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November 17, 2025

How a ‘nurdle’ nightmare is costing Texas

By: David Brown

For the first time in more than a decade, there is no incumbent in the race for one of the most powerful – and often contentious – posts in Texas. Incumbent Attorney General Ken Paxton is not running for reelection, and now seven people are vying for his office. Eleanor Klibanoff of the Texas Tribune joins us with a preview of the upcoming battle.
Also, a new study says more than half of Texas parents haven’t heard of education savings accounts, sometimes called school vouchers. We’ll see what that adds up to.
Plus, along the Texas Gulf Coast, the latest in a long-running battle against plastic pellets known nurdles.

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Episodes

September 21, 2026

‘Deep in the Heart 2’ explores the rivers and aquifers that sustain Texas

Another ICE shooting in Texas, this time in the Texas capital city on Sunday.Also, what could be an important week of speeches and negotiations in New York. UT’s Michael Mosser joins the Standard with more on what to look for, and what’s at stake at the UN general assembly gathering.With much of the UN focused […]

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September 18, 2026

Big Bend businesses push back against border wall construction

In the Big Bend region, local businesses are banding together to push back against border wall construction.Growing food insecurity in rural areas is on par with some of the country’s biggest cities amid changes to federal nutrition programs.In the fight against the spread of a destructive parasite, a look at what may be a gaping […]

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September 17, 2026

Houston G20 energy summit confronts high oil and gasoline prices

As concerns grow over data centers in Texas, something is conspicuously missing: Reliable data on the impact. We’ll have a look at the search for real numbers.A global conference on energy wraps in Houston as gas prices reach wallet-slimming levels across the Lone Star State. We’ll hear more on the G20 energy summit and ask […]

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September 16, 2026

UT students respond after Bo French targets them online

We assume the hundreds of new data centers popping up across Texas use quite a bit of water, but we’ll look at why we don’t know for sure.Texas has a program to help expand access to preschool. But why do some providers say it’s having unintended consequences?Republican candidate for the Texas railroad commission Bo French […]

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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, […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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