Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Monday, April 21, 2025:
Texans protest statewide against Trump administration
From Houston to Fort Worth, thousands of Texans joined people across the country this weekend in a national day of protest. At issue: the Trump administration’s slate of policies.
The Texas Newsroom’s Lucio Vasquez reports on the scenes across the state.
The Legislature has six weeks left – and it’s about to get hectic
Texas lawmakers are heading into the final stretch of the legislative session. With just six weeks left, high-profile bills are moving fast and budget negotiations are heating up behind closed doors.
Like he does each Monday, Blaise Gainey with The Texas Newsroom joins the Standard to break it down.
Cuts to NIH funding could reshape UT-Austin research
Researchers at UT-Austin are feeling the pressure of potential cuts to National Institutes of Health funding – a key source of grant money.
KUT’s Olivia Aldridge and Becky Fogel report on the cuts’ impact to medical research in Texas.
Harris County deputy suicides raise questions about mental health support
Four suicides among current and former Harris County sheriff’s deputies in a six-week span earlier this year made headlines. The incidents have spurred calls for better mental health support for law enforcement.
Pooja Salhotra has been reporting on the issue for The Texas Tribune and joins us with more.
This week in Texas music history
On April 24, 1992, the rock club Emo’s was born in Austin. Jason Mellard with The Center for Texas Music History at Texas State University has the story.
West Texas has some of earth’s darkest skies. They want to keep it that way.
Out in the Big Bend region, the stars shine brighter than almost anywhere else. That makes it a prime spot for astronomers – and a place worth protecting from light pollution.
Stephen Hummel with the McDonald Observatory joins the show to talk about Texas’ dark skies initiative.
Pope Francis dies at 88 after final blessing on Easter
Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff and a global figure known for his humility and progressive views, died Monday at the age of 88. His final public appearance came just one day earlier, on Easter.
Ruth Graham, religion reporter for the New York Times, joins the Standard with more:
All this, plus Alexandra Hart with the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Wells Dunbar with the Talk of Texas.
