Texas Standard

Texas Standard > All Episodes

July 31, 2025

Food banks struggle to meet rising demand

By: David Brown

What we’re now learning about what happened – and what didn’t – before the Hill Country floods. Investigative reporter Lauren McGaughy has the details.

Plus: Flood survivors are asking lawmakers meeting in special session right now to tap the state’s $24 billion rainy day fund to help them meet their immediate needs.

Even without a pandemic, Texas food banks are facing shortages and surging need. The CEO of Feeding Texas joins us to talk about what’s driving the crisis.

Funds for adult education were first put on hold, then released – but there’s a big asterisk. The Standard’s Sarah Asch on a policy change that could affect adult ed.

Plus: Texas Monthly barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn dishes on his latest list of the top BBQ 50 spots in the state.


Episodes

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, […]

Listen

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 […]

Listen

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

Listen

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 […]

Listen

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 […]

Listen

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 […]

Listen

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 […]

Listen

June 10, 2026

Another small peach crop frustrates Hill Country growers

New World screwworm is affecting a part of South Texas currently vacant a member of Congress. Some say that should spur a quick special election.UT researchers believe they’ve figured out who has been scrambling GPS signals across huge swaths of Europe in recent years. We’ll find out about their discovery and what it might mean.The […]

Listen