Texas Standard

January 20, 2025

Health and Human Services Commission employees accused in data breach

Parts of Texas that seldom see snow may well see frozen precipitation blanketing beaches tomorrow. We’re keeping watch. Seven employees of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission have been fired for improperly accessing, and in some cases, stealing, from the accounts of thousands of Texans receiving public assistance. And: TikTok went dark for U.S. […]

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January 17, 2025

State targets Allstate data collection practices

We’ll have the latest on a dramatic drop in thermometers statewide and what that could mean for large parts of Texas next week. Also: How some are hoping to protect people experiencing homelessness from the worst of the big freeze. The incoming Trump administration has vowed to make immigration enforcement a top priority, possibly including […]

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January 16, 2025

What Texas can learn from wildfire history

A Texas case before the U.S. Supreme Court on verifying ages for adult content has bigger implications than just whether one free speech law can stand.TikTok users are flocking to other Chinese-owned apps as they await a ruling on whether the U.S. can ban TikTok. But a lot could still change.Carbon capture is a growing […]

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January 15, 2025

Dustin Burrows wins race for Texas House speaker

In a session-opening battle for speaker of the House – one of the most powerful positions in state government – Rep. Dustin Burrows won the role in a blow to a rising faction in the Texas GOP, and a victory for what many call establishment Republicans. Elon Musk, Texas’ richest resident, is turning his eyes […]

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January 14, 2025

UT Dallas student journalists fight for press freedom

As lawmakers begin their work at the state Capitol, money is at the center of it all. Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar shares a look at the current state of the Texas economy. After a Venezuelan woman died violently in Texas, her body was sold for scientific research without her family’s consent. An investigation into the […]

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January 13, 2025

What’s a wolf moon?

It’s go-time at the Texas Capitol as the 89th legislative session opens tomorrow, running through June 2. Blaise Gainey of The Texas Newsroom has a preview of what to expect. War on drugs? Or drug users? How a mass overdose event underscores what critics say is wrong with Texas’ anti-drug strategy. You’ve heard of a […]

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January 10, 2025

Could Houston send water to West Texas?

With temperatures on the rise, beware the temptation to let down your guard: a waning winter storm and what it means for drivers today. Gov. Greg Abbott is keen on an idea to pipe Houston’s surplus water to drought-stricken West Texas. With the U.S. inauguration just 10 days away, what’s in store for the relationship […]

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January 9, 2025

It’s cold outside, but politics are heating up in Austin

As cold as it is in some parts of the state, politics are heating up in Austin. As the next legislative session nears, there’s intense infighting over who will hold one of the top spots.Abortion access in this country has changed, especially in states like Texas, since the effective overturn of Roe v. Wade. But […]

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