Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. Check back later today for updated story links and audio.
Deaths at El Paso detention center raise alarms one year into Trump’s second term
One year after President Trump was sworn in for a second term, El Paso has become home to the nation’s largest immigration detention center. Three detainees have died there in the past six weeks, including one man ICE says died by suicide. Advocates and families are raising concerns about conditions inside the privately run facility at Fort Bliss.
Texas Standard host Angela Kocherga reports from El Paso.
Uvalde officer trial nears closing arguments amid controversy
Closing arguments could come as soon as this week in the trial of former Uvalde school district police officer Adrian Gonzales, who faces 29 counts of abandoning or endangering a child during the 2022 Robb Elementary shooting. The proceedings have included disputed testimony and an emotional courtroom outburst by a victim’s relative.
Camille Phillips of Texas Public Radio joins the Standard with the latest.
This week in Texas music history
Jason Mellard with the Center for Texas Music History revisits the calendar.
Appeals court allows challenge to Texas heartbeat abortion law
A Texas appeals court has ruled that three Planned Parenthood affiliates can move forward with a lawsuit challenging the state’s heartbeat abortion law, also known as Senate Bill 8. Anti-abortion groups had sought to block the case from advancing. The decision could shape future legal fights over abortion access in Texas.
Lucio Vasquez of The Texas Newsroom joins the show to explain what the ruling means.
New wheat hybrid could help revive the southern Plains
Hard red winter wheat production has struggled in recent years as drought and low prices squeeze farmers from Nebraska to Texas. But new hybrid varieties being tested in Kansas may offer better yields and resilience.
Harvest Public Media contributor Calen Moore reports on how plant science could help stabilize the region’s wheat belt.
Tamir Kalifa blends music and photography in ‘Witness’ project
Austin-based photojournalist and musician Tamir Kalifa is merging images and live performance in a new multimedia project called “Witness.” Drawing on his reporting from Uvalde, El Paso, and beyond, the work explores grief, memory, and collective responsibility.
Kalifa sits down with Texas Standard for a live studio performance and conversation about the project’s origins and goals.
Texas school vouchers draw scrutiny over discrimination policies
As Texas prepares to launch its new school voucher program next month, a Texas Observer investigation finds dozens of participating private schools openly discriminate based on religion, sexual orientation or gender identity.
Texas Observer reporter Josephine Lee joins Texas Standard to explain what the findings reveal.
