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July 4, 2023

Pumped: Food, fuel and the future of Texas – A Texas Standard special

By: David Brown

We don’t think of gas stations much, yet they are fixtures across Texas, and tell us a lot about who we are and where we’re going. There are more than 11,000 of them scattered across the state – along major highways and tiny backroads alike, they fuel up long haul trucks, hungry commuters and sometimes whole communities.

In some ways, the gas station is the backbone of our economy and the center of conversation and community. In other ways, they’re a blight on the landscape and, many feel, a soon-to-be anachronism. “Pumped: Food, fuel and the future of Texas” is an exploration of an often-overlooked staple of our life.


Episodes

June 12, 2026

A Texas Tech gambling case could test NCAA rules

They say it’s only a game, but Texas sports fans know better. This time, however, some see an existential threat to college sports. A scandal involving Texas Tech football quarterback Brendan Sorsby is now in the national spotlight. We’ll hear why and what’s at stake. Meanwhile in Houston, evidence that there’s nothing like a challenging […]

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June 11, 2026

Gov. Abbott calls for new oversight on Texas data centers

Sunset for the days of Texas as the wild west of AI? A closer look at the Gov. Greg Abbott’s new plan for greater oversight of the rapidly expanding landscape of data centers statewide.Day one of the World Cup — do the numbers add up? A closer look at projections about the economic impact here […]

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June 10, 2026

Another small peach crop frustrates Hill Country growers

New World screwworm is affecting a part of South Texas currently vacant a member of Congress. Some say that should spur a quick special election.UT researchers believe they’ve figured out who has been scrambling GPS signals across huge swaths of Europe in recent years. We’ll find out about their discovery and what it might mean.The […]

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June 9, 2026

Texas Extra: When the World Comes to Texas Episode 4

Hugo Gonzalez is the founder and co-owner of Dallas Street Soccer, and he sat down with Ron and Miranda to talk about how street soccer makes the sport more accessible and also how street soccer can bring people together across culture and language barriers.

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June 9, 2026

Texas officials race to contain screwworm outbreak

Can Mike Miles, the man appointed to lead Houston ISD and help that struggling district, provide a roadmap for others in the state? We’ll have the details.Also, a look at the federal government’s plan to stop the New World screwworm from spreading as more cases appear in South Texas.Plus, fire safety concerns about the batteries […]

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June 8, 2026

Big Bend border wall plans upend vital park changes

Supreme Court cases on birthright citizenship, gun rights, transgender women and girls in sports… Where do we stand? Constitutional law professor Seth Chandler of the University of Houston Law Center joins us with what cases to watch for and where the high court appears to be leaning as the nine justices wrap up the current […]

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June 5, 2026

A Texas adventurer aims for all 50 state high points

130 Texas towns and cities put on notice that they won’t be able to raise property tax rates. One city official calls it a catch-22.The national Democratic Party sets its sights on flipping 12 seats in the Texas House — one sign that their candidate for senate, James Talarico may have serious coattails. We’ll hear […]

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June 4, 2026

First case of New World screwworm found in Texas since 1960s

It’s considered by many to be the marquee race of the midterms: Paxton versus Talarico. But if you think that’s all there is to it, think again.Shades of Ross Perot? Why a third-party candidate could upset the calculus in this year’s big Senate race in Texas.And they’re back: For the first time in 60 years, […]

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