Central Texas top stories for February 15, 2024. A petition to incorporate parts of Williamson County into a groundwater conservation district based out of Bell County fails. The City of Austin will spend more than $700 thousand to finalize a labor contract with Austin Police. The Austin City Council adopted a resolution to address climate change, sustainability and resiliency. The Texas Department of Health and Human Services is nearing the end of a process to re-determine Medicaid eligibility. The Pflugerville Independent School District is in the market for a new superintendent.
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Trailer: ¡Vamos Verde!
¡Vamos Verde! is a podcast that looks at the intersection of Austin FC and the community that surrounds it. Hosts Jimmy Maas and Juan Garcia talk to players, staff, fans, musicians, and artists to bring you an inside look at the culture of Austin’s only professional sports team.
The first episode comes out on Feb 29th, with episodes coming out every other Thursday through the end of the season.
¡Vamos Verde! is a production of KUT and KUTX Studios in collaboration with Austin FC.
KUT Afternoon Newscast for January 23, 2024
Central Texas top stories for January 23, 2024. Acevedo decides against joining the City of Austin. The City of Austin issues an apology to sexual assault victims for the mishandling of cases by the Austin Police Department. Light rail update. Central Health announces a new clinic. Carmen Llanes Pulido announces her mayoral run. Kyle eclipse preparations. Longhorns basketball.
Children at Risk’s annual ranking of Texas schools is out
Texas officials say they’re reassigning workers to deal with an ongoing problem of providing care for foster kids without placement.
The 2022-2023 school ratings report from Houston-based nonprofit Children at Risk sheds light on progress and problems that districts are facing statewide.
Former Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo, who also had a short stint in Houston, will soon take on a new position overseeing Austin’s police department.
And a giraffe in a park in Juárez, who made headlines last year, is getting a new home.
KUT Afternoon Newscast for January 16, 2024
Central Texas top stories for January 16, 2024. Hard freeze warning. State of the power grid. City of Austin’s response to this year’s freeze and past events. Austin Travis County EMS hypothermia calls. Longhorns Basketball.
KUT Morning Newscast for January 11, 2024
Central Texas top stories for January 11, 2024. Grid outlook ahead of cold snap. Austin-Bergstrom’s new concourse plan. Austin-Bergstrom flight cancellations due to grounding of Boeing 737 Max 9 planes. The City of Austin is trying to crack down on unauthorized short-term rentals. Healthcare enrollment stats.
What we know about the hotel explosion in Fort Worth
Investigators are still on the scene of a hotel explosion in Fort Worth as some ask if this is part of a larger trend spotted nationwide.
A special election to fill an open Texas House seat – and a race seen as a proxy for an intraparty fight within the Texas GOP.
A community like few others: Why an experiment outside Austin to provide housing for people experiencing homelessness is being seen as a potential model for other cities.
Plus: Could 3D-printed homes help with a housing shortage?
A look ahead to the new year in Texas, from politics to entertainment
Two experts weigh in on the Texas political landscape and the stakes as we head into a major general election year amid growing rifts among Texas Republicans. Could the new year mark a tipping point for Texas Democrats?
Tech expert Omar Gallaga and the Standard’s own Shelly Brisbin look at what’s buzzing on the technology front.
Plus: coming attractions at the theater and some of the most anticipated book releases of 2024.
A look back at the year in review
It was a year like few others in modern memory at the Texas Capitol, with four special sessions on top of a regular session, a historic impeachment trial of the state attorney general and more.
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of one of the most seminal Texas music moments ever committed to vinyl: Viva Terlingua!
All about Texas cryptids
Most Texans have heard their names, and quite a few grew up hearing their stories: Bigfoot, jackalope, goatman, La Lechuza, chupacabra, just for starters. Scientists question whether they’re real, but the space they occupy in Texas folklore is very real indeed.
Today we’re sharing the results of a month-long effort to track down the origin stories of Texas cryptids – and discover why they have such a hold on Texas mythology and imagination.
The best of the year in arts & culture
Today we’re turning our attention to the world of arts and culture, from a riveting film featuring the audio diaries of Lady Bird Johnson, to the startling impact of a singer named Taylor Swift.
What if it is your first rodeo? We’ve got you covered there with what to do – and what not to.
And Austin-born actor Gabriel Luna talks about his role in the hit HBO series “The Last of Us.”
Our staff favorites of the year
Texas Standard producers have made their lists and checked ‘em twice – or more – selecting some of our most memorable conversations with fascinating Texans over the past 12 months.
This hour, we invite you to sit back and enjoy our staff favorites from the past year, including honky tonk heroines, birders in cemeteries, bears making a comeback and a whole lot more.
How ‘The Iron Claw’ filmmakers achieved authenticity inside the ring
Amid a shortage of ADHD medication, concerns grow about adulterated formulations at pharmacies in Mexico.
As Houston is about to get a new mayor, a look back at the tenure of the term-limited incumbent, Sylvester Turner.
Making history at the Capitol: The Texas Newsroom’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán talks to the two women who are the first to hold the top law enforcement offices in the House of Representatives.
A new film about a wrestling dynasty built by a Texas family – and why “The Iron Claw” is winning over critics who couldn’t care less about wrestling.
Plus, the week in politics with The Texas Tribune.
What has Van Horn residents so worried about a new pipeline
The Department of Justice has sued Colony Ridge, a Houston-area housing developer marketing primarily to undocumented migrants, over the company’s business practices.
Concerns are growing over a proposed pipeline in far West Texas, as nearby residents in Van Horn worry they simply don’t have the resources if there were an emergency.
Tech expert Omar Gallaga tells us why Apple’s taking many of its watches off store shelves, and why the president could get involved.
Also: Veteran public radio DJ Susan Castle of KUTX Austin serves up some holiday songs with a Texas twist.
New proposals would let ranchers kill two birds. But is one really a predator?
New laws on arresting migrants who cross the border into Texas illegally are just one of many changes related to border security from this year’s legislative sessions. Julián Aguilar of The Texas Newsroom takes a closer look at what passed, what didn’t, and what it means.
How do Texas voters think lawmakers did dealing with top-line issues in 2023? Jim Henson of the Texas Politics Project shares the findings of a new poll.
A Texas perspective of the struggle over campus free speech.
Democratic lawmakers in Congress are pitching a plan to stop hedge funds from buying rental homes.
And the Standard’s Michael Marks dives in on Texas ranchers’ ongoing fight against predatory birds.
Does drone medical help offer hope for rural Texans?
A court rules that Texas power generators do not have a responsibility to provide power in emergencies, like the winter storm of 2021. Mose Buchele of KUT Austin has more on what this means.
Understanding Pope Francis’ decision to permit Catholic church officials to bless same-sex marriages.
The Securities and Exchange Commission, more used to white-collar crime enforcement, wades into Texas cattle country to bust up what it calls a Ponzi scheme.
And: For West Texans far from medical facilities, some help zooms in by way of drones.
Thousands of vulnerable Texans stand to lose food and health benefits
A plan to provide aid to Ukraine and Israel is on the ropes due to disagreements over border security. What comes next? Brandon Rottinghaus of the University of Houston has more.
Thousands of vulnerable Texans stand to lose food and health benefits from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, also known as WIC.
An obscure element of the school financial system is leaving some districts with more money than they need.
And we’ll talk to Tyler Campbell, the son of NFL Hall of Famer and Heisman Trophy winner Earl Campbell, who’s sharing his story in a new book.
Why are some Austin sidewalks red?
There’s your standard gray sidewalk, of course. But what on Earth does a red sidewalk mean?
Exploring the difficulties of rural reproductive care in West Texas
Texas leads the nation in executions again, and Harris County sentences more people to die than any other county in the U.S. A new report examines dozens of death penalty cases there.
A new podcast from Marfa Public Radio looks at the challenge of accessing reproductive care in the Big Bend region.
The season started out with great expectations, but now the San Antonio Spurs have lost a record 18 games in a row. What’s gone wrong, and can it be fixed?
Plus, the week in politics with the Texas Tribune’s Ayan Mittra.
YouTube chef blends her Texan and Indian roots in new show
State Sen. John Whitmire defeated U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee in the runoff election to serve as Houston’s 63rd mayor. We’ll take a look at what his win may mean for the state’s biggest city.
The borderlines of two South American countries have long been in dispute. How a recent re-ignition of the argument may have just as much to do with politics as it does with oil.
School districts across Texas have been hoping for an increase in funding. Why even some with large tax bases are struggling to make ends meet.
When you think of climate activists, who comes to mind? It may surprise you which age group says it’s become a top issue for them.
And we’re talking food unique to Texas – not BBQ or Tex-Mex, but South Indian-Texan cuisine. Chef Deepa Shridhar joins with more on her YouTube series “KanDeepa Texan.”