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April 3, 2019

Texas Standard: April 3, 2019

By: David Brown

Just two weeks after the petrochemical disaster in Deer Park, another chemical fire at a plant outside of Houston: this one deadly. We’ll have the latest. Plus: 9 dead, 20 injured, nearly 200 arrested and 4 years later, all cases dismissed yesterday without a single conviction. What happened after the Waco biker shootout? And what are the lessons? Plus, a warning about a quarter of Texas’ dams, we’ll take a look. And they call it the Rio Grande Valley, but where are the mountains? Our commentator W.F. Strong on an etymological mystery and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:


Episodes

August 15, 2024

Setbacks stall two big energy projects in the Rio Grande Valley

A Houston housing program designed to increase affordability isn’t helping the lowest earners. Is it a failure – or is it more complicated than that?Two liquified natural gas projects set to be built in the port of Brownsville are on hold after a court ruling. What that means for the plans long-term.The safe return of […]

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August 14, 2024

What can Austin learn from Dallas about covering I-35 with a park?

Former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has won the Democratic nomination to replace the late Sheila Jackson Lee on the November ballot for Texas’ 18th Congressional District.More and more Texas jurisdictions are sending people awaiting trial to other states and counties. What effect is this having on criminal justice?As Frito pie season returns, Texas Standard commentator […]

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August 13, 2024

Remembering the London School explosion, a tragedy that changed safety forever

Two women file federal complaints after they say Texas hospitals refused to perform medically necessary abortions to terminate ectopic pregnancies.In East Texas, a tiny museum is dedicated to preserving the history of the 1937 London School explosion, the deadliest school disaster in U.S. history and the reason natural gas has an added odor.Are state Republicans […]

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August 12, 2024

What we learned from new Uvalde school shooting records

The city of Uvalde releases a trove of records from the Robb Elementary school shooting after pressure from the media. What are we learning?As tensions escalate in the Middle East with Israel anticipating a strike from Iran or its proxies within days, how could this affect Texas, its role in oil exports and prices? Matt […]

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August 9, 2024

New survey reveals bipartisan concern over Texas housing affordability crisis

With Kamala Harris in the spotlight, there appears to be a major momentum shift in presidential politics. Is it moving the needle in Texas?A new survey indicates that 90% of Texans believe housing costs are too high, with Democrats and Republicans in agreement.Schools are struggling to grapple with a rise in vaping among students.A conversation […]

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August 8, 2024

Federal COVID dollars for schools go away as Texas districts struggle

Texas educators are preparing for the start of a new school year as billions of dollars in federal support expires.Houston ISD is preparing to go to taxpayers with a bond proposal – but the idea is not without controversy.Wastewater from fracking is spewing out of abandoned wells. What we’ve learned from a new study that […]

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August 7, 2024

Texas Extra: How do we define a museum?

Texas Standard kicked off a new project in August: The Texas Museum Map. To begin, we decided to get answers to some challenging questions about museums. This Texas Extra is an extended version of that interview with Kenneth Hafertepe, a fellow with the Texas State Historical Association and chair of the Department of Museum Studies at […]

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August 7, 2024

Record number of employees leave Houston ISD after state takeover

New ratings suggest big improvements for Houston schools, but not everyone is excited about the changes: In the wake of the state’s takeover, a huge number of teachers and staffers have been leaving.An Abilene family’s experience with a fentanyl overdose has sparked a citywide call to action. KACU’s Alexis Jones reports.As rent falls in some […]

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