Here’s what’s coming up on Texas Standard for Monday, Aug. 3, 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.
Texas backtracks after wrongly flagging voters as noncitizens
Texas election officials are restoring some voters to the rolls after a federal verification system incorrectly flagged them as potential noncitizens. More than 2,700 voters were initially identified, raising questions about how the screening process works and what eligible voters should do ahead of the midterms.
Natalia Contreras of Votebeat and The Texas Tribune joins the Standard with more.
Remembering El Paso author Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Award-winning El Paso author and poet Benjamin Alire Sáenz died July 28 after a prolonged illness. His work, including the bestselling novel “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe,” brought national attention to border life, identity and belonging.
KTEP’s Angela Kocherga reflects on Sáenz’s literary legacy.
Recent Texas college graduates face a tougher job market
Many recent college graduates are finding that earning a degree does not guarantee a quick start to their careers. Across Texas, new graduates are confronting fewer entry-level openings, longer searches and growing pressure to distinguish themselves in a competitive labor market.
KERA News’ Bill Zeeble reports.
Tax free weekend or not, back-to-school supply costs rise for Texas families
Families preparing for the new school year are paying more for notebooks, backpacks, pencils and other classroom essentials.
Chabeli Carrazana, who covers the economy for The 19th News, joins the Standard with more.
South Texas residents build ICE warning networks
As immigration arrests increase, residents in South Texas are using neighborhood alert systems to track and share information about ICE activity. The networks have grown amid fear and uncertainty over enforcement tactics, including a disputed high-speed chase through Laguna Vista.
Texas Observer investigative fellow Gaige Davila joins the Standard with the story.
This week in Texas music history
Jason Mellard from the Center for Texas Music History takes us backstage at NYC’s storied punk dive CBGB’s with Austin proto-punks The Skunks.
Austin’s Tiny Sounds collective creates all-ages music spaces
Tiny Sounds is helping Austin’s independent bands reach new audiences through all-ages shows held in bookstores and other unconventional venues. Built around a low-cost, do-it-yourself approach, the creative collective is creating performance opportunities outside the city’s traditional club circuit.
KUT Art Beat reporter Ella Kopeikin reports.
USMCA uncertainty puts Texas jobs and trade at risk
Texas businesses are closely watching the future of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement as the Trump administration seeks to renegotiate the trade deal. Mexico and Canada are Texas’ two largest trading partners, and prolonged uncertainty could affect manufacturers, exporters and thousands of jobs across the state.
Houston Public Media’s Andrew Schneider reports.
