Texas Standard

October 2, 2023

We’re tracking Texas cryptids all October

From guns to religion, free speech and more, a very loaded docket awaits the Supreme Court as it begins a new term. Why a race for Houston’s top financial officer is getting so much attention. A plan to consolidate schools in San Antonio could leave behind almost 20 empty buildings – and the district needs […]

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October 1, 2023

Texas Extra: An immigrant to ‘The Country of the Blind’

Author Andrew Leland is losing his vision. Turning that experience into a memoir gave him the opportunity to process his experiences, including the ways his blindness is perceived by others. But “The Country of the Blind” also contextualizes blindness within a larger world. Leland spoke to the Standard’s Shelly Brisbin on her podcast, Parallel. This is an extended cut […]

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September 29, 2023

Why homeschooling is on the rise across the ideological spectrum

Sean Theriault of UT-Austin with a look at why government shutdowns have become so common, and what needs to happen to avoid another come Sunday. The summer of 2023 was the second hottest on record in Texas. But for renters, air conditioning isn’t legally required — at least not everywhere in the state. Over the […]

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September 28, 2023

How a UT professor is helping the CDC plan for the next pandemic

The Texas Education Agency is moving forward with plans to monitor problems with Austin ISD’s special education services. What did we learn from COVID-19? We’ll talk to UT’s Lauren Ancel Meyers, who has been tapped to help the U.S. develop a plan to better tackle the next pandemic. Texas tops the nation in oil industry […]

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September 27, 2023

State law banning public drag performances found unconstitutional

Texas foster kids are sleeping in motels and offices, and Child Protective Service workers are leaving their jobs in droves. Sneha Dey of the Texas Tribune joins us with more. A ban on drag performances in the presence of minors has been ruled unconstitutional. We’ll hear why and what comes next. Why Mexico has replaced […]

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September 26, 2023

Texas Extra: 50 years after ‘Viva Terlingua’

The album was recorded in a rundown dancehall 50 years ago. Today it’s like hearing a time capsule. Some consider “Viva Terlingua” the quintessential Texas record. But why? Texas Standard’s David Brown had a conversation about this on our program last week. But for on-air we had to cut out a lot of interesting details […]

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September 26, 2023

What you need to know about viewing the upcoming solar eclipses from Texas

Though Attorney General Ken Paxton has been acquitted on all impeachment charges, whistleblowers say they’re not giving up. Sergio Martínez-Beltrán of the Texas Newsroom shares more. It’s rare for an eclipse to be visible at the same location within several years, much less a few months – but the skies over a portion of Texas […]

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September 25, 2023

What Texans need to know about the impending government shutdown

In six days, the federal government runs out of money. Can a shutdown be averted? What’s at stake if lawmakers can’t come up with a plan for short-term spending by Oct. 1. In Fort Worth and Tarrant County, families are falling into homelessness as pandemic relief funding is running out. Five things to know before […]

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