Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Friday, Aug. 22, 2025:
Where flood-related bills stand in the new special session
Flood prevention, emergency response, rebuilding efforts and camp safety make up some of the focus of bills back on the table during the second special legislative session in response to the deadly Fourth of July floods.
For closer look at the flood-related bills and where they are in the lawmaking process, we’re joined by Emily Foxhall, climate reporter for the Texas Tribune:
What to expect when the ‘Make Texas Healthy Again’ bill goes into effect
As of Sept. 1, the state will have more than 830 new laws on the books, including Senate Bill 25, a wide-ranging law aimed at addressing the role of nutrition and exercise in preventing chronic disease. It’s part of a package of new legislation state legislators touted as a “Make Texas Healthy Again” agenda.
KUT News’ Olivia Aldridge reports on how Senate Bill 25 is set to affect Texans, with everything from changes to medical school curriculum to new labels in the grocery aisle.
Dallas Fed report shows impact of uncertainty on Texas economy
The headline of the latest Texas employment forecast from the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas says the state’s economy is softening amid an uncertain outlook.
The Texas Standard’s Sean Saldana digs further into the numbers in the August report:
AI-focused private Alpha School puts emphasis on parental choice
A for-profit school in Austin is doing things differently. Alpha School has received a lot of national attention for its innovative use of AI in the classroom.
But, as Texas Standard intern Zachary Suri found out, the school’s emphasis on parental choice might be even more radical than its technology.
How the looming college football season is looking for Texas teams
The 2025 college football season is right around the corner, and there are some teams from Texas with big-time gridiron aspirations.
Sam Khan Jr., who covers college football in Texas for the Athletic, joins us with a rundown on how the Texas teams may fare.
Austin-based filmmaker Noah Hawley talks “Alien: Earth”
Noah Hawley likes to play in the worlds of some of his favorite directors. “Fargo,” based on the 1996 film by the Coen Brothers, turned into a hit five-season TV series in Hawley’s hands. Now, he’s doing the same with Ridley Scott’s “Alien.”
“Alien: Earth” is available on Hulu and FX – and a few episodes in, fans and critics are similarly impressed. Hawley joins Texas Standard to talk about the series.
The gang delivers another custom poem. Reach out to Texas Standard with your topic suggestions!
The week in Texas politics
Texas Tribune politics editor Jasper Scherer joins the Standard with a recap of the week that was in Texas politics:
