Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Tuesday, June 17, 2025:
El Paso becomes deadliest border sector under Operation Lone Star
A joint investigation by The Texas Tribune and Source New Mexico finds migrant deaths spiked in the El Paso sector after the city joined Operation Lone Star, Gov. Greg Abbott’s border militarization effort, in late 2022.
The area, once among the safest, became the deadliest crossing zone by 2024. The Tribune’s Uriel Garcia joins with more.
Austin braces for healthcare changes in sweeping federal bill
President Trump’s so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill” could bring big changes to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act.
KUT’s Olivia Aldridge reports on what the legislation could mean for healthcare access in Austin.
Texas backs psychedelic therapy with historic $50M investment
Gov. Greg Abbott has signed a bill funding the largest state-supported psychedelic research initiative in U.S. history. Up to $50 million will go toward studying ibogaine, a psychedelic with potential to treat addiction and PTSD.
Robin Berghaus, producer of the Texas Public Radio podcast “Psychedelics and the Texas Trip,” joins with more.
Solar panel promises don’t always deliver for Texas homeowners
Door-to-door solar panel sales have surged – but so have complaints from homeowners, especially seniors and low-income Texans.
Dallas Morning News columnist Dave Lieber has been tracking the issue and joins with his latest findings.
Call centers are changing – and workers are pushing back
Millions of Americans work in call centers, but many are fighting for better pay and protections. “Disconnected: Call Center Workers Fight for Good Jobs in the Digital Age” explores the labor struggles in this vital but overlooked sector.
Author Debbie Goldman joins the show to discuss the industry’s evolution and its workforce.
Immigration crackdown hits touring regional Mexican artists
Visa complications and immigration crackdowns are having ripple effects on the music industry, especially for artists planning U.S. tours.
Billboard’s Griselda Flores shares how regional Mexican performers are being impacted.
All this, plus Alexandra Hart with the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Wells Dunbar with the Talk of Texas.
