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September 27, 2024

A special broadcast live from the State Fair of Texas

By: David Brown

Today we’re bringing you a special broadcast from the opening day of the State Fair of Texas in Dallas:

The fair’s storied history dates back to 1886. Karl Chiao, executive director of the Dallas Historical Society, shares more about its history, and the fair’s Karissa Condoianis talks about its future.

Big Tex is a cowboy icon – but did you know he started out as Santa Claus? The midway’s Rusty Fitzgerald shares the story of this Texas giant.

Bryan Berg, who holds four Guinness World Records for card stacking, joins us ahead of his performance at the fair.

Thousands of kids across Texas participate in the Youth Livestock Competitions at the fair. KERA’s Penelope Rivera reports on what drives their passion.

And: We’ll hear about running bumper cars and the family behind a 75-year-old food vendor.


Episodes

October 3, 2025

Amarillo startup wants AI to go nuclear

A Texas congressional redistricting fight enters the courtroom, with both sides taking different positions from those taken earlier. The Texas Newsroom’s Blaise Gainey with more on the start of what’s expected to be a nine-day federal hearing over new congressional maps.The most polluted air in Texas? We’ll hear why a Houston community may have a […]

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October 2, 2025

Talarico leads early in Democratic primary fundraising

The U.S. invasion of Grenada. The U.S. invasion of Panama. As the U.S. builds up a major military presence in the Caribbean, Katrin Bennhold of the New York Times talks about Venezuela and what she sees as the growing specter of regime change.The latest on the federal government shutdown and what it means for vital […]

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October 1, 2025

How the government shutdown impacts Texas

The federal government is officially shut down. What does it mean for Texas, and what happens next in Washington?Also, the Supreme Court opens a new term and major rulings are ahead. What can we expect from the nation’s highest court over the next few months?And wildfire risk is climbing as the state swelters through record […]

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September 30, 2025

Court weighs Texas redistricting fight

A court battle is set to begin over the newly drawn congressional maps. At stake is whether they go into effect for the 2026 midterm elections.The Texas Newsroom’s Blaise Gainey joins us to talk about the recent rise in political violence.Have you heard of 7-OH? It’s the latest drug cropping up at convenience stores. Now […]

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September 29, 2025

Police say Austin’s yogurt shop murders case is finally solved

A breakthrough in a murder case unsolved for more than three decades: Police say they know who was behind Austin’s yogurt shop murders. Tony Plohetski of the Austin American-Statesman and KVUE on what has led police to declare the Austin yogurt shop murders “solved” after 34 years.Many questions swirling around a highly unusual meeting of […]

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September 26, 2025

How thousands of blind and visually impaired Texans learn to get around safely

A looming budget deadline and threats of a government shutdown: what that could mean for Texans.The Texas Democratic Party has launched an expansion plan that includes relocating its headquarters to Dallas. The decision has roiled quite a few within the party, even prompting an exodus of top staff.In Texas, there are around 11,000 students who […]

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September 25, 2025

Where was the acting FEMA head during the July 4 floods?

An investigative report claims as Texas flooded on the July 4 weekend, the head of FEMA couldn’t be reached. We’ll hear more about a reported slow response from acting administrator David Richardson and what it meant for Texas during the Hill Country floods.Concerns are rising in higher ed over millions of federal dollars for Hispanic-Serving […]

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September 24, 2025

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 […]

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