abortion

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.

State has seen rise in teen births since abortion ban was enacted

After Donald Trump’s win in the New Hampshire primary, what are the implications and ripple effects as Texas’ primary day approaches?

The Republican Party of Denton County has issued a resolution calling for Brent Hagenbuch to drop out of race for District 30 of the Texas Senate. At issue: allegations that Hagenbuch doesn’t live in the district.

A federal appeals court has given a second chance to Mexico’s $10 billion lawsuit against gun manufacturers, one of the biggest potential setbacks for gun manufacturers in recent memory.

A new study from the University of Houston finds a rise in teen birth rates a year after Texas’ six-week abortion ban went into effect.

And: Analysis of the Supreme Court’s ruling on razor wire at the border.

Rare mushroom sparks excitement in Central Texas and beyond

A GOP junket to Eagle Pass was one of the largest congressional visits to the border in recent memory – but what’s the end goal, and what did lawmakers see?

Eleanor Klibanoff of the Texas Tribune has the details on a ruling by the Fifth Circuit over federal authority to require hospitals to provide abortions, and the implications for Texas.

A rare star-shaped fungus found only in Texas and a few other places worldwide is capturing the attention of mushroom enthusiasts.

Also: Understanding a new trend of cold exposure – does it have the health benefits many claim?

Residents fight proposed Brazoria County primate facility

Is artificial intelligence coming soon to Texas government? A new report says it’s already here.

More than 300,000 immigrants arrived at the southern border in December. Angela Kocherga of KTEP takes a look at one of the busiest border crossing areas year-round: the El Paso sector.

Volunteer pilots are helping abortion-seekers get out of Texas.
A biomedical company wants to build a massive facility for primates in Brazoria County. But locals are fighting back.

And: remembering the music and legacy of Rocky Morales.

New questions over Texas abortion restrictions after court denies

The Texas Supreme Court overruled an order allowing a Dallas-area woman access to an abortion. What does that mean for future cases?

Why a Texas researcher is excited about the federal approval of a gene-editing procedure.

We’ll hear from Texas author Theo Boyd on why she’s writing about a tumultuous period in her life, and what she wants others to take away from her story.

And why some say ramped-up efforts from the Army to find soldiers who fail to report for duty still aren’t enough.

Tired of the same Christmas carols? This Texas composer has some rearrangements

A Texas judge grants a Dallas-area woman her request for an abortion, despite the state’s strict ban. It is thought to be one of the first attempts to seek a court-approved abortion since the U.S Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe vs. Wade. Olivia Aldridge of KUT in Austin shares more.

Aid for Ukraine and Israel is blocked for now over border security concerns, and Texas’ two U.S. senators were very much a part of that process. A Texas Tech political science professor breaks it down.

As Texas cities try to rein in traffic, San Antonio revives a plan to be more bicycle-friendly.

And: North Texas-based music writer and conductor Taylor Davis is discovering something new in the Christmas carols we’ve heard for decades on end.

KUT Morning Newscast for December 8, 2023

Central Texas top stories for December 8, 2023. A Travis County District Judge ruled a Texas woman can have an emergency abortion. The Austin City Council voted 9-2 to change rules to let property owners build more housing. The Austin Police Department names two more victims of Tuesday’s shootings in Bexar County and Austin. Ascension Seton nurses who went on strike earlier this week are locked out until Sunday. Texas Volleyball faces Stanford Saturday and the Trail of Lights begins tonight.

KUT Afternoon Newscast for December 6, 2023

Central Texas top stories for December 6, 2023. Shooting suspect in custody. Circle C residents react to the shootings. Emergency hearing in Travis County in the case of the woman suing Texas for the right to have an abortion. Longhorns Basketball.

Everything you need to know about cedar fever

Arguments are set for today in a challenge to Texas’ near-total abortion ban. Eleanor Klibanoff of the Texas Tribune with more about a major abortion case before the state Supreme Court.

A securities case before the U.S. Supreme Court could destroy the U.S. government, according to some critics. We’ll try to sort the hyperbole from the facts.

A Texas-based international relations expert weighs in with more on the extended ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

They call it cedar fever season – only there’s no fever, and for some, the suffering lasts more than a season. Top tips for dealing with a Texas scourge.

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Why Texans can’t vote on abortion or marijuana anytime soon

The fourth largest earthquake on record in Texas struck Wednesday out west, renewing concerns about fracking and seismic activity. Erin Douglas of the Texas Tribune with more on yesterday’s temblor and what researchers and regulators are saying about it.

The latest on a runoff for mayor in Texas’ biggest city.
In San Antonio, plans to close several public schools getting pushback from communities targeted for closure.

The economics of electric vehicles: Is the race to EVs losing power?

And voters in Ohio approve ballot measures on abortion and marijuana this week. Why such measures aren’t likely to land on Texas ballots anytime soon.

What’s next after Cruise suspends self-driving cars in Texas?

Several of the biggest cases before the Supreme Court this term originated in Texas, including United States v. Rahimi, which centers around the constitutionality of prohibiting people under domestic violence restraining orders from possessing guns.

There are growing concerns about near misses at airports – and the Austin airport in particular is drawing a lot of attention.

The driverless taxi company Cruise suspended its service in Texas and elsewhere, pending a review of accidents. What’s next in the driverless car space?

Plus a conversation with a musician many consider the original queen of outlaw country: Jessi Colter discusses her 13th studio album, “Edge of Forever.”

Emmitt Smith’s latest move is fighting opioid overdoses

Texas governor Greg Abbott’s prediction a school voucher bill would pass now looks unlikely as the latest special session winds down.

Legendary running back and three-time Super Bowl champ Emmitt Smith teams up with NARCAN to reduce opioid deaths.

How Texans cross into neighboring New Mexico for abortions. We’ll have a special report.

A Texas town’s long-lost photos go on display. What residents hope to learn about their past.

And how a notorious monster has helped generations of parents get children to behave – especially at bedtime. Kristin Cabrera explains the Cucuy.

What new polling says about Texans’ presidential preferences

With the Texas House and Senate in special session, border security is taking center stage – including one measure that sparked a verbal brawl in the state Capitol on Wednesday night.


Tech expert Omar Gallaga tells us why social media companies are de-emphasizing news, and what that means.


Also, a new poll from the Texas Public Policy Project shares clues on where Texans stand on the eve of the 2024 election cycle.

KUT Morning Newscast for August 28, 2023

Central Texas top stories for August 28, 2023. Education summit for Black educators and students. 60th anniversary of MLK’s I Have A Dream. Women focused health clinic under threat.

What’s changed for migrants on the border after Title 42’s end?

Students get grades, but so do Texas schools – and with a change in evaluations, administrators are concerned.

Critics say a state lawsuit against Planned Parenthood is an attempt to completely wipe out what was once a prime provider of abortion services in Texas.

How people experiencing homelessness are trying to cope with life-threatening temperatures.

The end of pandemic restrictions against migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. prompted a lot of speculation about how the situation at border would be affected. We’ll take a look at what’s actually changed on the ground.

Also, what put a once-sleepy town in the shadow of Dallas on the fast track to becoming one of Texas’ biggest cities.

Heat and the next Great Migration

An exemption to Texas’ abortion ban is on hold after an appeal by the state attorney general. What comes next?

Just how powerful are social media algorithms? Texas researchers test whether changes could help defuse political polarization.

Texas Public Radio’s David Martin Davies got in a kayak to take an up-close look at Gov. Greg Abbott’s floating wall in the Rio Grande.

And a warning that climate change could reverse demographic trends showing major population growth in places like Texas: Could there be a great migration northward?

KUT Morning Newscast for August 8, 2023

Central Texas top stories for August 8, 2023. Oak Grove wildfire is 90 percent contained. Red flag and excessive heat warnings for central Texas. Wildfire safety tips.

KUT Morning Newscast for July 21, 2023

Central Texas top stories for July 21, 2023. Abortion hearings over Texas law ends. Austin ISD plans to hire more school police officers. Austin reduces lot sizes for houses in order to increase affordability.

New movie reminds us we’ve all been living in a Barbie world

Emotional scenes unfolded in what’s believed to be the first open court testimony by women challenging Texas’ abortion ban.

Reporters statewide offer an update on how Texans are coping with this record heat.

Details on a massive release of greenhouse gases in West Texas brought on by the heat.

How does the new movie ‘Oppenheimer’ stack up against history?

And as the ‘Barbie’ movie premieres, a look back at how the world’s most famous doll has been a source of both inspiration and debate for over 60 years.