Wall

Ken Paxton whistleblower says his fight is not over

He was one of the whistleblowers against Attorney General Ken Paxton, and he says his fight is not over.

What appears to be a 180° turn by the Biden Administration as it waves environmental laws and resumes construction work on a border wall in South Texas.

Hundreds of thousands of Texans dropped from Medicaid rolls post-‘peak COVID’ – some wrongly so, whistleblowers say – due to errors at the state health department.

What could be an epic football battle this weekend: the Red River Rivalry. Are the Longhorns back, for real?

Also, the week in Texas politics with the Texas Tribune.

The fight over preserving El Paso’s Castner Range

A San Antonio doctor says hospitals are facing a crisis as COVID-19, RSV and flu cases mount before in this holiday season. In Bexar county the wait for hospital beds on the rise, and some health experts are sounding an alarm as families gather for the holidays. We’ll hear the latest. Also a big OPEC meeting, a European ban on Russian oil and the ripple effects for Texas oil producers and consumers. And in a decades long effort to open up El Paso’s Castner Mountains what could be a tipping point for a regions that’s been losing a lot of natural land to developers. Those stories, the talk of Texas and and much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: April 15, 2022

The business of border security. Who’s making millions, and who’s paying the price tag? An investigation by the Houston Chronicle takes a closer look. Also, new commercial checkpoints at the border set up by Governor Abbott now opening back up for business? We’ll have the latest. Plus presidential debates and their impartiality. How debatable? The GOP says Republicans running for president will have to sign a pledge not to participate with the Commission on Presidential Debates. Ricard Pineda of the University of Texas at El Paso talks about the implications. And Kristen Cabrera cracks open the story of an Easter tradition especially widespread in south Texas and northern Mexico. All that and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: December 15, 2021

With the window now closed for names to go on the primary ballot for statewide races in 2022, what are we learning about the state of Texas politics? We’ll take a look. Other stories we’re covering, in a state with more military bases than any other except California: active duty service members reach big deadline for covid vaccinations. Also some state’s call it junk science, but in Texas courts it can be called admissible evidence. We’ll have more on the history of what’s called forensic hypnosis. And many Texans in mourning this week over death of a man who was more than a soaring tenor but a cultural icon as well. Remembering Vicente Fernández and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: November 30, 2021

Where do we stand with Texas’ new abortion restrictions on the eve of oral arguments in one of the biggest challenges to Roe vs. Wade? Two Texas legal scholars specializing in abortion rights talk about the challenge to Texas abortion law now being considered by the high court, and the intersection with a major case set to be heard by the Supreme Court tomorrow. Also, the governor’s silence on issuing a pardon to George Floyd two months after an unanimous recommendation to do so by the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles. Plus Mexico’s unprecedented lawsuit against U.S. gun makers. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: June 30, 2021

To declare a disaster or to not declare a disaster? That is the question before counties along the border. The disaster declarations are part of a bigger plan from Governor Abbott that includes his wall. We’ll talk about that in light of his visit to the border with former president Trump. We’ll also look at how Abbott ending federal unemployment benefits also ends state benefits for some Texans. And Bastrop is growing. We’ll look at the plans for a new state of the art film studio. And speaking of growth, Lubbock has a plan for its growth over the next 20 years. Will communities often forgotten be included this time? Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: June 29, 2021

How much wall can a governor buy with $600,000 in donations? Our conversation ahead of the Abbott Trump border visit. Also, we’ll talk about topics involving the children of the state, the workers who care for our kids when they’re little, and the test scores kids get when they’re big. We now know how much those scores dropped after 2 years of school interruptions. And did you know your electricity could be disconnected starting today if your bill is unpaid? It’s rough but moratoriums are over. Plus how big tech may get restrained by Congress. All of that and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: June 24, 2021

Vice President Kamala Harris is coming to Texas. Her visit to the border aims to quiet weeks of criticism. We’ll have one view from El Paso. Plus one billion dollars in Hurricane Harvey relief funding disproportionately went to communities further inland. An investigation. And COVID-19 disproportionately devastated Texas border communities. But the same wasn’t true in neighboring New Mexico. Why? And we’ll also check in on Houston’s Fifth Ward and an ongoing fight to address what’s been identified as a cancer cluster. Also if you have one of those smart thermostats you might want to double-check your settings. What some users are seeing happen as demand for energy goes up. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: June 22, 2021

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has multiple legal challenges and now multiple challengers for his seat within his party. We’ll take a look at who. Also, Texas college sports bring in big money. What’s an unanimous Supreme Court decision yesterday mean for athlete compensation? And Texas has lost more rural hospitals recently than any other state. So what’s that mean in an emergency? Plus dozens of Texas prisoners set for release or parole have died behind bars in the past year or so. A new study gets behind delays. And one Texas prison is cleared out to hold migrants. We’ll examine what issues might arise. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: June 16, 2021

Governor Greg Abbott says he wants to build a border wall. We’ll take a look at how he intends to pay for it and who is coming to visit. Plus, methane and other emissions are a risk around gas wells. In Arlington, many of these wells sit relatively close to homes and businesses…namely, daycares. We’ll have more. Also ranking members of the Texas House of Representatives from most conservative to most liberal reveals some interesting insights. We’ll explain. And we’ll fact-check a claim about Austin’s murder rate. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: January 20, 2021

The beginning of a new chapter and a new era. With change coming to Washington, what are the implications closer to home? On this presidential inauguration day, what are the priorities for the 46th chief executive of the united states and what do they add up to for Texas? Coming up, we’ll hear from Texas experts, scholars and reporters on subjects ranging from what to expect when it comes to changes to environmental policy, immigration and asylum, the economy including the trillion dollar student loan debt crisis, dealing with the ongoing pandemic, and much more on a special edition of the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: November 19, 2020

As a new wave of COVID-19 cases sweeps across the state, a strikingly different response from Governor Abbott compared to the last statewide surge. We’ll hear what health experts are saying. Also, more on an emergency treatment approved by the FDA. And as those cases rise, a test of faith for some Catholics called back to the pews. And a forthcoming vote on a new sex education curriculum Texas LGBTQ advocates say falls far short. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: October 28, 2020

Election day is just around the corner. We’ll start the show with what you need to know here in Texas to make sure your vote is in on time. And we’re watching some U.S. House races that could be up for grabs. There’s been a lot of attention on historically red seats going blue, but at least one Democratic incumbent also appears vulnerable. And we’ll also turn our sights away from election talk for an update on something else with long-term effects on the state: coastal flooding and how a new policy change could impact how we prevent it. And we’ll fact-check a claim about Texas taxes and business regulations. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: August 6, 2020

Republicans versus Republican. Five conservative lawmakers are suing the Governor, over contracts for Coronavirus tracking. At issue: a nearly 300 million dollar deal for contact tracing that five state lawmakers say should have been vetted by the legislature, but wasn’t. Also, remember that border wall that dominated the last general election. Three miles of private wall built by Trump supporters is already coming down and mother nature’s playing a role. Plus the fight over facial recognition heats up. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: February 11, 2020

What’s in the President’s proposed budget and what are the many ways in which it affects Texans? Maintenance for the wall in the years to come. Who’ll be paying for that? We’ll take a look. And did you know California banned state-funded travel to Texas? Well, Texas is fighting back. We’ll take a look at what that means for children in state care. Plus, machines that discriminate. Can algorithms be less biased? Also, how well do you know your Civil War History? Those stories and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: December 12, 2019

Blocked at the border: a judge in El Paso puts the brakes again on part of the president’s border wall project, although parts of the wall are still going up. We’ll have more on the latest legal challenge to the president’s effort to fulfill his campaign promise of a border wall from the Gulf to the Pacific. Also, a battle in the Texas Capitol City over changes to the code may be the shape of things to come for the rest of Texas, we’ll hear why. And 2019, a good year for cyber security? Our tech expert Omar Gallaga gets us up to speed and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: September 6, 2019

The Governor promised action, now 8 executive orders aimed at reducing gun violence. But do they go far enough? We’ll take a closer look. Also, money for a border wall? Where’s it coming from? In part, from military projects in Texas. Also a former state musician with a new release: musical, yet this one’s more a treat for the eyes. Plus the week in Texas politics and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: July 29, 2019

Defense Department Money reallocated to build a border wall gets the green light from the U.S. Supreme Court. What the decision means for Texas. Plus, one of the longest serving members of the Trump administration steps down, and a Texas congressman being talked about as his replacement as the new director of national intelligence, we’ll have details. And give me a home where the cattle won’t roam? The Texas attorney general gets tapped to weigh in on a fight over keeping cattle at home on the range:

Texas Standard: May 17, 2019

Even after evidence of Russian attempts to hack U.S. politics, campaigns for 2020 are turning down cybersecurity help. Is that a smart move? We’ll take a look. Also, a new immigration reform plan. Todd Gillman of the Dallas Morning News tells us why Democrats say its dead on arrival. Plus, skyrocketing insulin prices? For a Texas congressman this one’s personal. Joaquin Castro tells us what he’s planning to do about it. And U.S. military veterans, more and more of them denied U.S. citizenship. We’ll hear what’s happening. Plus the week in politics with the Texas Tribune and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: April 18, 2019

Russian election interference and ties to the Trump campaign. We’re tracking the release of the Mueller report. We’ll have the latest. Other stories we’re following: what may be a preview of the upcoming Texas senate race unfolding at the Texas capitol…results of the census are in. Though it’s probably not the one you’re thinking about, it could nonetheless have a big impact on the Lone Star State. Also, we’ll explain the car of the future will be self driving they tell us. What’s taking so long? Plus, this weekend’s Trip Tip and more today on the Texas Standard: