Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025:
Supreme Court ruling clears way for ICE raids in Los Angeles
The Supreme Court has lifted a lower court order that had blocked federal immigration agents from stopping and questioning people in Los Angeles based on factors like ethnicity or accent. The decision allows ICE and Border Patrol to resume aggressive sweeps while the broader case continues in lower courts.
University of Houston constitutional scholar Emily Berman joins the Standard:
Texas and New York face off over abortion pill access
A new twist in the battle over abortion medication: New York Attorney General Letitia James plans to intervene in a lawsuit against Texas’ restrictions. The move could intensify clashes between states with vastly different abortion policies and set precedent for interstate disputes.
KUT healthcare reporter Olivia Aldridge joins Texas Standard.
Study finds no evidence of serial killer on Rainey Street
For years, rumors circulated online about a serial killer targeting Austin’s nightlife district. But a new study by Texas State University and the Austin Police Department found no such threat. Researchers say the myth spread quickly online, fueled by speculation and fear.
KUT News reporter Luz Moreno-Lozano brings us the story.
Typhus cases surge across Texas
Health officials are sounding the alarm as cases of typhus — spread by fleas and potentially fatal if untreated — rise sharply in Texas. Once nearly eradicated in the U.S., the disease has re-emerged in unexpected places, catching many by surprise.
Texas Public Radio’s David Martin Davies reports.
Texas ban on lab-grown meat faces local pushback
Texas lawmakers recently banned the sale of lab-grown meat, citing safety and labeling concerns. While two California companies are challenging the law, an Austin-based startup is also directly affected.
As part of NPR’s Next Generation Radio Project, Jessica Shuran Yu brings us the story.
Photographer revisits the wild roots of Texas punk
In the late 1970s and ’80s, Texas became a hotbed of punk rock, producing bands like the Big Boys and the Butthole Surfers. Photographer Pat Blashill captures the scene in his new pictorial oral history, “Someday All the Adults Will Die!”
He reflects on how Texas’ contradictions fueled creativity in this music-rich Q&A.
Living with epilepsy without insurance in Texas
Texas’ high uninsured rate has profound effects on residents with chronic conditions. One Floresville woman with epilepsy struggles without coverage, underscoring the risks of going without care in a state that has not expanded Medicaid.
Kim Krisberg of Public Health Watch joins the Standard with more.
