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 in the works for years, but now the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is backing away.
The 1991 Yogurt Shop murders in Austin remain officially unsolved. Our conversation with Margaret Brown, the director of a new HBO docuseries revisiting the tragedy.
Plus: It’s been a month now since deadly flooding ravaged the Texas Hill Country. We’ll check in on the recovery.
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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 services hub attracting top talent and creating new jobs.
And: Remembering a Texas treasure – conjunto legend Flaco Jiménez.

Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.

You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org

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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 demand. Some are cautiously optimistic as new federal funding becomes available. The Standard’s Felicity Guajardo reports.

And: One in four U.S. sports bettors say they’ve missed bills because of gambling losses, according to a new survey highlighting the risks of easy, app-based betting and its lack of oversight.

Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.

You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org

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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 part of a change sweeping Texas and other parts of the country.

Red-crowned Amazons squawk through summer nights in Brownsville – and they’ve been the city’s official bird since 1992.

Plus: An update on a major scramble to defend Texas from a devastating invader, the New World Screwworm.

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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 pandemic, Texas food banks are facing shortages and surging need. The CEO of Feeding Texas joins us to talk about what’s driving the crisis.

Funds for adult education were first put on hold, then released – but there’s a big asterisk. The Standard’s Sarah Asch on a policy change that could affect adult ed.

Plus: Texas Monthly barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn dishes on his latest list of the top BBQ 50 spots in the state.

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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 Texas schools are turning to drones to increase security.

The changing role of social media influencers was on display in the aftermath of the July 4 floods.

And: Are Texas lawmakers quietly taking cues on governing from California?

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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 for a school district near Abilene – and now is locked up in an ICE detention center.

A high school student’s plan to help schools coping with a shortage of mental health counselors.

And: A Houston husband-and-wife team of archaeologists have discovered the tomb of the ruler of the ancient Mayan city of Caracol, now in present-day Belize.

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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 of USDA diversity programs is impacting East Texas, which is home to more Black farmers than anywhere else in the U.S.

Plus: A big deadline for tariffs with Mexico on the table. If a deal can’t be reached by Aug. 1, what could that mean for Texas?

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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 Austin YMCA, adults are conquering their fear of water and gaining life-saving skills through swim lessons designed just for them. Texas Standard producer Sarah Asch has the story.

Plus: Two years after the death of his teenage son, a father’s musical journey to find healing: Our conversation with Dripping Springs-based musician Ben Kweller.

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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 with Disabilities Act marks 35 years, advocates say we need to go beyond “accessibility” to build truly inclusive spaces – especially in disaster planning.
Will you soon be watching AI content on Netflix? Why it may not be a question of whether – but when?

You can support our work by becoming a sustaining member at supportthispodcast.org.

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