Here’s what’s coming up on Texas Standard for Tuesday, Sept. 1, 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.
Storm preparations underway as Edouard approaches hurricane strength
Weather forecasters are warning that Tropical Storm Edouard could reach hurricane strength as it heads toward the Gulf Coast. Landfall is likely to bring heavy rains, high winds and flooding to parts of Texas and Louisiana. Gov. Greg Abbott said yesterday that the state’s emergency operations center was activated and that officials had already deployed rescue aircraft, boats and high-water vehicles.
Landfall is expected later today near Sabine Pass in Jefferson County. County Judge Jeff Branick joins the show to talk about the latest storm preparations.
Texas couple among the missing in Nepal flooding
A flash flood in Nepal last week flattened everything in its path after a glacier in the Himalayas crashed down, sending a wall of water through the area. More than 900 people have been declared dead and thousands more are missing. Among them are 80 Americans, including a couple from North Texas who were in Nepal on what their family described as a spiritual pilgrimage.
Amy Wang, who reports for the Washington Post, joins the Standard with the latest.
A breakdown of some of the new laws taking effect today
Some new Texas laws take effect today. Three of the most notable changes involve electronic repairs, residential solar sales and the use of gold and silver as money.
Texas Public Radio’s David Martin Davies has more.
NASA eyes Boeing Starliner launch
NASA says it could launch Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft on its first official mission as soon as later this year. But just months ago, the agency labeled its 2024 test flight as a failure on par with some of NASA’s worst disasters.
Houston Public Media’s Michael Adkison reports.
Water infrastructure defense efforts centered in Texas
This summer, hackers began remotely breaking into the systems that help control America’s water infrastructure. What initially looked like an attack on more than 30 water systems in Minnesota turned out to be much bigger: More than a hundred facilities targeted nationwide across at least 12 states.
U.S. intelligence officials suspect Iran was behind at least some of the attacks, although the government has not formally attributed the broader campaign. But now Washington is mounting a defense, and Texas is the testing ground.
David DiMolfetta covers cybersecurity for Nextgov/FCW and joins Texas Standard for a discussion.
Marfa’s Palace Theater could soon see new life
If you’ve ever been to downtown Marfa, you’ve probably noticed the facade of the old Palace Theater. It was built in 1905 and its green sign and awning still spell out its name. But that’s about all there is left of its former life. The theater was gutted long ago — and inside it’s basically a concrete box.
But the theater’s new owners have an ambitious vision of bringing the Palace Theater back to life. Anna Rau and Corbett Jones are filmmakers who were married in Marfa and split their time between there and Austin. When the Palace property became available, they said they pounced.
The two join the Standard to share more about their plans.
An assessment of John Whitmire’s tenure as Houston’s mayor thus far
Houston Mayor John Whitmire took office in 2024 with big claims about improving public safety and infrastructure. He came to the job with years of experience in the Texas Legislature and, even though he’s a Democrat, a lot of people were optimistic he’d be able to work well with statewide Republicans. But a year and a half or so into the job, there’s a feeling that the odds are just stacked against Houston’s effort to thrive.
Sam Russek has been writing about this in the new cover story of the Texas Observer. He joins the Standard with his thoughts.
