It’s possible the most closely watched statewide race in Texas this election cycle could also be the closest once the ballots are counted. How Ted Cruz and Colin Allred are making a final push in the days before Nov. 5.
In San Antonio, plans to demolish a building once part of a World’s Fair might be put on hold because of its history. Jack Morgan of Texas Public Radio tells us more.
And: The new book “The Fall of Roe” explores the decade before the Dobbs decision and the political apparatus that made it possible.
abortion
Talking with a real-life Texas Willy Wonka
Reporters have now identified a Texas woman experts say died because of the state’s restrictive abortion ban.
As early voting continues across Texas, we’ll check in with some LGBTQ+ voters about what’s on their minds as they head to the polls.
Also, some of the people removed in Gov. Greg Abbott’s voter roll purges were eligible voters.
Apple’s latest product announcement wasn’t one big event, but a whole series of smaller launches. How consumers and markets are reacting.
And it’s Halloween! We’ve got both tricks and treats in store, plus a story from our insect expert that isn’t for the queasy – but also a sweet one out of East Texas.
The untold history of the Texas Farm Workers Union
Over a span of 13 years, federal Judge Janis Jack repeatedly demanded that state officials do more to fix Texas’ troubled foster care system. Now, she’s been ordered off the case.
As Election Day nears, political polls are everywhere. Many are done by phone. But with so many people ignoring calls labeled “political survey,” who’s actually participating?
And: We’re kicking off a three-part series that dives into the history of the Texas Farm Workers Union – a group that existed only briefly but played a key role in the fight for farmworker justice. The Standard’s Raul Alonzo has the story.
Texas Extra: The Poll Party
Barely half of Texas voting age population turned out for the 2020 presidential election. And the story is worse for young voters. We wondered, what can we do about that? So the Texas Standard joined forces with our home music station, KUTX, and the UT Austin student station, KVRX, for what we called a poll party. The focus was issues important to young voters. But we think there’s something here you might find interesting no matter your age.
KUT Morning Newscast for August 22, 2024
Central Texas top stories for August 22, 2024. The City of Austin is facing a lawsuit over its efforts to pay for Austinites to travel outside of Texas for an abortion. Central Health leadership gave preliminary approval Wednesday evening to their next fiscal year budget, which will go before Travis County commissioners for a final vote next month. The city of Austin is accepting financial donations to replace sixteen bicycles that were stolen this past Sunday from the Lorraine “Grandma” Camacho Activity Center.
Remembering the London School explosion, a tragedy that changed safety forever
Two women file federal complaints after they say Texas hospitals refused to perform medically necessary abortions to terminate ectopic pregnancies.
In East Texas, a tiny museum is dedicated to preserving the history of the 1937 London School explosion, the deadliest school disaster in U.S. history and the reason natural gas has an added odor.
Are state Republicans passing laws they know are unconstitutional – and is this a political strategy?
People and places in North Texas pay homage to Mexican Painter Frida Kahlo.
And: All across the state, honeybees make a big comeback thanks to new beekeepers – so much so that a statewide bee specialist is now on the job.
What to know about sunscreen this summer
The Supreme Court has dismissed a closely watched abortion case, paving the way for doctors to perform emergency abortions in Idaho.
How a tunnel system in Houston contributes to flooding – and the bipartisan effort to fix it.
We’ll have the latest from Consumer Reports on their sunscreen findings, from SPF ratings to new ingredients.
Women at a Texas prison allege they and others are suffering abuse at the hands of one guard. Texas Public Radio investigates.
Plus: Netflix House is coming to Dallas, and tech expert Omar Gallaga has the details on what to expect from the immersive experience.
After devastating tornadoes, Sanderson residents begin to rebuild and recover
The Texas Medical Board has offered guidance to doctors on the emergency medical exception to the state’s abortion ban.
How the small town of Sanderson in West Texas is recovering after a pair of tornadoes.
Shipments of avocados and mangoes from the Mexican state of Michoacán to the U.S. are suspended after two U.S. Department of Agriculture workers in the region were detained by local protesters and later removed from the area, leaving inspections of produce on hold. What will it mean for prices?
Reading, writing and roasting: Texas A&M is hoping to school the next generation of coffee experts by offering a Coffee Processing and Quality Certificate.
And: what Texas architecture of the mid century tells us about the Lone Star State and its complicated aspirations – we’re talking to the author and photographer behind “Home, Heat, Money, God: Texas and Modern Architecture.”
Supreme Court upholds domestic violence gun law in North Texas case
In an 8-1 decision, the Supreme Court has issued a major ruling on gun rights, effectively disarming domestic abusers.
A meeting today to consider the exceptions to the state’s near-total abortion ban: It’s an effort to deal with fears about prosecution cited by many Texas doctors.
The latest on what could be upcoming federal rules on heat protection for workers.
Elon Musk gets the green light to reincorporate Tesla in Texas – but he’s far from alone. How the move is a part of a larger shift to reincorporate in the Lone Star State and why.
A conversation with Tara López, whose new book “Chuco Punk: Sonic Insurgency in El Paso” examines the city’s punk scene from its beginning to the turn of the century.
And: the week in politics with The Texas Tribune.
Texas’ Jamestown Revival talk Tony-nominated score
The U.S. Supreme Court makes a key decision on abortion access, but is it the final word on the matter? The highest court in the land makes a unanimous decision on the abortion drug mifepristone, in a case that was originally filed in Amarillo.
The producers of the hit Broadway musical “The Outsiders” wanted someone outside the theatre world to score their play. Magnolia’s own Jamestown Revival stop by to talk about their Tony-nominated songs.
We’ve also got the latest intelligence on Apple bringing AI to its phones.
Inside San Antonio College’s hands-on mortuary science program
We’re taking a look at the remaining Supreme Court decisions this term, on gun rights, abortion, freedom of speech online, and homelessness, just to name a few.
Texas Democrats and Republicans build bipartisan consensus to tackle the state’s affordable housing crisis.
A petition drive in the Valley aims to change the McAllen city charter, to give voters more power in shaping policy.
San Antonio has a new funeral home, the only one in the country operating on a college campus.
And: saving the Texas tortoise and horned lizard – how a rancher and her dog are helping scientists find the elusive critters.
Simone Biles sets new records at Olympic qualifier
Mayors from South Texas are in DC today to join President Joe Biden as he announces a plan that would limit the number of people who could request asylum at the southern border. Is it more political, or practical?
It’s getting hot out there – and if you haven’t noticed, your pets certainly have. We’ll hear from an expert about how to keep them cool this summer.
And: Simone Biles’ sweep at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships brings her career U.S. medal count to 41, including 32 golds.
Why is Ted Cruz proposing a bill to legislate in vitro fertilization?
There’s infighting among Texas Republicans over the next steps in their efforts to stop abortions in the state.
Canada is Texas’s second-biggest international trade partner, behind Mexico. We’re talking to Mary Ng, Canada’s minister of export, trade and economic development, during her visit to the Lone Star State this week.
After the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos are considered children under state law, Democrats raced to pass bills to protect in vitro fertilization. Now, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz is pushing a similar bill – but what exactly would it do?
Ahead of Memorial Day on Monday, we’ll hear from a Texas family still working to make sure the legacy of their beloved serviceman is honored.
And: Today marks two years since the deadly shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. A survivor’s story.
Peace, Love, and Texas Women: Women in Austin music reflect on the Texas abortion ban
Women from the Austin music scene talk about how the Texas abortion ban is impacting their lives.
You’ll hear from music publicist Adrienne Lake, membership manager at The Recording Academy Amanda Garcia Davenport, Cassandra Shankman, aka DJ Cassandra, event producer Cheyenne Doer and songwriter, rapper and producer Qi Dada, who is one-half of the Austin hip-hop duo Riders Against the Storm.
KUT Afternoon Newscast for April 26, 2024
Central Texas top stories for April 26, 2024. UT Austin faculty sign a letter stating they have lost confidence in University President Jay Harzell’s leadership. Travis County will not pursue misdemeanor charges against protesters arrested during a pro-Palestinian demonstration this week on the UT Austin campus. There’s still time to weigh in on a proposal from the Texas Medical Board that would guide doctors navigating the emergency exception to Texas abortion law. Hutto ISD has a new, acting superintendent. Thrive Fest connects families with mental health services for kids. Austin FC. Longhorn sports.
Tracking the unprecedented rise in ocean temperatures
Rising temperatures in the forecast this week. Will blackouts come with them? ERCOT, the state’s electric grid operator, says the power might go out this week.
Did a doctor in Houston keep patients from receiving organ transplants? His own hospital is investigating.
And becoming a psychologist is expensive, but Texas is trying to make it cheaper. Could it make mental health care more accessible too?
An Indigenous perspective on the solar eclipse from a traditional healer
In a long-running securities fraud case against Ken Paxton, a deal has been reached that will let the attorney general avoid trial or an admission of guilt.
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments today in what could be the most important case on reproductive rights since the Dobbs decision, this time on access to medication abortion.
Autonomous vehicles are getting a lot of bad press. Could smart roads pave the way to self-driving cars and trucks? A smart highway in Texas may put that to the test.
Marika Alvarado, who describes herself as a “direct descendant of generations of Medicine Women: traditional native healers of body, midwives and plant medicine,” shares her Indigenous perspective on the solar eclipse.
And: A UT San Antonio professor has dubbed the upcoming eclipse “the most profitable 22 minutes in Texas history.” Bulent Temel joins the show with more.
Introducing Rhizome, Laredo’s unique art project and community collaboration
The Texas Medical Board has offered a wide definition of emergency medical exemptions to the state’s strict ban on abortion.
Health care is also at the center of a massive cyberattack that’s been crippling insurance payments, but consumer information is very likely involved.
Police high-speed chases can be extremely dangerous for the general public, not just the vehicles involved. What we’ve learned in a deep dive into the data for North Texas chases.
The price at the pump has been going up again and global uncertainties could affect that further.
And we’ll take a trip to Laredo to explore Rhizome, a community art project, and hear from artist Crystal Wagner.
KUT Afternoon Newscast for March 14, 2024
Central Texas top stories for March 14, 2024. TEA places IDEA Public Schools under conservatorship. Activists protest at Austin City Hall calling for better investments in homeless and tenant stabilization programs. Georgetown I-S-D’s aerospace engineering program is one of twelve nationwide to be selected for an aviation workforce development grant. Guidance for abortion providers.
A national lab didn’t detect disease in Texas deer, but the state had already euthanized them
Missing mail and massive delays in postal delivery in the Houston area are sparking action from U.S. Rep. Al Green. We’ll hear what he plans to do about it.
A controversial law allowing Texas police to arrest people suspected of crossing the border illegally takes effect soon – but some rural sheriffs in the Big Bend region say they’re not eager to enforce it.
And: An entire herd of white-tailed deer at the Kerr Wildlife Management Area was euthanized amid concerns about the spread of a contagious disease. But the affected deer may not have had the disease after all, according to new test results.