Texas Standard

September 1, 2023

The State of Disability in Texas – A Texas Standard special

How does disability impact millions of Texans, from public policy to long COVID? People living with disabilities – a population that’s often overlooked and underestimated – play a wide variety of important roles in the life of modern Texas. They’re living full lives: advocating for better caregiving options, inclusive transportation and voting accessibility. And many […]

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August 31, 2023

Bears are returning to Texas, whether we’re ready or not

A state law, dubbed the “Death Star bill” and designed to preempt a large number of local ordinances, has been ruled unconstitutional by a Texas judge. But the battle’s far from over. A new state budget takes effect Friday, with a large portion earmarked for border security. Decades ago, black bears were all but driven […]

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August 30, 2023

State National Guard used WhatsApp to spy at the border

An investigation of Operation Lone Star finds a prohibited intelligence unit using WhatsApp to spy on migrants and smugglers. Davis Winkie of the Military Times shares more. A new Texas law, the Crown Act, takes effect this week, banning discrimination based on hair texture or hairstyles associated with race. Close your eyes and think of […]

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August 29, 2023

‘Death Star bill’ could destroy local protections for renters

As police departments across the nation back off dangerous high-speed car chases, the trend in Houston is running the opposite direction. Texas is about to pull out of a multi-state partnership designed to curb voter fraud. Why, and who’s behind the shift? There’s a hearing tomorrow in a challenge brought by several cities to a […]

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August 28, 2023

After environmentally destructive launch, will regulators let SpaceX blast off again?

A new law barring transition care for transgender youth has been temporarily blocked by a Texas judge, but it may take effect anyway Sept. 1. We’ll have the latest – plus how doctors are trying to prepare. Officials were left in disbelief over the scale and scope of environmental damage after the failed test of […]

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August 25, 2023

An old shipwreck was found in coastal East Texas. What’s in it?

The Pentagon says it is likely that the head of a failed coup in Russia was killed, though questions swirl around the incident. The digital divide in Texas was brought into sharp relief during the height of COVID. Now lawmakers are trying to bridge the gap between those with broadband and those without. As the […]

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August 24, 2023

Railroad Commission approves South Texas coal mine expansion

In the first Republican debate of the new presidential election season, an issue top of mind for Texans – border policy – takes center stage. The Texas Department of Transportation is giving a final green light to a highway expansion in downtown Austin that would add at least four lanes and get rid of the […]

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August 23, 2023

Why Will Hurd didn’t make the cut for the first Republican presidential debate

The Feds push back in court over Gov. Greg Abbott’s deployment of buoys in the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass. The City of Dallas has received $1.5 million in federal dollars for a major cleanup of contaminated sites. But will it be enough? Researchers in El Paso are trying to tap another source of potential […]

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