Texas Standard

November 13, 2026

The political downfall of Ken Paxton

How did one of the most resilient Republicans in Texas politics lose a longstanding base? We’ll look at the anatomy of Ken Paxton’s political implosion.As we continue to track the fallout of one of the biggest turnarounds in American politics, a closer look at some of the numbers emerging — including a participation gap between […]

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November 12, 2026

Tim Heidecker talks InfoWars parody, ‘On Cinema’ Texas tour

Elon Musk bet big on Texas Republicans — and lost big. Now with Democrats taking power, what comes next?Same goes for the border wall. After the midterms in Texas, what, if anything, changes with an initiative pushed by the Trump administration that just got the green light to move ahead in the Big Bend region?And […]

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November 11, 2026

Texas Extra: Prairieland 22 Episode 3

As the trial date arrives, friends and family gather outside the courthouse in protest of the arrest of the Prairieland defendants and the ongoing criminal proceedings. But a lawyer’s shirt turns the proceedings upside down.

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November 11, 2026

How Clayton Tucker prepares to lead the Texas Department of Agriculture

Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa is promising an education overhaul, but what will that mean for state takeovers of failing school districts? We’ll talk with Michael Hardy who’s been looking into this for Texas Monthly.Also, with the political winds changing in Texas, some cities are changing policies on police cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.Plus, a conversation […]

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November 10, 2026

Lawmakers file bills on Medicaid, data centers, THC and more

Nearly 1,300 bills were filed in the Texas House and Senate as lawmakers began preparing for the 2027 legislative session, with Democrats reviving a push to expand Medicaid. Investment group BlackRock went from being blacklisted to partnering with Gov. Greg Abbott’s administration. What does that mean now that Democrats are returning to statewide office? Part […]

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November 9, 2026

Why Texas Republican voters broke with their party

After a historic Election Day last week, more history is set to be made in the Texas House of Representatives: Senfronia Thompson says she has the votes to become the first woman and first Black Texas House speaker. Texas Republicans’ loss of statewide power has prompted questions about fractures within a party that had dominated […]

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November 6, 2026

Nathan Johnson lays out his plans as Texas attorney general

Promising bipartisanship, Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa talks transitions and first steps for her administration. As she promised when she spoke with us before election day, Hinojosa is already taking steps to bring about change in Texas education. What does she plan to do, and what might limit the reach of her plans? We’ll take a closer […]

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November 5, 2026

How Texas’ Democratic sweep could change the state’s political identity

A bolt from the blue: Many Texans are still trying to absorb the implications of the midterms, but now a clearer picture is forming of what happened. It appears turnout made a big difference — not in terms of raw numbers, but where those Democratic gains happened. The Democrat who’s promising to take the politics […]

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