cold

Supreme Court case pits Texas rancher against TxDOT’s highway renovations

A senior meteorologist with the National Weather Service offers a peek at what’s to come as much of Texas remains blanketed by bitter cold.

On South Padre Island, there’s a mission to rescue hundreds of sea turtles stunned by the cold.

A Houston-area rancher says his land is prone to serious floods because of renovations to Interstate 10, and he wants compensation from the state. Arguments are set for today before the U.S. Supreme Court.

A growing standoff between Texas and the federal government continues as the White House accuses Gov. Greg Abbott of blocking Border Patrol access, resulting in the drowning of three migrants.

We’re talking to state lawmaker Judith Zaffirini, the first woman to hold the role of dean of the Texas Senate.

And: re-examining the legacy of the space shuttle with astronaut and spacewalker Tom Jones.

KUT Morning Newscast for January 16, 2024

Central Texas top stories for January 16, 2024. Frigid forecast. Latest state of the power grid. Why we drip faucets in freezing temperatures. Austin-Bergstrom’s lights snow dusting explained. Mother’s Milk Bank at Austin is approaching its 25th anniversary.

Celebrated African American art and history exhibit arrives in Texas

With winter storm warnings out across the Lone State State, emergency management officials are warning Texans to stay inside if at all possible, avoid travel, and monitor calls for energy conservation. We’ll get a status update from Matt Lanza of Space City Weather, plus a look at what’s ahead this week.

With COVID-era protections like eviction moratoriums gone, Texans are feeling the effects.

And on this Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we’ll hear about an award-winning collection of artifacts now on display in Houston documenting the African American experience: Our conversation with collectors Bernard and Shirley Kinsey about a project more than 50 years in the making.

As arctic front looms, how is the electric grid looking?

As Texas braces for a true blast of wintry weather, how much should we be worried about the power grid holding up? Mose Buchele of KUT in Austin is monitoring the power grid and joins us with the latest.

Federal funding cuts for special education could hit Texas hard.

Many Texans who are eligible for Medicaid aren’t signed up. Will Bostwick shares more on his reporting for Texas Monthly.

And: Remembering a musical British invasion of Texas more than a decade after the Beatles.

How the New Year’s focus on dieting can have a negative impact

The National Weather Service issued a wind advisory for much Texas as a massive storm moves across the United States. We have the latest on conditions statewide.

Friends, family and colleagues of the late longtime congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson are gathering in Dallas today to reflect on her legacy.

Made any New Year’s resolutions? The Standard’s Sarah Asch looks into how the body positivity movement has challenged longstanding messages about health and dieting.

A major baby formula recall is sparking concerns among families and politicians.

And remembering legendary Texas journalist Stanley Walker.

KUT Afternoon Newscast for October 30, 2023

Central Texas top stories for October 30, 2023. Temperatures drop in time for Halloween. Cold weather shelters. Text message alert system. Christopher Taylor trial continues. Highland lake levels improve. Breast Cancer awareness.

KUT Morning Newscast for October 30, 2023

Central Texas top stories for October 30, 2023. Cold weather this week. Early voting continues. Leander ISD test scores. Kyle water conservation, World Series game 3. Longhorns hold in poll.

‘Good Night, Irene’ follows a courageous woman’s story in the WWII Red Cross

It was the second hottest summer on record for Texas, but is it safe to ask if it’s over? What to expect as a cold front pushes into Texas. Matt Lanza of Space City Weather with a look at whether today marks a turning point.

Gun violence numbers are changing how many feel about safety in a North Texas suburb. KERA’s Caroline Love with more from Allen.

Google launches an effort to combat spam, but will it work? Tech expert Omar Gallaga with more.

A border bottleneck raises red flags as Texas ramps up truck inspections.
And a Texas Book Festival preview with the author of ‘Good Night, Irene’.

What the cold wrought

Texas is still picking up the pieces from another devastating February freeze. Some of the primary victims this round were trees big and small. That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.

What this cold snap means for Texans experiencing homelessness

A last minute scramble to keep the Government funded as Texans clamber in advance of dangerously cold weather. We’ll have more on efforts to piece together a 1.7 trillion dollar spending bill; much debate centering on what’s happening at the border. Also as Texans prepare for a blast of Arctic air, we’ll speak with an official in Irving who’s been mobilizing efforts to help folks in the metroplex experiencing homelessness, who are especially vulnerable. Also a crisis among caregivers assisting Texans with disabilities. These stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:

KUT Morning Newscast for December 22, 2022

Central Texas top stories for December 22, 2022. Arctic freeze. Cold weather shelters. Protecting pipes. Airport cold weather preparations. Trail of Lights canceled. Hutto ISD bond.

KUT Morning Newscast for December 20, 2022

Central Texas top stories for December 20, 2022. Power grid ready for low temperatures. Cold weekend ahead. Austin ISD budget. Williamson County healthcare cost offset.

Texas Standard: February 4, 2022

A frigid Friday and ongoing warnings in much of North and Central Texas to stay off the roads. In the run up, this week’s winter storm was characterized by many as the first real test of the power grid following last years rolling blackouts. But was it? And do traumatized Texans feel more assured? We’ll explore. Also a butterfly sanctuary in South Texas closes its doors indefinitely following death threats and more from partisan conspiracy theorists. Plus the week in Texas politics with the Texas Tribune and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: January 26, 2022

Who’ll take the place of Eddie Bernice Johnson? Why the race for Texas’ 30th congressional seat is one to watch as primary season closes in. Also, amid growing concerns about police traffic stops turning confrontational, and sometimes deadly, a Texas town tries a different approach: tickets via text message. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard.

Texas Standard: April 6, 2021

Do the state’s numbers add up? A Houston Chronicle investigation finds twice as many deaths due to the February storm and blackouts. Other stories we’re tracking, the return of baseball and the absence of the Governor who turned down the opportunity to throw the first pitch. But he may have lobbed an early salvo in a much bigger matter over changes to voting laws in Texas, one with huge implications. Gromer Jeffers of the Dallas Morning News explains. Also the story of the Texas women who led a revolution in voting rights. Plus, trying to buy a home in Texas? You may not believe who you’re competing against. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: March 4, 2021

The president calls it Neanderthal Thinking. But in places like Lubbock, Governor Abbott’s rollback of restrictions getting more mixed reviews. We’ll have more on the Governor’s lifting of COVID-19 restrictions effective next Wednesday. But what changes at school? Texas educators and parents asking questions. Also a shot in the arm for Texas teachers, we’ll hear more. Plus a new report on how failures in the state’s mental health system are leading to a cycle of misery for many. And an investigation in Dallas claims big banks are profiting from low-income apartments and illegal red-lining. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Winter 2021

Texans have been suffering this week in the prolonged bitter cold, without power and without water. This Typewriter Rodeo poem is recognition of that suffering combined with the hope we continue to help each other through it.

Texas Standard: February 16, 2021

Emergency efforts at restoring power continue across Texas as millions try to make do without electricity during an historic winter storm. The whole state of Texas affected by power outages, but not equally. Questions mount over the state’s electricity grid management, as much of Texas hunkers down for a second round of frozen precipitation and low digit temperatures. We’ll have the latest. Also, understanding the latest controversy over the national anthem at sports events. And voices of hope, faith and endurance in danger of being lost to history, an effort to rescue priceless Black gospel recordings. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Where Are Your Pants?

Some folks just don’t like pants — even in the dead of winter. This Typewriter Rodeo poem is inspired by them.