Martial law has now been lifted in South Korea – Texas’ fourth-largest trading partner – but the effects may not be as short-lived. A top Texas expert tells us why.
Ongoing casualties in what was long touted as the war on drugs: Kevin Krause of The Dallas Morning News analyzed a decade of meth sentencing data in North Texas.
Texas is known for its ghost towns, spotlighting shifting population dynamics.
With nearly half of Texas counties lacking maternity care services, rural mothers face daunting hurdles.
And: China has announced a ban on exporting certain rare minerals to the U.S., a move likely to disrupt tech manufacturing and deepen tensions.
WF Strong
How news organizations are partnering with public libraries
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick wants the state to lead in dementia research. Why it’s such a priority and what happens next.
More people than ever get their news via social media, but with feeds looking very different for different folks, how do you bring people together? As the Standard’s Sarah Asch reports, the public library might help.
A school district in the Panhandle has a unique model for providing scholarship money for students. Commentator WF Strong says it began with a gift.
Plus: Rainbow trout may soon be arriving at a body of water near you. How to take advantage.
How Republicans broke a losing streak in South Texas
The words “historic election” have been far overused, but they’re worth considering when examining results out of Starr County. A look at a political shift in South Texas.
Texas’ oil and gas regulators requested an emergency influx of $100 million dollars in state money to address oil well blowouts and contamination. What’s happening in the oilfield?
Even during election time, you probably don’t give a lot of thought to the office of the Justice of the Peace. Why it matters – especially right now in Harris County.
Microsoft Windows users could soon face some consequences if they haven’t updated their software in a while. Our tech expert has tips on what steps to take now.
Plus, there was a plan to bring an exiled Napoleon to Texas. And no, it didn’t happen. Our W.F. Strong has been looking into this strange bit of history.
Could Napoleon have ruled over Texas?
A strongman politician is something we’ve heard a lot about recently. This Stories From Texas is about a strongman from history and a plan to set him up anew in Texas.
Texas Standard Commentator W.F. Strong dug up this story — one that you probably didn’t hear about in Texas history, for one, because it didn’t come to fruition.
West Texas town dealing with insect invasion
Why an arrangement to care for an aging millionaire is raising questions about a Texas Supreme Court Justice and state ethics rules.
More and more college-age students are steering clear of campus life and turning to “microcredentials” as a path to employment.
We’re talking with Nico Lang, author of “American Teenager,” a new book on growing up LGBTQ+ in modern America.
Also: Why red flour beetles have taken over the town of Socorro, just southeast of El Paso, and what’s being done to deal with an unprecedented infestation.
A second siege of the Alamo
Even though the words “Remember the Alamo” are available on t-shirts, bumper-stickers, and kitchen kitsch, the Alamo wasn’t always remembered with the reverence it is today. For a long time, the Alamo was used mostly as a warehouse. Even the church, which people rather universally think of as the Alamo, was used as an army depot for decades. Texas Standard commentator WF Strong has the story of two women who helped to change that.
My brush with fate or serendipity
Sometimes things happen in the world that just seem too coincidental to be coincidental. We have lots of words to describe these moments — luck, serendipity, maybe fate or destiny, perhaps a miracle?
Texas Standard Commentator WF Strong remembers one of these moments he just can’t explain.
A geyser of oily water erupts in West Texas desert
On request from Florida, Texas sends teams of emergency officials to support local authorities as they brace for the arrival of Hurricane Milton.
A geyser erupted in West Texas last Wednesday, shooting salty, oily water 100 feet into the air – an unexpected event that continued through the weekend.
At the heart of San Antonio’s historic Spanish Colonial Missions are their iconic bells, which have been ringing for centuries to mark major community events.
Plus: There’s a growing age gap between Texans and their elected representatives – and emerging leaders are working to reshape the political landscape.
Plastic piles up as advanced recycling program in Houston struggles to get off the ground
Jefferson County, Texas, may not feel the brunt of Hurricane Francine but has prepared for any possible changes in the storm’s path.
Will last night’s presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump move the needle at all?
Campus libraries across Cy-Fair ISD are open only part of the time this year after trustees cut librarian positions in half.
An investigation into so-called “advanced recycling” in Houston reveals that hundreds of thousands of pounds of plastic waste have been piling up since 2022.
And: Elvis Presley wasn’t a Texan – but he owed the state a lot.
Boerne Little League reflects on historic World Series run
Mexico has halted diplomatic ties with the U.S. Embassy over criticism of the outgoing president’s plans to overhaul the country’s judicial system. What does it mean for relations with our biggest trading partner?
Two towns within the city of Arlington are trying to distance themselves from their reputations as “speed traps.”
CDC researchers are trying to get the word out about a disease that affects many who many not even realize they suffer from the condition: heart valve disease.
And: Despite heavy rain, thousands in Boerne turned out to celebrate the Little League team that could. We’ll hear from a player and the team’s manager following their historic World Series run.
Frito pie is a Texas original
The recipe is a mainstay under the Friday night lights and has morphed – and gotten more portable – since its debut in 1949.
What can Austin learn from Dallas about covering I-35 with a park?
Former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has won the Democratic nomination to replace the late Sheila Jackson Lee on the November ballot for Texas’ 18th Congressional District.
More and more Texas jurisdictions are sending people awaiting trial to other states and counties. What effect is this having on criminal justice?
As Frito pie season returns, Texas Standard commentator W.F. Strong dives into the rich history and lore of the iconic dish.
TxDOT is starting work this summer to expand and lower Interstate 35 through downtown Austin, and the city and University of Texas want to install large decks over the highway that could have parks on them. It’s a concept that already exists in Dallas, and KUT’s Nathan Bernier went to check it out.
Fifth Circuit rules Texas can keep buoys in the Rio Grande for now
Gov. Greg Abbott receives at least a temporary victory in a fight with the Biden administration over border buoys in the Rio Grande.
NPR’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán has the latest on the reduction in the numbers of people crossing the border from Mexico into Texas, and the political spin in a volatile election season.
As Texas senators hold hearings into the response to Hurricane Beryl, we’ll hear about a group of people especially vulnerable in those many days without power.
WF Strong has some ideas for a competition that would be open to all – the Texas Olympics.
And: Meet the two Brits taking Texas by storm on social media.
He who has the gold, makes the rules
Stories of lost gold have long dominated Texas lore. Coronado looped around what’s now the Texas Panhandle in search of it. And there’s that allegedly lost gold mine in the Guadalupe Mountains of far west Texas.
Texas Standard commentator WF Strong has had his own experience with reportedly lost treasure. And he recalls another story of lost gold.
How the Texas Lottery helped a big spending group become surefire winners
Texas Congressman Lloyd Doggett on Tuesday became the first Democrat on Capitol Hill to call for President Biden to abandon his re-election bid.
In several high-profile cases, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed rulings from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, where Texas cases go on appeal.
Ever try your luck at the lottery? We’ll hear about an out-of-state scheme to win big by buying up the odds.
And soda’s unintentional pop: KUT’s Mose Buchele takes the lid off the mystery of exploding cans in hot cars.
Hidalgo County election overturned after being decided by handful of votes
Some top politicos are sensing that, for the first time in decades, this could be the year Texas sends a Democrat to the U.S. Senate.
Texas lawmakers are lining up to clamp down on hemp-based products like Delta 8 and Delta 9 being sold statewide.
Last fall, Edinburg City Council Member David White won re-election by just 10 votes. His challenger contested the results – and this past week, White’s win was overturned when a judge ruled that several votes were placed illegally.
A new book explores some lesser-known stories of courage from the D-Day invasion of 80 years ago.
And: Vigilante groups are repelling migrants at the southern border. What does law enforcement think about that?
Are unlicensed teachers affecting student performance in Texas?
After the worst-ever wildfire disaster for Texas agriculture, there’s now an effort to help ranchers who lost large numbers of pregnant cows.
A year after the mall shooting in Allen, what the data reveals about gun violence there more broadly.
A new report documents how unlicensed teachers are becoming fixtures in many Texas schools.
Organizers of the Texas Eclipse Festival in Burnet County are now offering partial refunds to attendees because the event ended a day early.
Also, just how smart is artificial intelligence getting? Commentator W.F. Strong tried a little experiment.
An AI Experiment
There’s been a lot of talk lately about artificial intelligence — what it can do and what its limitations are. And if you’ve been keeping tabs on it at all, there’s no doubt that it seems to be getting better — and fast.
Texas Standard commentator WF Strong wanted to find out for himself just how good its become. So he did a little experiment.
Xcel Energy target of multiple lawsuits after Smokehouse Creek Fire
A pilot program for guaranteed income in Harris County is put on hold by the Texas Supreme Court.
Could residents of Corpus Christi become the first in the state to drink treated seawater from the tap? Some say a desalination plan’s needed to meet growing water demand, but many locals say the downsides are too serious to swallow.
The northern Panhandle is recovering from the devastation brought by the Smokehouse Creek Fire, caused by a downed electric pole belonging to Xcel Energy. Now, Xcel is the target of multiple lawsuits from people who lost assets during the blaze.
Also, efforts to get people living in flood zones out of harm’s way – could Harris County’s approach teach the federal government a thing or two?
Counting Cattle With the Fathers
Longtime listeners may know — Texas Standard is fast approaching a milestone birthday. We’re turning 10 next March. With us almost from the beginning have been signature segments including the Typewriter Rodeo and Stories From Texas — these bi-weekly commentaries from WF Strong. He says he has a goal beyond entertainment.