh lessons in reality for some just starting college in Texas during COVID-19. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: September 23, 2020
Less than 3 weeks until early voting in Texas and already some numbers are in: registration shatters records. Jeremy Wallace of the Houston Chronicle with more on voter registration records being set, what it tells us and what it doesn’t when it comes to the election outcomes. Also decriminalizing homelessness: one year on after a change in laws in the Texas capitol city. How much of a difference is it making, and are other Texas cities following suit? And far fewer cars on Texas roadways, why aren’t traffic fatalities far fewer as well? Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: August 31, 2020
Election day now almost 2 months away, and new battles forming over who in Texas gets to vote where and how. The Texas Secretary of State’s office threatens legal action over Harris county’s plan to send absentee ballot applications to every registered voter in the county, we’ll have the latest. Also a mass shooting in Odessa one year on, and the effort to hold the seller of the firearm legally accountable. And Daron Roberts on athlete activism and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: July 17, 2020
For many school districts: competing mandates from state leaders and local health officials leaving teachers parents and kids in limbo. Our conversation with superintendent of EL Paso ISD on the practical challenges of reopening public schools. Also, more on a newly unveiled proposal to cut 130 million dollars from state health services as the Coronavirus fight continues. And 5 years after the death of Sandra Bland, the mark she left at her alma mater, and on a movement. Plus the week in politics with the Texas Tribune and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: July 2, 2020
As new COVID-19 cases continue to set record highs in Texas, another statistic isn’t tracking the trend. Why are COVID-19 death rates in Texas moving lower? We’ll have the latest. Also, Texas teachers getting prepared for the first statewide public school elective on African American studies. How the past and present come together in the curriculum. And just how difficult is the process for obtaining a mail in ballot in Texas? Our own Shelly Brisbin puts it to the test. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: May 28, 2020
The Texas Supreme Court rules fear of contracting Coronavirus is not a disability under election law. We’ll have more on the decision in the vote-by mail controversy and why it may not prove to be the final word on the subject. Also as institutions of higher ed struggle over how to move forward, we talk to the presidents of two historically black colleges about how best to help the communities they serve, especially hard hit by COVID-19. Plus Dr. Fred Campbell takes more listener questions about the Coronavirus and much more today on the Texas Standard: