Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026.
Canada trade war raises risks for Texas businesses
The U.S.-Canada trade dispute escalated this week after the Trump administration imposed 50 percent tariffs on billions of dollars in Canadian goods and Ottawa responded with retaliatory tariffs of its own. With Canada ranking as one of Texas’ largest trading partners, businesses could feel the effects through higher costs and disrupted supply chains.
UTEP economist Tom Fullerton joins the Standard with more.
Meta agrees to massive settlements over teen social media harms
Meta has reached tentative settlements totaling billions of dollars over claims that Facebook and Instagram harmed young users and encouraged addictive behavior. Texas negotiated its own separate agreement, while 33 other states joined a larger national case.
Bloomberg legal reporter Madlin Mekelburg joins the Standard to explain what Meta has agreed to change and what the settlements could mean for teens.
Central Texas Food Bank opens permanent Waco hub
The Central Texas Food Bank has opened its first permanent location outside Austin with a new food hub in Waco. The expansion comes as food insecurity remains high across the region and is designed to strengthen local distribution, partnerships and long-term access to assistance.
KWBU’s Molly-Jo Tilton reports.
Smart glasses fuel a new privacy arms race
As Meta glasses and other camera-equipped wearables become more common, new apps are trying to help people detect when those devices may be nearby. The trend comes as questions grow over recording, facial recognition and what privacy looks like when nearly invisible cameras can be worn on someone’s face.
CNET technology writer Omar Gallaga joins the Standard with more.
Why the GED is harder than many people think
The GED has long offered a path to better jobs and further education for people who didn’t finish high school. But the exam has become more rigorous, more expensive and more closely tied to economic mobility than many realize.
Texas Standard reporter Sarah Asch explores the test’s history, stigma and difficulty — and tries taking it herself.
Maya Lin brings new ecological sculpture to UT Austin
New public artwork by Vietnam Veterans Memorial designer Maya Lin is taking shape on the University of Texas at Austin campus. The piece, called “Floating Landscape,” blends sculpture, architecture and ecological restoration near Waller Creek, extending the artist’s long interest in memory, place and the natural environment.
KUT Art Beat editor Stephanie Federico reports.
Gonzales museum brings Texas Revolution story to life after dark
The Gonzales Memorial Museum has added a new way to experience the history of the Texas Revolution: A 34-minute film projected directly onto the building’s facade. The free nighttime presentation combines local history with large-scale visual storytelling.
Filmmaker John Franklin Rinehart, who grew up in Gonzales, joins the Standard with more.
Breastfeeding Austin mother reunited with infant after ICE detention
An Austin mother was reunited with her infant son after spending two months apart while she was held in immigration detention. Attorneys say the separation of a nursing mother from such a young child was unusual, and her case raises broader questions about how immigration enforcement affects families.
Texas Newsroom investigative editor Neena Satija joins the Standard with more.
