Episodes
September 15, 2026
Dallas-raised, best-selling author R.F. Kuang talks new novel ‘Taipei Story’
Texas pulled smokable hemp out of stores but it’s still available in other forms. So, what does the law say now?A North Texas community weathered a recent wildfire but still lacks basic resources for another emergency.And there’s a rise in dangerous ectopic pregnancies and it varies by state. We’ll delve into what’s happening in Texas.Dallas-raised, […]
Listen
September 14, 2026
How the Longhorns took down top-ranked Ohio State in a dramatic comeback
Rural Texas has long been a GOP stronghold, but one issue could make a top statewide race more competitive than previously thought. We’ll look at how data centers have emerged as critical in the Texas gubernatorial contest.Some Texas institutions of higher learning are encouraging students to use AI. We’ll dig into why.Public libraries in Texas […]
Listen
September 12, 2026
Texas Extra: Texas political history and intrigue with politico Ben Barnes
There’s a lot to talk about in Texas on a daily basis and Texas Standard wants to get to as much as we can. But sometimes that means taking a great conversation and making it much shorter than we’d like. Such is the case with one this week with longtime Texas politico Ben Barnes. Our […]
Listen
September 11, 2026
Remembering a Houston family’s loss 25 years after 9/11
25 years since 9/11, in which a series of coordinated attacks on the U.S. marked the end of one era and the start of another. We’ll share some stories of Texans whose lives were impacted.A first-of-its-kind midterm political convention wraps up in Dallas. Did Republicans move the needle with just two months to go before […]
Listen
September 10, 2026
New novel ‘The Beauty of Days Gone By’ tackles the Texas frontier
How might AI-generated images affect a high-stakes political contest in Texas? Rice University political professor Mark Jones joins the Standard to talk about how Ken Paxton’s campaign is hoping to win votes with AI-generated images of his Democratic opponent, James Talarico.Also: Some top-line takeaways from the first day of a first-of-its-kind GOP midterm convention underway […]
Listen
September 9, 2026
High electricity costs contribute to senior heat deaths in the RGV
Costs for air conditioning are so high that some on limited incomes are trying to do without. But with temperatures also at extremes, that’s leading to some grave outcomes for seniors, in particular.The GOP’s unconventional convention is in Texas for a reason — and part of that is the state’s fundraising power. We’ll take a […]
Listen
September 8, 2026
Texas political legend Ben Barnes looks back on career
While all eyes are on the upcoming midterm election, there are signs one particular Texan is looking at running for president again. Is Ted Cruz gearing up for 2028? Also, why Democrats see James Talarico’s Senate run as an opportunity to gain votes in parts of West Texas that have been reliably red for decades. […]
Listen
September 7, 2026
Forged in flames: An oral history of the Labor Day wildfires
This Labor Day holiday marks 15 years since the most destructive wildfire in recorded Texas history — measured not by acres burned, but by homes lost.The Bastrop County Complex Fire was just one of more than 30,000 that ignited in 2011 — by far the worst year since the Texas A&M Forest Service has been […]
Listen
