Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Friday, March 13, 2026.
Liberal cities push back on state-mandated ICE cooperation
In Republican-led states, police departments are often required to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. That’s creating tension in liberal-leaning cities that say the mandates strain local resources and undermine trust. As lawmakers debate the limits of local control, cities are weighing how far they can push back.
Mose Buchele of KUT News reports.
Waymo expansion sparks safety concerns in Texas cities
Autonomous vehicles from Waymo are now operating on roads in Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio — even as Austin officials continue logging safety complaints. Issues have ranged from school bus interactions to viral incidents involving stalled cars.
Omar Gallaga of CNET breaks down what’s happening.
West Texas looks beyond oil for energy future
Drive north of the Permian Basin and the energy conversation shifts. In the Texas Panhandle and High Plains, wind and other renewables are reshaping local economies traditionally tied to fossil fuels. A new episode of the podcast Phases and Stages: The Texas Energy Story explores the transition.
Andy Uhler of the University of Texas Energy Institute brings us the story.
NASA hires again after recent buyouts
Just months after thousands of civil servants accepted buyouts, NASA is staffing up again to meet ambitious moon mission deadlines. The hiring push is aimed at rebuilding internal expertise across engineering and science roles.
Andrea Leinfelder of the Houston Chronicle explains what’s driving the shift.
El Paso’s history told through five families
A new book traces a century of migration, violence, and memory in El Paso, framing the border city as a microcosm of the nation itself. Author Jasmine Ulloa centers her narrative on five families and a 2019 mass shooting that reshaped the community.
Ulloa joins Texas Standard with more on “El Paso: Five Families and One Hundred Years of Blood, Migration, Race, and Memory.”
The gang delivers another custom poem.
The week in Texas politics
The Texas Tribune’s Jasper Scherer joins the Standard with a recap of the week that was in Texas politics.
