Texas Standard
928 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 2 years ago - ★★★★★ - 179 ratingsCoverage of politics, lifestyle, environment, technology, innovation and money matters from a uniquely Texas perspective.
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Episodes
Texas Standard: April 13, 2021
April 13, 2021 20:22 - 50 minutes - 46.3 MBGrowing concerns among Texas education experts over how to measure the impact of the pandemic on learning. Big questions over what standardized testing tells us about education during the pandemic and just how much may be missing from the data. Also, what will college campuses in Texas look like in the fall? We’ll hear about […]
Texas Standard: April 12, 2021
April 12, 2021 16:14 - 50 minutes - 46.2 MBTo everything there is a season, it’s said. But you might be surprised by what season is already upon us. Ross Ramsey of the Texas Tribune on what else seems to be sprouting along with the bluebonnets, as Texas politicians nurture budding would be candidacies for 2022. Also, a vote of another sort in Alabama […]
Texas Standard: April 9, 2021
April 09, 2021 16:38 - 50 minutes - 46.1 MBAllegations of abuse at a migrant detention center for unaccompanied minors in San Antonio. What’s known and what’s not. Other stories we’re tracking, a booster shot for efforts to get more Texans vaccinated against COVID-19 by putting the clinic on wheels. We’ll hear the how and why. Plus a bill to bring broadband to rural […]
Texas Standard: April 8, 2021
April 09, 2021 03:29 - 50 minutes - 46.2 MBAs federal officials add new detention centers for young migrants, the states of Texas and Louisiana sue over changes to immigration policy. We’ll have details. Also, the nation’s top homeland security official returns to Texas today as the numbers of migrants swell along the southern border. Richard Pineda of UT El Paso on how the […]
Texas Standard: April 7, 2021
April 07, 2021 16:12 - 50 minutes - 46.3 MBThe standardized STAAR test is set to go fully online soon statewide. But a glitch in testing this week has many wondering are we ready, or not? We’ll look at details. Other stories we’re tracking: the growing controversy over so-called vaccine passports quickly becoming a new culture war flashpoint. Are mandated certifications of vaccinations ethical? […]
Texas Standard: April 6, 2021
April 06, 2021 16:11 - 50 minutes - 46.3 MBDo the state’s numbers add up? A Houston Chronicle investigation finds twice as many deaths due to the February storm and blackouts. Other stories we’re tracking, the return of baseball and the absence of the Governor who turned down the opportunity to throw the first pitch. But he may have lobbed an early salvo in […]
Texas Standard: April 5, 2021
April 05, 2021 16:07 - 50 minutes - 46.3 MB2 trillion for infrastructure. The big push from the Biden administration. But what might those big plans mean for the Lone Star State? We’ll have details. Plus, going to a concert? Baseball game? Getting on a plane? You may need a passport for that. The push for and the controversy over so-called vaccination passports. Also […]
Texas Standard: April 2, 2021
April 02, 2021 16:20 - 50 minutes - 69.7 MBVoting during the pandemic brought a specific set of challenges. Now, Texas lawmakers are considering measures that would restrict workarounds. Today on the Texas Standard. Another much-watched issue in Austin right now is what lawmakers are going to do about problems with the Texas electric grid revealed during February’s deadly winter storm. We’ll have the […]
Texas Standard: April 1, 2021
April 01, 2021 16:19 - 50 minutes - 46.3 MBThe Texas Senate passes what supporters call election reforms and what many democrats say amounts to institutionalized voter suppression. Limits to early voting hours, a ban on drive through voting, and more part of Senate Bill 7. Against this backdrop, the Texas court of criminal appeals set to reconsider a high profile vote fraud case, […]
Texas Standard: March 31, 2021
March 31, 2021 16:34 - 50 minutes - 46.2 MBManslaughter indictments in the 2019 death of a Black motorist raising issues about the role of reality TV on policing, and the abuse of police power. Investigative reporter Tony Plohetski with details. Also, debunking myths about migrant children and teens being held in Texas, a Politifact check of claims about what’s happening at the border, […]
Texas Standard: March 30, 2021
March 30, 2021 17:57 - 50 minutes - 46.4 MBAs the Texas Senate votes to force power generators to better prepare for weather extremes, new insights on what Texans actually want. A new University of Houston hobby school survey on the impact of the February freeze and power outages, and how Texans want the system to change. Also more on an 8 billion dollar […]
Texas Standard: March 29, 2021
March 29, 2021 16:09 - 50 minutes - 46.4 MBAs the trial for the murder of George Floyd gets underway, debate heats up on a Texas bill to punish cities that cut police funding. We’ll have the latest. Other stories we’re covering: a bill to prohibit public school athletes in Texas from participating on sports teams that don’t align with an athlete’s biological birth […]
Texas Standard: March 26, 2021
March 26, 2021 16:22 - 50 minutes - 46.3 MBAfter mass shooting incidents in Georgia and Colorado, Texas lawmakers considering several measures to expand gun rights. A review of gun legislation moving through the Texas legislature. Also, redrawing the political maps of the state, almost certain to be delayed. And what does this mean for the future of Texas elections? And calls for Texas […]
Texas Standard: March 25, 2021
March 25, 2021 16:26 - 50 minutes - 46.2 MBOnce again, Texas in the spotlight as the nations attention turns to immigration and the thousands of undocumented minors coming across the southern border. Where to house them for how long and under what conditions? We’ll hear the latest from Dallas where a convention center has been converted into makeshift housing. Also, voter fraud prosecutions […]
Texas Standard: March 24, 2021
March 24, 2021 16:41 - 50 minutes - 46.5 MBEveryone over 16 in Texas will be eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine come Monday, but will there be enough doses to go around? Also, a new chapter begins in the fight against COVID-19 in Texas. We’ll have the latest on the push to get everyone over 16 vaccinated in Texas as soon as possible, […]
Texas Standard: March 24, 2021
March 23, 2021 16:33 - 50 minutes - 46.5 MBThe number of foster kids sleeping in state offices reaches an all time high. A long running crisis in the foster care system, now worse than ever? We’ll explore. Other stories we’re following: a surprise move in south Texas by a democratic congressman, one some see foreshadowing a national fight for control of the U.S. […]
Texas Standard: March 22, 2021
March 22, 2021 16:10 - 50 minutes - 46.3 MB50 years after they were declared unenforceable and illegal, could racial covenants finally be coming off property deeds in Texas? Coming up, Texas Senator Royce West on the push in the legislature to remove racial covenants from property conveyances and why this has become a priority. Also, Texas voices from the pandemic, the one from […]
Texas Standard: March 19, 2021
March 19, 2021 16:44 - 50 minutes - 46.3 MBThe Asian American community in Texas and beyond demanding change in the wake of shootings in Atlanta. Also, after concerns at Forth Hood and elsewhere about sexual harassment complaints being ignored. What’s the army doing to change things? And an ongoing journey helping immigrants and refugees navigate healthcare in the U.S. Plus Texas families struggling […]
Texas Standard: March 18, 2021
March 18, 2021 16:24 - 50 minutes - 46.3 MBBottlenecks creating a backup of detentions of young people crossing the border without documentation. We’ll have the latest on what’s needed as concerns grow over the detentions of young migrants. Also a wave of bills to restrict abortion rights in Texas taken up this week by the Texas legislature, abortion opponents seeing opportunity in recent […]
Texas Standard: March 17, 2021
March 17, 2021 16:16 - 50 minutes - 46.6 MBLarge numbers of migrant children unaccompanied and undocumented being housed in shelters. So what happens next? Coming up democratic congressman Henry Cuellar on how the Biden Administration is facing pressure from both sides of the aisle over what to do about large numbers of minors crossing the border and being held in detention in overcrowded […]
Texas Standard: March 16, 2021
March 16, 2021 16:07 - 50 minutes - 46.5 MBAs federal officials warn of plans to use a Dallas convention center as an immigration holding facility, concerns grow at the border. Republicans are using the rising numbers of border apprehensions to point to a crisis there, meanwhile the Biden administration having difficulty finding shelter for thousands of young migrants in the U.S. without legal […]
Texas Standard: March 15, 2021
March 15, 2021 16:07 - 50 minutes - 46.6 MBTexans 50 or over, get in line. New rules take effect opening up vaccine eligibility, the trouble? Finding enough doses. Coming up disputes between the feds and state officials over whether Texas is getting enough vaccine doses in its fight against COVID-19. Also, efforts by the republican legislature in Texas to curb the powers of […]
The Long Haul: Texas And The Pandemic
March 12, 2021 17:00 - 50 minutes - 46.2 MBDo you remember that day in March when suddenly everything changed?. Since the start of what’s been called the quarantine era, tens of thousands of texans have been sickened by COVID-19, many more have lost their jobs and homes, and their friends and loved ones too. We’ll look at where the needs are in Texas’ […]
Texas Standard: March 11, 2021
March 11, 2021 17:19 - 51 minutes - 46.8 MBTexas Governor Greg Abbott was once Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott. What would the AG think of the Governor?? We’ll explore. Also, the stimulus package and how big Texans and little Texans could benefit from it. Plus ERCOT and the gray area in which it operates. It’s a non-profit but it looks like, works like […]
Texas Standard: March 10, 2021
March 10, 2021 17:45 - 50 minutes - 46.3 MBTexas is open 100 percent. The mask mandate that ends today was announced last week by Texas Governor Gregg Abbott. We’ll also talk about vaccinating people who are crossing the border illegally. And people who are caring for loved ones might experience burn out. “Already Toast” – a new book that explores caregiving challenges. Those […]
Texas Standard: March 9, 2021
March 09, 2021 17:28 - 50 minutes - 46 MBThe Speaker of the Texas House intends to fix everything that went wrong during last month’s winter storm. Dade Phelan has a list of priority bills and will tell us how the state could pay for these reforms. And in the aftermath of the storm, experts are carefully counting those who perished, it’s not as […]
Texas Standard: March 8, 2021
March 08, 2021 18:36 - 50 minutes - 46.2 MBLet’s set the table: we got a lot of food on the show today. From restaurants to citrus to food for thought. In the food for thought category we start with some little known side-effects of the COVID-19 vaccine. We also imagine what if would be like to be homeless from the book “You Are […]
Texas Standard: March 5, 2021
March 05, 2021 17:21 - 50 minutes - 46.4 MBWe pretend to be a fly on the wall at the hearings where the failings of the state’s electric grid are being argued, we’ll have details. Also, did you know there’s money available for renters who are struggling? We tell you how to apply and hopefully how to get it. Plus, the good the bad […]
Texas Standard: March 4, 2021
March 04, 2021 17:28 - 50 minutes - 46.2 MBThe president calls it Neanderthal Thinking. But in places like Lubbock, Governor Abbott’s rollback of restrictions getting more mixed reviews. We’ll have more on the Governor’s lifting of COVID-19 restrictions effective next Wednesday. But what changes at school? Texas educators and parents asking questions. Also a shot in the arm for Texas teachers, we’ll hear […]
Texas Standard: March 3, 2021
March 03, 2021 17:10 - 50 minutes - 46.2 MBA lifting of mask mandates and a 100% reopening of business effective a week from today. But many warn this is too much, too soon. Coming up details of the governor’s rollback of regulations on masks and occupancy levels in businesses. Plus reaction from the mayor of San Antonio and from listeners reaching out to […]
Texas Standard: March 2, 2021
March 02, 2021 18:31 - 50 minutes - 46.4 MBPresident Biden faces an early policy test for his administration, and at the heart of it is what’s happening right now at the border. The homeland security director calls for patience as the Biden administration tries to undo the Trump administration’s legacy on immigration. We’ll hear how Mr. Biden is trying to move forward on […]
Texas Standard: March 1, 2021
March 01, 2021 17:27 - 50 minutes - 46.5 MBAs March rolls in, the effects of the February winter storm continue to ripple across rural Texas. We’ll have a conversation with local officials. Also, a new month, the rent is due, and the home is still a wreck broken pipes, to water damage and worse. Any of this sound familiar? What are your rights? […]
Texas Standard: February 26, 2021
February 26, 2021 17:30 - 51 minutes - 70.1 MBThe deregulated electric market was set up to save money for Texas consumers. So why did Texans end up paying $28 billion more? That story coming up on the Texas Standard. A Wall Street Journal analysis shows the Texas electrical grid not only failed during the storm, but failed consumers for decades by leading to […]
Texas Standard: February 25, 2021
February 25, 2021 17:11 - 50 minutes - 46.4 MBAfter days of finger pointing and demands for accountability, hearings get underway at the Texas Capitol to get the the bottom of last weeks outages. We’ll have the latest. Also, details from the governor’s statewide address last night on what comes next as Texans demand answers in the wake of last week, and solutions to […]
Texas Standard: February 24, 2021
February 24, 2021 17:27 - 50 minutes - 46.2 MBAs Governor Abbott prepares for a statewide televised address on the blackouts, many wonder why they haven’t heard more from him before now. Rapid fallout from the blackout of 2021 already happening, as 5 ERCOT board members say they’ll tender their resignations. We’ll have the latest. Also more on the implications of last weeks blackout […]
Texas Standard: February 23, 2021
February 23, 2021 17:59 - 50 minutes - 46.3 MBAfter a death from hypothermia, a Conroe family among the many filing suit against Texas electric grid manager. But can ERCOT be sued? Under the doctrine of sovereign immunity, a governmental entity cannot be sued without its consent. But ERCOT, a private non-profit corporation, claims it is protected too. What’s behind the claims and counterclaims […]
Texas Standard: February 22, 2021
February 22, 2021 17:58 - 50 minutes - 46.1 MBStop right there: an order from the public utility commission to put the brakes on outrageous power bills after the winter storm. As lawmakers step in to get answers to ongoing questions about who and what’s to blame for the meltdown in utilities statewide, another long term ripple effect looms: the impact to Texas’s reputation. […]
Texas Standard: February 19, 2021
February 19, 2021 17:00 - 51 minutes - 70.1 MBGetting power back? Priceless. Losing power and heat and water and basic services? What price the winter storm of 2021? Coming up, the high price of being unprepared. Economist Ray Perryman on the difficulty calculating the impact of this week’s storm. Also, who should shoulder the costs of weatherizing power plants? According to the governor, […]
Texas Standard: February 18, 2021
February 18, 2021 17:00 - 50 minutes - 69.7 MBWhat did ERCOT know and when did they know it? As millions of Texans still struggle with power outages pressure builds for clear answers. Members of Congress among others demanding straightforward explanations for the collapse of the power grid and uneven distribution of so-called rolling blackouts that left many in the dark and cold for […]
Texas Standard: February 17, 2021
February 17, 2021 17:00 - 51 minutes - 70.5 MBIt was set up to be an electrical island independent from a national power network. Cold comfort for millions of Texans right now. With a winter storm leading to rolling blackouts leaving more than 4 million Texans in the cold, the nonprofit deigned to manage the state’s power grid finds itself getting sudden national notoriety, […]
Texas Standard: February 16, 2021
February 16, 2021 17:00 - 50 minutes - 46.2 MBEmergency efforts at restoring power continue across Texas as millions try to make do without electricity during an historic winter storm. The whole state of Texas affected by power outages, but not equally. Questions mount over the state’s electricity grid management, as much of Texas hunkers down for a second round of frozen precipitation and […]
Texas Standard: February 15, 2021
February 15, 2021 17:00 - 50 minutes - 69.9 MBAs the temperatures fall, along with precipitation, millions of Texans stranded or worse by winter weather. Coming up, conversations with reporters from across Texas on how Texans are weathering conditions that have brought large parts of the state to a standstill. Also, missing out on the vaccine but getting something else instead: scammed. A report […]
Texas Standard: February 12, 2021
February 12, 2021 17:20 - 50 minutes - 46.2 MBIt’s freezing out there. We’ll get a look at weather conditions across the state and what’s to come. We’ll also check in on how the state is weathering extended economic challenges posed by COVID-19. We’ll hear from the state’s top budget official. And the energy industry plays a part in that economic outlook. New proposals […]
Texas Standard: February 11, 2021
February 11, 2021 17:10 - 50 minutes - 46.3 MBThe second impeachment trial of Donald Trump is underway. So what have we learned and will any of it affect the chances of a conviction? We’ll explore. Also, the COVID-19 vaccine could put an end to this pandemic in the way we’ve been living it so far, but only if people get the vaccine. We’ll […]
Texas Standard: February 10, 2021
February 10, 2021 17:19 - 50 minutes - 46.6 MBThe wait for a vaccine and the frustration of many over even getting on a list. We put some questions to a doctor on the state’s Expert Vaccine Allocation Panel today on the Texas Standard. So how is Texas allocating vaccines and why did the state open up phase 1B wider than the CDC recommendations? […]
Texas Standard: February 9, 2021
February 09, 2021 17:14 - 50 minutes - 46.2 MBAn historic trial in the senate as the second impeachment of Donald Trump gets underway. We’ll look at the mechanics of the process and Texas’ role. Also, he was a newspaper columnist who became well known in North Texas politics and eventually- a U.S. congressman. More on the passing of Ron Wright and what comes […]
Texas Standard: February 8, 2021
February 08, 2021 17:15 - 50 minutes - 46.4 MBAs the White House prepares for new directives in border enforcement, Texas democratic lawmakers push for immigrant rights changes.Coming up, our conversation with Texas representative Mary Gonzales on how democrats in the Texas legislature plan to press colleagues over immigration rights. Also in a part of Texas that’s long complained of air pollution and a […]
Texas Standard: February 5, 2021
February 05, 2021 17:11 - 50 minutes - 46.3 MBA new University of Houston Survey reveals a canyon in Texas separating the two parties over election fraud. In addition to those findings: fully a third of all Texans say they would not accept a COVID-19 vaccination. Kirk Watson of the Hobby School joins us to talk about the findings. Also, Elon Musk fighting gravitational […]
Texas Standard: February 4, 2021
February 04, 2021 18:01 - 50 minutes - 46.1 MBBeto for senate, Beto for President…now Beto for governor? What may be shaping into a high profile challenge to governor Greg Abbott. Evan smith, CEO of the Texas Tribune on the possibility of an Abbott vs Beto battle for the top office in Texas. Also not all vaccine rollouts in Texas are created equal. Just […]
Texas Standard: February 3, 2021
February 03, 2021 17:53 - 50 minutes - 46.3 MBNew executive orders on asylum seekers and family separation policies at the border get a lukewarm reception from advocates for change. President Biden orders an official review of the remain in Mexico policies. Some are asking why not just change the policy? Also COVID-19 and the double squeeze on nonprofits. More demand for their services, […]