Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025.
How the redistricting ruling could reshape Texas primaries
A federal court’s rejection of Texas’ new congressional map is already causing uncertainty for candidates preparing to file for the 2026 primaries. Legal questions now hang over who can run where, and whether the state’s primary calendar may face delays.
Taylor Goldenstein, who covers state politics for the Houston Chronicle, San Antonio Express-News and Austin American-Statesman, joins the Standard.
NASA prepares for high-stakes shuttle relocation to Houston
A provision in President Trump’s recent spending bill sets aside $85 million to move a retired space shuttle from a Smithsonian facility in Virginia to Johnson Space Center. Engineers say the cross-country trip could expose the craft to irreversible damage, raising concerns among preservation experts.
Houston Public Media’s Michael Adkison reports.
Bestselling author Nathan Harris talks new novel ‘Amity’
Nathan Harris’ first novel, “The Sweetness of Water,” made both Oprah’s Book Club and Barack Obama’s summer reading list. It went on to become a bestseller. Harris went on to earn his MFA at the University of Texas and published his second novel earlier this year.
The novel, “Amity,” partly takes place in the Lone Star State and is set in the Reconstruction era. Harris sat down with the Standard to talk about the new novel.
Cleo Hearn’s legacy as a pioneering Black cowboy
Cleo Hearn, who helped open doors for Black riders in professional rodeo and founded the Cowboys of Color Rodeo, has died at 86. His decades of work reshaped the sport’s culture while bringing new audiences into the arena.
KERA’s Zara Amaechi reports on Hearn’s far-reaching influence.
Roblox adds age verification amid safety concerns
The online gaming platform Roblox is introducing age verification for its chat features after mounting criticism and multiple lawsuits alleging it failed to protect minors from exploitation. While experts debate whether the new system will meaningfully improve safety, Texas is among the states pursuing legal action.
Tech journalist Omar Gallaga, who wrote about the rollout for CNET, joins the Standard with more.
Revisiting the first Thanksgiving along the Rio Grande
Long before the Pilgrims gathered at Plymouth Rock, Spanish settlers held a Thanksgiving celebration along the Rio Grande in present-day West Texas. Historian David Romo has researched this lesser-known story and visited the site where it likely occurred.
David Romo, author of “Borderlands and the Mexican American Story,” sits down with Texas Standard.
How border communities are addressing adult education
Adult education programs in the U.S. that get federal funding have to follow a new Trump administration policy and stop providing services to undocumented people. But for some of those affected, there may be another option, funded in part by the Mexican government.
Reporting from El Paso, the Texas Standard’s Sarah Asch explains.
