Texas Standard

How hot is it in Texas prisons? After many questions about deadly heat, a new discovery: the facts as presented may have been fake. Investigative reporter Lauren McGaughy of The Texas Newsroom with the discovery of falsified records in an ongoing scandal about heat-related deaths behind bars. A Houston inmate jailed for 18 years who […] The post How a Houston man spent 18 years in jail without a trial appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

President Trump signs an order effectively dismantling the education department. What does it add up to for education in Texas? The Las Vegas Sands Corp. folds, for now, on its push for a resort casino in Irving. We’ll hear why and what it says about the industry’s attempts to cash in on Texas. Also, the […] The post Rediscovering Texas farm worker history through photos appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

A U.S. Navy destroyer armed with tomahawk missiles enroute to the gulf waters off the coast of Texas. What’s this all about? Investigative reporter Lauren McGaughy of The Texas Newsroom with word that the Texas government appears to be maintaining a list of people asking for information about changing the sex on their driver’s licenses. […] The post Navy destroyer headed to the southern border region appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Did the Trump administration defy a court order by sending planeloads of alleged gang members to El Salvador?As wildfire anxiety grows, Austin plans to designate half the city as at risk of fire damage.A bill headed to the Texas House would establish a specialized task force to combat petroleum theft, aiming to curb millions of […] The post Lawmakers renew push for legalized sports gambling appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

A Houston-area midwife and two others have been arrested for allegedly performing illegal abortions, marking the first instance of criminal charges under Texas’ restrictive abortion law.In West Odessa, the demand for water has outpaced the infrastructure. Now, a grassroots effort is underway to secure a more reliable water supply.Dallas is working to make it easier […] The post West Odessa residents take water crisis into their own hands appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Weekend winds toppled trucks and fueled wildfires, one of the worst of which is still burning north of Fredricksburg. We’ll get the latest on the Crabapple Fire, which has burned almost 10,000 acres.A hunters’s day out in West Texas leads to an unexpected archaeological trophy: the discovery of a mammoth tusk in a dry creek […] The post West Texas hunter stumbles upon rare mammoth tusk fossil appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Emergency officials warn of extreme wildfire dangers across much of the Lone Star State as residents of the Panhandle mark one year since the largest wildfire in state history. The Texas Newsroom’s Rachel Osier Lindley reports on the long road back to normal.From basketball to soccer and more, women’s sports is having a major moment. […] The post Fans are overjoyed for Texas’ first women’s sports bar appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

The Legislature is considering bills that would lift restrictions on how Texas’ maternal mortality committee can investigate maternal deaths, including by reviewing abortion-related deaths.Looking for a Tesla? Or trying to sell one? How politics appears to be reshaping the market for the Texas-based company long considered the leader in the electric vehicle space.Also: Seismic activity […] The post What are current struggles signaling for Texas-based Tesla? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

The fight against the measles outbreak in West Texas is being hampered in part by poor infrastructure.Two days before a death row inmate was set for execution, it’s been delayed for the second time. The back-and-forth over evidence – and how victims families are feeling.Another day of high wildfire danger across Texas. How one county […] The post Galveston becomes a major hub for the luxury cruise industry appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

The Texas comptroller’s race is underway in what’s expected to be a very crowded field. Who’s running and what’s at stake?President Trump delayed tariffs on products from Mexico for a month. As a new deadline looms, we look at how Texas companies are coping.Also, is testimony from inmates against other inmates reliable? We’ll examine a […] The post How border businesses are reacting to Trump tariffs appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Protests planned and hearing scheduled at the Capitol this week. The issue? Taxpayer money for private schooling. Blaise Gainey of the Texas Newsroom with the latest on what to expect this week at the Legislature.Millions in federal funds to help legal immigrants is now being held up in D.C. How is this affecting services in […] The post ‘Uvalde Mom’ profiles woman behind viral act of bravery 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 appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

The passing of a giant: Remembering Sylvester Turner, a longtime legislator, mayor of Houston and member of Congress.The Neiman Marcus flagship store, a symbol for Dallas for more than a century, is set to close for good, despite local efforts.The history of vaqueros and a legacy that continues in many a Texas kitchen and beyond. […] The post Remembering Sylvester Turner’s life and legacy in Houston appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Wildfires are burning in different parts of the state. The latest on containment efforts and on the continued risk.President Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress received an intensely divided reception. What he said that could impact Texas.In our ongoing exploration of how Texas came to get the energy system it has today, we […] The post Fire danger and the weather ahead appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Texas is in the crosshairs as tariffs against Mexico and Canada take hold. Why, what it means, and could short-term pain add up to long-term gain? At the state capitol, a bill aimed at raising wages for workers who care for people with disabilities. Why some fear it won’t be enough to stem a critical […] The post Why Texas is so vulnerable to tariff impacts appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

With a hot, dry summer looming, how some state lawmakers want to reduce the risk of wildfires.It’s been decades since active-duty troops patrolled Big Bend. Now they may be headed back to the national park.Nearly two years after one of the deadliest human smuggling incidents in Texas, a look at how victims’ families and survivors […] The post Troops may return to Big Bend National Park appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

One year later, how are people in the Panhandle managing recovery after the biggest wildfire in Texas history?The impact of DOGE cuts hits national parks in Texas, including a historical park in San Antonio. Jack Morgan of Texas Public Radio has more.Capital Metro, Austin’s transit agency, saw its payment system collapse for about a month […] The post A year after the Smokehouse Creek Fire appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Amid reports of mass layoffs at the IRS, what does the math look like for tax season?More than a million Texas kids have been kicked off Medicaid rolls since 2023. What’s happening? We’ll talk with a reporter at Public Health Watch.Texas school districts are racing to meet a deadline to move students getting special instruction […] The post What potential mass layoffs at the IRS could mean for your tax filing appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

One person has now died in the Texas measles outbreak that’s up to more than 120 official cases.Hit the road in many parts of Texas these days and you’re likely to see some Teslas. So how are those drivers feeling about the very public and controversial latest moves by CEO Elon Musk?Teacher pay increases may […] The post What’s affecting El Paso’s air quality? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

An appeals court upholds a decision to remove the judge who pushed the state to improve conditions for foster children. What happens now?A controversial lottery win leads Texas to ban third-party apps selling tickets.A federal court has blocked the SAVE plan, a Biden-era initiative aimed at lowering – and in some cases, erasing – student […] The post Controversies and resignations at the Texas Lottery Commission appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.