Texas Standard

Texas Standard > All Episodes

March 20, 2025

Navy destroyer headed to the southern border region

By: David Brown

A U.S. Navy destroyer armed with tomahawk missiles enroute to the gulf waters off the coast of Texas. What’s this all about?


Investigative reporter Lauren McGaughy of The Texas Newsroom with word that the Texas government appears to be maintaining a list of people asking for information about changing the sex on their driver’s licenses. Who’s compiling this list and what is it being used for?


Five years after the declaration of a pandemic, what’s happened with vaccination rates?


And an AI service used by millions for free is about to go behind a paywall.
Plus, why Texas Monthly’s barbecue editor is busy making his list and checking it twice.


Episodes

March 13, 2026

Waymo expansion sparks safety concerns in Texas cities

A recent change to Texas law now requires local law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.Driverless cabs are making headlines in Austin for all the wrong reasons. What this might mean for Waymo’s plans to expand statewide.Politics v.s. pragmatism in West Texas, long known for its oil, now making a sometimes-begrudging shift to solar […]

Listen

March 12, 2026

Historic Baptist ledger sheds light on early Texas faith

As gas prices nationwide skyrocket, President Trump announces a massive new Texas-based refinery in Brownsville he claims could spur thousands of new jobs.Plus, Exxon’s move may signal a tipping point for Texas as a center for business.Also, a cultural change in the U.S. military leads to growing concerns about reporting of sexual assault and harassment.And […]

Listen

March 11, 2026

Texas ban on smokable cannabis products looms

Texas lawmakers did not get through a ban on THC sales this past legislative session, but new rules restricting them are about to go into effect.There’s been some confusing back and forth from the Trump administration on what exactly a border wall might look like in Big Bend.Another Texas university is making changes to race […]

Listen

March 10, 2026

How Corpus Christi could be on the brink of a water disaster

Corpus Christi, a major Texas port city, could run out of water as early as next year. What’s behind the looming crisis?We’ll track how the war in Iran is affecting prices at the pump and what to expect next.Will the national Democratic Party spend more money in Texas after James Talarico and other candidate’s strong […]

Listen

March 9, 2026

Texas A&M alumni raise concerns over ‘politicization’ of school

Gasoline prices on the rise, a looming crisis in Corpus Christi, and more fallout from a Texas congressman’s decision to end his reelection bid.We’ll have the latest on Republican Congressman Tony Gonzales’ abrupt decision to end his reelection efforts amid a House ethics investigation on sexual misconduct allegations.Also, a deep-pocketed Aggie alunmus weighs in on […]

Listen

March 7, 2026

Texas Extra: Extended ‘Riverbend’ film interview

Director Sam Firstenberg and film restoration pioneer Michael J. Dennis stopped by the Texas Standard studio this week to talk about the movie “Riverbend.” This is an extended version of the interview that aired on Texas Standard.

Listen

March 6, 2026

‘Riverbend’ returns to audiences after decades of obscurity

After winning a spot in a runoff, Congressman Tony Gonzales drops his bid for reelection amid growing pressure over an affair scandal. We’ll dig into the latest today.Also, confusion at some polling places on primary day: What really happened and what’s the fallout?And a film of Black resistance shot in Texas — but largely lost […]

Listen

March 5, 2026

Amid ethics probe, Rep. Tony Gonzales admits affair

South Texas lawmaker, Rep. Tony Gonzales, is facing a runoff and has now admitted to carrying out an affair with an aide who later died by suicide. Now a House committee is investigating the scandal.How the primary election turned Tejano music star Bobby Pulido into a Democratic political contender in the general election.The taco truck: […]

Listen