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February 28, 2024

The latest on the Smokehouse Creek Fire in the Panhandle

By: David Brown

The Smokehouse Creek Fire in the Panhandle, already the second biggest wildfire in Texas history, is so far 0% contained. We’ll talk with an evacuee and officials with the Texas A&M Forest Service to get the latest.
With increasingly unpredictable rainfall and extended droughts, you may be thinking about what to plant to survive our new weather reality. The Standard’s Alexandra Hart has ways you can cut water use without letting your lawn die.
Plus: Director Richard Linklater and filmmaker Alex Stapleton on the new HBO three-part series based on Lawrence Wright’s recent book “God Save Texas.”


Episodes

October 6, 2026

Are Texas Democrats really poised for statewide wins?

With less than two weeks to go before the first in-person early votes are cast in the midterms in Texas, great expectations are rising among Democrats here and nationwide with polls and pundits alike predicting big gains. We’ll break down the what, where and why.So stressed or frustrated you just want to scream? Welcome to […]

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October 5, 2026

What to expect as the Supreme Court reconvenes

The first Monday in October means the U.S. Supreme Court is back to work. We’ll have an early look at the docket, what Texans should watch for and more.A red-hot congressional race in a huge district — a contest between YouTube gun rights supporter Brandon Herrerra and child rights advocate Katy Padilla Stout — is […]

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October 2, 2026

Texas governor’s race appears to be competitive

Remember redistricting in Texas? The plan was to try to secure more surefire wins for Republicans. Now we’re seeing some surprises. We’ll have the details today.And another political surprise possibly in the making: The governor’s race, initially not expected to be much of a battle for Gov. Abbott, is forcing many to reconsider. We’ll hear […]

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October 1, 2026

Houston voters weigh marijuana enforcement priorities

In Texas’ biggest metro, Houston, a vote looms to tell police whether to deprioritize marijuana cases. But even if it gets the green light, will it make a difference?Also, the latest on an alleged threat on the Texas capitol and a possible change of heart over a border wall in the Big Bend region.Where things […]

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September 30, 2026

Toadies get personal on first new album in nearly a decade

If you’ve consumed any media with commercials lately you know why the race for U.S. Senate between Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico has become so expensive. We’ll dig into the details.With the election now just weeks away, it’s worth making sure your voter registration is in order. A backlog is affecting a lot […]

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September 29, 2026

Federal changes narrow Endangered Species Act protections

The remnants of Hurricane Polo are expected to bring heavy rainfall and possible flooding across much of the state. We’ll have the details.It’s been a year since a gunman opened fire at an ICE office in Dallas. We’ll hear from the wife of one of the victims — a man who was in ICE custody.Plus, […]

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September 28, 2026

The New Wild West: Texans on the AI Frontier

Artificial intelligence is developing fast, and if you think it’s impacting life now, just wait. This is a special edition of the Texas Standard — “The New Wild West: Texans on the AI frontier.”What happens when you press that return button in ChatGPT? We’ll follow the energy-intensive requests.We’ll also explore the life-changing benefits AI can […]

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September 25, 2026

Texas voter registration backlog leaves thousands of applications unprocessed

Tens of thousands of unprocessed voter registrations were never forwarded to county officials for processing, leading to chaos and questions.If you registered to vote through the DPS, such as when you were updating your driver’s license, you may want to check with county officials who are now working through a backlog of forms they should […]

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