Texas Standard

The Legislature’s second overtime comes to a close with new political maps and a slew of Republican wins. But how do Texas voters come down on the big issues of the day? A new survey offers some answers.After years of planning and tens of millions spent already, Corpus Christi’s city council cancels a high-profile project […] The post Corpus Christi cancels controversial desalination project appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

No more QR or barcodes: Why Collin, Williamson and Bastrop counties are changing the way voters will cast ballots.Housing affordability is a big issue in Texas, and three new state laws aim to address it. Will they work?Many are concerned new Texas congressional maps dilute the voting power of Texans of color. But others welcome […] The post Some Texas counties switch to paper ballots ahead of midterms appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

The Texas Lottery gets a second chance under new management. So what will change?A new state law now in effect targets AI-generated child pornography. But could it also ban some anime?Americans have been on the move since the founding of our country. But now, more people staying put rather than relocating for new jobs and […] The post Could a new Texas law make some types of anime illegal? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

The fight over redistricting has shifted from the Capitol to the courthouse, but plenty of serious work is still on the table when legislators return to their offices Tuesday. The Texas Newsroom’s Blaise Gainey joins with a look at what’s left on the agenda.A new law in effect today creates a statewide alert system for […] The post New state law will give farmers a heads-up on pests and diseases appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Three new measures are set to take effect aiming to “Make Texas Healthy Again.” Political sloganeering or genuine change? A closer look at the laws that prompted Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s visit to Texas.As we approach Sept. 1, more than 800 new laws are set to take effect. We continue our close-up of some of […] The post Educators face new risks under inappropriate material law appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Texas’ newly drawn congressional maps are aimed at helping Republicans in 2026, but they’re shaking up the political landscape already. We’ll hear just how today on the Texas Standard.Rice University’s Mark Jones on the musical chairs among Texas’ congressional Democrats, and whether these maps are likely to survive scrutiny as legal challenges proliferate.Over 800 new […] The post Elon Musk looks to build tunnels under Houston appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

President Trump is using the threat of legal action to push his policies forward in Texas and beyond.We continue our series about new state laws taking effect with a look at one that prevents people from certain countries from buying land in Texas.20 years after Hurricane Katrina, how the New Orleans residents who found a […] The post Austin Butler, Darren Aronofsky talk Texas, filmmaking & ‘Caught Stealing’ appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

President Trump signs an executive order ending cashless bail. We’ll dive into what that means for cities like Houston.We’re also tracking new state laws set to take effect Sept. 1, including one that aims to attract more film and television productions. Another increases the penalty for assaulting a utility worker.Plus, could the San Antonio Spurs […] The post College football arrives in the Rio Grande Valley appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

A much-talked-about redistricting battle starts to take a back seat to other legislative priorities at the Texas capitol.As the battlefront over redistricting shifts to a multistate fight with Texas and California setting the pace, top California Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger has a message for his fellow Republicans in Texas. The Houston Chronicle’s Lisa Falkenberg tells us […] The post California weighs in on Texas redistricting fight appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Asleep at the Wheel are celebrating 50 years in the business with their latest album out this week, “Riding High in Texas.” Longtime frontman Ray Benson joined Texas Standard to talk about the band’s legacy and the music of the Lone Star State in this extended version of a conversation that first aired in June. […] The post Texas Extra: Asleep at the Wheel celebrates five decades with new album appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

At the Texas Capitol, a big shift in focus as the spotlight swings from bare-knuckle politics to long-delayed flood relief.Food is labeling set to change in Texas as a sweeping new law takes effect aimed at, among other things, alerting shoppers to ingredients long the focus of concern in other countries.Austin-based filmmaker Noah Hawley likes […] The post Noah Hawley talks ‘Alien: Earth’ appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

President Trump claims a big win in Texas as the state House passes new congressional maps giving the GOP an edge in 2026. Blaise Gainey of The Texas Newsroom and Andrew Schneider of Houston Public Media share what it means for the political landscape going forward.Are Americans falling out of love with their credit cards? […] The post The Texas House passes new district map designed to give Republicans an edge in Congress appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

A poll on Texas’ 2026 Senate race finds a tightening GOP battle between Ken Paxton and John Cornyn, and a Democratic preference for Beto O’Rourke – who isn’t yet in the race.This morning, a federal judge temporarily blocked 11 Texas school districts from displaying the Ten Commandments in classrooms. We’ll bring you the latest.Texans are […] The post 11 Texas school districts temporarily blocked from displaying Ten Commandments appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

The state says the West Texas measles outbreak is over. What that means for parents and children.Are natural gas wells, pipelines and storage facilities prepared for another dangerous winter storm? Mose Buchele of KUT News examines the inspection process.We know AI data centers need a lot of power, but they also use a lot of […] The post Could Texarkana be a political bellwether? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

After national headlines and a pledge from California to offset Texas’ redistricting plans, the walkout by Texas House Democrats is over. Blaise Gainey of The Texas Newsroom has the latest on the Dems’ return to Austin and what comes next.Old satellites, tools, even food wrappers: Space debris is piling up. Now, a Texas company’s recycling […] The post A Texas firm tackles space junk appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Blaise Gainey of The Texas Newsroom joins the show with a live update from the Capitol as the Legislature’s first special session ends amid a Democratic walkout.After flooding and a historically wet July, new concerns about water levels dropping.As students return to the classroom, more and more schools are being shuttered. The Standard’s Zachary Suri […] The post Tesla’s robotaxi plans shift into gear appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Redistricting seems like the entire political conversation in Texas right now, so it’s probably no surprise it’s influencing the U.S. Senate race.Texas received millions in federal funding for adult education programs, but it was uncertain and came several weeks late.What are the impacts of programs that give money, with no strings attached, to people and […] The post Why police are ditching a popular gun appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Gov. Greg Abbott threatens a concurrent second special session with a Democratic walkout still underway. Is there any end in sight?Details from a new release of materials withheld by Uvalde County and the Uvalde school district in the wake of the 2022 Robb Elementary school shooting.What’s behind a massive growth in virtual schooling in Texas?W.F. […] The post Virtual public school enrollment surges appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Undocumented college students in Texas are no longer eligible for in-state tuition. As the new semester starts, many are in limbo.As we keep an eye on the special session where Texas Democrats broke quorum, a look at another state – Oregon – where Republican lawmakers staged a walkout.A new state law that bans cell phones, […] The post No phones, devices in classrooms as Texas students return to school appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Just one more full week is left in the Texas Legislature’s special session, and with House Democrats away, what happens next?Some of those Democrats have decamped to California, which is now mulling a possible redistricting effort to offset potential Republican gains in the midterms.The IRS says churches can now endorse candidates, a move that could […] The post Dinosaur tracks uncovered near Austin after floods appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Texas’ redistricting fight is has spread past state lines. New federal legislation aims to ban mid-decade congressional redistricting, and the brawl looks likely to impact upcoming elections and the 2028 presidential race.San Antonio is planning a massive sports and entertainment district, including a new arena for the Spurs, a convention center expansion and more – […] The post Charley Crockett talks new album and recent success appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

While the Texas House remains stalled due to a quorum break, the Senate continues its work, advancing a key education bill that could eliminate STAAR testing statewide.Texas is seeing a boom in data centers driven by AI and crypto – but the growth comes with major energy and water demands.Thanks to a $1 billion voter-approved […] The post State parks are getting bigger and better appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Texas Democrats are facing legal threats and potential action from the FBI for fleeing the state during the special session.Concerns about artificial intelligence are coming to a head with the most recent round of college graduates. How it’s disrupting the job market.A proposed expansion for the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge in the Panhandle had been […] The post Muleshoe Refuge expansion plan scrapped appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

The high-stakes battle over redistricting continues. Why Democratic Rep. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins took the risk and left the state.Gov. Greg Abbott has threatened to remove Democratic lawmakers from their seats for leaving during a special session, but can he legally do that?The history of partisan gerrymandering in the Lone Star State.Why Texas has become a professional […] The post A century of redistricting fights in Texas appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

More than 50 Democratic lawmakers have left the state so the Texas House would not have a quorum, trying to derail a redistricting plan that could add five more congressional seats for Republicans in the midterms. Harvest season is arriving in South Texas, but many cotton farmers are still reeling from drought, inflation, and weakened […] The post Texas Democrats flee state, break quorum over redistricting appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Why weren’t Hill Country communities alerted as a deadly wall of water roared down the Guadalupe on the weekend of July 4th? In their first public testimony on the floods, top emergency officials in Kerr County said they were away or asleep. Voting the old-fashioned way? A return to hand-marked ballots in Collin County is […] The post Kerr County emergency officials were sleeping when flood hit July 4 appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

What we’re now learning about what happened – and what didn’t – before the Hill Country floods. Investigative reporter Lauren McGaughy has the details. Plus: Flood survivors are asking lawmakers meeting in special session right now to tap the state’s $24 billion rainy day fund to help them meet their immediate needs. Even without a […] The post Food banks struggle to meet rising demand appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Are Democratic lawmakers on the verge of a walkout to stop Republicans from redistricting during the special session? We’ll have the latest. We’re also tracking possible federal funding cuts to legal aid organizations that could leave thousands of Texans who can’t afford a lawyer without the help they need. Going beyond armed security guards, some […] The post Why ‘Don’t California My Texas’ isn’t the whole story appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

The Trump administration releases billions of dollars in education grants it previously withheld. What it means as students head back to school. How the U.S. military is responding to a new kind of warfare that uses small, inexpensive drones. The story of a Cuban man who raised a family in Texas and spent years working […] The post Houston archaeologists uncover tomb of ancient Maya ruler appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

A peek into the week ahead for the Texas Legislature’s special session: We’ll hear the latest on a much-talked-about possible walkout by Democrats. A plan to relieve congestion in Austin was approved by voters years ago – but so far, there’s not much to show for it. Is Project Connect off the rails? The rollback […] The post Black farmers in East Texas feel the sting of DEI cuts appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

As Texas lawmakers move to consider regulations on THC products, what’s legal, and what’s not? KUT News reporter Nathan Bernier joins us to break it down. As many see the future of energy as cleaner renewables, why many in the city of Port Arthur are pinning their hopes for a comeback – on oil. At […] The post Ben Kweller on grief, music and ‘Cover the Mirrors’ appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Texas lawmakers hear 12 hours of testimony as they take up what happened before during and after the devastating Hill Country floods.Repeated plans to improve flood warning systems were repeatedly scuttled in the years leading up to the July 4th weekend. Neena Satija of the Houston Chronicle with what she’s learning about why.As the Americans […] The post The ADA turns 35: What true inclusion looks like appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

The Epstein controversy has federal lawmakers taking an early recess, putting off important business.Summer heat means some Texans have to choose between paying for air conditioning or basic necessities.Is a violent protest at an ICE facility in North Texas the new normal as the country copes with a rise in extremism?What’s happening in Harris County […] The post Families are cutting back on food and medicine to pay the power bill appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Over the weekend, the number of missing in the Texas Hill Country dropped drastically. What happened?Checking in with those whose livelihood is at stake after the flood, including farmers and ranchers in the region.Why so many Texans don’t have flood insurance.The governor ordered an end to remote work for state employees, but now he’s backtracking. […] The post Ag commissioner outlines rural flood aid appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Lawmakers recently ended a regular session of the Texas Legislature, but on this Monday, they’re back. They call it a special session: 30 days to complete a long list of action items including a response to the Hill Country flooding, the regulation of THC consumables, and a rare mid-decade push for redistricting that has some […] The post Texas lawmakers begin special session focused on floods, maps appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

As lawmakers return to Austin for a special session, who got the most accomplished in the regular? Why the numbers don’t tell the whole story.With state legislators set to take up flood relief and related matters, we’ll hear how the region’s fairing two weeks after those deadly flash floods, and we’ll hear about efforts concentrated […] The post The rise of Maren Morris appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

As lawmakers get ready to return to the Capitol in a special session, a new report shows billions more are needed to address flooding.Who are the most productive lawmakers in the Legislature? The Texas Newsroom’s Blaise Gainey takes a closer look.Remember when there were growing concerns about a population explosion? In a new book, UT […] The post Who really got things done at the Legislature? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Online rumors are blaming cloud seeding for the deadly Texas floods, even though the science doesn’t support it.Along with flood recovery and THC regulation, Texas lawmakers are tasked with redrawing congressional districts in their special session. The connection to racial gerrymandering.Volunteers and rescue workers have descended on the Hill Country to help with flood recovery […] The post Conspiracy theorists said ‘cloud seeding’ caused the Texas floods. It did not. appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

With the Hill Country devastated by deadly floods, many are asking: What’s a 100-year or 1,000-year flood, and are these terms outdated?A closer look at how first responders from Mexico are helping in Kerr County.A new report from the University of Texas at El Paso warns of growing job losses in Juárez’s maquiladora industry.The health […] The post Climatologist explains what ‘1,000-year flood’ actually means appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

More rain pummels the waterlogged Hill Country, putting a pause on search efforts and bringing a new wave of weather warnings to the region. We’ll talk with James Hartley of KERA, who’s been in Kerrville this weekend.Stuffed animals are strewn across flood-ravaged Texas. People are trying to get them to their owners.The Trump administration is […] The post Trucking industry faces new border bottleneck appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

A week after the Hill Country floods, the president and first lady will visit Kerr County as the search for the missing continues and storms are in the forecast for the weekend.Talking to kids about tragedy: A Dallas-based pediatric psychologist on how to deal with their questions and their anxieties.Gov. Greg Abbott has added flood […] The post In wake of Hill Country floods, how to talk to kids about tragedy appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

The Texas Newsroom finds that responders to the Hill Country floods called for a public alert early Friday, a warning some say came hours too late.The upcoming special session of the Legislature, which originally looked like it would focus on regulating THC, now includes several emergency preparedness topics.And: Gillian Rodriguez with the Texas Counseling Association […] The post Processing the range of emotions surrounding Hill Country flood tragedy appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

A bill in the Texas Legislature this past session would have created a grant program for emergency communication. It didn’t pass. In the days since the deadly flooding, engineers have already modeled what happened on the Guadalupe River. What they say about how we should rebuild. A harrowing story of survival: Our conversation with a […] The post A Guadalupe River regular shares her family’s survival story appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

In Kerr County, local officials say they have all the resources, equipment, food and personnel they need, but with constantly changing numbers of people still missing, search and rescue teams continue to slog thru the debris of what is almost certain to go down as one of the deadliest natural disasters in state history. The […] The post Officials in Kerrville begin to assess damage as floodwaters recede appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Rescue and recovery efforts continue following devastating Guadalupe River flooding that has killed at least 75 people. More than two dozen campers and counselors died at Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian summer camp, and 10 campers remain missing. Flash flood warnings are in effect for many parts of Texas, and officials fear that the waterlogged […] The post The latest on catastrophic flooding in the Hill Country appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Mason LaDue raises cattle on family land in Central Texas. But before he was a rancher, he was mostly on the road, managing tours for artists like Curren$y and Wiz Khalifa.His journey from the Dallas hip-hop circuit to the homestead is the focus of today’s special program, Rap to the Ranch: The Ballad of Mason […] The post Rap to the Ranch: The Ballad of Mason ‘Bric’ LaDue – A Texas Standard Special Rebroadcast appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Federal education funding is put on hold, leaving administrators scrambling to evaluate what programs may be affected and what comes next – not just for young students, but Texans in adult education programs as well.What could rural schools teach the rest of us about how to better get along? New research by the George W. […] The post Adult education programs feel the squeeze as federal funds remain on hold appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Elon Musk may be on the outs in D.C., but closer to home, his political influence appears to be on the rise: The state’s richest billionaire scored some quiet but rather significant victories in the last legislative session.Legislative support for wind and solar may be on the wane, but Texas lawmakers appear to be warming […] The post Elon Musk’s lobbying machine finds wins in Texas appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

As we continue our yearlong 10th birthday celebration, today we’re broadcasting before a live studio audience at a place that’s been called the “Athens of Texas” – Waco, itself celebrating 25 years of public radio from our partners at KWBU.We’ll be sampling some of the sights, sounds and tastes of this historic Central Texas city.After […] The post A live broadcast from Waco appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

The U.S. Supreme Court recently upheld the Texas law that requires age verification for porn sites. We’ll take a close look at the law.As the U.S. and China negotiate a new trade agreement, farmers cope with the uncertainty.Plus, how some of the best and brightest in Texas collaborated to build the Giant Magellan Telescope.Also, fresh […] The post Texans help build Giant Magellan Telescope appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.