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March 22, 2023

Is prosecuting librarians the next front in Texas’ book wars?

By: David Brown

You’ve heard about library book bans in Texas, but behind the scenes there is a campaign underway to prosecute librarians for putting certain books on the shelves of school and public libraries.

After four decades, Texas politician Ben Barnes comes clean about his role, and that of former Texas Gov. John Connally, to delay the release of 52 American hostages held in Iran in order to ensure the election of Ronald Regan. Peter Baker of the New York Times joins us.

Also Texas gets a new professional sports franchise – not football or basketball, but Major League Cricket.


Episodes

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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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 […]

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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 […]

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