Texas Matters: Recent Episodes
David Martin Davies
Texas is a big state with a growing, diverse population and as the population grows, the issues and challenges facing its residents multiply. Texas Matters is a statewide news program that spends half an hour each week looking at the issues and culture of Texas.
This week on Texas Matters— How data centers have become a hot-button issue this political cycle and how that controversy could tip the rural vote in the 2026 midterm election. Quorum Report's Scott Braddock breaks down the Texas political landscape.
During his time as mayor of Austin from 2015 through 2023, the capital city grew by 20%, saw homelessness become a crisis and faced off against a Republican state government that threatened to take over the city. In Adler's new book, "Hot Seat — Hot City," he reflects on his days at city hall and warns about coming threats to democracy in Texas.
Nearly a year after the July 4, 2025, floods in the Texas Hill Country, the families of children and counselors killed at Camp Mystic are still seeking accountability and pushing for stronger safety standards.
It has been one year since the tragic flash flood on the upper Guadalupe River that took over 117 lives. Why were local officials caught off guard when the rains came and the flooding hit? The region is called "flash flood alley," and there is a long history of tragic floods on the river. We hear the second episode of the Texas Newsroom podcast, “After the Flood.”
The Texas Newsroom and FRONTLINE (PBS) are collaborating on a new five-part podcast series, After the Flood, an intimate and deeply reported look at the catastrophic Central Texas flooding that killed more than 130 people over the Fourth of July weekend in 2025.
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller says the screwworm will continue to spread unless officials adopt a more aggressive response. Also, energy economist Ed Hirs says Texas oil producers are not significantly increasing production despite higher oil prices.
The ICE detention center in Dilley, Texas, is again at the center of a national fight over the detention of migrant families and children. But for Tania Warner, the controversy is not abstract. It is something she says she lived through with her 7-year-old daughter.
This week on Texas Matters we hear from the Democratic nominee for Senate — James Talarico. We also hear from Scott Braddock about the race between Talarico and Republican Ken Paxton.
This week on Texas Matters: Sections of SB4 are blocked — which would have allowed local police to arrest suspected illegal border crossers. And Despite outcry in West Texas the efforts to build the border wall in Big Bend Country continues.
“Pass the Politics Pappy” explores the remarkable political rise of W. Lee "Pappy" O'Daniel, a flour salesman who used his popular radio show and catchy slogans to rocket into becoming Texas Governor and then U.S. Senator in the late 1930s and 1940s. Part 2 of the series focuses on O'Daniel's time as governor and delivered very little on his grand promises. Ultimately O’Daniel’s story serves as a cautionary tale of media-driven political populism.
This week on Texas Matters: How the Trump administration is watering down FEMA. The prison system's compassionate release program is called a "failure." The threat to mail access to the abortion pill. And Texas is preparing to go all in on ocean desal.
This week on Texas Matters: Why “Sharia law” has become a flashpoint in Texas politics. How the state’s abortion ban is tied to new scrutiny after three doctors were disciplined. And why a Texas death row case still hinges on hypnosis, despite the practice being banned in criminal investigations in the state.
This week on Texas Matters — The story of Texas that we typically hear is one with a conservative bias.But there are parts of Texas history that reflect a more progressive vein of the state’s identity. Stories of the fence cutters, the great cowboy strike and the struggle against the power of big business. The new book "The Myth of Red Texas: Cowboys, Populism, and Class War in the Radical South" challenges the common view of Texas history.
This week on "Texas Matters," the life and writing of Larry McMurtry and how he refined the myths of being a Texan. David Streitfeld has written a biography of Texas writer Larry McMurtry — “Western Star: The Life and Legends of Larry McMurtry.”
This week on Texas Matters — forgotten songs from Texas prisons. Heartfelt tracks written, performed, and recorded by incarcerated men. The resurrected recordings from the '60s, ’70s, and ’80s tell us about crime and punishment, rehabilitation, and the humanity of the men locked inside.
Millions of Texans tell pollsters religion is very important in their lives. Every Sunday hundreds of megachurches fill up and celebrate their faith – which also shapes their politics. The result , elections are won and lost based on performances of righteousness. The State Board of Education bends the nation’s textbooks to a conservative Lone Star gospel, and laws are passed based on Christian values. How did Texas become “one state under God"?
Today on Texas Matters: The old Spanish missions of San Antonio — 300 years of history, community memory and meaning. Joel Daniel Kitchens is the author of “San Antonio and Its Missions: Three Centuries of History, Memory and Heritage.”
In October 1964, as the South simmered under the tensions following the signing of the Civil Rights Act three months earlier, First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson, began a whistle-stop tour of the South. She shattered the expectations of a presidential spouse with speeches, diplomacy, and palpable compassion as she encouraged the South to leave Jim Crow behind.
Governor Greg Abbott and other Republican state leaders are targeting CAIR, the Council on American-Islamic Relations. Abbott has signed a proclamation calling CAIR a “terrorist organization.” Edward Ahmed Mitchell, National Deputy Director of CAIR, says these are baseless conspiracy theories created for politics.
Today on Texas Matters — A first-of-its-kind survey shows how Texans experience violence. And how changes at the post office can impact the coming election.
Today on Texas Matters—How Texas could see a reshuffle of congressional maps to keep Republican Control of Congress. When is a Hood not a Hood? When President Trump puts names of Confederate figures back on military bases. And why you could see tomato prices jump at the grocery store.
This week on Texas Matters—50 years of Asleep at the Wheel. How did Ray Benson become the carrier of the flame for Western Swing? For half a century, Asleep at the Wheel made it on the rocky road that is the music biz.
He dreamed up Conan the Barbarian from his lonely town of Cross Plains, Texas. But where did Robert E. Howard find his inspiration for the sword-and- sorcery, weird tales that still resonate today? Howard dipped his pen in the inkwell of Texas history, tall tales and the boom and bust of the oil fields. How Conan is really a Texan.
Kiss your gummies goodbye. Texas is on the verge of a total ban on hemp-derived THC. Lawsuits are coming after the GOP commanded putting the ten commandments in all classrooms. And lawmakers promised they would do something about water scarcity in Texas. Did they deliver?
She was queen of the Wild West outlaws. She rode with Jesse James and other desperados. Belle Starr was a one-of-a-kind, dangerous woman who stole horses, robbed stagecoaches and lived a life of crime on the open plains. Her mysterious violent death still baffles investigators. Should Starr be considered a different kind of feminist icon?
In a special Texas Public Radio podcast series medical reporter Bonnie Petrie and reporter Robin Berghaus explore how Texas is, somewhat ironically, leading the way in the therapeutic application of psychedelics.
The first singing cowboy of the movies—Gene Autry —was one of America’s most popular stars. As the Texas native sang "Back in the Saddle Again" he was also promoting ideas that supported the New Deal and friendly relations with Mexico. His messages rang true with his fans during the Great Depression. On this episode, we unpack the ways this western folk hero, Gene Autry, used his talents to support a positive pro-America agenda.
As measles cases continue to spread across Texas, we consider how Texas dealt with massive measles outbreaks in the past. New research shows that measles could soon be common in the United States if vaccination rates don't increase.
Texas Public Radio spent more than a year analyzing more than 1,200 deaths from abuse and neglect between 2018 and 2023. The project, funded by the Pulitzer Center, brings stories of children who died when the state of Texas failed to intervene. TPR Accountability reporter Paul Flahive uncovered a child welfare system so intent on reducing its contact with troubled families that children have routinely been left with violent, unstable, drug-abusing parents.
We drive over them often, maybe everyday, and they still manage to take our breath away. The highway flyover interchanges that climb up into the sky. But why are they so high? And why does Texas make them higher than any other state? What does that say about us?
Today on Texas Matters: The Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says measles is not a deadly disease. Last week he attended a funeral for a measles victim in West Texas.And what does a measles outbreak cost? Why supporting vaccination programs saves money for taxpayers.
This week on Texas Matters— The conclusion of the special podcast series "Fumed." Produced in partnership with Public Health Watch, it’s a cautionary tale of what happens when the powerful petrochemical industry takes over an unincorporated community in Harris County and how the residents try to fight back.
Texas Matters: Part 4 of 'Fumed' - A Texas stand-off. 'Fumed' is an investigative podcast about the people who live in Channelview, the shadows of America’s chemical plants and oil refineries.
In partnership with Public Health Watch, TPR is airing "Fumed," an investigative podcast series. It's about Channelview, an unincorporated community outside Houston and in the heart of America’s petrochemical industry.
Texas Public Radio’s Texas Matters is bringing you part two of an investigative podcast series about Channelview, an unincorporated community outside Houston and in the heart of America’s petrochemical industry. The series is from our partners at Public Health Watch – a nonprofit newsroom, is called Fumed.
This week on Texas Matters—We are partnering with Public Health Watch to air a special presentation of their podcast “Fumed.” We will hear the stories of people who live in the shadows of America’s chemical plants and oil refineries. We'll also hear about the tale of two stubborn Texans as they try to salvage what’s left of their working-class community in East Harris County.
Today on Texas Matters—In 2022, 53 migrants were found dead in the back of a trailer. New details about that deadly journey are emerging. Also—David Leonard Wood is being called the 'Desert Killer.' Now he is facing execution. But there are questions about his guilt.
Today on Texas Matters: As measles continues to spread in Texas, will state leaders learn a lesson about the need for vaccine requirements? And there is more evidence that the Texas abortion ban made childbirth more dangerous. But the state doesn’t want you to know that.
Today on Texas Matters—Protests are rising up across the country against the Trump/Musk administration. Migrant shelters in Texas are nearly empty. And how important are the arts to the economy of Texas?
Gov. Abbott is making water an emergency item. Sarah Schlessinger, the CEO of Texas Water Foundation, explains the Texas water problem and what can be done to secure water supplies to Texas' future.
The song “Life in the West” became popular in the 1840s. The lyrics, written by American poet George Pope Morris, evoke the call of the fertile promised land and celebrates the freedom of living so close to nature.
Today on Texas Matters: Stories about helping asylum seekers from the Interfaith Welcome Coalition and their book "Traveling Mercies."And one Texas death row inmate—who could be innocent—is closer to being executed while another death row inmate, thought to be innocent, is a step closer to being freed.
Republican Donald Trump promises, if elected, on day one he’ll sign orders for his mass deportation plan. Anyone in the country who is not a U.S. Citizen could be targeted to be removed. The plan calls for millions of people to be deported using the Alien Enemies Act. And this has happened before. What can we learn about Trump’s deportation by looking at history?
This week on Texas Matters: Is Attorney General Ken Paxton perverting the facts about the death of baby Nikki and the looming execution of Robert Roberson? In a report to the public about the Roberson case, the AG Office made a number of untrue and debunked statements about the death of Nikki, Roberson and his trial. We get a response from Roberson’s attorney Gretchen Sween.
This week on Texas Matters: Early voting kicks off on Monday across the state. What to look out for and whom to call if your voting rights are violated.And since the fall of Roe, how has Texas restricted access to birth control?
Roberson is scheduled to be put to death on October 17th in what would be the nation’s first execution based on so-called “shaken baby syndrome” which is debunked junk science. We have the latest developments.
Robert Roberson is due to be executed on October 17. The East Texas man was convicted of the shaken baby syndrome death of this two-year old daughter, Nikki. But shaken baby syndrome is now considered to be junk science, and evidence shows that Nikki died from a chronic illness. I spoke with Roberson on Texas death row to hear his story.
This week on Texas Matters. Governor Abbott has a plan to eliminate your property taxes. That could sound great but what would that look like? The state would have to take a chainsaw to schools and services. And the sales tax would hit 22%, by far the highest in the nation. Low income citizens would pay more, but it would be a boon— for big corporations.
Today on Texas Matters—The intersection of the Texas abortion ban and immigration enforcement means women in the border zone have no options. Also, the latest data on Texas maternal mortality shows a worsening crisis. And is Attorney General Ken Paxton using his office to try to suppress the vote to keep Texas from flipping blue?
Texas Senate holds a hearing to draft new anti-squatter laws. The harmful effects of LED lights for some people and the music boxes of Villa Finale.
Are Texans living in a state of voter suppression? We look at a pattern of legal action by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton that seek to limit voting. And we see why Texas is one of the toughest states to vote in.
TPR reporters David Martin Davies and Kayla Padilla spent the year following the passages that many Texans take to obtain an abortion. They documented what happens when they evade the Texas abortion ban.
The Texas identity is powerful, popular and built on the stories of the Lone Star State. The stories are about small towns and quirky characters who overcome adversity. Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Joe Holley has spent a career collecting and writing about the stories of Texas. His latest book is Native Texans Stories from Deep in the Heart.
Today on Texas Matters. How Texas public school curriculum could be teaching Christianity. In Texas It will be harder to vote in this presidential election than it was four years ago. And how Arkansans are fighting to put abortion on their ballot.
How secret is the ballot in Texas? A voter fraud conspiracy advocate says she's cracked the code of the Texas secret ballot. And as the school year starts, will an uncertified teacher be assigned to your child's classroom? A new study shows it could mean a four-month loss of academic progress.
After 13 years of fighting a lawsuit over Texas’ troubled foster care system, state lawyers are trying to remove the judge from overseeing the case.And do you remember when a little girl fell down a Midland well in 1987? There’s much more to the story.
This week on on Texas Matters. Should Texas block foreign hostile nations from buying farm land and doing business in the state. And the legacy of science of San Antonio adventurer Tom Slick.
At the 2024 Republican National Convention Texans, including Governor Greg Abbott, took to the stage to spin a fact-free story about the state of the Texas-Mexico border and illegal immigration that excited the crowd but paints a grim picture if Trump is elected president again.
Hurricane Beryl slammed into Texas and delivered a punch to Houston and its energy provider. Millions of people were left in the dark and without air-conditioning as temperatures climbed over 100 degrees. The disaster recovery has many wondering why Governor Greg Abbott left the state and why FEMA assistance wasn’t requested earlier. It’s the Beryl blame game.
Today on Texas Matters: The extra warm waters of the Caribbean and the Gulf are serving up an assembly line of hurricanes. We'll examine how this is all tied to climate change. Also, a divorce case out of Denton has revived the contentious debate over whether frozen embryos are people. And if necessity is the mother of invention, then they are getting extra inventive with Texas rural health.
In 1973, Willie Nelson held his first 4th of July picnic. There were some problems. The locals said it was "moral pollution" and Nelson was fined $1,000 for violating the Texas Mass Gatherings Act. But that didn’t stop Willie from doing it again and again. Dave Dalton Thomas is the picnic historian and has written a book about this Texas tradition.
Today on Texas Matters: The illusion of exceptions in the Texas Abortion law. Can the Texas Medical Board clear up the confusion? South Texas Congressman Henry Cuellar says he’s being targeted with his indictments. And a Central American teen tells the story of his journey coming to the U.S.
A discussion about Juneteenth and Texas with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Annette Gordon-Reed
How "2000 Mules" is a fake documentary about voter fraud. But will Texas GOP leaders admit that? Juneteenth Rodeo, why 1970s photos of Black Rodeos were ignored for so long. And SA Mayor Maury Maverick on 1939 radio.
Can Texas lawmakers rein in sales of THC hemp products like Delta-8 and 9? The products are largely unregulated and widely sold, even to children. And in the time of growing drought, Mexico’s water debt is becoming a bigger issue along the border.
A century ago, a one-man wrecking crew on the Texas-Mexico border who inspired hate, violence, corruption and mass murder. The story of William Hanson—a chaos agent in South Texas.
Texas Senate holds a hearing to draft new anti-squatter laws. The harmful effects of LED lights for some people and the music boxes of Villa Finale.
He was a witness to the U.S.-Mexico War. Not the 1846-to-1848 invasion, but the 1914 U.S. invasion and occupation of Mexico. It was documented by an American postcard photographer. He left behind a compelling visual record of a U.S. atrocity. Susan Toomey Frost joins us to tell the story.
During the American Civil War there were Texans who faced persecution and violence for their beliefs, but their courage helped preserve the United States. These Texans defied the Confederacy and fought for the Union.
Today on Texas Matters, could the West Texas Chihuahuan desert be greened? One Texan is trying to restore his 320 acres of West Texas hard scrabble into a desert forest.
The Smokehouse Creek fire was the largest wildfire in Texas History burning over a million acres in the Panhandle. The fire has been out for over a month, but the disaster continues. We are going to get an update on the recovery and what needs to happen to prevent other massive wildfires.
In Loose of Earth, a story of a tight-knit evangelical family in West Texas, the oldest daughter tries to make sense of the contradictions of the world she is warned about and the world she has to occupy. When her father contracts cancer from "forever chemicals" her world come crashing down. The memoir is Loose of Earth, and we hear from the author Kathleen Dorothy Blackburn.
This week on Texas Matters.How HEB is too woke for the GOP. Electric vehicles need places to charge. And covering state news just got a big boost.
This week on Texas Matters: The forecast for the coming summer is record breaking heat. It could be a deadly weather disaster that will challenge emergency services and put Texans at risk. And why a Texas plastics company is failing to accurately monitor its toxic discharge into the Gulf.
Hillcrest in Corpus Christi is a historic African American neighborhood that has long faced environmental racism but is now confronting displacement from a massive desalination project. Environmentalists point out that the desal, hyper-salty brine discharge will be very harmful to the bay and shouldn’t be built.
The last time a total solar eclipse crossed Central Texas was in 1878 – the heyday of the Wild West. That eclipse was crucially important to America’s rise as a scientific power and saw many of the era’s great scientists (including Thomas Edison) trek out to unsettled lands to witness the event firsthand. On April 8, Texas gets another gander at a solar eclipse—but this time without the train robberies and frontier backdrop.
Today on Texas Matters: The largest wildfire in Texas history torches over a million acres. How you can help in the recovery. And how the electric co-op movement energized rural Texas.
Today on Texas Matters: Turmoil in the attorney general’s office is ripping apart the AG Medicaid Fraud Division.With Abortion on the ballot Annie’s List sees 2024 as a big year to elect progressive women. And money is running out for the Affordable Connectivity Program.
Many Texas families have been fighting for school funding equity for 50 years. But wide disparities in funding still exist. Texas Public Radio's education reporter, Camille Phillips, explains the problem and why it's been difficult to solve.
This week on Texas Matters: Covid cases are on the rise. How Texans can protect themselves with a vaccination.What does it mean that the Texas buoys are still in the Rio Grande? The Texas Tribune launches a pro-democracy reporting project. And there’s a million-dollar treasure hidden somewhere in Texas or New Mexico. Are you smart enough to find it?
Today on Texas Matters— Obamacare is seeing a surge in Texas and across the nation. Why is the Affordable Care Act succeeding despite claims from the right?And Mexican food is now American food. How tacos conquered the United States.
Today on Texas Matters—Politics takes center stage over the mass migration at the border. And how high school football helped Uvalde heal.
A documentary report on how people in Texas are forced to travel to other states for abortions and exploring the challenges, costs and repercusions of the journey.
This week on Texas Matters: A Texas county will hold its Republican primary election old school. The vote-counting will all be done by hand. Why are they doing this and what are the concerns? There are a lot of guns in Texas—but what does that mean for reducing life expectancy?And the story of a legendary Texas wrestling family comes to the big screen. But is it fact or fiction?
What’s in SB 4 and how does it fit into Governor Abbott’s plan to challenge the power of the federal government?
Today on Texas Matters—How suppressed are the voters of Texas? A new book breaks down which states make voting too hard.How are families impacted by the Uvalde massacre living with the grief and the aftermath?Some school districts have programs to teach kids how to protect themselves from abuse, but there is a problem.
Today on Texas Matters—Should we be worried about the grid? How a tough winter could mean blackouts again in Texas. Also, what the SB4 "Show me Your Papers Law" means for children of the undocumented in Texas. AND how a school board meeting in Texas exposes the greed behind the outrage over schoolbooks.
This week on Texas Matters: Why are horrible photos from Uvalde and other mass shootings being published? Despite what the Supreme Court ruled, homosexuality is still against the law in Texas. And how is the new Texas “show me your papers law” going to impact the state?
Today on Texas Matters—The buoys are back – in fact they never left. What is happening with the legal battle over the border barrier? How to get paid for tweeting about Ken Paxton. It could be illegal.And Mark Gonzalez—the Corpus Christi progressive D.A. is now running for Senate.
This week on Texas Matters: a look at some of the new laws now in effect in Texas and some of the significant ones that didn’t. And gearing up for the Ken Paxton Senate impeachment trial. Will Texas voters watch and care?
It was 103 years ago that women were granted the right to vote in the United States. The passage of the 19th Amendment was a revolutionary change to the U.S. Constitution. Today women remain underrepresented in elected leadership. Women make up 47 percent of the workforce, but women make up 29 percent of the seats in Congress. How has the 19th Amendment changed America?
Today on Texas Matters: Some scary hours with the Texas grid during the summer heat. What is happening? And Republican candidates for president say they’ll invade Mexico. Why that is a terrible idea?
It's estimated that half a million people live in colonias along the Texas-Mexico border. These communities lack basic needs for the residents, including running water, storm drainage and sewage. What are the challenges of living in a colonia? Who is responsible for improving the substandard conditions?
This week on Texas Matters: Mexico makes it clear they want the buoys out of the Rio Grande. The San Antonio Police Department's use of its mental health unit examined. And records show that the San Antonio Police Department failed in policing its problem cops.
This week on Texas Matters—a trip down the Rio Grande to see the buoy barrier and meet with the people it’s supposed to stop. How the Eagle Pass City Council pushed back on Operation Lone Star. And climate change is making water more precious, so will Texans be paying more at the tap.?
This week on Texas Matters - How Operation Lone Star is being felt in Eagle Pass. Abbott is building his own border wall. Texas is using spyware on the border—and maybe beyond.
Texas is gripped with extreme heat that’s putting lives at risk. Should President Biden step in to protect Texas outdoor workers? And the Texas GOP makes the voting system less secure and easier to cheat.
This week on Texas Matters, a school bus tour is highlighting the mass shootings of Texas; with climate change disasters now the norm, some Houston residents are transforming their homes into emergency hubs; and a state program to help people to pay traffic tickets is punishing the low income further into debt.
As border communities celebrate a victory against building a border wall, Abbott’s floating river barrier is about to be built. Solar power is saving the Texas grid during the record-breaking heat wave and Texas leaders aren’t happy about that. And how forensic hypnosis was finally banned from Texas Courtrooms.
Former San Antonio Rep Will Hurd is now running for president and taking aim at Donald Trump. We hear from Hurd. And Texas Monthly’s Forrest Wilder is trying to make sense of the mess that is the Texas public school funding system.
Governor Greg Abbott is fully behind a plan to completely eliminate property taxes in Texas. Property taxes fund public services like schools and hospitals. With no state income tax, Texas would have to rely on sales tax which would likely have to increase. Lt. Gov Dan Patrick is calling Abbott’s plan a fantasy.
How the Texas legislature dealt with voting rights (it's not all bad news), and a stripper takes on San Antonio's anti-nudity ordinance.
What’s the latest with Attorney General Ken Paxton, his alleged crimes and possible impeachment? What are the charges? What is the impeachment process? Who could be the next Texas Attorney General?
Roll Call's "Inside Elections" has changed the rating for Sen. Ted Cruz’s re-election bid from "Solid Republican" to "Battleground." Cruz is now seen as vulnerable, and Dallas Democratic Congressman Colin Allred is running to replace him. We hear from Allred about why he thinks Texas voters will pick him and send Cruz packing. Could the fate of Senate control ride on this election?Also, how Texas is getting ready for electric cars.
The Texas legislative session is getting closer to wrapping up. Is there any progress on gun safety, abortion exceptions and making the grid reliable? And the battleground over Texas History is now at Texas State Historical Association. Can the state turn away from the old Lone Star myths and towards the facts of the state’s founding?
He stood up to Gov. Greg Abbott and SB8 when he performed an illegal abortion, and he dared people to sue him — and they did. Dr. Alan Braid tells his story to TPR's David Martin Davies.
How making illegal voting a felony is part of a Republican campaign to supress voting. And an update on the developments at the Texas legislature from Democrat State Senator Roland Gutierrez and how he is working on gun safety with the families of Uvalde who lost children in the school shooting. Also Gutierrez sizes up running for Senate against Republican Ted Cruz.
On Texas Matters: The assault continues on free and fair elections by the Texas legislature.Many citizen complaints to the Texas Commission on Evironmental Quality could be ignored in the future.And why Texas could be making big bucks in the new green economy but state leaders are holding it back.
Remembering what happened at Waco 30 years ago and how it leads to today’s right wing anti-government movement.
For 20 years a Texas business man has been wining and dining Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas with secret super luxury vacations at the most exotic places on the planet. And how Republican backed bills in the state legislature could end free and fair elections in Texas.
This week on Texas Matters - How will the Texas Observer survive? What happened at the state's scrappy liberal magazine?And can public radio save local news?
As Trump prepares for possible indictment, how do Texans view the former President? And Texas Congressman Tony Gonzales is back from a delegation to Mexico.
Texas is preparing to leave ERIC – a system that protects the voter rolls from cross state double voters. Could a Texas town be the next East Palestine rail disaster? And flaws in the system that sends people to Texas death row.
Child brides forced to marry much older men. How it continues to happen in Texas and the effort to shut it down. Could this be the legislative session where marijuana is decriminalized? There’s reason for pro-pot hope. And how Governor Abbott and state leaders are big on big government when it comes to running Texas cities.
A bill to ban Chinese citizens and government from buying Texas land gains steam among Republicans.The Texas legislature tries to revive a controversial corporate tax cut that critics say is hazy at best.And a Republican bill would give massive breaks to large families, but only if the parents are straight property owners who’ve never been divorced.
Despite promises to make voting easy but "cheating hard," Texas remains one of the toughest states to vote in. If Texas lawmakers create a program that lets families use state funds to pay for private school, who would be the most likely to use it? And for years the National Guard patrolled the southwest border now the Pentagon is looking for an off-ramp.
This week on Texas Matters – Governor Greg Abbott delivers the state of the state address. He continues his attacks on the term “woke” and trumpets his support for school vouchers. We have reaction. Also new historic documents have been uncovered shedding light on the Slocum Massacre when an east Texas Black community was wiped out by a white mob.
Could this be the legislative session that passes school vouchers? And what does that mean for public education in Texas?
The United States government has hit the limit on borrowing more money. The U.S. Treasury is taking extreme steps to prevent a default while Republicans in Congress, led by Hill Country Representative Chip Roy, say they are ready to bring the nation to default unless cuts are made to Social Security and other spending.
The price of food is on the rise and the reason is climate change. A new report looks at how a warming planet is impacting how Texas is able to produce food. And a new study exposes how Texas based Exxon knew in the 1970's that their product would cause climate change and they covered it up.
President Biden announced the hardening of immigration restrictions Thursday, including the expansion of Title 42 programs to remove people quickly without letting them seek asylum. This is an attempt to address one of his administration’s most politically vulnerable issues as the Republican party takes over Congress and heads into campaigning for 2024.
The world changed when an 18-year old gunman entered Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. School mass shootings are not new but Uvalde was different not only because of the ease of access to deadly weapons of war for the mentally unstable but also because of the multiple failures by the Texas DPS and other law enforcement to confront the gunman and save the students' lives.
He stood up to Gov. Greg Abbott and SB8 when he performed an illegal abortion, and he dared people to sue him — and they did. Dr. Alan Braid tells his story to TPR's David Martin Davies.
He was a courageous and at times controversial reporter who got up close and personal covering the Texas Ku Klux Klan, Branch Davidians, Biker Gangs and Mexico’s Zapatistas. Dick Reavis was a radical-turned-reporter who took the toughest assignments in Texas. What did he learn along the way?
We hear a migrant's story and learn about her journey from Haiti to the U.S. And trapped in Afghanistan—how Texans are trying to help allies escape the Taliban. Plus, Boerne's 'International Bridge.'
David Martin Davies discusses the Texas teacher shortage with TPR Education Reporter Camille Phillips.
David Martin Davies continues the story of East Texas voting rights advocate Frank J. Robinson who died in 1976 under mysterious circumstances.
David Martin Davies continues the story of East Texas voting rights advocate Frank J. Robinson who died in 1976 under mysterious circumstances.
David Martin Davies reports there are more election deniers on the ballot in Texas than any other state, and one group of Republicans is pushing back.When it comes to how hard it is to vote, Texas has gone from bad to worse.And will young people turn out to vote this election?
When East Texas voting rights advocate Frank J. Robinson died under mysterious circumstances in 1976, his death was first called a murder. However, then officials said it was a suicide. This is a true crime story that deals with voting rights, violent racism and jusitce.
David Martin Davies speaks with Republican State Rep. Lyle Larson about why he’s done with the Texas Republican Party and why he's endorsing Democrat Mike Collier for lieutenant governor; Records from the primary show that the new Texas voting restrictions are causing massive disenfranchisement and huge racial disparities; Why is the state of Texas sending election monitors to Harris County.
Thomas Mitchell Campbell was the 24th Governor of Texas. He was a progressive and reformer that broke the back of conservatives who didn't want public funded education or regulation of the railroad.
Texas Matters highlights the deep reporting by Paul Flahive into a how Texas failed a young girl who was in the foster care system, was trafficked and eventually died.
Based on interviews with legendary recording stars and with newcomers who are crafting their own sound, Kathleen Hudson' recent book documents the musicians' stories.
Based on interviews with legendary recording stars and with newcomers who are crafting their own sound, Kathleen Hudson' recent book documents the musicians' stories.
Based on interviews with legendary recording stars and with newcomers who are crafting their own sound, Kathleen Hudson' recent book documents the musicians' stories.
Based on interviews with legendary recording stars and with newcomers who are crafting their own sound, Kathleen Hudson' recent book documents the musicians' stories.
On this Texas Matters, the race for Texas Agriculture Commissioner. David Martin Davies talks to the candidates.
On this Texas Matters, the race for Texas Agriculture Commissioner. David Martin Davies talks to the candidates.
On this Texas Matters, the race for Texas Agriculture Commissioner. David Martin Davies talks to the candidates.
On this Texas Matters, the race for Texas Agriculture Commissioner. David Martin Davies talks to the candidates.
The DPS head promises state troopers that no one will lose their job after Uvalde. It’s been a year since permitless carry happened in Texas, and shootings have gone up. And voter registration data shows that Democrats could break their losing streak in November.
The DPS head promises state troopers that no one will lose their job after Uvalde. It’s been a year since permitless carry happened in Texas, and shootings have gone up. And voter registration data shows that Democrats could break their losing streak in November.
The DPS head promises state troopers that no one will lose their job after Uvalde. It’s been a year since permitless carry happened in Texas, and shootings have gone up. And voter registration data shows that Democrats could break their losing streak in November.
The DPS head promises state troopers that no one will lose their job after Uvalde. It’s been a year since permitless carry happened in Texas, and shootings have gone up. And voter registration data shows that Democrats could break their losing streak in November.
TPR's David Martin Davies looks at how a new ruling by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton threatens election security. Grifters are cashing in on false claims of election fraud. And the big impact of little inconveniences on voters.
David Martin Davies explores how when election workers are threatened, democracy is threatened. Also, how the Democracy Erosion Engine works and how its working specifically in Texas.
David Martin Davies explores how Texas Republican elected officials are seeking to block Libertarians from getting on the ballot. Also, telephone bills are going up, thanks to a veto by Gov. Greg Abbott. And being pregnant in rural Texas can be scary due to the lack of maternity care.
How could the Inflation Reduction Act help solve the climate crisis? Also, where will those Inflation Reduction Act dollars go? Data analysis says Republican rural congressional districts will get the most jobs out of the act. And as climate change delivers more and bigger natural disasters, how are insurance companies not able to keep up?
David Martin Davies explores how extreme drought and high heat has gripped Texas. So how bad could it get? And former TV weatherman Maclovio Perez runs for Congress with a platform of taking on climate change now.
Wildfires are a growing and significant danger in Texas as the state sees record-breaking heat and prolonged drought. A backslide in childhood immunizations in Texas means old diseases are making a comeback. And how a law passed to protect the gun industry is costing Texas hundreds of millions of dollars.
Climate change is giving us triple-digit heat across the state, driving record demand for electricity. But how soon will Texas make the transition to a clean power grid? Also, the drought is squeezing cattle ranchers and they are rushing to bring their herds to market.
How and why is childhood type-2 diabetes is on the rise? What are the health consequences and barriers to treatment? Why is there no national strategy to respond to the rise in type-2 diabetes?
Texas Matters: How the Dead Suspect Loophole is being used to cover-up the police response in Uvalde, Congressman Joaquin Castro on new guns laws and the greening of the Texas grid
It’s been over a week since the tragic school shooting in Uvalde that left 19 students and two teachers dead. And then getting straight answers about what happened, who was responsible and what do we need to do to protect our children has been a hot mess,
How the school shooting in Uvalde is prompting another set of questions about access to AR-15's and other guns.
The book "Lynching and Leisure," asks how the public torture and execution of African Americans became a form of entertainment in Texas. What is the legacy of the Texas style of lynching today?
Plyler v. Doe is the landmark Supreme Court case that held states — such as Texas — could not charge tuition to undocumented children for free public K–12 education. Gov. Greg Abbott wants that overturned.
Both Democrats and Republicans need to finalize who will be their nominees for Texas attorney general. Meanwhile, the incumbent Ken Paxton is showing he is vulnerable to defeat in November.
Who is Greg Abbott? The man in the governor’s office is a mystery to most Texans.Does Greg Abbott have the makings of an authoritarian? An expert on dictators doesn’t like what she sees. And Bringing back the Republic of Texas. How a failed revolt in the 1990’s is remembered today and how the secession fantasy lives on.
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is coming under intense scrutiny for his role on Jan. 6 to overthrow the presidential election results in favor of Donald Trump. And Melissa Lucio is now less than a month away from being executed by Texas. There’s growing pressure to recognize that no crime was committed.
Texas has everything it needs to be a green energy powerhouse. There’s an abundance of wind and solar. There are entrepreneurs creating cutting edge sustainable tech. But what Texas is lacking is political leadership.
Allegations of sex trafficking at a Texas foster care facility prompts an overdue investigation. There were thousands of rejected mail-in ballots during the recent state primary. Is the system broken? Can it be fixed? And Texas uses state pension funds to targets financial firms, warning them not to divest from fossil fuel companies.
The Texas General Land Office discriminated against minority residents when it denied flood mitigation aid to areas hardest hit by Hurricane Harvey. And Texas attorney Sidney Powell is dealing with her own kraken. The high profile advocate of the big lie of the election is facing disciplinary action.
How Houston’s Russian Community is dealing with the invasion of Ukraine. What’s the Kremlin Connection with groups in Texas that seek to disrupt and divide. And the Supreme Court appears likely to weaken the EPA’s ability to regulate greenhouse gasses.
The gloves come off in the primary fight to be Republican nominee for Texas Attorney General. And we hear from Rochelle Mercedes Garza — a Democrat seeking the AG nomination.
The family of death row inmate Melissa Lucio is fighting to save her life. How legal abortion has changed under SB8. And the endangered prostrate milkweed.
How Texas Republican primary voters have a grip on political power in the state. Republicans for Voting Rights denounces the GOP’s move to authoritarianism. Gov. Abbott's Operation Lone Star is criticized for treatment of troops.
Voting rights groups want answers about the secret Texas voter purge, so they are suing. Is the primary problem in Texas the Republican primary? How a tiny minority of voters has control over who governs Texas. And what is the most violent jail in Texas?
The deadline to register to vote is coming up and never has it been more difficult to become registered. Sour gas – Hydrogen Sulfide – it stinks and it’s deadly. But is the Texas Railroad Commission following the law to protect the public. And “Missing in Brooks County” – how the death toll of U.S. immigration policy deserves to be acknowledged and documented.
The Texas Secretary of State’s office says it doesn’t have enough paper for voter registration cards. Democrats wonder if this is voter suppression in action. And deception in the investigation? An author claims the Texas Rangers use lies to close cases.
How free are you in Texas? Not very, according to the CATO institute. As courts hear challenges to the Texas anti-abortion law, pro-choice advocates are preparing for the end of Roe.And voting in Texas is different in 2022. We gets the details on what to expect.
There is a new sense of urgency with Democrats in the U.S. Senate to pass voter protections because of what’s happening in Texas. The Texas Monthly Bum Steer awards takes a look at lousy politicians and their self owns. And how the call center industry has set up on the Mexican border to take advantage of the recently deported.
Texas is sued again by the Department of Justice – this time for redistricting maps the weaken the voting strength of minority voters. Are these signs that we are living in a backsliding democracy? An international study says the Unites States is slipping away from a democracy and becoming a state concerned with servicing corrupt special interests and not the will of the people.
How Texas uses forensic hypnosis in criminal investigations and how it put Charles Don Flores on Death Row.
Today on Texas Matters: Build Back Better passes the first hurdle in Congress – what does it mean for clean energy. The future of green energy depends on a future with mass battery storage – how that is shaping up. And The price of oil has been climbing but is Texas able to cash in?
Today on Texas Matters: Who will hold federal judges accountable? An investigative report on the code of silence. And what do notable Texans remember about their childhoods in the Lone Star State?
Texas Matters Host David Martin Davies talks to the former strategist to George W. Bush and aide to Bob Bullock.
Steven Pedigo gives us his take in a recent 'New York Times' guest essay titled 'Texas is the future of America.' Pedigo is the founding executive director of the LBJ Urban Lab and a professor of practice at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin.
Redistricting now and yesterday. How a battle over diluting minority voting power played out 50 years ago.
This week on Texas Matters: Bob Phillips has been telling Texas stories for 50 years as the Texas Country Reporter.
In the United States, areas that are on the low end of the socioeconomic spectrum are exposed to micro climate heatwaves – more often and for longer duration than other parts of the same city. These are urban heat islands and they are lethal to the residents.
The debate over how to best help the homeless. Texas politics takes center stage at the Texas Tribune Fest And efforts to save the Texas horned toad reaches a milestone.
The state of Texas is sued by the feds over SB8, the vigilante abortion law. And Gov. Greg Abbott says he can eliminate rape in Texas. We hear why that statement is ridiculously ignorant.
Could the nonsense of the GOP Arizona election audit come to Texas? How the "Big Lie" won’t die and how it could damage the election system. And a deep dive into the strife at Southlake, Texas and how the battle for those suburb voters can explain what is happening in the Lone Star State.
Despite the efforts of Democrats, the Texas House moves forward a voter restriction bill. As new laws go into effect on September 1 — the George Floyd Act wont be one of them. What are we missing? And a livestock de-wormer is the quack medicine of choice for anti-vaxers and it’s making people sick. And billionaire Elon Musk wants to sell Texans electricity.
To Mask or Not To Mask – in the time of a COVID pandemic – Texans vs. Texans face off about how to protect the children from a deadly virus.