Dade Phelan is out, and a bruising battle for speaker of the Texas House is set to begin – unless it’s already over? Over the weekend, GOP members backed David Cook, but Dustin Burrows claimed he had enough votes to override the caucus. What does a House speaker do, anyway?
In a stunning turn of events, a coalition of Syrian rebels has overthrown Bashar al-Assad’s regime, ending decades of dictatorship. A top Texas-based expert weighs in.
Has Texas oil toppled Saudi control of the markets?
And: Medical treatments for trans minors are banned under state law; why some trans adults say they’re affected, too.
Airport
24 Hours at the Austin Airport
Nobody wants to be at the airport. At least not any longer than they have to. We spent 24 hours at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport— from 9 a.m. on May 6 to 9 a.m. on May 7 — to experience everything that happens there.
KUT Producers: Matt Largey, Greta Díaz González Vázquez, Maya Fawaz, Audrey McGlinchy, Stephanie Federico, Olivia Aldridge, Kailey Hunt, Nathan Bernier, Mose Buchele and Wynne Davis.
Production help from Hasina Shah, Sara Kinney and Tinu Thomas.
Graphic design by Maile Carballo.
Sonic logo design by Rene Chavez, Ezra Gomez and Simón Marulanda-Mesa
24 Hours in Austin is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas. You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org.
KUT Morning Newscast for October 14, 2024
Central Texas top stories for October 14, 2024. Airport officials say travelers should expect long lines at Austin Bergstrom International Airport. About 30 AISD schools and facilities will serve as polling sites on election day. A local group is asking Hays County voters to reject the bond for road improvements. Travis County is considering joining Austin’s food plan to avoid food waste. Travis County is holding a job fair today.
KUT Morning Newscast for October 8, 2024
The Austin Airport worker’s union has avoided a strike by securing a wage hike. Texas OBGYNs say best practices are hindered by restrictive state abortion law, many have considered leaving Texas. Fewer Monarch butterflies have been spotted in Texas so far this fall, a bad sign for their annual migration. A malfunction at Austin’s Longhorn Dam caused Lady Bird Lake to start draining on Monday. City says the problem has been fixed.
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.”
Texas Standard: May 26, 2022
After the 2018 Santa Fe High School shooting, new laws took affect aimed at making schools safer. Why did they fail in Uvalde? We’ll have the latest on the killing of 19 kids and 2 teachers at Robb Elementary and the growing sense of frustration over previous efforts at addressing school shootings in Texas, and what state leaders intend to do, or not do. As those state leaders point to the need for more mental health resources, what’s being done on that front–especially in rural Texas? Plus a Politifact claim about baby formula and politics getting in the way. And COVID-19 case numbers in Texas rising again with the start of summer, we’ll have the latest on todays Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: March 21, 2022
Historic confirmation hearings begin for the first Black woman nominated to sit on the highest court in the nation. What to expect in the confirmation hearings for Ketanji Brown Jackson. A Houston-based legal scholar weighs in. Also, the U.S. repose to the invasion of Ukraine. With President Biden set to go to Europe this week, Texas democratic congressman Mark Veasey of Fort Worth joins us to talk about what comes next. And a Johnson Space Center Historian on Making Space for Women in the story of NASA. And big trouble for small airports across the Lone Star State. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Trailer: The Austin Transportation Podcast
The Austin Transportation Podcast examines the issues around mobility in the ATX with a focus on how people’s everyday lives are shaped by the decisions of government. Whether you’re sitting on I-35 or MOPAC every day, using alternatives like Capital Metro and scooters, or plodding along a trail, we look at the challenges of getting from here to there in one of the fastest-growing regions of the country. The podcast features produced radio stories, interviews and audio recordings.
Texas Standard: January 13, 2022
Harris County is once again at its highest COVID-19 threat level. We’re talking to County Judge Lina Hidalgo about why and what she wants the community to know. Also with high COVID-19 positivity rates across the state, many Texans are desperate for tests. How to make sure the at-home variety give you the most accurate results. Meanwhile, at a time when hospital systems are overwhelmed, one is facing a potential financial crisis that could shut it down. We’ll look at why. And we’ll introduce you to a folk rock duo that describes their sound as “Southern and Garfunkel.” All that and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: July 22, 2020
The state’s largest school district has plans to start the year online and could extend that a little more. Houston ISD’s interim superintendent joins us to talk about the weight of planning this school year. We’ll also hear from teachers who are frankly afraid for themselves and their families, but also love being in the classroom. And a Texas law expert joins us to parse out exactly what’s going on with federal agents arresting people in Portland. Plus a harrowing story about COVID-19 and Texas ICE detention centers. That and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: February 20, 2019
Lawsuits mounting over the Texas Secretary of State’s efforts to purge voter rolls of suspected non-citizens, we’ll have the latest. Also, lawmakers promised a focus on education and now, a big push for an across the board pay raise of 5 thousand dollars. So why the muted applause from public school educators? We’ll find out. And Southwest Airlines declares an operational emergency planes, with nearly 200 flights cancelled and little love lost between company chiefs and its mechanics union, we’ll look at details. All those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: June 21, 2018
The president didn’t like the optics, he said, so he signed an executive order. Smoke and mirrors? We’ll take a much closer look at the presidential directive to end family separations and explore what its does and likely does not do. Also the impact of family separation on kids, and how this major story in the U.S. is playing in papers south of the border. And Texas democrats gather for their convention, we’ll have a preview. Plus a look over our shoulder at what the Texas GOP just did. A major change of position on the question of marijuana. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
What’s The Story With This Tiny Cemetery In The Highway Median?
Out by the Austin airport, there’s a tiny cemetery in a huge construction site. Who’s buried there? What will become of it?
Texas Standard: February 16, 2017
At campuses across Texas, posters and flyers calling for white people to take their country back. We’ll explore the recruitment campaign and the pushback. As a white supremacist group called the American Vanguard expands its college recruitment effort, demands grow for college leaders to take action. The president of the state’s flagship university joins us. Plus, after a defeat in the high court, Texas lawmakers bounce back with a new round of abortion-related bills. We’ll have the latest. Also, how high tech is getting political close to home. And the forgotten pieces of an underground railroad that ran…south. All that and much more just ahead on the Texas Standard: