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September 25, 2025

Where was the acting FEMA head during the July 4 floods?

By: David Brown

An investigative report claims as Texas flooded on the July 4 weekend, the head of FEMA couldn’t be reached. We’ll hear more about a reported slow response from acting administrator David Richardson and what it meant for Texas during the Hill Country floods.
Concerns are rising in higher ed over millions of federal dollars for Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) on hold, with no end in sight.
The latest on lawsuits challenging Texas’ new law for the Ten Commandments in the classroom.
Tech expert Omar Gallaga has the latest on a deal that would keep TikTok in the U.S. and growing concerns about who might be running that operation.
Plus, taco journalist Mando Rayo weighs in on Tex-Mex.

Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.

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Episodes

September 26, 2025

How thousands of blind and visually impaired Texans learn to get around safely

A looming budget deadline and threats of a government shutdown: what that could mean for Texans.The Texas Democratic Party has launched an expansion plan that includes relocating its headquarters to Dallas. The decision has roiled quite a few within the party, even prompting an exodus of top staff.In Texas, there are around 11,000 students who […]

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September 25, 2025

Where was the acting FEMA head during the July 4 floods?

An investigative report claims as Texas flooded on the July 4 weekend, the head of FEMA couldn’t be reached. We’ll hear more about a reported slow response from acting administrator David Richardson and what it meant for Texas during the Hill Country floods.Concerns are rising in higher ed over millions of federal dollars for Hispanic-Serving […]

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September 24, 2025

Rodney Crowell talks new album, career

A deadly shooting this morning at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Dallas. We’ll share the latest details.Workplaces across the state trying to calculate the implications of a new $100,000 fee for H-1B applications. We’ll hear more on the questions raised by the new policy and the possible fallout.How college football in Texas […]

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September 23, 2025

Breaking down new guidances over COVID boosters

After years of failed attempts, a so-called “bathroom bill” becomes law in Texas. We’ll cover what the rules say and how they’ll be enforced.Thinking of getting a COVID booster and have questions? We have answers.Why the National Weather Service offices in Austin and San Antonio are not fully staffed, even after historic flooding this summer.A […]

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September 22, 2025

Why voters in Odessa turned against the far-right local government

Some are calling it a new chapter in the relationship between higher education and Texas politics – we’ll have a closer look at what’s happening at A&M right now and why it matters.Something is missing in a new report from the Agriculture Department: an explanation for the data. Michael Marks reports on why the missing […]

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September 19, 2025

Texas A&M president resigns amid viral video controversy

Texas A&M President Mark Welsh is resigning after a week of turmoil over a viral video and a clash over gender identity content in the classroom. What’s behind Texas’ redistricting push? KUT’s Mose Buchele reports on a political strategy started decades ago. The flesh-eating new world screwworm, a parasite once eradicated from Texas, has been […]

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September 18, 2025

A history of the Texas Civil Rights Project

Remember the Democratic walkout this summer over Texas redistricting? Attorney General Ken Paxton’s lawsuit accusing Beto O’Rourke of bribery and other charges for supporting the walkout continues – but O’Rourke appears to have the upper hand. Recovery funds are finally on the way for many in Houston who suffered damage during Hurricane Beryl and last […]

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September 17, 2025

Remembering Robert Redford’s Texas ties

Programs aimed at helping millions of low-income students earn college degrees is potentially on the chopping block. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Silas Allen joins us with a look.A series of bills aimed at preventing a repeat of the July 4th flooding tragedy in Texas’ Hill Country has passed, but some are asking if they go […]

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