Here’s what’s coming up on Texas Standard for Monday, Aug. 17, 2026. Listen on your Texas public radio station, or ask your smart speaker to play Texas Standard. Check back later today for updated story links and audio.
State ratings put Austin schools at risk of Texas takeover
Texas has released its latest A-through-F accountability ratings, with most public schools holding steady or improving. But two Austin middle schools received failing grades for a fifth consecutive year, putting Austin ISD at risk of districtwide state intervention.
KUT education reporter Greta Díaz González Vázquez and KERA education reporter Bill Zeeble join the Standard to explain the ratings and what could happen next.
TEXITcoin faces Texas securities fraud hearing
TEXITcoin bills itself as a Texas-made alternative to traditional money, combining cryptocurrency with themes associated with the Texas independence movement. But state regulators allege the digital currency violated securities laws, and the Texas State Securities Board is presenting its fraud enforcement case against the project.
Texas Public Radio’s David Martin Davies reports.
Ken Paxton says Roblox is withholding records in Texas lawsuit
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing Roblox over allegations that the gaming platform failed to adequately protect children from predators and sexually explicit content. Now Paxton’s office says the company is not cooperating with requests for information as the case moves forward.
Austin American-Statesman business litigation reporter Paul Flahive joins the Standard with more.
This week in Texas music history
Jason Mellard with the Center for Texas Music History goes digging in the crates.
The story behind Austin’s giant Adirondack chair
Austin has its share of landmarks that change with the times. In the Crestview neighborhood, one weird landmark has become difficult to miss: An oversized Adirondack chair with a story of its own.
KUT’s Valeria Cruz Butron reports on the story behind the seat.
Texas immigration protection recipients look to Congress as TPS protections end
Thousands of Texans with Temporary Protected Status face an uncertain future after the Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to revoke the immigration protections. With TPS offering no direct path to citizenship, some recipients are now looking toward the November midterms and hoping Congress could provide another option.
Houston Public Media’s Andrew Schneider reports.
