After protests over the Israel-Hamas war at Columbia, NYU and elsewhere, students at the University of Texas follow suit and were met by police in riot gear who arrested dozens. UT history and politics professor Jeremi Suri talks about what happened on campus yesterday and the lessons from an earlier wave of student protests nationwide. A new repor…

Longtime listeners may know — Texas Standard is fast approaching a milestone birthday. We’re turning 10 next March. With us almost from the beginning have been signature segments including the Typewriter Rodeo and Stories From Texas — these bi-weekly commentaries from WF Strong. He says he has a goal beyond entertainment. The post Counting Cattle W…

A pilot program for guaranteed income in Harris County is put on hold by the Texas Supreme Court. Could residents of Corpus Christi become the first in the state to drink treated seawater from the tap? Some say a desalination plan’s needed to meet growing water demand, but many locals say the downsides are too serious to swallow. The northern Panha…

A court says the foster care system in Texas is failing many vulnerable children. Why that’s especially true for trans kids. A practically forgotten burial ground for Indigenous people in West Texas now has a proper memorial. How a shortage of shipyard workers is contributing to delays for the Navy. We’ll talk to author Jonny Garza Villa, whose new…

Texas is changing, and so is the world. If we squint to try to look at the future job landscape, what do we see? There are more than 15 million working Texans right now, but while the state boasts steady growth and “record high levels” for jobs and the labor force, there are always unknowns on the horizon. Among them: tech advancements and the impa…

Get ready to cast your ballots. Local elections are scheduled in Texas for May 4, with early voting beginning on Monday. Katya Ehresman, voting rights coordinator at Common Cause Texas, gives us the lowdown. What a trial run of a four-day workweek in the UK tells us about how well such a shift might work. Don Louis, a Texan who once hoped to score …

Landowners in southeast Texas say they should be able to sue the state over their flooded property, and the U.S. Supreme Court agrees. People in Winnie, Texas, say their land only started to flood after the state rebuilt part of nearby Interstate 10. Now, they can seek compensation for the damages. Live music seems more expensive, but are musicians…

A federal judge says Texas’ foster care system is still broken – and has fined the state $100,00 per day. The new book “City Limits” examines the effort to rethink urban highways in Texas and traces a history of racism and inequality in three of the state’s’ largest cities. We’ll hear from author and journalist Megan Kimble. Over the past two decad…

Are protest organizers responsible if a participant breaks the law? A court decision could have a chilling effect. A new report on maternal health shows Black Texans are much more likely to die after giving birth than their white counterparts. What layoffs at Tesla mean for jobs in Texas and the EV car market. The Houston Dash celebrates a decade o…

Rising temperatures in the forecast this week. Will blackouts come with them? ERCOT, the state’s electric grid operator, says the power might go out this week. Did a doctor in Houston keep patients from receiving organ transplants? His own hospital is investigating. And becoming a psychologist is expensive, but Texas is trying to make it cheaper. C…

Corpus Christi at the intersection of a clash between dueling demands – one for water, another for energy alternatives. Dallas City Council votes to expand historical preservation efforts, with a specific outreach to communities of color. If you’re looking for an apartment in Texas, do you know what you’ll really be paying each month? A warning to …

After an extraordinary embassy raid, Mexico breaks ties with Ecuador as the U.S. joins other nations in condemnation. How Central Texas has become a big player in the push for U.S.-built semiconductors. A Texas runner heads to Boston for what will be his last marathon after being diagnosed with ALS two years ago. We’ll hear from Austinite Bill Corr…

Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued to block a guaranteed income program in Harris County, calling it “plainly unconstitutional.” U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz insists his podcast is a volunteer gig and not about the money. But a new complaint filed with the Federal Election Commission says the arrangement violates campaign finance laws. Houston’s mayor clai…

As Texas eclipse watchers bask in the afterglow, we’re checking in on one event that was forced to end festivities early due to inclement weather. A quarterly report offers a look at the health of Texas’ oil and gas industry. Energy analyst Matt Smith breaks it down. The new book “The King of Diamonds” by Rena Pederson follows the trail of an elusi…

Eclipse day has finally arrived, and Texas Standard has a special broadcast from the path of totality. We’re live at the Kerrclipse Festival, on the grounds of the famous Kerrville Folk Festival, to talk forecast, what NASA and other researchers hope to learn today, the eclipse “observer effect” and much more. The post Total eclipse 2024: A special…

“Science Guy” Bill Nye has been beloved by children for generations. He was so kind and generous in a recent interview with the Standard focused on the upcoming total solar eclipse. He also answered a question about why he has been making headlines with his thoughts on climate change. This extended version also includes an introduction with persona…

Questions are still swirling around the deal cut with Attorney General Ken Paxton over securities fraud charges, with prosecutors pointing fingers – at each other. Investigative reporter Lauren McGaughy of The Texas Newsroom has the latest. As Texans prepare for a once-in-a-lifetime moment, why some say viewing Monday’s total eclipse could make you…

A plan will cap co-pays for state subsidized child care – how much of a difference will it make in stemming a childcare crisis? On Wednesday, a federal appeals court heard the latest arguments over SB 4, Texas’ controversial new immigration enforcement law. In the meantime, where does the legal back-and-forth leave migrants? Ennis, a North Texas to…

Dade Phelan’s fight to hang on to his Beaumont-based seat is seen as a proxy war for fights over the future direction of Texas Republicans. We’ll hear about how his fellow GOP opponents are seizing on an issue they think can topple the current House speaker. The issue that is rapidly turning bipartisan: Both Republicans and Democrats are calling fo…

A Texas public health expert explains what bird flu means after a case of the illness was found in a worker on a dairy farm. The effort to expand high-speed broadband in North Texas slows down as a company doing the work pulls out. Could clouds obscure eclipse day in Texas? We’ll take a look at the latest forecast for next Monday. Exploring Texas p…

What’s the connection between credit card fees and Texas? It’s a question at the heart of a case that could affect consumers nationwide. In Texas’ energy mix, gas and oil are giving way to more and more alternate sources: think wind, solar and small-scale nuclear – and many of the projects are run by veterans of the fossil fuel industry. Corpus Chr…

Angela Speck chairs the physics and astronomy department at UT San Antonio – and is a veteran of many an eclipse. In this extended interview, she offers lots of tips and tricks for having the best experience on April 8. The post Texas Extra: A step-by-step guide of what to expect during the total solar eclipse appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -…

Looking back at the week in politics with The Texas Tribune, from Gov. Greg Abbott calling for college students to be disciplined over anti-Semitic speech to a Texas congressman under investigation by the House ethics committee. Red flags have been raised over group homes for Texans with intellectual disabilities. For the first time last week, El P…

The Department of Education launched a renewed version of the FAFSA financial aid form at the end of last year, and the late rollout has caused major issues for applicants and colleges. Cattle in the Panhandle got sick last week, their milk suddenly turning thick and discolored, after coming down with avian flu. Many Texans hold jobs in the agricul…

Carolyn Pfeiffer literally wrote a book, “Chasing the Panther,” about her life and, as she puts it, her “adventures and misadventures” in the worlds of cinema and music and so much more. This extended version of her story includes her time in 1950s New York City, a wild hair story involving Fellini’s “8 1/2” and an unforgettable recollection about …