According to a new poll, Texans have predictable opinions along party lines about Donald Trump’s immigration policies – but it’s more complicated on the economy. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is taking legal action against Austin ISD, accusing it of teaching critical race theory. It’s not the first time a Texas district has faced such charges. Shrimp fraud is driving that sector of Gulf Coast agriculture to the brink. What you need to know about it. The National Trust for Historic Preservati...
May 07, 2025•49 min
State lawmakers from the House and Senate reach a deal lowering property taxes. Will it pass? It’s the ultimate company town: How Space X’s launch site in South Texas became a city. Generic and house brands are taking off as people look to save on grocery bills. But that’s not the only reason shoppers prefer them. What’s next for Gregg Popovich in his new role with the Spurs. And: Author Rachel Cockerell on her new family memoir about an effort in the early 1900s to create a Jewish homeland in T...
May 06, 2025•50 min
As the clock ticks down on the legislative session, how close is Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick to completing his wish list? Weekend balloting across Texas brings some big local changes. We’ll hear from reporters statewide. Texans dominate at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson golf tournament in McKinney. The documentary “The Stones Are Speaking” tells the story of Michael Collins, the man who helped open the Gault site to researchers. And: Who’ll be the next mayor of San Antonio? Voters have narrowed a field of 27 ...
May 05, 2025•50 min
This week, Willie Nelson celebrated his 92nd birthday. Last weekend, the latest film he served as executive producer on had its debut. It screened at the Dallas International Film Festival and it was co-directed by his daughter, Amy. This is an extended interview with her about the film, “King of the Roadies.” It’s about the world’s first roadie, Ben Dorcy III, who long worked with Willie Nelson and other well-known musicians. The full transcript of this episode of Texas Standard is available on...
May 03, 2025
A South Texas ruling prevents the deportation of some detainees. What it means for the Trump administration’s strategy. Houston’s large Afghan population is closely watching efforts to unwind programs providing them legal status in the U.S. Why many say they can’t return to their home country. Some Texans will be headed to the polls tomorrow for local elections. A preview of some of the biggest races and initiatives, including one that would create a new company town. Efforts to change what peop...
May 02, 2025
An $8 billion funding bill for public schools has passed the Texas House. But is it enough? Where lawmakers stand on education spending. After a string of weather disasters, a bill could bring financial relief to impacted farmers. A new book, “Rethinking Medications: Truth, Power, and the Drugs You Take,” examines a shift in trust over federal guidance. Author Dr. Jerry Avorn joins with more. In the not-too-distant future, iPhones may not be made in China. Omar Gallaga has the latest on talk of ...
May 01, 2025
Texans weigh in on everything from artificial intelligence to the economic outlook. What a new poll tells us about the state of the state. We’ll also dig into consumer spending, and what the latest information from credit card companies does and doesn’t tell us about consumer confidence. Creeks and watering holes are a beloved aspect of Central Texas, but there’s a challenge in keeping them clean as the population booms. A new book explores the dark undercurrent of early 1970s Houston. We interv...
Apr 30, 2025•49 min
We’ve been here before, but this time feels different. President Donald Trump has rounded out 100 days in office, but getting a grasp of this moment in our country’s history is a challenge. Whether what’s unfolding is good or bad depends on where you look, and who you ask. This hour, we’re getting a snapshot of Trump’s second term by exploring what it’s like in California and Texas. The country’s two largest states, in population and economies, but living different versions of the same America. ...
Apr 29, 2025•51 min
Though a voucher-like plan has passed in Texas, lawmakers are far from done with education-related changes. What’s still on the legislative docket? Just about a month left before scheduled sine die at the Texas capitol, Andrew Schneider of Houston Public Media shares some of the less well-known school-related measures lawmakers are considering. In other news, a death at a Dallas County jail raises questions about how such deaths are investigated and reported. Marina Trahan Martinez of KERA North...
Apr 28, 2025
A measure long sought by Texas Republicans is now on its way to the governor’s desk: A voucher-like plan to use public dollars to pay for private education. We’ll get details from Blaise Gainey of The Texas Newsroom. A massive plan was once proposed to keep Texas from running out of water in the late 1960’s… Voters said no. How the debate has resurfaced decades later. And a big win for opponents of local marijuana decriminalization moves in Texas. The post After yearslong fight, school voucher b...
Apr 25, 2025•50 min
After lawsuits and a long delay, the Texas Education Agency releases rankings for schools in the Lone Star State. The school rankings are more than just an indicator of how well students are doing, they can have ripple effects on the schools themselves, as well as on housing prices and more. KERA’s Bill Zeeble joins us with what the report cards tell us. After record levels of deaths connected to police car chases, what, if anything, do Texas lawmakers plan to do? A historic theatre, once a hub ...
Apr 24, 2025
Healthcare providers and people on both sides of Texas’ abortion ban are working together – kind of – on an effort to clarify the law. The VA is trying to trim its budget without affecting patients. A closer look at the plans and their potential holes. The number of nurses in Houston public schools has dropped by 50% in the past year. Now there’s an effort at the Texas Capitol to set requirements for having nurses on campuses. What you need to know as the federal government restarts collections ...
Apr 23, 2025•49 min
The Supreme Court halts deportations under the Alien Enemies Act. We’ll have the latest on the case involving migrants held in Texas. He was called a “monster” by one of the survivors of the El Paso Walmart mass shooting. We hear from victims and relatives of those killed as the gunman is sentenced. Pope Francis once made a high-profile visit to the Texas-Mexico border where he celebrated Mass on the banks of the Rio Grande. Residents on both sides of the river remember the People’s Pope. How th...
Apr 22, 2025
From Houston to Fort Worth, thousands of Texans joined people across the country over the weekend in a national day of protest against the Trump administration. The Texas Newsroom’s Blaise Gainey gets us up to speed on what’s happening at the state Capitol with six weeks left in the legislative session. Four Houston-area suicides among members of law enforcement are drawing more attention to an issue some peace officers are reluctant to talk about openly. And: Many Texans are mourning Pope Franc...
Apr 21, 2025
Texas Extras are special and extended content put together just for our podcast listeners! Texas Standard recently revealed our Top 10 list from April: the Top 10 Typewriter Rodeo poems from the past decade. Each poem is pretty short, usually just about a minute long, but we still didn’t have time to play them in their entirety in our on-air Top 10 – which just felt like a shame. We remedy that for you here, enjoy! The full transcript of this episode of Texas Standard is available on the KUT &am...
Apr 19, 2025
Bird flu is spreading fast among wildlife including foxes and raccoons in Panhandle counties. Twenty-seven candidates are running to become the next mayor of San Antonio – the city’s biggest field in recent memory – as voters head to the polls next month. Deployed Resources, a Texas company that grew into a contracting giant building tent shelters, is turning its focus to deportation. Looking to buy a vehicle? What you should know about the car market amid tariff uncertainty. And: The history of...
Apr 18, 2025•50 min
For the first time ever, the Texas House votes to approve the use of taxpayer money for private school education. Blaise Gainey of The Texas Newsroom shares what comes next. Many farmers in South Texas say a water treaty with Mexico is costing them dearly. Now the Trump administration appears ready to get involved. Thousands of acres of Hill Country land have been set aside to create a new state natural area, and Texas Public Radio’s Jack Morgan got a preview. And: Politics and water take center...
Apr 17, 2025
