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August 29, 2025

Educators face new risks under inappropriate material law

By: David Brown

Three new measures are set to take effect aiming to “Make Texas Healthy Again.” Political sloganeering or genuine change? A closer look at the laws that prompted Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s visit to Texas.
As we approach Sept. 1, more than 800 new laws are set to take effect. We continue our close-up of some of those that’ll have a major impact, including some that haven’t received much attention. Our own Sarah Asch tells us about a new obscenity law and why one provision related to exposing minors to controversial material has teachers, librarians and even doctors concerned.
Tech producer and reporter Shelly Brisbin gets us up to speed on a sweeping new bill aimed at regulating artificial intelligence.
Plus, the week in politics and much more.


Episodes

June 19, 2026

Exploring Juneteenth and the history and culture of Black Texans

It’s been a celebration for more than 160 years — but only a federal holiday for a few. We’re recognizing Juneteenth on today’s Texas Standard.Dallas’ Opal Lee is known as the grandmother of Juneteenth for her efforts to get the holiday recognized on a national level. We’ll delve more into the history, as well as […]

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June 18, 2026

What the World Cup has revealed so far

With a U.S. Senate contest stealing the political spotlight, where do we stand in the races for the two top spots in Texas politics? A check-in on the governor’s and lieutenant governor’s races.An unannounced feature in smart glasses could reveal the identities of people without their knowledge. Is this the future of personal networking, surveillance, […]

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June 17, 2026

Rural Texas pushes back on data centers

Weather off the Texas Gulf Coast has the potential to bring a lot of rain. We’ll dig into what it might mean for water-hungry cities around the state.We’ve talked a lot about the number of data centers coming to Texas, especially outside of the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Now, a closer look at the legal bind […]

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June 16, 2026

Texas Extra: When the World Comes to Texas Episode 5

When the World Comes Comes to Texas is a podcast from our partners at KERA in North Texas exploring what it means to bring the World cup to the Lone Star State. We’re sharing these episodes with very Tuesday night through June 16th. Episode 5: How to Enjoy Every Kick This World Cup

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June 16, 2026

Corpus Christi’s water fight meets cryptomining

The Strait of Hormuz is set to reopen after months of conflict between the U.S. and Iran. We’ll look at what it could mean for Texas drivers and gas prices.As Corpus Christi faces potential water cuts, questions are mounting over a nearby crypto mine’s water consumption. Why are city officials withholding updated records?With the FIFA […]

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June 15, 2026

State regulators weigh new uses for fracking wastewater

Texas regulators are moving closer to allowing treated wastewater from oil and gas drilling operations to be reused on farmland and other sites outside the energy industry. Some fear the proposal is getting ahead of the science. Texas Republicans signaled their priorities at their convention in Houston, with Gov. Greg Abbott outlining his vision for […]

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June 12, 2026

A Texas Tech gambling case could test NCAA rules

They say it’s only a game, but Texas sports fans know better. This time, however, some see an existential threat to college sports. A scandal involving Texas Tech football quarterback Brendan Sorsby is now in the national spotlight. We’ll hear why and what’s at stake. Meanwhile in Houston, evidence that there’s nothing like a challenging […]

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June 11, 2026

Gov. Abbott calls for new oversight on Texas data centers

Sunset for the days of Texas as the wild west of AI? A closer look at the Gov. Greg Abbott’s new plan for greater oversight of the rapidly expanding landscape of data centers statewide.Day one of the World Cup — do the numbers add up? A closer look at projections about the economic impact here […]

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