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KUT and KUTX news and music podcasts for Austin, Texas and beyond

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Why some Austin city staff are urging against plan for parks above I-35

TxDOT is pouring billions of dollars into I-35 through Central Austin, adding more lanes and eventually sinking parts of the highway up to 60 feet below ground level. This could make it possible to build parks above the highways — but that comes with a hefty price tag. We’ll dig into why Austin city staff are urging elected officials to hold off on those plans.

And a New York Times investigation is prompting new conversations about the legacy of labor leader Cesar Chavez across the country. We’ll look at how that ultimately led to the decision to remove a mural in East Austin and how the community feels about it.

The Austin-based group Dorio is performing at Rock the Park tonight. We’ll hear more about their journey and plans for the future on today’s show.

What’s in store for Hole in the Wall after historic venue is sold

Temperatures are on the rise and Hays County is bracing for a fourth year of drought. On top of familiar water restrictions and limitations, there are now new severe issues with the county’s water wells.

In a viral clip heard around the world, actor Timothée Chalamet questioned the relevance of opera and ballet. The clip got people talking, but how do these words hit right here at home? We’ll hear from two local arts organizations, Ballet Austin and Austin Opera, to get their take.

Hole in the Wall is under new ownership. Find out what the new owners have planned for the historic Austin music venue.

Plus, Accent Unmuted, a live storytelling event, is happening tonight. Hear more from the event’s creator.

AISD campus transforms into affordable housing for teachers

Affordable housing is top of mind for many Austinites, but especially for educators working in our local schools. Now, a former AISD elementary campus is being transformed into housing — with some units set aside specifically for teachers. Acacia Coronado from the Austin Current takes a closer look at the East Austin project.


Brown water is flowing from the taps in one Austin-area suburb. We’ll hear what residents say they wish they knew before moving in, and how they’re working to warn others.


We’ve had a very warm spring this year and we’re not even close to the peak of summer temperatures. The heat isn’t unusual, but it’s arriving at a time when Austin’s energy utility has sharply increased shutoffs for nonpayment.

Back in 1928, a city plan excluded Black residents from certain parts of Austin–including the city’s first public park, Pease Park. One group is working to reclaim that history and reshape the narrative. We’ll talk to the founders of the RISE Project on today’s show.

How traffic stops turn into ICE busts in Austin

We’re learning more about the tactics and technology used by police in Texas during deportation proceedings. The Texas Newsroom has accessed body and dashcam videos from an incident last summer in East Austin that ended with five people in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. We’ll discuss the tactics and technology being deployed in these apprehensions.

The fallout from the sexual abuse allegations against Cesar Chavez made public this month continues among community members and in the world of academia. We’ll hear one local perspective as well as what could come in the future.

When this Texas band was at the apex of their popularity there were probably plenty of DJ’s in the studio who did a double take at their name before asking themselves, “Can i even say that on the radio? Jason Mellard from The Center for Texas Music History at Texas State University has the story.

Elon Musk has announced a large-scale chip manufacturing project. What does that mean for Austin?

Street vendors in Texas feeling the pinch among heightened immigration anxiety

The interview featured on this bonus episode of Tacos of Texas originally aired on the Texas Standard in March, 2026.

The interview featured on this bonus episode of Tacos of Texas originally aired on the Texas Standard in March, 2026.

“They are doing it by selling what they know. They know their food. They know their culture.”

If you found the reporting above valuable, please consider making a donation to support it here. Your gift helps pay for everything you find on texasstandard.org and KUT.org. Thanks for donating today.

Tacos of Texas is made possible by listeners like you. You can support our work by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org


Williamson County Republicans reverse course on countywide voting

The Republican Party in Williamson County has agreed to let voters cast a ballot at any polling location available in the upcoming primary runoff. A move to precinct-specific voting made for a confusing process for many voters last month in Williamson and Dallas counties. We’ll have more about why the party is reversing course.

Rent prices in Austin continue to fall as more units become available and with fewer people moving to the city. We’ll dig into the latest numbers.

A wildfire out in Bastrop County started last night and spread over 46 acres through Bastrop State Park and prompted evacuations at a nearby RV camping park. We’ll have more on the updates.

It’s the last full week of March — that means it’s time to catch you up on the best new music that you’ll want to add to those playlists.

And both Texas basketball teams are still dancing amid the March Madness. We’ll have a look at how they did it and their chances to keep on dancing.

Meteor over Texas leaves debris, questions

A secretive project to build a long water barrier in the Rio Grande is revealed as letters go out to landowners to build a Big Bend border wall. We’ll hear what locals are thinking.

Look up to the sky: It’s a boom, it’s a flash… and a crash through a roof north of Houston. A UT geosciences professor helps us understand the meteor fragment impact that occurred this past weekend.

We’ll also dig into the somewhat surprising findings of a new report from the Brookings Institution on the costs of higher education.

And with March Madness in the air, the Sweet 16’s set in another bracket competition — the best Texas movie.

SXSW 2026 Hangover

On this episode we recap our annual SXSW showcase SXBreaks and our overall experience with the revamped SXSW festival. We also discuss our thoughts on the Oscars winners from this past weekend. Hip-Hop Facts this week include facts about Teyana Taylor, the Ewoks from Star Wars, the origins of Quiet Storm radio and more. Fresh’s Unpopular Opinion is that Houston may have a problem on its hands in regards to spring break.

Waterline breaks prompt Pflugerville officials to call for conservation measures

Lake Pflugerville’s water levels remain low after a series of waterline breaks, the most recent of which was fixed on Wednesday. Local officials have issued water conservation calls while the man-made lake gets back to normal levels. We’ll have more about those water issues.

Libraries are havens for many Texans, especially those living in rural areas, further away from resources like healthcare. That’s part of the reason one nonprofit is now providing mental health resources in some Central Texas libraries. We’ll dig into the work they’re doing.

And it’ll be a busy weekend for Austin sports fans. The Texas men’s and women’s basketball teams will be in action as Austin FC prepares for a home clash with a familiar foe.

Austin Signal is made possible by listeners like you. You can support our work by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org

A special broadcast from Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi cuts its timeline to a water disaster and the state issues emergency orders to deal with what may be an unprecedented crisis. Today we’re coming to you from the place they call the Sparkling City by the Sea — yet despite its proximity to the water, the region faces the imminent threat of running out of it.
We’re at the studios of KEDT, our partners in Corpus Christi. We’ll have the latest on the water crisis here, but also some of the extraordinary charms of the 8th most populous city in Texas — a hub for shipping, wildlife preservation, and great music.

Cup Dreams

Jimmy Maas and Juan Diego Garcia dive into one of the biggest questions for many North American soccer fans’ this spring: Can I actually go to the World Cup? We start with memories of the care-free days of 1994, when the last FIFA World Cup held in the U.S. The arts editor for KUT News, Stephanie Federico, takes us down sorta-memory lane. Then we get the perspective a current college student hoping somehow to get to see Mexico play in Mexico this summer. And then we turn to an expert, Jason Daley, who has put his knowledge gained from going to the last five tournaments into one spot for you, The World Cup Guide. Plus a little about Austin FC’s run of form lately.

¡Vamos Verde! is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas. You can help make this podcast happen by donating at supportthispodcast.org.

Cesar Chavez Street, local march reassessed amid abuse allegations against labor leader

In the wake of public sexual assault and abuse allegations against union organizer Cesar Chavez, organizers of the annual parade in Austin honoring him canceled their upcoming event. Now, local activists and politicians are calling for the City of Austin to change the name of Cesar Chavez Street, the East-to-West thoroughfare running through the heart of Austin. We’ve got the latest from the fallout.

Austin-area state Rep. James Talarico will need to broaden his base of support in order to win the state’s U.S. Senate seat this fall. One group of voters he’ll have to convince will be those who voted for his Democratic primary opponent: Jasmine Crockett. 

And March Madness is upon us! Don’t forget to fill your brackets and join us for today’s Austin Signal.

Debate grows over César Chávez Day and public memorials in Texas

Revelations over César Chávez’s reported history of sexual abuse has led to an immediate response across Texas. We’ll break it down.

Texas is home to two of America’s four strategic oil reserves. We’ll dive into why the Gulf Coast was the right place for this storage — beyond its oil and gas infrastructure.

We’ll take a trip to Brownsville for the Final Four — in college chess that is.
And we’ll bring you a story about a Texas-led discovery in South Korea: A new dinosaur species, the Doolysaurus — and it’s really cute.

We’ll also check in on the BBQ World Cup competition drawing interest across Texas for its huge, promised payout.

It’s been more than two weeks since the deadly shooting at Buford’s in downtown Austin that killed three, wounded more than a dozen, and affected countless others.

It’s been more than two weeks since the deadly shooting at Buford’s in downtown Austin that killed three, wounded more than a dozen, and affected countless others. For mass shooting survivors, recovery can be a slow process. We’ll have the story of a mother and daughter going through that very thing following a shooting last year at an Austin Target store.

An autonomous vehicle in Austin blocked emergency vehicles trying to reach the shooting scene at Buford’s. We’ll look at why a lack of regulatory guidelines could mean more of these kinds of incidents.

Organizers of the annual Cesar Chavez parade and celebration in Austin have canceled the event after allegations against the labor union organizer have been made public. We’ll take a look at how this story is developing.

Plus, it’s the last day of South By Southwest 2026. We’ve got the story of one Austin artist working over the past few days for his big break.

How liberal cities are navigating mandated ICE partnerships

Many Republican-led states like Texas require police officers to cooperate with federal immigration agents. That’s left liberal cities like Austin debating how to respond when they don’t want spend resources on immigration enforcement.

ICE operations are deterring immigrants from participating in routine parts of their lives. Here in Austin, one clinic has seen its demand drop dramatically over recent weeks.

Plus, South By Southwest wraps up tomorrow, but there’s still time to get in on the activities. Today, we’ll tell you about a documentary that follows the search for an almost mythical Texas musician.

SXSW, partial government shutdown impacting Austin-Bergstrom travel

South By Southwest has brought many travelers into Austin to enjoy the city’s music, food and culture, but getting out of town via the Austin airport has turned a bit chaotic as TSA agents go without pay amid a partial government shutdown. We’ll have the latest from the airport and from local officials.

Carmen Mejia was exonerated from a Travis County prison after serving 20 years for a crime she didn’t commit. Once she was exonerated, however, she still faced threat from Immigration and Customs Enforcement. We’ll have the latest on her story.

Plus, the Texas men’s and women’s team basketball team are gearing up for the start of this week’s championship tournaments. We’ll break down who they’re playing and what their championship odds are looking like.

When to start taking Social Security benefits, the pros and cons of investing in money market funds versus CDs, and the importance of carefully evaluating annuity products

Carl Stuart takes caller and text questions on when to start taking Social Security benefits, the pros and cons of investing in money market funds versus CDs, and the importance of carefully evaluating annuity products. Carl discusses the importance of long-term investing and cautions against making hasty decisions during market downturns, while also providing guidance on managing debt, budgeting, and tax-efficient retirement planning.

New film ‘STAGES’ brings iconic Austin venues to the big screen

The University of Texas at Austin is consolidating seven ethnic and gender studies departments in the College of Liberal Arts. That consolidation was announced in February. We’ll look more into these changes.

South By Southwest 2026 is in full swing. On this episode, we’ll bring you the director and stars of the film “STAGES.” It’s the story of an Austin musician navigating his life and career, and it features many of our city’s best hangs — from Hole in the Wall to Joe’s Bakery.

The movie premiered this week as part of the fest. We’ll delve into how the project came together.

An Austin nonprofit dedicated to investing in Black, Indigenous and other communities of color is presenting a free, four-day event during SXSW.

And we’ll get a check-in from our official SXSW correspondent.

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