Women

Insurers are bailing on homes in disaster-prone regions. Is Texas next?

The Texas Senate passed three new bills on border security – but with the House adjourned, does it mean anything?

The Texas Education Agency has taken over the Houston Independent School District, and already some major reforms are taking shape.

Two major insurance companies say they won’t write new homeowner policies in California, citing the costs of climate change. Could something similar happen in Texas?

Pro baseball is a favorite summer sport for many Texans, but a rule change is making it a little less lazy than it once was – for better or for worse? We’ll take a look.

‘The Long Game’ highlights the drive behind Mexican American golf trailblazers

Senate Bill 8 would provide education savings accounts of $8,000 that some Texas students could access to switch from public to private school. We’ll have the latest on the bill moving through the Legislature.

Also at the Legislature: Lawmakers might be messing with Austin once again, this time on a particularly touchy subject in the capital city – its land code.

Plus, the new film “The Long Game” highlights the 1950s story of four Mexican American teens in Del Rio who fought discrimination to become state golf champions.

This West Texas town has been under a boil-water notice for nearly 5 years

State lawmakers heard hours of testimony on a bill that would restrict gender-affirming care for minors. Senate Bill 14 wouldn’t just end access to gender-affirming care for young Texans, it would also revoke the medical license of any doctor who provides it.

How Texas’ first family of oil and gas both regulates and profits from the energy industry.

And in far West Texas, the community of Toyah is dealing with a boil-water notice that seems like it will never end.

NASA’s new head scientist on the future of space exploration

Two lawsuits in Texas, one in Galveston and one in Amarillo, have potential impacts on a post-Roe v. Wade world. SMU legal scholar Seema Mohapatra on the implications for people seeking abortions in Texas and beyond.

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn says he plans to block a Biden administration proposal that would allow thousands of migrants to live in the U.S. while their asylum cases are being considered.

We talk to Dr. Nicola Fox, who has been named NASA’s new head of science – a dream gig that comes with a $7.8 billion budget and responsibility for more than 100 missions.

And a new book, “The People’s Hospital: Hope and Peril in American Medicine,” claims a hospital in Houston could serve as a model for improving health care access nationwide.

Documentary highlights competitive high school mariachi

There’s a push in the Texas Senate to raise the penalty for illegal voting despite a widely reported absence of evidence that it’s a major problem. Sergio Martínez-Beltrán of the Texas Newsroom shares his weekly lookahead at what’s happening at the Legislature.

A bill filed last week would abolish the Texas Juvenile Justice Department and close down the state’s youth prisons.

There was chaos Sunday on the pedestrian bridge connecting El Paso with Juárez, Mexico. Lauren Villagran of the El Paso Times joins us to discuss what happened.

By many measures Texas is at the top of the pack for renewable energy, yet gas and oil likely remain big in the state for some time to come.

Plus we’ll hear from the directors and a student star of a new documentary that had its Texas debut at South by Southwest, “Going Varsity in Mariachi.”

How Ro-Tel became a staple of Texas cooking

Lawmakers at the Capitol are considering changes to how Texas handles bail. The push would give judges more leeway to deny bail for violent offenses – and Democrats may have a considerable say in what happens.

More fallout from this month’s ice storm: why the Texas capital city may be looking for a new city manager soon.

Amid concerns about rising prices, layoffs and more, the Dallas Fed weighs in with a forecast on the Texas economy.

And why a can of diced tomatoes – you know the one – has such a rabid Texas following.

How Austin has changed

Last night’s State of the Union touched on immigration, inflation, gun violence and other issues. Richard Pineda of the University of Texas at El Paso joins us with analysis of the annual message by the president to Congress.

A legal challenge to an abortion drug and a possible decision from a federal judge in Amarillo that could come as early as this week, with potential implications nationwide.

Wage gains for migrants filling jobs in the U.S. and why a visa program for seasonal workers may not be working for U.S. employers.

And author Lawrence Wright on the astonishing transformation of the Texas capital city.

Big Bend National Park to add thousands of acres of parkland

Tridemic? One of the world leading virologists says its more like a Septademic. Dr. Peter Hotez joins us and talks about staying healthy during the holidays. Also as the humanitarian crisis on the border grows Governor Abbott is calling for an investigation of some of the non-profits helping migrants. We’ll explain. Plus, Google is making some changes that affect the results that show up in your searches including those shopping ads. Our go to tech expert Omar Gallaga takes us behind the curtains. And Big Bend National Park is about to get a little bigger with new areas to explore. All that and more today on the Texas Standard:

Largest teacher prep program in Texas at risk of losing accreditation

A long awaited report on Maternal Mortality in Texas is now two months delayed and may not be available for the next legislative session. We’ll have the latest. Other stories we’re tracking: amid a statewide teacher shortage, the biggest teacher accreditation program in Texas now facing the possible loss of accreditation. We’ll hear more. And after several local ordinances to decriminalize marijuana pass on the November ballot, a pushback from many local officials. Also a singer from El Paso who’s new release, Frontera, is turning a spotlight on latino voices in country music. Our conversation with Valerie Ponzio, the week in Texas politics with the Texas Tribune and much more today on the Texas Standard:

Demand for mental health care continues to soar

Psychologists are seeing a surge in demand for mental health treatment. How can they meet a growing need? 60% of the nation’s psychologists are too busy to take on new patients. We’ll tell you how they’re trying to meet the post-pandemic demand. Plus there’s a runoff in Austin’s mayoral election. We’ll hear from both candidates on why they should lead the capital city, starting today with Kirk Watson. And we’ll go back in time in south Texas, when Vaqueros roped and ranged through the desert scrub. All that plus a World Cup update and the latest headlines today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: October 18, 2022

Iranian made drones rain fire on Ukraines capitol of Kyiv, we’ll look at the significance and long term implications. Coming up a Texas A&M expert takes a closer look at Russia’s new round of drone attacks and the potential for further escalation in Ukraine. Also, Houston, we have a problem: a new report says several of the city’s suburbs are sinking. We’ll hear why and what can be done to stop it. And disinformation in Spanish speaking media sparks a demand from a coalition of Latino organizations is asking social media platforms to intervene. Plus seeking sterilization in a post Roe Texas. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Las Jefecitas: using comida to sustain immigrant households.

Many immigrants have leveraged the delicious cuisines of their países as a means of income and work when they first arrive in the United States. Even before setting up a taco truck or even a brick and mortar, we see vendedoras earning their income by selling tacos out of their hieleritas in grocery store parking lots or wherever they know they’ll find foot traffic. In this episode we explore what motivates these women to leave their kitchens and go out into these parking lots. We discuss these informal economies and how they look in today’s digital age. We also spend time at La Mujer Obrera and Cafe Mayapán to see how the organization supports immigrant and indigenous women by training and employing them.

Texas Standard: October 10, 2022

Protests by parents in Uvalde and a major shakeup in security for schools there. Uvalde suspends all activities for its school police unit with workers reassigned, placed on leave or resigning. DPS has been asked to help with school security. We’ll have the latest on continued fallout from the mass shooting at Robb Elementary in May. Also after dipping a bit, gas prices rising once more. Our go to energy expert on what behind pump prices and some of the larger ripple effects as well. And the Texas author calling for a healthier vision for boys and masculinity moreover. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: August 5, 2022

Monkeypox declared a public health emergency nationwide. We’ll talk with the state epidemiologist about what Texans need to know. Other stories we’re covering: after the Dobbs decision, more than 100 military installations in states where abortion is now banned. What this means for service members seeking abortion care. And as temps hover in the triple digits across much of Texas, the new season of a podcast examines whether the power grid can stand the strain. Mose Buchele, host of the disconnect, joins us. And a Texas based band garnering international attention for its Texas-themed tales of a “Bummer Year”. A conversation with the frontman of the band Good Looks and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: July 26, 2022

The House Committee Report on the school shooting in Uvalde and what may be conspicuous omissions. Jim Henson of the Texas Politics Projects says a closer inspection of the House report on Uvalde may be revealing about the intersection between the investigation and politics as usual. We’ll hear more. Also what’s behind a low-key review of votes from 2020 in Tarrant County? And the Feds open a civil rights investigation into Houston’s response to complaints about illegal dumping. Plus will abortion restrictions translate into more young Texans turning out at the polls this November? Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: July 25, 2022

An immigration decision from the supreme court with a big impact on Texas…though it might not be the last word on the matter. We’ll have more on the decision. Also, how extreme heat is affecting migrants trying to get around border checkpoints on foot and what’s being done for their safety. And why gas prices in Texas are going down. These stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: July 18, 2022

Systemic failures and poor decision-making cited in a damning report on the Uvalde school shooting. More on the Texas House committee’s 77 page report released this weekend. Also, Texas Democrats gather in Dallas; what’s the game plan for November? And more on record-setting heat expected all week in the Lone Star State. These stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: July 15, 2022

The state of Texas is suing the Biden administration over abortion guidance to hospitals. The federal rules instruct emergency room doctors to provide abortion services in emergency conditions. Texas’ own law provides exceptions for the health of the pregnant patient. So why is the state suing? Also, the state terminating its guardianship over scores of young runaways once in the care of child protective services. What happens to those young people? Other stories include the Austinite who many believe invented psychedelic rock. Plus the week in politics and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: June 27, 2022

Did the Dobbs decision revive longstanding but dormant Pre-Roe anti-abortion laws on the books in Texas? Also, the impact of the SCOTUS opinion on the state’s sex education, the disproportionate impact of anti-abortion laws on disabled persons, and the specter of other rights being toppled raised by the Thomas concurrence. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: June 16, 2022

In the wake of the Uvalde shooting, state lawmakers talking more money for mental health resources and for law enforcement, we’ll have the latest. Other stories we’re tracking: a widely expected reversal of Roe vs Wade. Sergio Martínez-Beltrán of the Texas Newsroom with a closer look at changes to Texas abortion laws over the last decade. And the water’s back on in Odessa, but don’t drink it just yet. How a city of more than a hundred thousand has coped without water during days of blistering temperatures. And this week’s election results from South Texas that have political observers here (and way beyond) buzzing big time. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard: