Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025:
US military sending troops to southern border
The U.S. military is sending around 1,500 active-duty troops to the country’s southern border, under orders from President Donald Trump.
For more we’re joined by Noah Robertson, who covers the Pentagon for Defense News.
Texas lawmakers tackle the budget
Texas lawmakers are working on the state budget, offering a first glimpse at how a $24 billion surplus might be spent in the next two years. While the House and Senate share spending priorities, they’ll need to reconcile their differences.
Jasper Scherer, who covers state politics for The Texas Tribune, has the details:
Austin’s bid for trans-Pacific flights
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is still trying to secure a nonstop flight to East Asia. KUT’s Nathan Bernier reports on how this years-long effort could finally be picking up speed:
Sherman, Texas, is experiencing a silicon rush, with two massive microchip factories under construction – one by Texas Instruments and another by Global Wafers.
Michael Mooney spent weeks in Sherman covering the story for D Magazine and shares his insights.
PC games are outselling console games, according to a new report, marking a shift in the gaming world. Tech expert Omar Gallaga wrote about this trend for CNET and explains the reasons behind the shift.
‘Stuff that works,’ boots edition
Not every Texan owns cowboy boots, but some have multiple pairs. Mark Weiler explains why boots — and even flip-flops — are “stuff that works.”
Javier Sanchez and his family business, Chief Firewood, provide post oak to top barbecue spots like Franklin Barbecue in Austin and Truth Barbeque in Houston. Once embarrassed by the trade, Sanchez has since embraced the business his father founded in 1990.
Texas Monthly barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn shares the story.
Is ‘Stargate’ the future of AI in Texas?
A new AI venture called Stargate, launched by OpenAI, Oracle and Softbank, was announced at the White House earlier this week. Promising a $500 billion investment and thousands of jobs, Stargate’s first project is a data center in Abilene.
The Standard’s Shelly Brisbin investigates who’s behind it and the implications for Texas and beyond.
All this, plus the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Wells Dunbar with the Talk of Texas.
