Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Wednesday, May 7, 2025:
Trump’s approval in Texas slips
After a post-election bump, President Donald Trump’s job approval ratings in Texas have returned to levels seen during his first term, according to a new poll from the University of Texas and the Texas Politics Project, which also highlights Texans’ ongoing economic anxieties and views on top issues.
Texas Politics Project director Jim Henson joins us with more on the findings.
Texas attorney general investigates Austin ISD for allegedly teaching ‘critical race theory’
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is taking legal action against Austin ISD, alleging the district violated state law by teaching critical race theory. The AG is seeking to depose the district’s superintendent and board members and specifically cites material tied to The New York Times’ 1619 Project.
KUT News education reporter Becky Fogel has been following the story and joins us with more.
West Texas measles outbreak grows
State health officials say 19 more measles cases have been linked to the outbreak in West Texas since Friday. KTTZ’s Samantha Larned reports from Lubbock:
How shrimp fraud is affecting coastal fishers
When it comes to fraud, shrimp may not be top of mind – but along the Texas coast, it’s a serious problem. Imported shrimp sold as local can contain banned chemicals and undercut struggling Gulf Coast shrimpers.
Brett Anderson has been reporting on this for The New York Times and joins us to explain the impact on Texas’ shrimp industry.
West Texas’ Black Gap Wildlife area gets new river access
Texas Parks and Wildlife is expanding its 100,000-acre Black Gap Wildlife Management Area bordering Big Bend National Park in West Texas. The addition is Heath Canyon Ranch, a small but strategically located parcel with river access.
James King with real estate firm King Land & Water helped coordinate the deal and joins us with details.
Amid fight for preservation, San Juan Hotel named an endangered historic site
A nearly century-old hotel in San Juan, Texas, has become a flashpoint between historic preservationists and local officials. Built in 1920, the San Juan Hotel has long been vacant, and despite calls for restoration, city action has stalled.
Now, the hotel has been recognized as one of the 11 most endangered historical sites in the United States by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. University of Texas Rio Grande Valley professor Stephanie Alvarez has been leading preservation efforts and shares what’s at stake.
Young mariachi players delight visitors and shoppers on San Antonio’s River Walk
San Antonio’s Ford Mariachi Festival just wrapped up last week. Unlike most Mariachi Festivals, it doesn’t take place in a building and doesn’t even happen on a stage.
Texas Public Radio’s Jack Morgan takes us to the River Walk during the city’s largest celebration, Fiesta.
Are states shortchanging cities on road funding?
America’s roads are largely funded by the gas tax, paid by drivers at the pump. But a new analysis from the Brookings Institution finds that states may not be distributing that money fairly to cities.
Adie Tomer, senior fellow at Brookings, joins us to explain the findings and more.
All this, plus the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Wells Dunbar with the Talk of Texas.
