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June 15, 2021

Texas Standard: June 15, 2021

By: David Brown

A new warning from ERCOT urging Texans to conserve electricity. How prepared is the power grid for a long hot summer? After last winter’s deadly power outages, politicians promised changes to beef up the grid. But this weeks warning sends an ominous message about readiness as temps climb into the triple digits. We’ll have the latest. Plus, Houston’s plan to battle climate change with the help of solar panels. We’ll hear how that effort is going. And farmers say it’s not just sour grapes, but a serious concern over herbicides. Plus what’s being billed as the first scholarly book on the history of Juneteenth. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:


Episodes

December 11, 2023

YouTube chef blends her Texan and Indian roots in new show

State Sen. John Whitmire defeated U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee in the runoff election to serve as Houston’s 63rd mayor. We’ll take a look at what his win may mean for the state’s biggest city. The borderlines of two South American countries have long been in dispute. How a recent re-ignition of the argument may […]

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December 8, 2023

Tired of the same Christmas carols? This Texas composer has some rearrangements

A Texas judge grants a Dallas-area woman her request for an abortion, despite the state’s strict ban. It is thought to be one of the first attempts to seek a court-approved abortion since the U.S Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe vs. Wade. Olivia Aldridge of KUT in Austin shares more. Aid for Ukraine and Israel […]

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December 7, 2023

State stops effort to reclaim Fairfield Lake State Park

Expensive homes owned by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton have not been disclosed to the state as required by law. Investigative reporter Lauren McGaughy of the Texas Newsroom has more. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will no longer try to use eminent domain to reclaim Fairfield Lake State Park, ending a months-long struggle between […]

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December 6, 2023

Exploring the Lone Star State with the evolving Texas Almanac

Charges have been dismissed against 17 Austin police officers accused of assault during racial justice protests of 2020. Andrew Weber of KUT has more. A prison assault and what records suggest about a lack of transparency over security and safety in Texas lockups. First published in 1857, the Texas Almanac has evolved and changed hands […]

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December 5, 2023

Chronic wasting disease ravages Texas Parks and Wildlife facility

A federal judge is considering holding Texas in contempt of court over ongoing problems in the state’s foster care system. Bob Garrett of The Dallas Morning News joins us with the latest. Chronic wasting disease, for which there is no known cure, has been detected in a Texas deer breeding facility. The Standard’s Michael Marks […]

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December 4, 2023

Will the show go on for UTEP’s dinner theater?

The sun sets on a fourth special session at the Capitol as Texas lawmakers steel themselves to go into legislative overtime yet again. Sergio Martínez-Beltrán of the Texas Newsroom has the latest on where we stand: what’s passed, what hasn’t, and what comes next. The Biden administration takes the wrap off a new methane emissions […]

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December 1, 2023

Rare ‘Cattle Tyrant’ spotting dominates birders’ attention

Traumatic injuries are the leading cause of death in the U.S. for people under 45, and the odds of survival may depend on what part of the state you’re in. Lauren Caruba of the Dallas Morning News joins us to talk about a new investigation. The Texas Standard’s Sean Saldaña has the latest on what […]

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November 30, 2023

What’s behind the massive oil spill in the Gulf?

An oil spill in the Gulf is considered to be among the worst in U.S. history. After two weeks, why is it getting so little attention? We’ll hear about an unintended impediment to the growth of electric vehicle manufacturing in the U.S. After a political fight over a school voucher-like program, salary bumps for Texas […]

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