Texas Standard

Coverage of politics, lifestyle, environment, technology, innovation and money matters from a uniquely Texas perspective.

Last refreshed: June 11th, 2026 at 4:39 PM

Follow on

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

RSS

Podcasts are better in Metacast mobile app

Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more

Episodes

Another small peach crop frustrates Hill Country growers

New World screwworm is affecting a part of South Texas currently vacant a member of Congress. Some say that should spur a quick special election. UT researchers believe they’ve figured out who has been scrambling GPS signals across huge swaths of Europe in recent years. We’ll find out about their discovery and what it might mean. The World Cup means lots of fans descending upon Texas cities. Environmental scientists will be studying their impact in real-time. A new film invites all Texans to par...

Jun 10, 2026•50 min

Texas officials race to contain screwworm outbreak

Can Mike Miles, the man appointed to lead Houston ISD and help that struggling district, provide a roadmap for others in the state? We’ll have the details. Also, a look at the federal government’s plan to stop the New World screwworm from spreading as more cases appear in South Texas. Plus, fire safety concerns about the batteries powering e-bikes. And Texas is likely to become the world’s largest hub for data centers — that’s led to growing concerns across the state, including in suburban areas...

Jun 09, 2026•48 min

Big Bend border wall plans upend vital park changes

Supreme Court cases on birthright citizenship, gun rights, transgender women and girls in sports… Where do we stand? Constitutional law professor Seth Chandler of the University of Houston Law Center joins us with what cases to watch for and where the high court appears to be leaning as the nine justices wrap up the current term. More cases of New World screwworm in Texas discovered: How the Lone Star State is scaling up for all-out war on a parasite that could wreck the ranching industry. And w...

Jun 08, 2026•49 min

A Texas adventurer aims for all 50 state high points

130 Texas towns and cities put on notice that they won’t be able to raise property tax rates. One city official calls it a catch-22. The national Democratic Party sets its sights on flipping 12 seats in the Texas House — one sign that their candidate for senate, James Talarico may have serious coattails. We’ll hear more in the week in Texas politics with the Texas Tribune. A Texas opera company gives Bizet’s greatest hit gets the World Cup treatment, hoping to score points with a new audience. A...

Jun 05, 2026•51 min

First case of New World screwworm found in Texas since 1960s

It’s considered by many to be the marquee race of the midterms: Paxton versus Talarico. But if you think that’s all there is to it, think again. Shades of Ross Perot? Why a third-party candidate could upset the calculus in this year’s big Senate race in Texas. And they’re back: For the first time in 60 years, a New World screwworm has been detected in Texas livestock. Now, an emergency quarantine in parts of South Texas. We’ll have details. Also, a last-minute surge puts the Knicks over the Spur...

Jun 04, 2026•50 min

Rural Texas counties say data centers are arriving faster than regulations

What control do county officials have when a data center wants to move in? A look at an investigation from the Texas Tribune. The ballots are set for the midterm election in November, but at least one big thing is changing: Texas’ top elections leader, Secretary of State Jane Nelson, is stepping down. What do the results from the primaries and primary runoffs tell us about how Texas Republicans are aligning with President Trump? We’ve been digging into how Texas is reshaping the way the justice ...

Jun 03, 2026•50 min

Texas Extra: When the World Comes to Texas Episode 3

When the World Comes Comes to Texas is a podcast from our partners at KERA in North Texas exploring what it means to bring the World cup to the Lone Star State. We’re sharing these episodes with very Tuesday night through June 16th. Episode 3: Gooooooooaaaaaaaaaal! Sports commentary can be one of the most essential parts of the experience of a game, whether you’re watching it on television or listening to the play-by-play on the radio. But what does that experience feel like when you’re blind? E...

Jun 02, 2026•19 min

For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android