Texas Standard

June 21, 2023

Everything you always wanted to know about the Texas energy grid

Texas senators met yesterday to talk about two divisive issues: property taxes and the impeachment trial of suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton. So where do things stand? Can Texas’ power grid withstand the heat? We’ll get detailed on supply and demand. A new book from journalist Dan Solomon, ‘The Fight for Midnight,’ reimagines Wendy Davis’ […]

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June 20, 2023

East Texas county lacks power during summer heat wave

Weekend storms knocked out power to tens of thousands in East Texas, amid dangerously hot temperatures and few options for cooling down. We’ll have the latest. LGBTQ+ teens in Katy, outside Houston, are creating community in the midst of a culture war. In San Antonio we’ll meet people who are building new lives after escaping […]

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June 19, 2023

What’s next after Abbott vetoes more than 70 bills?

The power of the pen: Gov. Greg Abbott has used his veto more this summer than he ever has before. What’s at stake? Advocates for people with disabilities demanded some changes at the state Capitol this legislative session. We’ll hear more about how the issues fared from the Standard’s Shelly Brisbin. Systems are pretty much […]

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June 16, 2023

Cormac McCarthy’s deep Texas ties

A tornado tore through the Panhandle town of Perryton on Thursday, leaving three dead, scores injured and many without homes – and forecasts say there’s more severe weather on the way. Native American tribes are celebrating a big win before the Supreme Court in an adoption law case brought by a white foster couple from […]

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June 15, 2023

Summer heat is here – and so is the strain on Texas’ electric grid

Although Ken Paxton’s already impeached, Texas House investigators continue gathering evidence against the now-suspended attorney general. More scrutiny over the finances of Paxton and his wife, a Texas senator. Temperatures are hitting triple digits across much of Texas. Can the power grid take the heat? Tech expert Omar Gallaga on why the release of Diablo […]

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June 14, 2023

Why thousands of dead fish washed up along the Gulf Coast

Who implements a new law that bans “sexually explicit” material in Texas public school libraries – and how? We’ll talk with the president of the Texas Library Association about what’s being described by proponents as a child protection move, and by critics as the latest attempt to censor and ban books for young people with […]

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June 13, 2023

Plans to dredge Matagorda Bay Superfund site proceed, over environmental worries

A Supreme Court ruling on redistricting in Alabama surprises critics – and raises hopes for Texans challenging political maps closer to home. Why a plan to expand shipping in Matagorda Bay has many in the community sounding alarms. An effort to lift the borrowing cap for graduate student loans raised hopes – and costs – […]

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June 12, 2023

Texas Extra: Austin’s Oblivion Access fest curates the ‘weird end’ of the underground music spectrum

This Texas Standard podcast bonus features an extended Q&A with Oblivion Access festival co-founders Dusty Brooks and Dorian Domi. Oblivion Access is a four-day music and arts festival taking place June 15-18 in downtown Austin focused on dark, experimental and underground music. This musically-rich interview includes songs from festival headliners TR/ST, Have a Nice Life, […]

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