Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Friday, Feb. 13, 2026.
UT Austin consolidates ethnic and gender studies departments into two new units
The University of Texas at Austin has consolidated seven departments focused on ethnic and gender studies into two new departments. The university says the move addresses fragmentation in the existing structure, while many students and faculty are opposed to the breadth of the changes.
Greta Díaz González Vásquez, education reporter for KUT Austin, joins Texas Standard to explain what departments are affected and how students are responding.
University of Houston professors receive email warning against ‘indoctrination’
Professors at the University of Houston recently received an email cautioning against “indoctrinating” students, as campuses statewide respond to a new state law expanding governing boards’ authority over curriculum. Faculty members are weighing whether to sign on to the guidance, along with what it could mean for academic freedom.
Bianca Seward, education reporter for Houston Public Media, joins Texas Standard with details.
Five years after Winter Storm Uri, Texas grid improvements face new tests
It has been five years since massive blackouts left millions of Texans without power during a winter storm. Since then, the state has worked to strengthen its grid.
But as Houston Public Media’s Natalie Weber reports, growing energy demand and aging infrastructure continue to pose challenges.
Black History Month profile: Tommy Lee Wyatt
As part of Black History Month coverage, KUTX’s Miles Bloxson highlights the life and legacy of Tommy Lee Wyatt, reflecting on his contributions and impact within his community.
Invasive rice pest strikes Texas farmers
A tiny invasive insect has struck Texas rice growers at a particularly inopportune time. Farmers say the pest threatens crops already facing economic pressure, raising concerns about yield and long-term sustainability.
Texas Standard’s Michael Marks reports on what growers are seeing in their fields and how they are responding.
‘True Love Will Find You in the End’ exhibit highlights Daniel Johnston’s art
A new exhibit at the Wittliff Collection at Texas State University in San Marcos, titled “True Love Will Find You in the End: The Revealing Art of Daniel Johnston,” showcases drawings, recordings and ephemera from the late Austin musician and artist. The collection was preserved by Johnston’s friend and manager Jeff Tartakov and is now on public display for the first time.
Tartakov and Wittliff music curator Hector Saldaña join Texas Standard to discuss the exhibit.
The gang delivers another custom poem.
The week in Texas politics
The Texas Tribune’s Eleanor Klibanoff joins the Standard with a recap of the week that was in Texas politics.
