Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Wednesday, June 24, 2026. Check back later today for updated story links and audio.
Debating what Texas students should learn
Texas education officials are weighing major changes to both social studies standards and reading curriculum requirements, including proposals that have drawn attention for their use of Biblical material. But the broader debate extends to how Texas and American history should be taught, what topics deserve emphasis in the classroom and the role public education should play.
Isaac Yu covers education for the Houston Chronicle and joins the Standard with more.
Texans push back on data centers
Texas has long embraced large-scale development projects, but a new survey suggests many Texans are uneasy about the rapid expansion of data centers. The findings come as the state becomes a leading destination for infrastructure supporting artificial intelligence, raising questions about growth, energy use and local impacts.
James Henson, co-director of the University of Texas/Texas Politics Project, joins the Standard with the findings.
The phases of Texas’ fracking revolution
Hydraulic fracturing transformed Texas from an energy powerhouse into a global force in oil and gas production. But the industry’s growth didn’t happen all at once.
As part of his Phases and Stages podcast for the University of Texas Energy Institute Andy Uhler brings us the story.
A Texas twist on the phonetic alphabet
Commentator W.F. Strong takes a lighthearted look at Texas phonetics in this week’s Stories From Texas.
Revisiting the aftermath of a historic flood
More than a year after catastrophic flooding along the Guadalupe River claimed 139 lives, a new podcast examines what happened in the days, months and year that followed. “After the Flood,” a joint production from the Texas Newsroom and PBS Frontline follows survivors, first responders and officials while exploring questions of accountability, recovery and preparedness.
Dominic Anthony Walsh of Houston Public Media joins the Standard with a preview.
The growing challenge of maternal healthcare deserts
Large stretches of rural Texas lack hospitals equipped to deliver babies, and in some communities there is no hospital at all. As financially strained facilities continue closing labor and delivery units, access to maternal care is becoming increasingly difficult for many families, especially during emergencies.
Sandy West reported on the issue for Public Health Watch and joins the Standard with more.
