Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025:
Survey reveals Texas voters’ policy divides
After a whirlwind of legislative action, from redistricting to education reforms, a new poll offers insight into how Texans actually feel about hot-button issues. Conducted by the Barbara Jordan School of Public Affairs at Texas Southern University, the survey explores abortion, marijuana, guns and more.
Rice University political scientist Mark P. Jones, who co-directed the study, joins Texas Standard with the takeaways.
Texas tackles Gulf shrimp labeling with new law
The more than 830 new Texas laws on the books touch on everything from education to healthcare to … shrimp. Senate Bill 823 requires food service suppliers and wholesalers to indicate whether shrimp is farm-raised. The hope is that it’ll give consumers confidence that the “Gulf” or “Texas” shrimp they’re about to eat is the real deal – and that the change will, in turn, help the struggling Texas Gulf shrimp industry.
The Texas Newsroom’s Ana Campbell reports.
AI ‘vibe hacking’ scheme raises alarms
Anthropic, the company behind the Claude AI model, revealed that hackers used its system in a new kind of attack called “vibe hacking.” Seventeen organizations – from emergency services to religious groups – were targeted in extortion attempts.
Experts had long theorized such methods but doubted their feasibility. Tech journalist Omar Gallaga, who covered the story for CNET, joins the Standard with more.
Barbecue hotline offers pitmasters business advice
For barbecue lovers dreaming of turning their passion into a profession, help is now a phone call or click away. Todd David, former owner of Dallas’ Cattleack Barbecue, has launched Nextep Q, a hotline and website offering business advice for pitmasters.
Texas Monthly barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn joins Texas Standard to explain how the project hopes to support a new generation of pitmasters.
Texas filmmakers revisit Austin in ‘Home Free’
The film “Home Free” captures the experiences of two UT students in the 1990s and reflects on Austin’s culture of creativity and social issues. Writer Lenny Barszap and director Aaron Brown based the film on personal memories, including encounters with a former professor experiencing homelessness.
Now streaming widely, the film also dedicates profits to support the unhoused. They join the Standard to discuss the project.
Corpus Christi cancels controversial desalination project
Amid drought and growing industrial demand, Corpus Christi officials scrapped a long-planned desalination plant this week. Opponents cited environmental, financial and community concerns, while supporters stressed the city’s urgent need for new water sources.
The project’s collapse follows years of debate and leaves the city weighing alternatives. Inside Climate News reporter Dylan Baddour joins Texas Standard with the story.
