Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. Check back later today for updated story links and audio.
Fallout continues from Mexican cartel leader’s death
Violence in the wake of the capture and death of Mexican cartel leader Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, also known as “El Mencho,” has affected a number of Mexican states and led the U.S. government to advise Americans currently in Mexico to shelter in place. Today, we’ll have an update on the situation in Mexico.
Alfredo Corchado, executive editor of the Puente News Collaborative, joins us today.
Austin ISD to close 10 campuses
Public schools are closing in many parts of Texas – primarily due to a combination of low enrollment and tight budgets. But a new analysis of the capital city’s history of school closures takes a long view of how we got here, going back 50 years.
Austin ISD will close 10 campuses at the end of this school year. It’s just the latest round of closures that have indicated strain in the district and caused heartbreak for communities.
Keri Heath dove deep into this history for the Austin American-Statesman.
Early voting turnout is up, especially for Democrats
Early voting is underway in Texas ahead of the March 3 primary election. Historically, voter participation in Texas’ party primaries has been low. But so far, turnout is exceeding expectations – especially when it comes to Democrats.
The Texas Newsroom’s Lucio Vasquez reports.
How rural hospitals are dealing with the threat of closure
In the past decade, 14 rural hospitals in Texas have closed, and another 82 are at risk of closure, according to a recent report from the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform.
Samantha Larned, a reporter for KTTZ in Lubbock, spoke with rural hospital administrators in West Texas about the challenges they’re facing and how they’re adapting.
Colorectal cancer on the rise among younger people
Cancer of the colon or rectum, often called colorectal cancer, is decreasing among Americans aged 65 and older. But the disease is becoming more common for younger people.
The rate of colorectal cancer among people aged 50 and younger has increased by about 2% every year since 2011, according to the American Cancer Society. It’s now the leading cause of cancer death for people in that age group.
For more on what’s behind this trend, we’re joined by Dr. Bethany Malone, a colon and rectal surgeon based in Fort Worth.
Bug Bites: Male versus female insects
Wizzie Brown is a program specialist with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, and the Standard’s go-to insect expert.
State film incentives supercharge Dallas College film program
Nearly 20 years ago, Texas launched the Moving Image Industry Incentive Program to help the state’s film and TV industry compete globally. Last year, state lawmakers effectively supercharged that mission when they passed a bill providing $300 million to fund the program every two years for the next decade.
That massive investment is a primary reason why Dallas College is now transforming its curriculum. They’ve recently unveiled a new virtual production soundstage at one of their campuses.
Brett Dyer is senior director of Gallery & Live Events at Dallas College, and joins us today.
The latest in the scandal surrounding Rep. Tony Gonzales
There are growing calls for U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales to step down and abandon his reelection campaign. New details have emerged about his relationship with a staffer who later died by suicide.
This week, text messages obtained by the San Antonio Express-News show Gonzales repeatedly pressing the female aide to send him inappropriate pictures and to meet with him in person. So far, Gonzales has not indicated that he will leave office.
For more on the case, we’re joined by two journalists who have been reporting this story for the Express-News, Nancy Preyor-Johnson and Bayliss Wagner.
