Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025.
Turning Point USA expansion raises questions for Texas high schools
Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick want every Texas high school to host a chapter of right-wing group Turning Point USA, prompting questions about implementation and oversight. Education reporters say the proposal also raises practical and political questions, including whether the state will enforce the mandate or fund it.
Jaden Ellison of the Texas Tribune joins Texas Standard with more.
Inside America’s growing plasma-for-cash economy
Texas Public Radio’s David Martin Davies continues his examination of the multibillion-dollar plasma industry and the ethical tensions at its core. Vital for life-saving therapies, plasma compensation systems often rely on low-income donors – raising concerns about exploitation and access.
Davies reports on how the industry operates and who benefits.
Voces Oral History Center founder prepares to step down
For more than two decades, Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez has led the Voces Oral History Center at UT-Austin, building the nation’s largest archive documenting Latino life and military service.
As she prepares to step down next year, she reflects on the program’s growth, its future leadership and her own path in journalism and advocacy.
Waymo faces scrutiny after school-bus safety complaint in Austin
Austin ISD has filed a federal complaint after videos showed Waymo autonomous vehicles passing stopped school buses “illegally and dangerously.” The company has issued a voluntary software recall, but questions remain about whether the fix is sufficient and whether similar problems have appeared elsewhere in Texas.
The Standard’s Shelly Brisbin joins the show with an update.
New children’s book explores the history and meaning of the poinsettia
Houston-area author Alda P. Dobbs traces the origins of the poinsettia – the “Christmas flower” – in her bilingual children’s book, “The Giving Flower.” The story blends history, folklore, and botanical surprises, including the fact that the plant’s bright “blooms” are actually leaves.
Dobbs sits down with Texas Standard to share what inspired the book and what she hopes young readers take from it.
Black bears return to West Texas after decades of absence
Once hunted out of the state, black bears are reappearing across West Texas thanks to conservation efforts in Mexico and the U.S. Their return is raising new questions for wildlife managers and rural communities as sightings increase in towns and ranchlands.
Carlos Morales reports on why their comeback is accelerating and whether Texans are prepared.
