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June 2, 2025

As Texas ranks near the bottom in high school attainment, a Texarkana nonprofit has a solution

By: Angela Kocherga

Texas lawmakers have approved additional funding for public schools, including more money for teachers.
Some San Antonio school districts have found a way to help struggling students catch up following the pandemic. What can we learn from those efforts?
Texas ranks near the bottom when it comes to adults with a high school education. As the Standard’s Sarah Asch reports, a literacy program in Texarkana offers a solution.
Despite headline-grabbing moves by companies like Tesla and Oracle, tech employment in Texas’ biggest cities is slipping.
And: Global oil production is ramping up. What that means for summer travel.


Episodes

July 29, 2025

Houston archaeologists uncover tomb of ancient Maya ruler

The Trump administration releases billions of dollars in education grants it previously withheld. What it means as students head back to school. How the U.S. military is responding to a new kind of warfare that uses small, inexpensive drones. The story of a Cuban man who raised a family in Texas and spent years working […]

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July 28, 2025

Black farmers in East Texas feel the sting of DEI cuts

A peek into the week ahead for the Texas Legislature’s special session: We’ll hear the latest on a much-talked-about possible walkout by Democrats. A plan to relieve congestion in Austin was approved by voters years ago – but so far, there’s not much to show for it. Is Project Connect off the rails? The rollback […]

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July 25, 2025

Ben Kweller on grief, music and ‘Cover the Mirrors’

As Texas lawmakers move to consider regulations on THC products, what’s legal, and what’s not? KUT News reporter Nathan Bernier joins us to break it down. As many see the future of energy as cleaner renewables, why many in the city of Port Arthur are pinning their hopes for a comeback – on oil. At […]

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July 24, 2025

The ADA turns 35: What true inclusion looks like

Texas lawmakers hear 12 hours of testimony as they take up what happened before during and after the devastating Hill Country floods.Repeated plans to improve flood warning systems were repeatedly scuttled in the years leading up to the July 4th weekend. Neena Satija of the Houston Chronicle with what she’s learning about why.As the Americans […]

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July 23, 2025

Families are cutting back on food and medicine to pay the power bill

The Epstein controversy has federal lawmakers taking an early recess, putting off important business.Summer heat means some Texans have to choose between paying for air conditioning or basic necessities.Is a violent protest at an ICE facility in North Texas the new normal as the country copes with a rise in extremism?What’s happening in Harris County […]

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July 22, 2025

Ag commissioner outlines rural flood aid

Over the weekend, the number of missing in the Texas Hill Country dropped drastically. What happened?Checking in with those whose livelihood is at stake after the flood, including farmers and ranchers in the region.Why so many Texans don’t have flood insurance.The governor ordered an end to remote work for state employees, but now he’s backtracking. […]

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July 21, 2025

Texas lawmakers begin special session focused on floods, maps

Lawmakers recently ended a regular session of the Texas Legislature, but on this Monday, they’re back. They call it a special session: 30 days to complete a long list of action items including a response to the Hill Country flooding, the regulation of THC consumables, and a rare mid-decade push for redistricting that has some […]

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July 18, 2025

The rise of Maren Morris

As lawmakers return to Austin for a special session, who got the most accomplished in the regular? Why the numbers don’t tell the whole story.With state legislators set to take up flood relief and related matters, we’ll hear how the region’s fairing two weeks after those deadly flash floods, and we’ll hear about efforts concentrated […]

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