Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Tuesday, July 14, 2026:
Corpus Christi gave $100 million in water discounts to industry giants. Locals picked up the bill
For at least a decade, Corpus Christi gave major industrial plants deep discounts on water. And locals footed the $100 million bill for some of the world’s wealthiest energy companies.
Three years ago, that changed as a water crisis loomed. Corpus Christi officials doubled the water rates of those companies to correct the imbalance, and that’s led to a legal battle. Dylan Baddour, who reports for Inside Climate News, joins the Standard with the story.
What to expect as the World Cup winds down
This afternoon, the World Cup semifinals kick off with powerhouse teams France and Spain facing off in Dallas Stadium. Tomorrow, England and Argentina battle it out in Atlanta.
Jimmy Maas, co-host of KUT’s Vamos Verde soccer podcast, joins the Standard with an analysis:
Even Taco Tuesday could be more expensive as beef prices continue to rise
Barbacoa, brisket and carne asada are taco staples in Texas. But beef prices have been on the rise, as the number of cattle in the U.S. has reached its lowest point in decades.
Houston Public Media’s Natalie Weber tells us the state’s taco restaurant owners and customers are feeling the pinch.
Lawsuit is the latest in a battle in East Texas over water rights
In East Texas, Dallas investor Kyle Bass has a plan to pump billions of gallons out of the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer every year. But that idea has been hampered by the local groundwater district. In May, that group put a pause on all major water projects. Now, Bass is suing the groundwater district to get the pause lifted.
Jess Huff, Lufkin-based reporter for The Texas Tribune, joins the Standard with more.
Higher education among students who have been in foster care
Just 5% of Texans with experience in foster care have a college degree or something similar. That puts them behind most other subgroups in the state.
That number and the reasons behind it are from a new landscape report by the nonprofit “Education Reach for Texans” and funded by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating board.
Sheila Bustillos, co-founder of the nonprofit and a co-author of the report, joins Texas Standard.
San Antonio street nurses bring wound care to people experiencing homelessness
For people who are unhoused and living on the streets of San Antonio, a small injury can become a serious medical issue — and that can lead to extreme pain, severe infection, or even amputation. That’s why a team of nurses and health care workers is taking medical care beyond the walls of traditional clinics.
Texas Public Radio’s David Martin Davies went out with a San Antonio Street Nursing Team to see what it means to practice medicine on the street.
Power plants for data centers being approved under a regulatory loophole
Texas is racing to become the nation’s AI capital, with hundreds of data centers either operating or on the drawing board. But a new investigation from Floodlight finds many of the power plants built to support those facilities are being approved under permitting rules more commonly used for dry cleaners and auto body shops — often with little public notice or environmental review.
Brad Racino, editor-in-chief of Floodlight, joins the Standard with details.
