Texas Standard

July 19, 2023

What’s the future of air conditioning in Texas?

You’ve heard of abandoned, so-called orphan oil wells? Now there’s a growing concern about zombie wells. After the pandemic, Texas Medicaid rolls are shrinking – but many are losing coverage for procedural reasons, and they may not even realize it. A new state law means that next year, construction workers in some Texas cities may […]

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July 18, 2023

DPS whistleblower says troops at border have ‘inhumane’ policies toward migrants

A new report says Texas troopers were told to push back migrants and deny water amid soaring temperatures. How a redistricting case from Alabama could have ripple effects on Texas’ Galveston County and beyond. A Sriracha shortage is putting the squeeze on people who love the red sauce, and some Texas restaurants are getting inventive. […]

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July 17, 2023

Workers rally to fight state bill ending water breaks

As Texans brace for another week of extreme heat, there’s pushback against a new state law that nullifies local rules requiring mandatory water breaks for outdoor workers. Austin has ended its policing partnership with the Department of Public Safety – but Gov. Greg Abbott is sending more troopers to the capital city. Some legal experts […]

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July 14, 2023

State policies cause Texas to slip from top business rankings

A lawsuit challenging Texas’ new prohibition on hormone blockers and other treatments for transgender youth. Lawmakers failed to pass new rules on locating concrete batch plants – what do those pushing for change plan to do next? A report shows modest economic growth in Texas, we’ll hear more. Plus – Texas slips in the rankings […]

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July 13, 2023

What can Texas teach California about dealing with homelessness?

As temperatures rise, so does gun violence. What does this mean for a Texas already struggling with climate change? A new study on police response times in Texas’ biggest city and what it hints at for other departments elsewhere in the state. Send in the clones – after Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter, are any […]

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July 12, 2023

Abilene volunteers serve Ukrainian refugees through soccer

Who is Angela Colmenero, the state’s new interim attorney general, and where do we stand with the impeachment of the now-suspended AG Ken Paxton? Lauren McGaughy of the Dallas Morning News joins us with the latest. Republican Mayra Flores has announced a bid to retake the South Texas congressional seat that she won in a […]

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July 11, 2023

2024 Senate race comes into focus as Gutierrez announces candidacy

In a second special session, Texas House and Senate leaders reach a deal on property tax relief. What does it add up to? State Sen. Roland Gutierrez has announced his candidacy for U.S. Senate, making him the second high-profile Democrat – along with Rep. Colin Allred – to challenge Sen. Ted Cruz. How Texas has […]

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July 10, 2023

Is Paycheck Protection Program fraud partly behind the home price spike?

A planned buoy barrier along the Rio Grande designed to prevent migrant crossings faces legal obstacles of its own. What’s known and what isn’t about the man who had been reported missing in the Houston area for eight years – who had only really been missing for about a day. Could pandemic-era abuses be partly […]

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