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May 26, 2025

After outages last year, CenterPoint promises a better tracker

By: David Brown

This Memorial Day, we’ll hear the story of Florentino Cantú Jr., a Laredoan who saw military service as a ticket to a better life for his parents and 10 siblings.

Memorial Day is a day of reflection to be sure, but it is also the unofficial start of summer for many folks. We’ll be getting some tips on how Texans can make the most of it, from experiencing the great outdoors to keeping cool – plus some Texas summer songs that hit just right.

And: Hurricane season starts June 1, and CenterPoint Energy says it’s ready with a new and improved outage tracker. But after failures during Hurricane Beryl and last year’s derecho, is that enough to restore customer trust?

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


Episodes

August 7, 2026

How Texas farmers are looking to revive cotton demand

New details are emerging about the first year of Texas’ school voucher program. We’ll explain who received the vouchers and why critics still have questions.Texas cotton-growers are facing rising costs and falling demand. Our own Michael Marks looks at a new effort to revive one of the state’s signature crops.Austin Sketch Fest returns for its […]

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August 6, 2026

Big Bend border wall construction poised to begin

New reporting is raising questions about State Rep. James Talarico’s voting address. We’ll explain what it found and why it matters.Construction crews have arrived inside Big Bend National Park as plans for a new border wall move forward. We’ll hear the latest from reporters on the ground.Could stores be charging you a different price than […]

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August 5, 2026

Texas A&M professors sue over race and gender teaching rules

Texas A&M professors are suing the university system over restrictions on teaching about race and gender identity. We’ll discuss the legal challenge. Some Latino voters in Texas who supported Donald Trump in 2024 say they’re reconsidering that decision ahead of this year’s midterm elections. We’ll hear what’s driving the shift. The American Red Cross has […]

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August 4, 2026

Gov. Abbott pauses new Texas data centers for state audit

A look at why Sen. John Cornyn decided to back President Trump’s choice for Attorney General, Todd Blanche, after all — and what’s next.Also, why Gov. Greg Abbott has hit the brakes on any new data center projects for now.Plus, the late U.S. Rep. Kay Granger’s enduring legacy.And plans are underway in Austin for a […]

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August 3, 2026

Texas backtracks after wrongly flagging voters as noncitizens

A voter purge is being rolled back in Texas after some eligible voters were wrongly flagged as potential noncitizens. We’ll discuss what happened and what it means ahead of the midterms. Also, for recent college graduates across Texas, the job market can be a difficult reality check. We’ll look at why landing that first job […]

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July 31, 2026

Revisiting ‘Out of the Blue,’ 60 years after the UT Tower shooting

Columbine. Sandy Hook. Santa Fe High School. Robb Elementary: Touchstones for a sense of shared tragedy. School shootings have become a part of modern life, but what do we remember of the event that opened this chapter 60 years ago?On Aug. 1, 1966, a sniper climbed to the top of the University of Texas Tower, […]

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July 30, 2026

Laredo’s drag performers and allies navigate changing landscape

Texas public radio stations teamed up to tell the story of what happened after the July 4, 2025, floods — then deadly storms hit again. A conversation on how “After the Flood” updated its coverage.After years of being legal, possessing products containing Delta-8 is about to be a felony in Texas. We’ll have a look […]

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July 29, 2026

A peek inside a Texas wolf sanctuary

A new poll has James Talarico up five points over Ken Paxton in the race for U.S. Senate. We’ll have a look at how money and scandal could factor in.Texas shifted a lot of foster care responsibilities to third party contractors about a decade ago — but now, many have closed their doors. We’ll find […]

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