Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Tuesday, June 30, 2026. Check back later today for updated story links and audio.
US Supreme Court issues ruling on birthright citizenship
The U.S. Supreme Court issued its final decisions of the current term this morning, ruling on cases related to transgender athletes, campaign finance and a highly anticipated decision concerning birthright citizenship.
Seth Chandler, a professor at the University of Houston Law Center, joins Texas Standard to break down the decisions.
Data centers aren’t sharing water-use numbers with the state
Data centers are spreading rapidly across Texas — supporting artificial intelligence, cryptomining and the digital services people use every day. But these facilities require significant amounts of water and electricity.
State lawmakers say they do not have reliable information about how much water the industry is consuming — and how that will impact the state’s water-scarce future.
As Texas Public Radio’s David Martin Davies reports, a recent legislative hearing revealed that most data centers surveyed by the state have not provided the required data.
Texas Top 10 musical moments
As part of KUTX and Texas Standard’s Texas 250 initiative — taking your input on name the top 250 Texas songs — KUTX’s Matt Reilly is running down 10 big moments in Texas music history.
Herd population adding to beef price woes
Beef prices at the grocery store are already high, but they could rise another ten percent by the end of the year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This is not being driven by the New World screwworm, at least not completely.
The Texas Standard’s Michael Marks reports on a more serious culprit: The size of the cattle population.
Saharan dust once again settling in, effecting air quality
Like clockwork, June through August, high winds over northwest Africa pick up large amounts of dust from the Saharan Desert and carry it west. This dust can travel more than 5,000 miles over the Caribbean Sea, eventually reaching Texas. For the next few days, people with asthma and dust sensitivity may notice an uptick in their symptoms.
Mary Wasson, a newsroom meteorologist for the San Antonio Express-News, joins the Standard to go over the details.
Magic, friendship and chisme bookends new kid’s novel
Books can be magic, but is that magic strong enough to keep friends together? That’s the question Austin-based author Laekan Zea Kemp asks in her new book, “The Chismosas Only Book Club.” It’s about a young girl named Cat and her three best friends, who are determined to stay connected as they begin high school. They form a book club that meets in Cat’s great-great-great-grandmother’s bookstore, with a magical twist.
Zea joins the Standard to share more.
Largest virtual public school in Texas abruptly shuts down
In an end-of-year staff meeting in May, staff at one of the largest public virtual schools in Texas celebrated their growth. The school serves 12,000 students and is partnered with a small school system in West Texas. Leaders predicted the school, Lone Star Online Academy, would improve dramatically in the state’s rating system. The goal was to go from an F to a C. Less than a month later, the school closed.
Elizabeth Sander, who reports on education for the Houston Chronicle, joins Texas Standard with the story.
