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June 11, 2024

Slap fights could be coming to Texas

By: Angela Kocherga

Texas leads the nation in deaths of kids left in hot cars. Research explains why it happens and how to prevent it.
A heat dome hovers over parts of Texas, baking the state. What can we expect as summer starts?
Regulators will decide if the sport of slap fighting – in which two people stand across a table and slap each other in the face as hard as they can – should come to the Lone Star State.
Are plans for an oil export terminal 30 miles off the Texas Gulf Coast too ecologically dangerous?
And: A tour of a cavern first discovered in Central Texas the 1960s, known as Hidden Wonders, is unlike any other the state.


Episodes

September 23, 2026

The latest on the ICE shooting in Austin

A shooting involving immigration enforcement is under investigation in Austin — and it’s sparked protests.Also, a federal judge has ordered Texas to air condition every state prison by the end of 2029. We’ll look at the years-long fight over extreme heat behind bars.Houston’s new homeless services center in East Downtown has been open for about […]

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September 22, 2026

Texas prison program trains incarcerated women to transcribe braille

Do data centers help local economies? The largest one is under construction in West Texas and could provide some answers.Also, we’ll get an update on the ICE shooting of Wilber Rafael Garces Perez in Austin and take a look at the use of deadly force by ICE on city streets across the country.Plus, the struggle […]

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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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