Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025.
Blizzard warnings and winter storm wreak havoc on the Gulf Coast
Residents along the upper Texas coast woke up to an unprecedented blizzard warning today. Travel is dangerous or impossible, airports in Houston are closed, and snow or ice is blanketing the southeastern U.S.
Matt Lanza, meteorologist and editor at Space City Weather, joins the Standard to discuss the storm – which could last for days.
Texas’ electric grid under scrutiny as winter storms return
This week’s winter storm brings back memories of the February 2021 disaster that left millions without power and caused hundreds of deaths. With freezing temperatures returning, questions remain about the grid’s reliability.
KUT News energy and environment correspondent Mose Buchele joins the Standard with an update.
Trump’s executive orders focus on immigration
Donald Trump began issuing executive actions Monday after being sworn in for his second term. Immigration is a key focus of these orders.
Stella Chávez, investigative reporter with The Texas Newsroom, shares the details:
San Antonio’s Centro de Bienvenida offers hope amid deportation fears
As Trump was sworn in Monday, San Antonio’s Centro de Bienvenida remained dedicated to welcoming asylum-seekers, despite the president’s promises of mass deportations.
Texas Public Radio’s David Martin Davies reports.
Political advocate Cecile Richards dies at 67
Cecile Richards, a champion of progressive causes and former president of Planned Parenthood, died Monday of brain cancer. The daughter of Texas Gov. Ann Richards, she followed her mother’s legacy of advocacy.
Margaret Justus, a longtime friend and deputy press secretary to Ann Richards, joins the Standard to reflect on Cecile’s life and impact.
Homeless shelters step up during Texas freeze
Overnight freezing temperatures posed a serious risk for unhoused Texans. Volunteers at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Austin worked tirelessly to provide shelter and assistance.
KUT News’ Luz Moreno-Lozano reports.
Could El Paso become America’s next fashion hub?
When thinking of fashion capitals, cities like Milan, Paris or New York come to mind. But El Paso? Texas Standard intern Yoali Rodríguez reports on the designers and creatives working to make the borderlands a new style destination.
Blizzard warning in Beaumont as storm intensifies
Here’s four words you don’t usually hear: “Blizzard warning in Beaumont.” But the winter storm has blanketed the Golden Triangle area, including Port Arthur and Orange; I-10, normally a bustling Texas thruway, is severely impacted.
Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick joins the Standard with the latest updates.
All this, plus Alexandra Hart with the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Wells Dunbar with the Talk of Texas.
