austin

The Provability Gap, Part 2: The Police

Hundreds of adult sexual assaults are reported to the Austin Police Department each year, but only a tiny fraction of these cases will make it before a jury. 

The question is: why

It’s something we’re exploring in our series, The Provability Gap. 

In the second part of the series, KUT’s Nadia Hamdan looks at some of the ways police may be failing sexual assault victims.

The Provability Gap, Part 1: The Victim

Hundreds of rape victims report to Austin police each year. But most of them never make it past the interrogation room – let alone to a courtroom. In the age of #MeToo, a growing number of people in the community are questioning why so many of these crimes go unpunished, and they’re pressuring local leaders for an answer. In a new series, KUT’s Nadia Hamdan will try to help us understand what it is about sexual assault that makes it so difficult to prosecute.

KUT Weekend – August 16, 2019

What you need to know about toxic algae blooms on Lady Bird Lake. Plus, how Austin’s past failures at desegregating schools affect today’s decisions about school closures. And why do city of Austin lifeguards blow their whistles in an unusual way to clear city swimming pools? Those stories and more in this edition of KUT Weekend!

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KUT Weekend – August 9, 2019

Gun politics in Texas after a mass shooting in El Paso. Plus, who cleans up bat guano under the Congress Avenue Bridge? And the story of a woman who helps older Austinites stay connected. Those stories and more in this edition of KUT Weekend!

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KUT Weekend – August 2, 2019

Fears surrounding school closures and consolidations in Austin ISD. Plus, Dripping Springs takes a community approach to mental health care. And why are there no billboards on MoPac? Those stories and more in this edition of KUT Weekend!

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KUT Weekend – July 26, 2019

Democrats are betting the state’s changing suburbs will help them win Congressional seats in 2020. Plus, migrants facing legal limbo as asylum laws change. And why some Central Texas lakes could be lowered for safety. Those stories and more in this edition of KUT Weekend!

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Joel G. Baker (Ep. 33, 2019)

On this week’s In Black America, producer and host John L. Hanson, Jr. speaks with Austin, Texas Fire Chief Joel G. Baker, Austin’s first African American Fire Department Chief, whose career includes more than 30 years in Atlanta, including 3 years as fire chief there

KUT Weekend – July 19, 2019

Austin gets its first triple digit heat of the summer. Plus, how new city rules on panhandling may benefit buskers. And why does the top of Austin’s tallest building look ‘unfinished’? Those stories and more in this edition of KUT Weekend!

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KUT Weekend – July 12, 2019

The University of Texas at Austin plans to give a free education to students whose families make less than $65,000. Plus, how the Travis County District Attorney is changing the county’s approach toward low level drug offense. And who’s the guy with the giant bird in South Austin? Those stories and more in this edition of KUT Weekend!

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Texas Standard: July 10, 2019

The Trump Administration’s so-called Remain in Mexico program expands to include Laredo. We’ll take a closer look at the impact. Also at the border, Texas National Guard troops are being deployed to help. But what are they doing exactly? We’ll explore. And remembering Ross Perot: the legacy of the self-made Texas billionaire. Plus, a Hemp rush. Texas farmers are scrambling to plant the crop, but there are hurdles to clear first. And helping students with dyslexia. The new path forward for kids in Texas schools. All of that and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

KUT Weekend – July 5, 2019

Why Austin ISD is planning to close some of its schools. Plus, how a wet spring is causing a relatively cooler summer in Austin. And why the state’s surge in wind power has some people in remote areas of West Texas complaining about the view. Those stories and more in this edition of KUT Weekend!

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Armadillo Poem

A Texas road trip often isn’t without at least one sighting of these mileposts of sorts. That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.

KUT Weekend – June 28, 2019

Why Texas is at greater risk than ever this summer of rolling blackouts. Plus, Austin ISD’s top budget official on what the state’s new school finance law means for the largest school district in Central Texas. And we meet a widower who has helped to foster more than 170 newborn babies. Those stories and more in this edition of KUT Weekend!

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