Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Thursday, July 10, 2025:
Some in Kerr County say alert system was delayed with flood warning
Kerr County – where hundreds were killed or remain unaccounted for – does have a mass-alert system for public emergencies. The Texas Newsroom has learned first responders asked that it be triggered early Friday morning when deadly floodwaters hit. But some say they didn’t receive the first alert until after 10 a.m.
Lauren McGaughy, investigative reporter and editor for The Texas Newsroom, joins the show to discuss.
Lawmakers to look at improving disaster preparedness
A bill that would have provided more money to counties for alert systems failed this spring. Now it’s going to get another chance.
The Texas Newsroom’s Blaise Gainey reports from Austin.
Fort Worth musician raises hundreds of thousands in flood relief
Earlier this week, a Fort Worth musician raised over $337,000 for survivors of the Central Texas floods.
Josh Weathers told KERA Arts Reporter Marcheta Fornoff that the response to his livestream concert exceeded his expectations:
New analysis shows rise in risks and complications from abortion ban
There’s new evidence about some of the risks of an abortion ban in Texas. ProPublica analyzed several years of hospital discharge data and found the number of ER visits for early miscarriages went up, as did the need for blood transfusions.
Lizzie Presser is part of a team of ProPublica reporters behind the analysis. She joins us for a discussion.
US-only version of TikTok reportedly in the works
The makers of TikTok are reportedly working on a U.S.-only version of the app, aimed at getting around a law that requires Chinese-owned ByteDance to find a U.S. buyer for the platform, or be banned from American screens.
Tech expert Omar Gallaga joins the Standard with an update on all things TikTok.
Processing the range of emotions surrounding Hill Country flood tragedy
Staying updated on the latest surrounding the Hill Country floods can be a difficult task: keep tabs on the numbers, the scale of the tragedy, the efforts of first responders or what officials are saying.
Gillian Rodriguez with the Texas Counseling Association in the Hill Country has been pulling together resources since Friday to help fellow Texans understand the range of feelings and what we can do with them. She joins us today.
What Trump’s spending package means for Texas
President Trump signed his sweeping tax cut and spending package known as the “big, beautiful bill” into law last week. Some of the law’s key pieces will take effect later this year, while others will not be implemented until well after midterm elections.
Andrew Fieldhouse, a professor at the Texas A&M Mays Business School, joins Texas Standard to talk about what this bill means for Texas.
All this, plus the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Wells Dunbar with the Talk of Texas.
