Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025:
Federal judge blocks Trump administration’s grant freeze — what’s next?
A judge has temporarily halted a sweeping order from the Trump administration that would freeze federal grants and loans. How deep could these cuts go, what sort of legal ground is the White House on, and do they stand a chance of being implemented?
Andrew Fieldhouse, visiting assistant professor of finance at Texas A&M’s Mays Business School, joins us with more:
Texans weigh in on how to spend the state’s $24 billion surplus
Lawmakers are debating how to allocate Texas’ massive budget surplus, with proposals focusing on school vouchers, teacher pay, property tax cuts and border security. But what do voters think? A new survey from the Hobby School of Public Affairs sheds light on Texans’ priorities.
Mark Jones, political science fellow at Rice University’s Baker Institute and senior research fellow at the Hobby School, joins us with the results.
Mass deportation efforts ramp up in North Texas
Immigration enforcement officers arrested dozens of people in North Texas over the weekend, following President Trump’s campaign pledge to crack down on unauthorized immigrants.
KERA’s Priscilla Rice reports on the growing fears in immigrant communities and the impact on local businesses.
Stories from Texas: John Steinbeck (and Charley) on Texas
Underrated among John Steinbeck’s literary work may be “Travels with Charley,” wherein Steinbeck and his standard poodle tour the country. Of Texas, Steinbeck famously wrote “Texas is a state of mind, but I think it is more than that. It is a mystique closely approximating a religion.”
Commentator W.F. Strong has more.
Texas’ data center boom and the strain on the power grid
Texas’ cheap power and open land have attracted a wave of crypto miners and AI ventures, building massive data centers in rural areas. But as these facilities grow, what impact will they have on Texas’ already-strained power grid?
Kayla Guo, climate reporter for The Texas Tribune, joins us to discuss.
Legislative reference librarian sorts through the madness of the Capitol
Every legislative session, thousands of people enter the Texas state Capitol, hoping to change the law of the land. Sorting through all the madness, and offering up a wide array of information to all, is Catherine Wusterhausen, the assistant director of the Legislative Reference Library of Texas.
A missing ingredient means more than a quick store trip in this Texas community
For most people, realizing you’re out of an ingredient just means a quick trip to the store. But in one southeastern Travis County community, food access issues can make a missing ingredient a much bigger problem.
KUT’s Katy McAfee has the story.
Texas Senate moves forward on school vouchers
School vouchers are a top issue this legislative session. The Senate Education Committee voted to send a voucher bill to the full chamber, potentially setting up a vote as early as next week – especially if Gov. Greg Abbott names it an emergency priority. So where do things stand?
Keri Heath, who covers K-12 education for the Austin American-Statesman, joins us with more:
All this, plus Alexandra Hart with the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Wells Dunbar with the Talk of Texas.
