Less than 3 weeks until early voting in Texas and already some numbers are in: registration shatters records. Jeremy Wallace of the Houston Chronicle with more on voter registration records being set, what it tells us and what it doesn’t when it comes to the election outcomes. Also decriminalizing homelessness: one year on after a…
Texas Standard: August 19, 2020
Calls for defunding police now getting pushback from Texas’ top three elected officials, setting up a major fight between state lawmakers and cities. A vow from Texas GOP leaders at the State Capitol to cap property tax revenue for cities that move to make cuts in law enforcement budgets. We’ll have details. Also, how the…
Texas Standard: June 18, 2020
The high court pushes back on a DACA rollback, but leaves open many questions about the future of the program that protects hundreds of thousands of young people from deportation, we’ll take a closer look. Also, understanding Juneteenth: a firsthand reflection on its importance. Plus the first FDA approved video game: a high tech prescription…
Texas Standard: April 13, 2020
Seemingly endless rows of cars lined up waiting for food in San Antonio: we’ll check out the strain on efforts to feed the hungry in other parts of Texas. Plus, is a tool used to recover memories lost to trauma acceptable for use in police work? An investigative report by the Dallas Morning News raises…
Texas Standard: March 17, 2020
Texas school districts learning lessons on how to deal with a statewide emergency. We’ll look at the logistics of teaching in a time of pandemic, and the role of the schools. It’s far from business as usual for the state’s schools. Top education officials say many could be closed through the end of the academic…
Texas Standard: February 26, 2020
In a city with a reputation as laid back, anger over homelessness is beginning to boil over. The emotions behind a recall push in Austin, we’ll have details. Also, did anything change as the result of last nights presidential debate? Bernie Sanders’ status as front runner putting some top Texas democrats into panic mode. We’ll…
Texas Standard: February 5, 2020
President Trump delivers a State of the Union tuned for election season, as the spanish language response is delivered from the Lone Star State. Abby Livingston of the Texas Tribune has the highs and lows from last night’s speech before Congress. Plus, destination Texas as Britain makes its first post Brexit foreign trade visit. The…
Texas Standard: January 16, 2020
A new trade deal with China… So what’s in it for us? Could be a sizable portion of Chinese spending on sectors with a strong Texas showing. It’s not the end of the trade war, but it might make a difference to industries in the Lone Star State. Also, what sounds like a change of…
Texas Standard: November 5, 2019
Election Day in Texas: we’ll check with reporters on how the balloting appears to be playing out across the state. Also, while state workers clear out homeless encampments in the Texas Capitol City, a closer look at an underlying problem with affordable housing: skyrocketing land prices. And as wildfires threaten housing developments in California, in…
Texas Standard: October 29, 2019
The house prepares for a Thursday impeachment vote. We’ll take a look at what that means. Also, a state board designed to keep spending in check has been working without a director, losing all its executive team and is shedding staff. The rotting away may be part of a plan by the Lt. Governor, we’ll…
Texas Standard: October 11, 2019
What are Pete Sessions and Rick Perry’s Ukrainian connections? Amid impeachment questions, two prominent Texans get caught in the spotlight. We’ll have details. Also, after just a month on the job, the so-called homelessness czar in the Texas Capitol City steps down following a threat from the governor to force Austin to change controversial homelessness…
Texas Standard: August 28, 2019
As fall approaches the political season heats up: and a shift in the role of Texas in one of the most consequential election seasons in modern memory. Coming up a conversation with Gromer Jeffers, political writer for the Dallas Morning News, on why the Texas factor in the 2020 election year goes way beyond the…
Texas Standard: July 4, 2019
There’s a long list of Democratic Presidential candidates. Two from Texas, but only one Texan is now among the top 5 candidates. We’ll have the story. Also, in this, the land of the free, how one man found true freedom even as he is behind bars. Plus how can camp create positive memories for children…
Texas Standard: July 3, 2019
Homelessness has been a hot topic in Texas cities lately. Two of the state’s largest metros have taken different approaches, with different results. We’ll explore. Also, in another of Texas’s largest cities, an increase in domestic violence and a mission to make the city safer for women. Plus, the invasive search for new energy sources….
Texas Standard: June 17, 2019
Okay, now the legislative session is really over. The veto deadline has passed. What did and didn’t make it off Governor Greg Abbott’s desk? We’ll explore. Also, a dead zone is headed to the Gulf Coast. And it could be one of the biggest on record. How it happens and why it looks so bad….
Texas Standard: April 15, 2019
Texas is now flaring off enough natural gas to power all of households in the Lone Star State. Can anything be done to harness the energy? We’ll take a look. Also, the Texas legislature is stuck: once again stalled on some key issues. Time to prepare for a special session, Ross Ramsey doesn’t seem too…
Texas Standard: March 27, 2019
When it comes to health care, now what? An unexpected move by the Justice Department to side with Texas in fighting the Affordable Care Act, we’ll have the latest. Also, days after that fire was extinguished at a chemical plant near Houston, losses and lawsuits are starting to mount. And greyhound racing is legal in…
Texas Standard: March 4, 2019
Texas has 44 billion dollars set aside for education: the biggest such endowment in the U.S. So why is the state spending less on schools? We’ll have the latest. Plus, in Texas’ biggest city, concerns growing over recent shootings involving children. Police are focusing on gangs, but heath workers want to look at something different….
Texas Standard: January 23, 2019
The Supreme Court appears to take DACA off the table in shutdown negotiations, but where does that leave thousands of DACA recipients in Texas? We’ll explore. Also in the Texas Standard newsroom, another Supreme Court order we’re assessing: the impact of the reinstatement of the Trump administration’s so-called transgender military ban. We’ll take a look…