Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025.
Beeville declares disaster over water shortage
Severe drought has pushed the South Texas city of Beeville to declare a local state of disaster as water levels drop to critical lows. Officials are seeking state assistance to prevent taps from running dry and stabilize supply.
Interim city manager Daniel Dorgan joins Texas Standard with the story.
School nurses worry over new parental rights law
Texas’ new parental rights law requires consent for student health services, but school nurses say unclear rules could jeopardize care and their jobs. Critics warn the law may complicate routine health support for kids.
KERA’s Bill Zeeble reports.
Texas lawmakers investigate July 4 floods, response in Hill Country
Leaders in the Texas House and Senate have formed a joint committee to investigate the July 4 flooding in the Hill Country. As The Texas Newsroom’s Blaise Gainey reports, lawmakers say the goal is to make sure the state is better prepared the next time a disaster hits.
Tracing the lineage of Black-owned bookstores
The first Black-owned bookstore we know of opened in 1843 in New York. Now, there are more than a hundred around the country. In many cases, they’re not just places to buy books – they’re also spaces of activism, resistance, and community.
This history is the subject of a new book called “Black-Owned” by Char Adams. She’s a reporter with NBC News and will be speaking about her work at this year’s Texas Book Festival. Adams joins us today.
Watch the skies! It’s almost time for the cranes to arrive in Texas
We’re getting to the part of the year when Winter Texans start making their way down. And if you look up, you might spot a couple of particularly notable travelers on their journey.
Birdwatchers are bound to be traveling to nearby wildlife preserves to watch as flocks of sandhill cranes and the world’s only flock of wild whooping cranes head to their Texas wintering grounds. Birders will likely see hundreds of sandhill cranes, but the endangered whooping cranes are more difficult to find.
Owen Fitzsimmons, program leader from Texas Parks and Wildlife, joins the Standard tell us a little more about the state of both species, and where you might be able to see them.
Fangoria picks for Texas horror flicks: ‘Phantom of the Paradise’
Cult classic, midnight movie, rock opera: Brian De Palma’s 1974 opus “Phantom of the Paradise” is many things – including filmed in Dallas.
Fangoria creative director Jason Kauzlarich shares more.
This group of abuelitas are dancing into their golden years
In San Antonio, Latina grandmothers ages 73 to 86 formed a folklorico dance group known as Las Abuelitas De Oro, a name inspired by the popular sitcom The Golden Girls. This Hispanic Heritage Month, they performed alongside an elementary school dance group.
TPR’s Ivanna Bass Caldera reports on Las Abuelitas De Oro.
Texas leads nation in uninsured kids
One in four uninsured children in the U.S. lives in Texas, where coverage gaps are widening after pandemic-era protections ended. Advocates warn the trend could worsen amid policy changes.
Kim Krisberg of Public Health Watch joins Texas Standard with more.
