Texas Standard

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May 15, 2025

Central Texas art studio centers artists with disabilities

By: David Brown

A bill would make it possible for criminal offenders as young as 15 to be sent to state prisons for adults.
Why hopes for a big increase in per-student funding for Texas public schools may have slipped away for this legislative session.
Also at the Capitol: The loud bang of a wooden mallet is supposed to keep lawmakers in check. But it’s a symbol of power, too. What’s the story behind the use of the gavel?
For decades, a quiet but growing movement has supported artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Standard’s Sean Saldana visits a progressive East Austin studio helping redefine what inclusion in the art world can look like.
Plus: Texas musician Carrie Rodriguez joins us to talk about her new collaboration with Calexico.

Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.

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Episodes

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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July 28, 2026

Floods delay Corpus Christi water emergency until 2028

Heavy rains replenished reservoirs and helped Corpus Christi delay a water emergency. We’ll explore how city leaders will use the extra time.Also ahead: Concerns over data centers cross party lines in rural parts of the state. Democrats are using the issue to win over some Republican voters.Plus, the latest “Map the Meal Gap” study shows […]

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