Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Friday, Feb. 27, 2026.
Poll gives latest snapshot just days from primary election day
We are just days away from the Texas primaries, and a new poll from the Texas Politics Project might shed some light on how voters are feeling.
James Henson, executive director of The Texas Politics Project and professor at the University of Texas at Austin, joins us with the latest.
Proposed data centers draw opposition in Hays County
Data centers are a big deal these days. Hays County is seeing several proposals for these facilities — big warehouses of computer equipment for things like cloud services and artificial intelligence.
Data centers use a tremendous amount of electricity to run and water to cool them. That’s led opponents to come out in force against these developments as Central Texas faces growing water problems.
KUT’s Leigh Walden has been covering the latest on these proposals in Hays County — starting with a fight at the San Marcos City Council.
Washington-on-the-Brazos preps for Texas Independence Day celebrations
Monday marks 190 years since the signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence — a major turning point in the Texas Revolution. Settlers rebelled against the Mexican government and created the Republic of Texas, which lasted for nearly 10 years until it was annexed by the U.S.
It started in the town of Washington-on-the-Brazos, about an 80-mile drive northwest of Houston.
Houston Public Media’s Michael Adkison explains the history of the 1836 convention that took place there — and the American influence on Texas independence.
Chemical in weedkiller that allegedly causes cancer gets production boost
Bayer, the manufacturer of the weedkiller Roundup, has already paid out billions to people who claim the product helped induce their cancer. The company denies that their products cause cancer but is poised to spend even more after agreeing to a $7.25 billion-dollar settlement last week.
The main chemical in Roundup is called glyphosate. Despite the settlements by Bayer, glyphosate got a boost recently when President Trump signed an executive order to ensure its continued production.
Carey Gillam, editor-in-chief of The New Lede and author of two books on industrial agriculture, joins Texas Standard to discuss.
Behind the fight to save Native American Studies in Texas
Texas public schools have offered Native American Studies classes since 2021. The idea behind offering such courses actually began with the Texas board of education. But last year, there was a big debate over whether to continue to allow Native American Studies.
Over that short period of time — from 2021 to 2025 — the politics changed.
Kaiya Little has been digging into that and into the fight that ultimately saved Native American Studies in Texas for the Hechinger Report. She joins us today.
The gang delivers another custom poem.
Week in Texas politics
The Texas Tribune’s Jasper Scherer joins the Standard with a recap of the week that was in Texas politics.
