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June 24, 2021

Texas Standard: June 24, 2021

By: David Brown

Vice President Kamala Harris is coming to Texas. Her visit to the border aims to quiet weeks of criticism. We’ll have one view from El Paso. Plus one billion dollars in Hurricane Harvey relief funding disproportionately went to communities further inland. An investigation. And COVID-19 disproportionately devastated Texas border communities. But the same wasn’t true in neighboring New Mexico. Why? And we’ll also check in on Houston’s Fifth Ward and an ongoing fight to address what’s been identified as a cancer cluster. Also if you have one of those smart thermostats you might want to double-check your settings. What some users are seeing happen as demand for energy goes up. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:


Episodes

February 13, 2025

Cracking the mystery of sea turtles’ ‘lost years’

A new survey gives some strong indications what Texans make of the 47th president and what that portends for Texas Sen. John Cornyn’s re-election prospects.Apple and Microsoft have followed Google in renaming the Gulf of Mexico on their maps after a Trump executive order. Tech journalist Omar Gallaga explains what’s behind the change, and whether […]

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February 12, 2025

A sisterhood of nuns is quietly emerging on Texas death row

It’s been four years since the deadly days-long blackout in Texas – and “The Disconnect” podcast is back for a third season, exploring what’s changed and what hasn’t.The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has been told by the new Trump administration to stop work. How a long-term closure might affect you.An investigation into the death of […]

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February 11, 2025

‘Petflation’ is real, and a Texas lawmaker wants to help

How President Trump’s new tariffs on steel and aluminum will impact a wide range of companies across the state.Slashing federal grants that fund overhead for research labs will save some money but also hinder life-saving research.Texans know the price of feeding your dog or cat has been rising. A state lawmaker wants to provide some […]

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February 10, 2025

A year after the Smokehouse Creek Fire, recovery is still underway

Concerns are growing about a measles outbreak in West Texas as some legislators push to rollback vaccination requirements.It appears the threat of cutbacks from the federal government may already be having an effect on health services for veterans.U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted targeted enforcement actions in Austin last month, and Hispanic business owners say […]

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February 8, 2025

ICYMI: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s 2025 State of the State Address

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott spoke in front of a crowd of lawmakers and supporters to deliver his State of the State Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025 from Arnold Oil’s corporate headquarters in East Austin. He named his list of emergency items, which are the only issues lawmakers can pass bills on in the first 60 days of the […]

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February 7, 2025

Former leader of USAID speaks out against agency cuts

Reports of massive staffing cuts at USAID are rattling the federal bureaucracy and supporters of foreign aid. Andrew Natsios, a Texas A&M professor and a Republican who once served as a USAID administrator, joins the show with his take on the claims of waste and inefficiency at his former agency.A new historical marker stands outside […]

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February 6, 2025

Texas Senate passes bill creating school voucher-like program

A bill to let families use taxpayer dollars to cover private school tuition was approved by the Texas Senate, but the debate over the bill’s not done. Next stop: the Texas House.El Paso has still not recovered from government vacancies dating back to the height of COVID, with growing concerns about how that’s affecting basic […]

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February 5, 2025

What does the Farmer’s Almanac say about Texas’ winter?

Gov. Greg Abbott announced his priorities over the weekend, and it looks like lawmakers in his party are getting right to work.The Arlington City Council unanimously approved a drilling site that would put 10 new gas wells within a few thousand feet of homes, a daycare and elementary schools. A closer look at the debate.The […]

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