Texas Matters

Texas Matters: How Texans experience violence

Today on Texas Matters — A first-of-its-kind survey shows how Texans experience violence. And how changes at the post office can impact the coming election.

Texas Matters: On trial — The State of Texas v. Adrian Gonzales

Today on Texas Matters: The State of Texas v. Adrian Gonzales. The former Uvalde School District police officer on trial.

Texas Matters: Nuclear-powered AI and the first Texas movie studio

The Donald J. Trump Advanced Energy and intelligence Campus — near Amarillo — plans to use nuclear power for the biggest data center ever. And how in 1910 the classic western movie was born in San Antonio.

Texas Matters: Pass The Biscuits, Pappy - Part Two

“Pass the Politics Pappy” explores the remarkable political rise of W. Lee "Pappy" O'Daniel, a flour salesman who used his popular radio show and catchy slogans to rocket into becoming Texas Governor and then U.S. Senator in the late 1930s and 1940s. Part 2 of the series focuses on O'Daniel's time as governor and delivered very little on his grand promises. Ultimately O’Daniel’s story serves as a cautionary tale of media-driven political populism.

Texas Matters: Pass The Politics, Pappy

W. Lee “Pappy” O’Daniel was a flour salesman turned broadcaster who mastered early mass media to build a political machine. As host of a hugely popular radio show featuring his Hillbilly Boys band, he blended homespun entertainment with relentless self-promotion. He converted his audience into votes, winning the Texas governorship in 1938 and later a U.S. Senate seat. O’Daniel’s radio fame let him bypass party elites and critics, turning airtime into personal power and profit.