Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Tuesday, June 10, 2025. Check back later today for updated story links and audio.
Texas faces rare federal lawsuit over in-state tuition for undocumented students
After years of challenging federal authority, Texas was on the defense when the U.S. sued over state law allowing in-state tuition for undocumented students. But unlike in past cases, the state didn’t fight very hard to preserve its autonomy this time.
Eleanor Klibanoff of The Texas Tribune joins the Standard with more.
Houston passes $7 billion budget after protests
Mayor John Whitmire’s $7 billion city budget got the green light from Houston City Council last week, despite opposition from critics.
Houston Public Media’s Dominic Anthony Walsh reports.
Texas foster care leader announces retirement
The Head of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services has announced she’ll leave the position at the end of July. Commissioner Stephanie Muth has been with the department since January of 2023. The Texas Newsroom’s Paul Flahive reports:
Why more Americans are buying groceries with Klarna
Buy now, pay later services aren’t just for electronics and plane tickets anymore. The New York Times’ Julie Creswell reports they’re increasingly being used for everyday necessities – like food.
She joins the show with more.
DNA databases are solving decades-old infant deaths – and not without controversy
Nearly 20 years after the body of a newborn was found near a fence in Medina County, investigators used new DNA technology to identify her mother.
The New York Times’ Isabelle Taft joins Texas Standard with how new evidence is unearthing dark chapters in the lives of many women who have seemingly moved on.
Inside a teen’s five months in a Texas migrant detention facility
A new memoir shares the voice of a boy detained in Tornillo at age 14 – and the unlikely friendship that helped him survive.
“Detained” is co-authored by Gerardo Iván Morales and the teen, known as D. Esperanza. They join the Standard with more.
Texas talks tough on immigration – but soft-pedals employer enforcement
Unlike many red states, Texas doesn’t require most employers to use E-Verify, the federal system that checks a worker’s legal status.
Lomi Kriel of ProPublica and The Texas Tribune talks to the show about the politics behind the state’s stance and more.
All this, plus Alexandra Hart with the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Wells Dunbar with the Talk of Texas.
