Texas Standard

Texas Standard > All Episodes

May 6, 2022

Texas Standard: May 6, 2022

By: David Brown

Sandals, shorts, and fingers crossed as summer makes an early appearance, putting a big strain on the Texas power grid. As Texans prepare for a heat wave with temps climbing toward the triple digits, how vulnerable is the state’s power grid? Matt Largey of KUT Austin has been looking into that. Also, what if they held an election and no challengers came? With election day tomorrow, and some big decisions on the ballot, some Texas counties grappling with just such a prospect. And an effort to turn a spotlight on everyday volunteers who put their lives on the line for abortion access. Those stories, the week in politics with the Texas Tribune and more today on the Texas Standard:


Episodes

May 25, 2023

What are the weirdest laws in Texas?

At the Capitol, an intraparty rivalry between Republicans explodes into the open. The dueling charges between Attorney General Ken Paxton and House Speaker Dade Phelan are so personal and serious, some longtime Capitol watchers are characterizing the battle as among the most significant in Texas political history. Lauren McGaughey of the Dallas Morning news will […]

Listen

May 24, 2023

Sen. Roland Gutierrez on Uvalde, one year later

On the one-year anniversary of the mass shooting in Uvalde that left 19 fourth-graders and two teachers dead, state Sen. Roland Gutierrez says he’s still pushing for gun reform. Meanwhile, trust in police remains frail in Uvalde. A report from Matamoros on migrants in limbo after the end of Title 42. As Austin firefighters rack […]

Listen

May 23, 2023

What do Texans think of the Legislature’s actions this session?

Economists call it political theater, but the implications of failure to reach a debt ceiling deal are very real. As Washington faces a debt deadline, lawmakers in Texas race to beat the clock on the end of the legislative session, and one issue in particular could send them into overtime: The latest on the big […]

Listen

May 22, 2023

Why the Rio Grande Valley is a transit desert

It started 5 months ago, and if all goes according to plan, it ends this week. Sergio Martínez-Beltrán of the Texas Newsroom joins us with his look ahead at the final days of the Texas legislative session. And what happens to the many proposals that didn’t pass? To understand, a knowledge of zombies might be […]

Listen

May 19, 2023

San Antonio Spurs’ No. 1 draft pick could be a game-changer

A bill would provide $10 billion in low-interest loans that would benefit the oil and gas industry, in the name of beefing up the power grid; there are a lot of questions over the push for those loans, aimed at preventing statewide blackouts. Almost one year after the worst school shooting in Texas history, state […]

Listen

May 18, 2023

Singer-songwriter Robert Ellis returns with new sound and perspective

Texas is on the brink of becoming the latest state to ban gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott asks the governors of other states to provide police and military forces to help secure Texas’ border with Mexico, as the numbers of reported unauthorized entries plummet. Tech expert Omar Gallaga tells us […]

Listen

May 17, 2023

Kate the Chemist aims to answer ‘the big questions’ about science with new podcast

Erin Douglas of the Texas Tribune joins with details on water infrastructure efforts that have bipartisan support, but a chasm separating House and Senate proposals – and just 11 more days to come to agreement. More money for Texas public school teachers? Some educators say the proposals on the table aren’t enough to keep them […]

Listen

May 16, 2023

How the ‘We Buy Ugly Houses’ company preyed on desperate and elderly sellers

Migrant crossings at the border with Mexico are reported to be dramatically down after the end of Title 42. Adolescent medicine doctors at Dell Children’s Medical Center in Austin are out amid calls from politicians for an investigation of gender-affirming care at the hospital. A bill to preempt new local regulations on a variety of […]

Listen