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

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Houston megachurch faces legal revolt

A University of Texas professor says Congress has gotten so good at frequent government shutdowns, finding the political will to get back on track could be an obstacle in itself. We’ll take a closer look.

Nearly two weeks after the deadly shooting at a Dallas ICE facility, investigators say the motive may be more about notoriety than ideology.

Second Baptist Church in Houston is locked in a legal battle with its own members over leadership and finances, and the dispute is being heard in the city’s new business court.

Texas leads the nation in energy consumption, driven by population growth and the rise of AI data centers. What does it bode for the state’s grid and energy mix?

KUT Morning Newscast for October 6, 2025: A lawsuit against a homeless service provider in South Austin is heading to court today

Central Texas top stories for October 6, 2025. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton says the Sunrise Community Church is a danger to neighbors and nearby Joslin Elementary School. Today is the last day for Texans to register to vote in the election this fall. The Longhorns fell to the Florida Gators this weekend. The southbound main lanes of I-35 at State Highway 29 in Georgetown will continue to be closed at night through Thursday.   

Amarillo startup wants AI to go nuclear

A Texas congressional redistricting fight enters the courtroom, with both sides taking different positions from those taken earlier. The Texas Newsroom’s Blaise Gainey with more on the start of what’s expected to be a nine-day federal hearing over new congressional maps.
The most polluted air in Texas? We’ll hear why a Houston community may have a tough time getting companies to take speedy action to clear the air.
Also, would you vote for an increase in property taxes if it meant helping people who are homeless find a place to live? A test of that idea on the ballot in Austin.
Plus, the Amarillo startup wanting AI to go nuclear, the week in Texas politics with the Texas Tribune, and much more.

Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas. You can support our work by becoming a sustaining member at supportthispodcast.org.

KUT Morning Newscast for October 3, 2025: Austin ISD to release school closures list today

Central Texas top stories for October 3, 2025. A long-awaited list of which Austin Independent School District campuses are set to close is being released later today. Monday is the deadline for Texans to register to vote for this fall’s election. The Longhorns will be back on the field tomorrow. It’s Day one of the Austin City Limits Music Festival, expect traffic around the city. A city near Austin is asking Musk and The Boring Company to help them make their streets more pedestrian friendly.

Bastrop asks Elon Musk for tunnels to connect city trails

ACL Fest is just one day away, but if you’re looking to take in EVEN MORE live music this weekend, KUTX Program Director Matt Reilly will stop by to talk with us about the shows happening tonight and outside of the festival gates.

Also, we’re talking tunnels! Bastrop is looking to have Elon Musk’s Boring Company build a pedestrian tunnel connecting the area’s trail system. The Texas Newsroom’s Lauren McGaughy will dig into it and give us the lowdown about what’s happening in Bastrop.

Plus, we’ll have an update on an Austin veteran and activist who is believed to be in the custody of Israeli forces after attempting to deliver aid to Gaza by flotilla.

The One with Adrian Healey

Live (to tape) from the U.S. Open Cup Championship match, Jimmy Maas and Juan Diego Garcia talk with original Austin FC play-by-play announcer Adrian Healey, chat about the return of the tifo to the supporters’ section and the history made Wednesday night at Q2.

¡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.

KUT Morning Newscast for October 2, 2025: UT Austin is one of the nine universities the White House asked to sign agreement to get funding advantage

Central Texas top stories for October 2, 2025. UT Austin is one of nine universities the Trump administration is asking to sign a ten-point contract in exchange of giving the schools priority in accessing federal funds. Travis County and local public health provider Central Health have announced a new program to offer virtual medical care to Travis County jail inmates. If you’re traveling this month, know that ABIA is expected to be very busy. Austin FC lost their chance to win their first major trophy. 

Texas starts taxing seller fees on sites like eBay, Etsy

Buying new? In this economy? Shopping secondhand is the go-to for many these days. But things are about to change for sellers using online retail platforms in Texas.
KUT’s Nathan Bernier joins the show to tell us why the next thrifted gem you purchase may cost you more than it used to. Plus, we prepare for the October festival season in Austin with tips from Nathan and KUTX’s Maile Carballo ahead of the first weekend of the Austin City Limits music festival.

And longtime Austinites have legends about folks who once lived in the hills west of Austin, known as “cedar choppers.” Many of those stories aren’t exactly positive ones. KUT’s Maya Fawaz looked into their history for our ATXplained podcast series. Syeda Carrillo guest hosts on today’s Austin Signal.

KUT Morning Newscast for October 1, 2025: A coalition of organizations is voicing support for a proposed property tax increase in Austin

Central Texas top stories for October 1, 2025. A coalition of Austin unions and groups is voicing its support for a proposed property tax increase. AISD is set to share the first draft of its school consolidation plans this Friday at 5:30 p.m. Anyone in Texas who sells items on eBay, Etsy, Poshmark or similar online marketplaces will now have to pay sales tax on the fees charged by those platforms. It’s expected to be a busy couple of weeks at Austin Bergstrom International Airport. The State Highway 29 bridge over I-35 in Georgetown will be closed starting tonight at nine until Friday morning at five.

What is Proposition Q on Austin’s ballot this November?

Election season is upon us once again. It’s not midterm time and we don’t have a president to pick, but voters in Central Texas will have a reason to cast their ballots. Here in Austin, folks will be deciding whether to approve a tax-rate hike above the normal threshold allowed by the state.

Why is the city asking for so much? And how are folks feeling a week out from early voting? KUT’s City Hall reporter Luz Moreno-Lozano joins the show to answer those questions.

And a new bird just dropped! Texas Standard’s Raul Alonzo talks Austin birding and the new “Grue Jay.” Plus catching us up on Austin FC’s run for the U.S. Open Cup championship with the co-host of the Vamos Verde podcast, Juan Diego Garcia.

KUT Morning Newscast for September 30, 2025: Taylor residents showed up in court to oppose a proposed data center

Central Texas top stories for September 30, 2025. Austin Police shared new details yesterday on how they found a new suspect in the 1991 ‘Yogurt Shop Murders.’ Taylor residents made a big showing at a court hearing yesterday to oppose a proposed data center. Texas Football will be back in action this Saturday, this time on the road. The Texas Commission on Environmental quality declared today an Ozone Action Day in the Austin area.

34 years later, police identify suspect in yogurt shop murders

For the families of the girls killed in one of Austin’s most notorious murders, justice seemed to be slipping away as more time passed. But now, almost 34 years later, a new break in the case of what’s known as the “Yogurt Shop Murders” yields the name of a suspect, identified through DNA.

KUT’s justice and accountability reporter Andrew Weber tells us how this decades-long cold case that captured the attention of the city – and the nation – was broken open once again.

We’ll get the latest on the case and look back at the impact to Austin when the crime first happened.

Police say Austin’s yogurt shop murders case is finally solved

A breakthrough in a murder case unsolved for more than three decades: Police say they know who was behind Austin’s yogurt shop murders. Tony Plohetski of the Austin American-Statesman and KVUE on what has led police to declare the Austin yogurt shop murders “solved” after 34 years.
Many questions swirling around a highly unusual meeting of U.S. military top brass being brought in from around the world for a rare joint in person meeting. We’ll take a look.
Plus, a legacy of the Cold War: Nuclear missile silos hidden across Texas and the Great Plains, many now decommissioned. You may be surprised to hear how they’ve been repurposed.

Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.

You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org

KUT Morning Newscast for September 29, 2025: APD is expected to release more information today in the 1991 “Yogurt Shop Murders” case

Central Texas top stories for September 29, 2025. The Austin Police Department is expected to release more information today in the 1991 murder case known as the “Yogurt Shop Murders” after announcing they’ve identified a suspect. The Austin firefighters union agreed to a new labor contract with the city. Several school districts in the Austin area are considering closing campuses amid budget deficits. A legal battle over a data center project in Taylor is set to go to court today. The Texas Longhorns are now number nine in the AP Top 25 College Football Poll. 

Austin Hip-Hop Heads To Australia!

On this episode we interview the College of Hip-Hop Knowledge before their trip to Sydney, Australia for SXSW. We also discuss the Federal Trade Commission FINALLY going after Live Nation and Ticketmaster. Hip-hop facts include facts about 2pac, Faith Evans, Beyonce and more. Fresh’s Unpopular Opinion is that Chief Keef is the most influential child rapper since Lil Bow Wow.

Levitation Fest hits Austin this weekend

Texas Republican lawmakers redrew the state’s congressional districts in a special session this summer, doing so at the desire of President Trump and leaving no questions about their reasoning: They were changing the maps to benefit their party. But the idea of gerrymandering hasn’t been limited to just Texas this year. KUT’s Mose Buchele will dive deeper.

While some are counting down to the Austin City Limits Music Festival, others are hitting up Levitation Fest this weekend. It’s the perfect weekend to hit the town before thousands of visitors take over the city.

Plus: more live music and movie recommendations that are worth leaving your couch for.

KUT Morning Newscast for September 26, 2025: The City of Austin is changing its rules that allow the Austin Animal Center to spay certain animals

Central Texas top stories for September 26, 2025. The city of Austin is changing its rules to allow the Austin Animal Center to spay certain animals without first notifying rescue organizations. A Williamson County judge has temporarily blocked a data center project from moving forward with any work on its site in Taylor after neighbors filed a lawsuit. Main lanes of southbound I-35 will be closed tonight and tomorrow night for construction. An event in East Austin will offer free health screenings this weekend.

Kalu James: Keeper of the Light

Singer and songwriter Kalu James talks about darkness as a space of safety, and the mindful acts of creating art in dark times, and letting go.

(SPF 1000) Vampire Sunscreen is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.

You can help make this podcast happen by donating at supportthispodcast.org.

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