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KUT and KUTX news and music podcasts for Austin, Texas and beyond
Mason LaDue raises cattle on family land in Central Texas. But before he was a rancher, he was mostly on the road, managing tours for artists like Curren$y and Wiz Khalifa.
His journey from the Dallas hip-hop circuit to the homestead is the focus of today’s special program, Rap to the Ranch: The Ballad of Mason ‘Bric’ LaDue.
Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.
You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org
The Texas Lottery Commission faces a reckoning after a string of scandals. We look at what’s next for one of the largest lotteries in the country.
The U.S. Supreme Court has cleared the way for a controversial private facility in Andrews, Texas, to temporarily store high-level nuclear waste.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to open a facility in South Texas to help defend against the new world screwworm, a destructive pest that is working its way north through Mexico toward the southern border.
And: Waco Police Chief Sheryl Victorian is challenging policing stereotypes – not just in uniform, but now as the author of a children’s book about public service.
Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.
You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org
A old law suddenly no more: a judge strikes down in-state tuition for undocumented students in Texas.
What changes can Texans expect for energy and the environment after this week’s conclusion of the 89th Texas Legislature?
After the Smokehouse Creek Fire scorched over 1 million acres, lawmakers also passed a slate of wildfire preparedness bills.
The devastating New World screwworm, eliminated from North America decades ago, are on their way back. The Standard’s Michael Marks talked to ranchers who remember what it was like to fight them.
And: Texas sheriffs could be required to help enforce federal immigration law.
Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.
You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org
The race to be San Antonio’s next mayor was narrowed from a field of 27 to two. What to know before the runoff election on Saturday.
Arrests outside of immigration court have happened in El Paso, Dallas and San Antonio. Why activists say this tactic encourages migrants to break the law.
Texas is set to become the next in a handful of states to ban lab-grown meat for human consumption.
It’s Texas vs. Texas Tech in the Women’s College World Series championship, with Game 1 tonight.
And: We’ll explore Lucas Schaefer’s “The Slip,” a new novel set in late ’90s Austin and propelled by a mysterious disappearance.
Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.
You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org
A record-breaking heat wave will blanket big sections of the state. Is this a preview of summer?
The U.S. has suspended imports of cattle from Mexico as a devastating pest, the New World Screwworm, makes its way north, threatening livestock.
The Houston City Council kicks off budget hearings this week, weighing steep cuts.
The new book “Freedom Season” by Texas author Peniel Joseph explores how the year 1963 transformed civil rights in America.
And: Planning a pit stop at Buc-ee’s? Some of you can now enjoy bathroom art galleries.
An $8 billion funding bill for public schools has passed the Texas House. But is it enough? Where lawmakers stand on education spending.
After a string of weather disasters, a bill could bring financial relief to impacted farmers.
A new book, “Rethinking Medications: Truth, Power, and the Drugs You Take,” examines a shift in trust over federal guidance. Author Dr. Jerry Avorn joins with more.
In the not-too-distant future, iPhones may not be made in China. Omar Gallaga has the latest on talk of a shift in production.
Also: Taco podcaster Mando Rayo shares cookbook picks that put an accent on Tex-Mex flavors.
The Justice Department announces the arrest of a Salvadoran gang member as questions grow about deportations and presidential power. NPR’s Sergio Martinez-Beltran gets us up to speed on the Trump administration’s deportation push, and the pushback.
Five years after COVID, why some health officials in Texas are worried about whether we’re ready for future pandemics.
Why the future of farming may be looking up – as in vertically.
And: This weekend, a historical marker will be unveiled at the Grayson County Courthouse to recognize the Sherman Riot of 1930.
Mason LaDue raises cattle on family land in Central Texas. But before he was a rancher, he was mostly on the road, managing tours for artists like Curren$y and Wiz Khalifa.
His journey from the Dallas hip-hop circuit to the homestead is the focus of today’s special program, Rap to the Ranch: The Ballad of Mason ‘Bric’ LaDue.
Gov. Greg Abbott announced his priorities over the weekend, and it looks like lawmakers in his party are getting right to work.
The Arlington City Council unanimously approved a drilling site that would put 10 new gas wells within a few thousand feet of homes, a daycare and elementary schools. A closer look at the debate.
The impact of bird flu goes far beyond the price of eggs. The latest on how it’s affecting Texas farms and people.
As we’ve well heard, Elon Musk is taking a big role, attempting to re-shape the U.S. government. The young engineers helping him do it.
Plus: It’s feeling a bit like spring already in Texas, but there’s still winter ahead. What the Farmer’s Almanac predicts for the coming months.
This Thanksgiving, we’re reflecting on some of the stories we’ve been grateful to share over the past few months:
– A Texas-based freelance visual journalist reflecting on winning a prestigious prize
– A Uganda-born musician who calls Texas home and is taking the U.S. by storm
– A comedian landing on many best-of lists, now reconnecting with his Texas home
And much more on a special Thanksgiving edition of the Texas Standard.
Why Texas billionaires are spending big on judicial races with flashy political ads.
Some religious leaders touch on political issues – but how does this align with U.S. tax rules and the separation of church and state?
A new book from political science professor John Domino explores the history of privacy laws in Texas and what they mean today.
Texas Monthly’s barbecue editor toured the country searching for the best BBQ – and it turns out he didn’t have to roam far from home.
Should livestock in Texas be allowed to roam free, or do they need to be fenced in? Voters in Brazos County will decide.
With early voting underway, reporters in Ted Cruz’s homebase of Houston and Colin Allred’s congressional seat in Dallas asked voters what they think of the candidates and what issues matter to them the most.
More than six months after the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed avian flu cases in dairy cows in Texas, experts are still trying to determine the full scope of the outbreak.
Also: The only battleship to have been used in both world wars is looking for a new home. What’s to come of the U.S.S. Texas?
With less than two weeks until Election Day, presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are both making high-profile stops in Texas today.
A nonprofit is helping Black farmers in Texas build a home-grown community.
Filmmakers share the story behind “Subtopia,” a new Texas-based mockumentary about HOA drama.
And: Remembering Sister Angela Murdaugh, a Franciscan Sister of Mary and certified nurse midwife who was named to the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame.
Texas has the third-largest delegation at the Democratic National Convention. We’ll hear more about the four-day political spectacle getting underway in Chicago and what it could mean for the Lone Star State and the presidential race.
Conservative activists, led by the Houston-based group True the Vote, are submitting lists of names to county election officials all over Texas, claiming the listed people are illegally registered to vote.
More and more school districts in Texas taking cellphone bans seriously as students return to class.
Also: Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have developed a special type of self-watering soil that can actually pull water from the air and slowly release nutrients to plants.
Texas is changing, and so is the world. If we squint to try to look at the future job landscape, what do we see? There are more than 15 million working Texans right now, but while the state boasts steady growth and “record high levels” for jobs and the labor force, there are always unknowns on the horizon.
Among them: tech advancements and the impacts of climate change. So how will the jobs of tomorrow look different? We’re exploring all that and more today in The Future of Work in Texas.
The Department of Education launched a renewed version of the FAFSA financial aid form at the end of last year, and the late rollout has caused major issues for applicants and colleges.
Cattle in the Panhandle got sick last week, their milk suddenly turning thick and discolored, after coming down with avian flu.
Many Texans hold jobs in the agricultural sector. But there’s one job on a few cattle farms –and whole lot of sheep farms – that’s literally gone to the dogs. The Standard’s Sarah Asch has the story.
As Bitcoin mining operations grow in Texas, a new wave of attention aimed at crypto turns a spotlight on Austin’s so-called “bitcoin underground.”
The U.S. Supreme Court will weigh in on SB4, the controversial Texas law that allows state and local police to arrest and prosecute migrants who enter the state, after delaying implementation of the law last week.
A lack of medical insurance and access to treatment is making life in rural Texas tougher than many might imagine.
Energy insider Matt Smith has the latest on rising gas prices as many Texans hit the road for Spring Break.
The Rio Grande, the body of water that outlines the border between Texas and Mexico, is becoming saltier – affecting people, farmland and livestock on both sides of the border.
And: Amid a statewide teacher shortage, one Central Texas school district is trying to turn things around by creating its own pipeline of new recruits.
The death of a giant in Texas politics: reaction to the passing of longtime political trailblazer Eddie Bernice Johnson.
A new year brings a new mayor in Houston. What John Whitmire plans to do to address the most pressing issues facing the city.
What 2024 heralds for one of the busiest thruways in Texas: the north-south corridor of Interstate 35.
An economist with the Dallas Fed shares red flags for Texas employment.
The San Antonio-Havana connection: A new cross-cultural art exchange between the two cities.
Also: Longhorn Nation recovers from a semifinal loss to Washington in the College Football Playoff.
Gov. Greg Abbott is issuing political endorsements, in what may be the first step in promised payback against some fellow Republicans. Also, a closer look at the governor’s own possible political ambitions.
Early voting gets underway in Houston’s mayoral runoff, and a new poll shows state Sen. John Whitmire with a seven-point lead over U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee.
Cow pies and black flies: the future of agricultural food? A Texas A&M professor explains.
Plus, just how nuts is it out there? We’ll hear what’s behind the large numbers of acorns all over the place.
What does Congress’ budget deal to avert a partial government shutdown mean for food and the farmers and ranchers who produce it? We’ll hear more on the Farm Bill extension, and the implications for Texas.
The push for police accountability: An investigative report from the Austin American-Statesman reveals that police indictments rarely lead to convictions.
Last weekend’s destructive rocket launch was a big fail for SpaceX – or was it? What explains radically mixed reviews of the Starship test launch.
Plus the harrowing account of a Texas hiker, lost in Big Bend Ranch State Park in triple-digit heat, and his near-miraculous survival.
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