Some new Texas laws are going into effect this week, including a modified bathroom bill. Other new laws include yet another one affecting abortion access, and one changing the tests kids take in Texas schools.
Texas flagged hundreds of voters as potential noncitizens earlier this year, but county officials have already determined many were mis-flagged.
The latest AP Top 25 college football rankings are out, but the handwringing continues over which teams will make the playoffs.
And we’ll talk with Terese Svoboda, author of the book “Hitler & My Mother-in-Law.”
WF Strong
Encore presentation: A special Texas Standard for kids, from Abilene
Texans under the age of 18 make up almost a quarter of the state’s population, so we put together a show with them in mind, from Abilene and the Children’s Art and Literacy Festival In June.
We begin with a conversation about politics: We’ll hear from some Texas teens who make their voices heard, even though they can’t yet vote.
Checking in with our go-to tech expert about kids and technology – some tips for engaging them while avoiding some of the pitfalls.
Other familiar voices on the show will be insect expert Wizzie Brown, who is answering kids’ questions about bugs, and commentator W.F. Strong, who shares a conversation about growing up in Texas with his 10-year-old daughter.
Federal court blocks redrawn Texas congressional map
A ruling out of West Texas has upended Republican redistricting efforts to get more seats in Congress. Where things stand now that a federal judge in El Paso has struck down Texas’ new congressional map.
We’ve reported before on how Texas school district leadership seems to have become increasingly partisan. We’ll take a closer look at the fallout in one part of the state.
El Paso’s highway system has a history and impact everyday commuters might not know. Miguel Juarez, author of “Frontera Freeways: Highway Building and Displacement in El Paso, Texas,” hopes we all can learn.
W.F. Strong shares a look back on the life of the late George Foreman and how he fought his way to the top.
And a new documentary from producer Jordan Peele hopes to bring more attention to the Black cowboy. “High Horse” director Jason Perez joins us ahead of the three-part series’ debut on Peacock.
Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.
You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org
Texas voters approve all 17 proposed constitutional amendments
Texans said yes to all 17 proposed state constitutional amendments. What’s that mean now?
We’ll also dig into some select local results from across the state, including an update in the race to fill the U.S. House seat of the late Sylvester Turner.
The Trump administration recently announced a new cap on the number of refugees that the U.S. will accept in the upcoming year. What’s that mean for the big picture?
Plus, an El Paso woman concerned about her neighbors who rely on government food assistance starts a program she hopes others will replicate.
The two men who rescued Shiner Beer
In 1909, in the little town of Shiner, a group of German and Czech farmers decided they missed the beer of the old country. They pooled their money, built a ramshackle brewery, and called it the Shiner Brewing Association.
But they weren’t brewers. They were farmers. The beer was, well, bad. Locals apparently joked it tasted more like medicine than malt.
But Texas Standard commentator W.F. Strong tells us things started looking up for Shiner beer in 1914.
Legal fight over access to East Texas waterway continues
Texas has flagged thousands of registered voters who officials say could be noncitizens. What we know about that claim right now.
For years, Texas Standard has been following the legal battle over a beloved waterway in East Texas. Now, some powerful figures are getting involved in the fight over the Cutoff.
Some leadership changes at UT Austin raise questions about what it means for someone to be removed based on “ideological differences.”
A new book chronicles the history of local police violence during the civil rights struggle in American cities, including Houston. Our conversation with “Police Against the Movement” author Joshua Davis.
Plus, W.F. Strong cracks open the history of Shiner beer.
They called her ‘Babe’
Did you know a Texan actually co-founded the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA)? But before that, she showed prowess in several other sports.
Texas Standard commentator W.F. Strong explains that she was so good at baseball, she was nicknamed after one of the greatest players of all time. Here is the story of Mildred “Babe” Ella Didrikson.
Belle and Lea
Texas Standard commentator W.F. Strong has met a lot of Texans throughout the years. Some have shared bits of history from the Lone Star State. Some have recalled old family traditions or news of certain oddities.
But others have imparted on him some unique problem-solving skills. This story tells of two old friends and their quick thinking.
Rodney Crowell talks new album, career
A deadly shooting this morning at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Dallas. We’ll share the latest details.
Workplaces across the state trying to calculate the implications of a new $100,000 fee for H-1B applications. We’ll hear more on the questions raised by the new policy and the possible fallout.
How college football in Texas and beyond is being reshaped by new NIL rules allowing for direct athlete pay by advertisers and sponsors.
And the return of Rodney Crowell: Music and conversation with a Texas songwriting legend.
Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.
You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org
Cowboy Time
Texas Standard commentator W.F. Strong reminds us of a time you’ll find particularly in rural Texas – Cowboy Time.
Pushback in Mexico against SpaceX expansion
The latest on the dismissal of a Texas A&M professor and the removal of two top administrators after political pressure over what was being taught in a children’s literature class – an incident that has led to concern about academic freedom.
The impact of SpaceX launches in South Texas is felt across the border in Mexico, where some officials are even weighing legal action against the company.
Tech expert Omar Gallaga on how Facebook is bringing back one of its earliest features, the “poke,” to appeal to Gen Z.
The use of facial recognition technology in Juárez is raising red flags.
Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.
You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org
Austin Butler, Darren Aronofsky talk Texas, filmmaking & ‘Caught Stealing’
President Trump is using the threat of legal action to push his policies forward in Texas and beyond.
We continue our series about new state laws taking effect with a look at one that prevents people from certain countries from buying land in Texas.
20 years after Hurricane Katrina, how the New Orleans residents who found a home in Houston reshaped the cultural landscape.
Actor Austin Butler and filmmaker Darren Aronofsky on their new film, “Caught Stealing.”
And the Standard’s Kristen Cabrera with part two of her report on the Rio Grande Valley’s brand new college football team, the UTRGV Vaqueros.
Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.
You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org
The sky welcomes you home
The start of the school year means it’s the end of summer travel season for many families. As Texans well know, depending on where you live in the state, it can take longer to travel out of it than to cross several state lines beyond our borders.
Texas Standard commentator W.F. Strong reflects on coming back to Texas.
Virtual public school enrollment surges
Gov. Greg Abbott threatens a concurrent second special session with a Democratic walkout still underway. Is there any end in sight?
Details from a new release of materials withheld by Uvalde County and the Uvalde school district in the wake of the 2022 Robb Elementary school shooting.
What’s behind a massive growth in virtual schooling in Texas?
W.F. Strong meditates on what welcomes Texans back home after a long time away.
And: The scene at Voz de la Paloma, a women’s mariachi competition in honor of a San Antonio ranchera icon.
Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.
You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org
Why ‘Don’t California My Texas’ isn’t the whole story
Are Democratic lawmakers on the verge of a walkout to stop Republicans from redistricting during the special session? We’ll have the latest.
We’re also tracking possible federal funding cuts to legal aid organizations that could leave thousands of Texans who can’t afford a lawyer without the help they need.
Going beyond armed security guards, some Texas schools are turning to drones to increase security.
The changing role of social media influencers was on display in the aftermath of the July 4 floods.
And: Are Texas lawmakers quietly taking cues on governing from California?
The hat that made the cowboy
There are a few symbols so deeply woven into the fabric of Texas that they seem as native as mesquite or bluebonnets. One of them is the Stetson hat. Not just any Stetson hat – the Boss of the Plains.
Texas Standard commentator W.F. Strong says that oddly enough, it didn’t come from Texas at all.
Creative smuggling when Texas was a republic
If there’s one thing the Texans of the early republic never lacked, it was imagination – especially when it came to dodging tariffs and taxes. Texas Standard commentator W.F. Strong explains.
A special Texas Standard for kids, live from Abilene
Texans under the age of 18 make up almost a quarter of the state’s population, so we’ve put together a show with them in mind. We’re joining you today from Abilene and the Children’s Art and Literacy Festival.
We begin with a conversation about politics: We’ll hear from some Texas teens who make their voices heard, even though they can’t yet vote.
Checking in with our go-to tech expert about kids and technology – some tips for engaging them while avoiding some of the pitfalls.
Other familiar voices on the show will be insect expert Wizzie Brown, who is answering kids’ questions about bugs, and commentator W.F. Strong, who shares a conversation about growing up in Texas with his 10-year-old daughter.
New York aids Texas Revolution
This bit of history really does seem too strange to be true. It involves the family of John Wilkes Booth, the son of Abraham Lincoln, and Sam Houston.
Houston ISD has half the nurses it did last year
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.