This episode is all about our listeners. We asked what they thought we should do to support the Austin Music Scene, and they answered! Plus, you’ll learn about one listener who started a business to employ Austin musicians — the Handyband Collective.
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What happened to Brian Vargo almost 50 years ago? His niece is still looking for answers.
Brian Vargo was 20 years old when he disappeared in 1976. The UT Austin student seems to have simply vanished.
Do plans for a Texas business court work?
This week at the Texas Legislature: Laws aimed at making it easier to have a baby in Texas.
Under the big dome in Austin, a hearing on a proposal to ban Chinese non-citizens from buying land in Texas.
The state Republican Party censures one of its own, U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, after a vote supporting a new gun law.
Is a two-tier court system coming to Texas? We’ll have more on a push for businesses to have their own legal system.
And: A gift to a major Texas museum is aimed at diversity for public art and and greater visibility for Latino artists.
What Texans think lawmakers should prioritize this legislative session
Texans say the border should be the top priority for the state Legislature this session, according to a new poll. We’ll dig into the results.
Questions about how the Center for Law and Human Behavior at the University of Texas at El Paso selected two Border Patrol agents for fellowships.
Taco expert Mando Rayo talks about his favorite traditional mom-and-pop eateries across the Lone Star State.
Piano music fills the air as El Paso hosts the Borderland Chopin festival spotlighting the beloved composer.
Five prescriptions for fixing Texas’ affordability crisis
With Texans across the state struggling to find affordable housing, we’ll hear from a team of experts who have some solutions.
The Texas Council on Family Violence has a list of legislative priorities for protecting survivors.
Saving wild African penguins: How people in North Texas are helping with a survival guide.
The original Angry Birds – the one you could buy and download for a small, one-time fee – is history. Our tech expert explains.
Texas Republican says banning college polling places is about safety. Students don’t buy it.
The Supreme Court hears oral arguments in two challenges to student loan forgiveness. With Texas having the second highest number of student loans in the nation, a University of Houston legal scholar offers analysis and what comes next.
There’s a push in the Texas Legislature to ban polling places on college campuses – but some students see it as voter suppression.
Once upon a time in the not-so-distant past there was a planned mega-merger in the publishing biz. Today: the postscript.
Shauntavia Ward
In the first episode of season two, Rich and Lisa talk with social wellness entrepreneur Shauntavia Ward.
Austin’s Youth Poet Laureate on making sense of feelings through poetry
KUT’s Jennifer Stayton speaks with Austin’s Youth Poet Laureate Zachary Suri about the power of poetry and giving a voice to young people.
Is Austin’s Paramount one of only a few century-old theaters still operating in the country?
The landmark theater in downtown Austin has been a source of movie entertainment for more than a century, while many of its contemporaries have closed for good.
How Ro-Tel became a staple of Texas cooking
Lawmakers at the Capitol are considering changes to how Texas handles bail. The push would give judges more leeway to deny bail for violent offenses – and Democrats may have a considerable say in what happens.
More fallout from this month’s ice storm: why the Texas capital city may be looking for a new city manager soon.
Amid concerns about rising prices, layoffs and more, the Dallas Fed weighs in with a forecast on the Texas economy.
And why a can of diced tomatoes – you know the one – has such a rabid Texas following.
Why do sidewalks in Austin suddenly end?
According to the Public Works Department, the city is missing about 1,600 miles of sidewalk — a length of concrete that could stretch from here to Winnipeg, Canada.
How Austin has changed
Last night’s State of the Union touched on immigration, inflation, gun violence and other issues. Richard Pineda of the University of Texas at El Paso joins us with analysis of the annual message by the president to Congress.
A legal challenge to an abortion drug and a possible decision from a federal judge in Amarillo that could come as early as this week, with potential implications nationwide.
Wage gains for migrants filling jobs in the U.S. and why a visa program for seasonal workers may not be working for U.S. employers.
And author Lawrence Wright on the astonishing transformation of the Texas capital city.
KUT Morning Newscast for January 31, 2023
Central Texas top stories for January 31, 2023. Winter storm warning extended. EMS overpass concerns. Pre-treating Austin’s roads trial run. Williamson County winter storm response. Taylor winter storm response. Saving energy. Blood donation requirements changing.
What’s happening at the Cutoff in East Texas?
As cities grow, so do tensions between state and local officials over policy direction. A bipartisan coalition of 18 big city mayors team up to press state officials over top priorities. What they’re planning and more in our conversation with the mayor of Fort Worth. Also, how transgender youth and their families are gearing up to fight several new proposals in the GOP led Texas legislature. And an update over public access to a beloved east Texas body of water called The Cutoff. Plus rising grocery prices and the SNAP gap for those needing help to get food on the table. These stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
What was the grandstand on the shores of Lady Bird Lake in East Austin used for?
Decades ago, the public event space was full of life. Now it’s rundown, like an old relic.
A look back at the stories that shaped Texas in 2022
New laws that took effect, decisions from the courts that made history, the fight for social justice and more; it’s 2022 in review. With the Texas Legislature set to reconvene in just days, it’s worth looking back at how much Texas changed over the past 12 months, and what those changes may tell us about what’s to come in the new year. We’ll turn a spotlight on politics and a campaign season that didn’t turn out as expected, the economy, technology and much more as we reconsider the year that was across miles and miles of the Texas, today on the Texas Standard:
The Texas Standard’s favorite stories of the year
After a year covering miles and miles of Texas, what did our producers pick as standout stories? With a new year dawning, we asked our team of producers and reporters to hand pick some of the standout stories we’ve shared over the past 12 months. From amateur astronomers making celestial discoveries to a reconsideration of labor leader Cesar Chavez, and a mysterious tradition involving a certain Sam Houston. We offer a collection of unforgettable voices and tales from 2022 today on the Texas Standard:
What we watched in 2022
In 2022, Texas played more than just bit parts on screens big and small. We look back at the year that was for Texas on film and TV. We’ll have our conversation with one of the most celebrated directors of the Lone Star State, Richard Linklater, on his movie about growing up in Texas at a time when the US was aiming for the moon. Also an actor and comedian from Houston by way of Kuwait, Mo Amer, on his hit Netflix series and what his title character tells us about the Texas of today. And South Texas born comedian, actor and author, Cristela Alonzo on her streaming success, and gettin middle classy. These stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas’ top musical moments of the year
From the highlights to the blue notes, what happened in the world of Texas music in 2022. A Texas country music legend says goodbye to the road that goes on forever; our conversation with Robert Earl Keene. Also a renaissance for one of the best know Texas artists of all time: the impact of Beyonce’s 7th album, an homage to house and disco music. And Adrian Quesada turns up the volume on a rediscovered musical genre with his Boleros Psicodélicos. A lonestar-studded review of the year, today on the Texas Standard:
The latest on Texas’ winter freeze
As temperatures plummet with a major cold front bearing down on the lone star state, down into the teens in many parts, we continue to monitor conditions across Texas. Eric Berge of Houston’s Space City Weather joins us with an overview, the dangers ahead, and when we can expect to thaw out from this last big chill of 2022. Also a rethink of ways to address the mental health crisis. And the week in politics with the Texas Tribune. These stories and much more today on the Texas Standard: