Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025:
Senate pushes ahead with STAAR repeal
While the Texas House remains stalled due to a quorum break, the Senate continues its work. A key education bill, SB 8, advanced Wednesday and could eliminate STAAR testing statewide.
Sneha Dey, education reporter for The Texas Tribune, joins the Standard with more.
How did a woman die of thirst in jail?
Kimberly Phillips died of hunger and thirst while in custody at the Tarrant County Jail — the fourth such death linked to dehydration there in recent years. Her daughter is seeking answers.
KERA’s Miranda Suarez reports.
A barbecue legacy carries on after cancer diagnosis
After being diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, pitmaster Bob Heffernan spent his final months passing on his craft to his son.
Daniel Vaughn, BBQ editor for Texas Monthly, visited the Heffernan family’s new truck and joins the Standard with more.
AI, crypto and the Texas power crunch
Texas is seeing a boom in data centers driven by AI and crypto – but the growth comes with major energy and water demands.
Omar Gallaga, our tech expert, joins the Standard to explain the risks and opportunities.
Texas parks are getting bigger and better
Thanks to a $1 billion voter-approved investment, Texas is acquiring new land and developing trails to expand its state park system.
Rodney Franklin, director of state parks at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, joins the Standard with more.
The Texan haunted by Hiroshima
Claude Eatherly, a North Texas native, flew a weather support plane over Hiroshima on the day of the bombing. He later became a vocal anti-nuclear activist.
Anne Harrington, professor of international relations at Cardiff University, joins the Standard to discuss his legacy.
