Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Friday, Aug. 15, 2025:
What’s next for the Legislature as new special session awaits?
The special session wraps up in Austin, but Gov. Greg Abbott is expected to call lawmakers back immediately amid a redistricting standoff.
Blaise Gainey, state politics reporter for The Texas Newsroom, joins the show with the latest.
Why is the Edwards Aquifer dropping?
After July’s historic floods, water levels in the Hill Country are falling fast. The Edwards Aquifer Authority just tightened pumping restrictions as levels sit 29 feet below average.
Liz Teitz of the San Antonio Express-News explains what’s happening.
Harmonica fans blow into San Antonio
A harmonica convention in San Antonio filled the Riverwalk with bluesy sounds this week. Texas Public Radio’s Jack Morgan reports on efforts to revive the instrument’s place in American music.
Tesla’s robotaxi plans shift into gear
Tesla now has a permit to offer ride-hailing in Texas through next August. The company’s been testing robotaxis in Austin since June, and Elon Musk says “open access” is coming soon.
Karoline Leonard of the Austin American-Statesman has more.
School closures leave lasting scars
As Texas districts face under-enrollment and budget shortfalls, more campuses are closing. But what happens to communities years later?
Texas Standard intern Zachary Suri talks with Austinites still feeling the impact.
It’s the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act
The landmark law reshaped democracy in Texas and beyond, but the fight over who gets to vote is far from over.
UT Austin historian Ashley Farmer joins us to reflect on the Act’s legacy.
The gang delivers another custom poem. Reach out to Texas Standard with your topic suggestions!
The week in Texas politics
The Texas Tribune politics editor Jasper Scherer joins the Standard with a recap of the week that was in Texas politics, including:
