Central Texas top stories for May 4, 2023. San Marcos grand jury decision. State energy regulators summer outlook. Bill could prevent cities passing eviction protections. Erwin Center demolition.
88th Texas Legislature
KUT Morning Newscast for May 3, 2023
Central Texas top stories for May 3, 2023. Severe weather on Thursday. Early voting turnout. Enhanced library cards. Free menstrual products for students. San Marcos police contract.
Teaching ancient Greek and Roman texts in the Jim Crow era
As Title 42 comes to an end, El Paso declares a state of emergency due to the influx of migrants.
The week ahead at the Texas Legislature, and two bills affecting transgender youth in Texas; one relating to medical treatment, the other, sports competition.
An investigation of a chemical fire in Deer Park outside of Houston, and what it says about warning signs and preparation for potential disasters.
Researchers revisit an educational debate from the Jim Crow era, and the contributions of the Black Texans at the center of it.
KUT Morning Newscast for May 1, 2023
Central Texas top stories for May 1, 2023. Early voting ends tomorrow. Court ruling in Travis County Democratic Party firebombing case. Nueces street expansion. Austin ISD teacher housing. Fentanyl test strip legalization. State government limiting home rule powers. Texas Stars leading playoff series. Austinite drafted in the NFL.
Performers pay tribute to Willie Nelson for his 90th birthday
A push in the state Legislature to end countywide voting on Election Day. Nearly 100 counties in Texas allow voters to cast their Election Day ballots anywhere in the county. But now a move to require voters to cast their ballots in specific district locations. Why the push, and why it matters.
The Veterans Administration is looking into a new application for artificial intelligence: suicide prevention.
An oil tanker bound for Houston seized by Iran. What this move may signal.
And country music luminaries pool their talents for an album to celebrate the 90th birthday of the Red Headed Stranger Willie Nelson.
Evidence suggests Texas Rangers may have created mass gravesite
Is a plan to advance credit for early parole to prisoners with good conduct records or educational advancements a good idea for Texas?
A deadly shooting in West Texas. The victims: migrants. The suspects: brothers in law enforcement. Seven months later, questions mounting about what’s happened to the investigation. Angela Kocherga of KTEP El Paso with more.
The FAA is grounding SpaceX in the aftermath of a historic and messy launch in South Texas.
Also the story behind a Texas furniture store owner, known as much for his TV commercials as for his big league sports wagers.
KUT Morning Newscast for April 26, 2023
Central Texas top stories for April 26, 2023. New emissions rules from EPA. Texas Senate passes police officer protections. San Marcos police contract negotiations. AACHI COVID-19 vaccine clinic. Hays CISD fentanyl education initiative. ACC 50th anniversary.
KUT Morning Newscast for April 25, 2023
Central Texas top stories for April 25, 2023. Severe weather in Central Texas. Early voting. City of Austin development lawsuit. Williamson County partnership with South Korea. Childcare funding.
KUT Morning Newscast for April 24, 2023
Central Texas top stories for April 24, 2023. Early voting in Central Texas. Police oversight. Williamson County school bond propositions. Severe weather. Austin home prices dropping. HB900.
An Earth Day appreciation for the Texas Hill Country
What’s behind a bill that would remove Texans from voter rolls if they miss two federal elections? We’ll hear from a UT Law voting rights expert on what’s behind the push for a law that proponents say is designed to clean up messy voting registration lists, and what opponents see as voter suppression.
After five decades studying the Hill Country, biologist David Hillis has authored a new book on the area’s immense biodiversity.
Could Texas become the next comedy hub? We’ll hear from “Saturday Night Live” cast member and native Texan Devon Walker, who’s performing at the Moontower Comedy Festival in Austin.
Plus, the week in politics with the Texas Tribune.
How two Uvalde survivors are rebuilding their lives
Almost a year after the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, two injured fourth graders are still trying to recover. Edgar Sandoval of the New York Times talks with us about his profile of two children injured in the shooting – and the months since.
Yesterday’s half-hour grounding of Southwest Airlines departures was blamed on technical issues. Why the FAA and other investigators want a closer look.
Why some lawmakers are pushing to keep Texas crypto miners from cashing in on a tool to help the power grid survive during times of peak demand.
KUT Morning Newscast for April 19, 2023
Central Texas top stories for April 19, 2023. Austin Energy bills hearing. Kyle’s new city manager. San Marcos CISD bond. Travis County Public Health youth mental health awareness campaign.
KUT Morning Newscast for April 12, 2023
Central Texas top stories for April 12, 2023. Texas school board members push for more school funding. Leander ISD school closure plans. Austin airport hidden disabilities program. San Marcos bus tracker. Fusebox Festival.
What the worry over ChatGPT looks like on college campuses
The Texas House approved a ban on school vouchers but the Senate has plans to overcome that.
One pill kills: a new statewide campaign to warn Texans about the dangers of fentanyl.
An attempt by the EPA to cut substantial cancer risk in some Gulf Coast communities by as much as 96%.
From college classrooms in El Paso and Austin, a reality check on the impact of ChatGPT.
A Texas child mental health program that could prove to be a model for other states.
Plus more than just peanuts and Cracker Jack on the menu this baseball season… barbecue smokers, too.
KUT Morning Newscast for April 11, 2023
Central Texas top stories for April 11, 2023. ACC tuition costs remain the same. Williamson County COVID-19 relief funds. College food insecurity. Education vouchers hearing. Round Rock shelter fire safety code. Austin Resource Recovery plastic collection. UT Baseball.
What’s next after Texas judge rules abortion medication illegal
A ruling in Amarillo that could be the most consequential abortion decision since last year’s case overturning Roe v Wade. The ruling late Friday effectively bans Mifepristone, an abortion drug. But minutes after that ruling, another in Washington state orders the FDA to do nothing to restrict the pill’s availability. What happens next?
Two Democratic state legislators expelled last week in Tennessee. Could something similar happen in Texas?
And fentanyl: why experts are calling it the “social media drug”, and why interdiction efforts may be misplaced.
What a banking slowdown in Texas means for the economy
The relationship between U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and Dallas billionaire Harlan Crow is under scrutiny after a ProPublica investigation reporting that Thomas accepted lavish vacations and more from the GOP donor.
The Texas House has passed a sweeping budget that reveals a lot about support for some key issues including school vouchers, gun-related crimes and more.
And the Texas Standard’s Sean Saldana with what a new survey of bankers tells us about the state of Texas’ economy.
‘Be My Eyes’ app uses AI to help people with disabilities
So-called smaller bills have a big impact on lives of everyday Texans. We’ll find where some of them stand in the Legislature.
A new book investigates why the state of Texas separated six Black children from their birth parents. The kids died when their adoptive parents drove off a cliff. We’ll have interview with the author.
Why the catalytic converter remains a popular car part for thieves and how to protect your vehicle.
And how AI translates into more independence for Texans with disabilities.
The state’s appointing conservators to oversee Austin’s school district
The Texas Education Agency wants to appoint a management team to help Austin ISD address “systemic issues” in serving students with disabilities, less than a month after the state announced a takeover of Houston ISD.
Some real fish tales out of San Angelo: We’ll tell you about the lake where anglers are catching tons of monster fish.
We’ll hear about the Country Music Television Awards’ Texas debut, the first time the ceremony has been held outside Nashville.
And what to look for from the state Legislature this week.
KUT Morning Newscast for April 3, 2023
Central Texas top stories for April 3, 2023. Texas Education Agency taking over Austin ISD Special Education. Lifeguard hiring audit. Travis County Expunction Expo. Fitzhugh concert venue pushback. Texas oil and gas report. Nursing workforce bill.