Central Texas top stories for August 8, 2024. Austin City Council members are set to finalize the city budget over the next week. Austin is set to open a record number of permanent supportive housing in the next couple of years. The Central Health board of managers vote on a proposed tax rate. The University Interscholastic League has announced new rules for outdoor activities to keep students safe in the heat. Lockhart voters will decide this fall whether to decriminalize low-level marijuana possession, and the National Weather Service expects triple-digit highs into next week.
Why are so many Central Texas school districts in a budget deficit?
The Austin ISD school board is expected to vote tonight to approve a budget for the next fiscal year. Like other districts throughout Central Texas, AISD is going to be millions of dollars in the hole, despite already identifying millions in spending cuts. KUT’s Becky Fogel reports on how so many districts ended up in the same budget deficit boat.
KUT Morning Newscast for June 7, 2024
Central Texas top stories for June 7, 2024. Austin Water is asking Austinites in the southwest area of the city to conserve water today. Austin ISD needs to slash millions in costs and increase revenue to offset budget deficit. Bird flu detected in Austin wastewater but public health authority says risk of contracting the virus is still low. People in San Marcos are hearing train horns in the city for the first time since 2015 and reaction is mixed. Texas Softball comes up short of securing program’s first national championship.
Civics 101: Texas Lyceum Poll
The Texas Lyceum released on Wednesday their annual poll highlighting some of the biggest issues on the minds of Texans, ranging from housing and water to gambling and marijuana.
As part of our Civics 101 series that’s running all week on KUT News and at KUT.org, All Things Considered host Jerry Quijano caught up with Nathaniel Wright, vice-president for polls with Texas Lyceum, to go over the findings from this year’s survey.
KUT Afternoon Newscast for June 2, 2023
Central Texas top stories for June 2, 2023. Nurses at Ascension Seton Medical Center vote to strike. Travis County considers plan to fund and support communities displaced by gentrification. Austin Transportation Department considers reducing lanes to eliminate crashes along Barton Springs Road. Governor Abbott signs law to increase the number of Texas students taking challenging math courses. Public Utility Commission chairman resigns.
KUT Afternoon Newscast for June 1, 2023
Central Texas top stories for June 1, 2023. Austin will pay $88 million to end lawsuits blocking terminal expansion at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. City of Austin employees protest new work from home policy. 90-day eviction grace period ending in San Marcos. Inflation affecting Central Texas school districts as lawmakers fail to increase per student funding. Austin FC gets a win ahead of another game this weekend.
KUT Afternoon Newscast for May 31, 2023
Central Texas top stories for May 31, 2023. Union representing Austin ISD employees upset with lack of legislative action. More folks experiencing homelessness in Williamson County. Central Texas Food Bank brings back pandemic food assistance program for summer. Austin Public Library offering new ID cards. Round Rock ISD pop-up library. Austin FC takes on Minnesota to close out May.
KUT Afternoon Newscast for May 30, 2023
Central Texas top stories for May 30, 2023. Bill targeting so-called progressive district attorneys goes to Governor’s desk, while another bill to kill Project Connect dies at the Texas Capitol. Jacob’s Well could remain closed through the summer. Writers’ strike affecting this week’s ATX Television Festival. Free meals for all children at IDEA schools. Closures this week at Zilker Park.
This Week(end) in Austin Music
This weekend you can catch shows from Leo Kottke, Toro y Moi, Mastodon, Dinosaur Jr. and more.
This Week(end) in Austin Music
This weekend you can catch shows from Alejandro Escovedo, The Stacks, Trouble in The Streets, Die Spitz and more.
KUT Afternoon Newscast for April 7, 2023
Central Texas top stories for April 7, 2023. Austin increasing park ranger patrols near Rainey Street trailhead. San Marcos man pleads guilty to synagogue fire. Officer indicted in Joshua Wright killing. Travis County board for low-income housing votes to sell 200-unit building. San Antonio Spurs plan to hold more games in Austin. The Verde and Black are back in action.
This Week(end) in Austin Music
This weekend you can catch shows from Slaid Cleaves, Lomelda, The Magnetic Fields, Croy and the Boys and more.
Austin’s light-rail plans have shrunk. Here are 5 new options.
The plans, each under $5 billion, are starkly smaller than the original map presented to voters before the November 2020 election.
Austin tried and failed to rewrite its land code. Republican lawmakers might do it for them.
Several bills at the state Legislature aim to make it easier to build housing in cities across Texas. It’s a goal Austin had when it attempted to rewrite its land development code several years ago — a process ultimately upended by a legal challenge.
Rodney Terry is making his case to become the permanent head coach of Texas men’s basketball
Terry took over the interim coaching duties in December and did enough in that time to become the Sporting News College Basketball Coach of the Year, the first coach in Texas basketball program history to earn the honor.
What’s at stake in the Texas school voucher debate
School choice and school vouchers are terms that have been thrown around quite a bit during this year’s session of the Texas Legislature, despite the fact that vouchers and other types of school choice legislation are not top of mind for Texas voters.
KUTX Takes SXSW
This week you can catch KUTX shows at Scholz Garten, SXSBreaks, Rock the Shores and the Public Radio Day Stage.
Texas state lawmakers unveil plan to curb renewable energy, subsidize natural gas
The story of what comes next for the Texas power grid took another twist last week as state senators unveiled a package of bills aimed at dramatically reducing renewable energy generation in Texas while pushing public money toward the construction of natural gas power plants.
How are rising housing costs affecting Austin ISD staff?
The district conducted a survey earlier this year which found that more than half of employees who responded are spending more than 30% of their salary on housing costs. Responses show that AISD staff members are moving out of Austin to more affordable areas, taking on longer work commutes in the process.
This Week(end) in Austin Music
This weekend you can catch shows from SZA, The Heavy Heavy, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Golden Dawn Arkestra and more.