Texas Standard

Rural Texas has long been a GOP stronghold, but one issue could make a top statewide race more competitive than previously thought. We’ll look at how data centers have emerged as critical in the Texas gubernatorial contest.Some Texas institutions of higher learning are encouraging students to use AI. We’ll dig into why.Public libraries in Texas […]

There’s a lot to talk about in Texas on a daily basis and Texas Standard wants to get to as much as we can. But sometimes that means taking a great conversation and making it much shorter than we’d like. Such is the case with one this week with longtime Texas politico Ben Barnes. Our […]

25 years since 9/11, in which a series of coordinated attacks on the U.S. marked the end of one era and the start of another. We’ll share some stories of Texans whose lives were impacted.A first-of-its-kind midterm political convention wraps up in Dallas. Did Republicans move the needle with just two months to go before […]

How might AI-generated images affect a high-stakes political contest in Texas? Rice University political professor Mark Jones joins the Standard to talk about how Ken Paxton’s campaign is hoping to win votes with AI-generated images of his Democratic opponent, James Talarico.Also: Some top-line takeaways from the first day of a first-of-its-kind GOP midterm convention underway […]

Costs for air conditioning are so high that some on limited incomes are trying to do without. But with temperatures also at extremes, that’s leading to some grave outcomes for seniors, in particular.The GOP’s unconventional convention is in Texas for a reason — and part of that is the state’s fundraising power. We’ll take a […]

While all eyes are on the upcoming midterm election, there are signs one particular Texan is looking at running for president again. Is Ted Cruz gearing up for 2028? Also, why Democrats see James Talarico’s Senate run as an opportunity to gain votes in parts of West Texas that have been reliably red for decades. […]

This Labor Day holiday marks 15 years since the most destructive wildfire in recorded Texas history — measured not by acres burned, but by homes lost.The Bastrop County Complex Fire was just one of more than 30,000 that ignited in 2011 — by far the worst year since the Texas A&M Forest Service has been […]

Following the money: What are super PAC donations telling us about Texas’ closely watched U.S. Senate race? Democrat James Talarico is outfundraising his Republican rival Ken Paxton big time. Who’s writing the checks and what does the money add up to in a high-stakes midterm?Also, as the GOP puts finishing touches on next week’s national […]

Tarrant County, a big Texas county seen by some as key in the upcoming midterms, cuts the number of polling places. We’ll have the backstory.It’s not political convention season — or is it? What looks like an unconventional convention set for Dallas.Also, more on a mysterious kidney disease that’s arrived in Texas hitting young men […]

$27 million a day. That’s how much Texas hospitals are losing because of a disagreement with the Trump administration over Medicaid funding. We’ll have the details.Much of the talk of the November election in Texas has focused on the race for U.S. Senate. But who will be Texas’ next attorney general? We’ll share a closer […]

Tropical Storm Edouard heads toward the Texas coast. What to expect as it makes landfall. An update on recovery efforts in Nepal, where Texans are among the missing. How Texas is helping mount a defense against hackers who broke into systems that control water infrastructure across the U.S. New laws take effect as September begins. […]

Liftoff for a mission set to answer cosmic mysteries. We’ll go over the main objectives and the West Texas connection for NASA’s new Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.This summer, thousands of enlisted troops were forced out of a major Texas base over dangerous living conditions — the tip of the iceberg when it comes to […]

Texas frees immigration officer Christian Castro, who is wanted for a shooting in Minnesota, raising critical legal and practical questions about federalism.An attempt by the Trump administration to lower beef prices has many Texas ranchers upset.Also, a look at what appears to be a groundbreaking new treatment in Texas for people with Parkinsons using ultrasound […]

Ottawa and Washington may seem distant to many Texans, but increasing rhetoric between the two has Texas in the crosshairs. We’ll examine how a trade war between allies could wind up costing Texas billions.Other stories we’re tracking: A historic multibillion dollar settlement from Meta has been reached over the use of social media by young […]

Tens of thousands of acres are burning in West Texas. We’ll check in on containment efforts and the ongoing wildfire risk.Republicans from all over the country will be gathering in Texas soon to drum up support for the November election. We’ll have a look at how the Texas GOP has evolved.Chinese biotech firms have become […]

The data center backlash has lawmakers rolling back plans to expand high-power transmission lines. We’ll have a look at what it means for rural residents.Also, how seniors are coping with the high cost of food.Plus, if you have pet, you know veterinary care can be costly. That has some families skipping a trip to the […]

Texas youth prisons go on lockdown after assaults on correctional staff, with one official saying young detainees are “becoming more violent and more aggressive.” We’ll hear about the effects of the lockdown and what happens next.Why are we seeing a surge in food safety concerns and outbreaks of illness in Texas and other states? We’ll […]

How rising childcare costs and shrinking funds to help families is costing the state dearly, and why some fear a change at the federal level could make things worse. Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico’s flooding the airwaves with ads. Meanwhile, striking silence from his Republican challenger. Is Ken Paxton just keeping his powder dry in […]

A federal judge orders answers to the question of why families are being held so long at a detention center in South Texas. We’ll have the story. After a state takeover of schools in Houston, officials tout rising scores for schools, but are those grades being artificially inflated at the expense of students themselves? We’ll […]

At what some have described as Texas’ flagship university, the University of Texas at Austin, a proposed change in core requirements for graduation. We’ll delve into why now and what it means. In a North Texas city, some backyards are said to be disappearing with every new rainfall. We’ll hear about what’s happening in Arlington […]