Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Monday, June 29, 2026.
US Supreme Court hands down major rulings on executive power
The U.S. Supreme Court handed down rulings in Trump v. Slaughter and Trump v. Cook, two cases concerning executive power today.
To discuss what the decisions mean, the Standard is joined by Charles “Rocky” Rhodes, Edward H. Hunvald Professor of Law and Wall Fellow in Constitutional Law at the University of Missouri School of Law.
Texas Democrats wrap convention with eye towards midterms
With the 2026 midterms still months away, Democrats gathered in Corpus Christi this weekend looking to convince Texans they have a message that can break a three-decade statewide losing streak. The keynote speaker was independent U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, something Texas Republicans seized on as a sign the party is moving too far left. But inside the convention hall, Democrats insisted their focus is simpler: the cost of living, affordability, and what they describe as a political system that favors powerful interests over working Texans.
Blaise Gainey, politics reporter for The Texas Newsroom, joins Texas Standard to help us unpack the weekend and what it may tell us about the road to November.
This week in Texas music history
Jason Mellard with the Center for Texas Music History checks the archives.
How does oil fit into today’s geopolitics?
For decades, oil has been the world’s strategic commodity. Wars, recessions, inflation —everything seemed to flow through the price of crude. But after the Iran conflict, prices spiked, then largely came back down. Have oil markets become more resilient, or are we underestimating the next shock? Should we be rethinking where oil fits in the geopolitical equation?
Matt Smith, head analyst at Kpler, joins us the Standard for a discussion.
Changes coming July 1 for student loans
For student loan borrowers, and the millions who hold student debt, there are big changes coming July 1. From the end of old repayment plans to the addition of new ones, as well as new borrowing limits, there’s a lot borrowers can do before these changes take effect.
Betsy Mayotte, president and founder of The Institute of Student Loan Advisors, the Standard with some tips.
Peeling back the story around a Texas impressionist’s paining
Julian Onderdonk was an impressionist painter who gained a reputation as the Father of Texas Art in the early 20th Century. He was born and raised in South Texas and gained notoriety for his bluebonnet paintings.
But it’s a 1915 painting, “Gulf Clouds in the Hills on the West Prong of the Medina River,” that captured John R. Millard’s attention. It shows a section of the river in Bandera County where Millard lives — and he believes part of his property is depicted in that very Onderdonk piece.
Millard wrote about it for Texas Co-Op Power Magazine, and joins Texas Standard with the story.
State Board of Education approves Bible passages in required reading list
What should students be required to read in school? It’s a question that gets at more than literature. It touches on history, culture, religion, and ultimately who gets to decide what’s considered essential for an education. Now, the Texas State Board of Education has approved a new statewide required reading list that includes Bible passages alongside classic works of literature.
The Houston Chronicle’s Isaac Yu joins Texas Standard to discuss the implications.
