Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Wednesday, June 17, 2026. Check back later today for updated story links and audio.
A soggy start to summer across Texas
Heavy rains have drenched parts of Texas during the first weeks of hurricane season, bringing flooding concerns to some communities while offering relief in others. Forecasters say the recent wet pattern reflects a mix of tropical moisture and seasonal weather dynamics, though it may not signal what the rest of hurricane season will bring.
Space City Weather editor Eric Berger joins the Standard with more.
Rural Texas pushes back on data centers
Data center development is accelerating across rural Texas, bringing promises of investment alongside growing local opposition. Some counties have tried to slow or limit projects, but legal challenges from developers are testing how much control local governments actually have over land use and infrastructure decisions.
KERA News’ Pablo Arauz Peña reports.
What weeds can teach us about the modern world
Sidewalk cracks, vacant lots and highway medians may seem unlikely places for ecological lessons, but they’re exactly where botanist Joey Santore looks for them. His new book, “Concrete Botany: The Ecology of Plants in the Age of Human Disturbance,” explores how plants adapt in landscapes reshaped by people.
A disability rights case with national implications
A lawsuit led by Texas and several other states is challenging federal disability protections that advocates say help people receive services in their communities instead of institutions. The case could reshape how Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act is interpreted and has drawn widespread concern from disability rights organizations.
Texas Standard’s Shelly Brisbin joins the show with more on the controversy.
Texas Monthly brings back its book imprint
Texas Monthly is relaunching its publishing imprint in partnership with Penguin Random House, reviving a brand that helped publish books about the state’s culture and history decades ago. The new venture arrives as Texas publishing undergoes significant changes and will debut with titles ranging from barbecue to flood recovery and historical fiction.
Texas Monthly editor-in-chief Ross McCammon joins the Standard with more.
Tim Kerr on art, punk and DIY culture
Musician and artist Tim Kerr helped shape Austin’s influential punk scene as a co-founder of the Big Boys, but his creative work has extended far beyond music.
As a new documentary revisits the band’s legacy, the Standard speaks with Kerr about his decades-long commitment to art, community and DIY culture.
Following the Orange Army in Arlington
The World Cup’s arrival in North Texas brought thousands of Dutch soccer fans — and one of the tournament’s most recognizable traditions. Known as the Orange Army, supporters of the Netherlands national team turned Arlington into a sea of orange as they celebrated their team’s opening matches.
KERA News’ Andy Lusk reports from Arlington.
