COVID-19

Bigger buildings on the way for industrial projects

Vacancies for industrial buildings in the greater Austin region are near the highest levels of any place in the country. It could be that companies thinking of moving to Austin aren’t finding buildings big enough to accommodate them.

Spring fever, oak and mold pollen, and now another strain of coronavirus — all about the latest variant and the complications it brings.

Half a century ago incarcerated Texans formed bands and recorded their music inside of state prisons. That music was shared recently with a wider audience.

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Breaking down new guidances over COVID boosters

After years of failed attempts, a so-called “bathroom bill” becomes law in Texas. We’ll cover what the rules say and how they’ll be enforced.
Thinking of getting a COVID booster and have questions? We have answers.
Why the National Weather Service offices in Austin and San Antonio are not fully staffed, even after historic flooding this summer.
A conversation with Christian Davenport, author of the new book, “Rocket Dreams,” all about the billionaires engaged in a new space race.
And today’s Hispanic heritage moment honors four-time Grammy winner Vikki Carr.

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

You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org

Fear at immigration court as ICE arrests migrants there for a hearing

The race to be San Antonio’s next mayor was narrowed from a field of 27 to two. What to know before the runoff election on Saturday.
Arrests outside of immigration court have happened in El Paso, Dallas and San Antonio. Why activists say this tactic encourages migrants to break the law.
Texas is set to become the next in a handful of states to ban lab-grown meat for human consumption.
It’s Texas vs. Texas Tech in the Women’s College World Series championship, with Game 1 tonight.
And: We’ll explore Lucas Schaefer’s “The Slip,” a new novel set in late ’90s Austin and propelled by a mysterious disappearance.

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

You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org

As Texas ranks near the bottom in high school attainment, a Texarkana nonprofit has a solution

Texas lawmakers have approved additional funding for public schools, including more money for teachers.
Some San Antonio school districts have found a way to help struggling students catch up following the pandemic. What can we learn from those efforts?
Texas ranks near the bottom when it comes to adults with a high school education. As the Standard’s Sarah Asch reports, a literacy program in Texarkana offers a solution.
Despite headline-grabbing moves by companies like Tesla and Oracle, tech employment in Texas’ biggest cities is slipping.
And: Global oil production is ramping up. What that means for summer travel.

Valley bakery raid sparks immigration debate in region swept by Trump

The Texas House has approved its version of the state’s two-year budget. Blaise Gainey of The Texas Newsroom gets us up to speed on what Texas’ representatives want to spend taxpayer money for, and where they’ll have to work out the kinks with the Senate.
A test for President Trump in South Texas – and how a certain bakery there came to play an outsized part in the political drama.
They call it Y’all Street: What the emergence of Dallas as a financial center means for Texas and the big money business.
And: Five years after COVID, how have high school sports changed?

KUT Afternoon Newscast for January 17, 2025

Central Texas top stories for January 17, 2025. An arctic blast will hit Austin this weekend. When to drip your faucets. Austin’s annual MLK Day march is cancelled due to the cold weather. A professor at UT Austin is being inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame for his contributions to the development of vaccines against COVID-19 and RSV. Sebastian Driussi is leaving Austin FC.

KUT Morning Newscast for October 2, 2024

Central Texas top stories for October 2, 2024. The deadline to register to vote is this coming Monday, October 7^th. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Austin’s only clinic for women struggling with drug addiction shut down, a non-profit hopes to fill the gap. Last year, Williamson County officials funded an effort to help detect breast cancer early, hear the latest updates.

KUT Afternoon Newscast for September 4, 2024

Central Texas top stories for September 4, 2024. Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin say they’ve discovered an antibody that could effectively fight all variants of COVID-19. A new poll finds more than three-quarters of Texans say it’s getting more difficult to afford groceries. The City of Austin has a new removal policy for people in its city-owned shelters. Hays County Parks and Open Spaces Bond update. The Austin school board is asking voters to approve a new tax rate to raise millions in funding. Google Fiber is coming to Kyle. 15 year old Paralympic archer Jordan White places 17th at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games.

Federal COVID dollars for schools go away as Texas districts struggle

Texas educators are preparing for the start of a new school year as billions of dollars in federal support expires.
Houston ISD is preparing to go to taxpayers with a bond proposal – but the idea is not without controversy.
Wastewater from fracking is spewing out of abandoned wells. What we’ve learned from a new study that confirms what many living around the oil patch have long expected.
Plus: The new movie “Sing Sing” is a very different take on the prison film. A conversation with Texas-based producer Monique Walton and director Greg Kwedar.

KUT Afternoon Newscast for July 23, 2024

Central Texas top stories for July 23, 2024. The two finalists in the running to be the next Austin Police Chief are meeting with the public in Austin today. Booster guidance for the summer surge of COVID-19. Del Valle ISD is looking for a new superintendent and accepting applications for about another month. The Austin school board is considering whether to call a tax rate election in November to generate more revenue for the district. People in Georgetown may soon see an increase in their monthly water bill. A new online exhibit is providing a way for Tejano community groups in Austin to have their voices heard. Below-normal temperatures and rain in Austin this week.

KUT Morning Newscast for July 2, 2024

Central Texas top stories for July 2, 2024. COVID-19 cases are on the rise in Austin. ACC Board of Trustees approved a new budget, it includes a 4.5% raise for all employees. The Austin Animal Center will temporarily close intakes until they have enough space for more animals. Saharan dust is back, here’s what you need to know.

Meet Emma, the AI assistant answering the phones at Amarillo City Hall

Just in time for high summer, a surge in COVID cases? What officials are saying about a new subvariant.
It could be a very wet 72 hours of so for much of Southeast Texas and beyond as meteorologists focus on what could be the first big storm of hurricane season coming together in the Gulf of Mexico.
In Amarillo, phones at City Hall are answered by Emma – a first-of-its-kind virtual assistant powered by AI, built specifically for the city.
Why some analysts are pumping the brakes on predictions of a looming oil glut thanks to electric vehicles.
And: why some Texas Democrats say schools could be key to their success in November.

How big events like the pandemic lockdowns can warp our sense of time

Attorney General Ken Paxton’s effort to get business records from Annunciation House, a group that helps migrants, is blocked by an El Paso judge.
As firefighters move closer to containing the blazes that have consumed large parts of the Panhandle in recent weeks, many locals are looking more closely at the causes and asking hard questions about why more wasn’t done to prevent those fires.
As politicians bicker over federal funding, members of the military and their families struggle with worries and fears amid a near-constant threat of a government shutdown.
And: Anyone else feeling a post-COVID time warp? What the science says about perceptions of time.

How frontline workers fared during COVID and how best to protect them

A Texas senator wants to reopen impeachment proceedings against Attorney General Ken Paxton – but it’s unlikely to happen.

What have recent heavy rains done for drought conditions in Texas?

A plan to overhaul the way the U.S. Census Bureau counts people with disabilities has received so much pushback that the agency is rethinking the updated questions.

And: lessons learned from the pandemic about the impact on frontline workers.

KUT Afternoon Newscast for January 29, 2024

Central Texas top stories for January 29, 2024. A lawsuit was filed attempting to block the I-35 expansion in Austin. Sunday was a record breaking solar power day. The City of Austin plans to set up a fund to help people who are experiencing homelessness. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is facing questions about undisclosed properties worth millions. The Texas State Board of Education delayed a vote on a Native American Studies course. Flu rates are climbing as COVID rates fall. Longhorns Basketball.

KUT Afternoon Newscast for January 18, 2024

Central Texas top stories for January 18, 2024. A federal appeals court struck down part of a state law restricting books available in school libraries. Austin is looking to expand the budget to help crime victims with immediate needs. The Austin Council voted today to give eligible child care providers a 100-percent property tax exemption. Winter respiratory viruses and COVID-19. Capital Metro security guards. Current state of drought in Central Texas.

Residents fight proposed Brazoria County primate facility

Is artificial intelligence coming soon to Texas government? A new report says it’s already here.

More than 300,000 immigrants arrived at the southern border in December. Angela Kocherga of KTEP takes a look at one of the busiest border crossing areas year-round: the El Paso sector.

Volunteer pilots are helping abortion-seekers get out of Texas.
A biomedical company wants to build a massive facility for primates in Brazoria County. But locals are fighting back.

And: remembering the music and legacy of Rocky Morales.

The best of the year in science & nature

Science and nature are in the spotlight today.

While the worst of COVID-19 appears to be history, scientists and researchers continue to draw lessons about what happened and how well-prepared we might be for the next pandemic.

How a Texan is trying to help answer questions about science in a new podcast aimed at non-scientists curious about the world around us.

Girl Scouts take a deep dive on science – quite literally – with the help of scuba gear.

And our conversation with an astronaut picked for our next return to the moon.

The State of Disability in Texas – A Texas Standard special rebroadcast

It’s a population that’s often overlooked and underestimated: People living with disabilities play a wide variety of important roles in the life of modern Texas.

They’re living full lives, advocating for better caregiving options, inclusive transportation and voting accessibility. And many participate in the vibrant arts and culture of our state.

Learn more in this special edition of the Texas Standard: The State of Disability in Texas.

Legislature takes up ban on vaccine mandates at private businesses

Years after peak COVID, Texas lawmakers are taking steps to ban vaccine mandates by private businesses.

Amid a nursing shortage in Texas and beyond, the journey of a new nurse trying to make a difference.

An award-winning novel set near the border takes the western genre to a whole new place. We’ll talk with ‘Valley of Shadows’ author Rudy Ruiz.

Also: As a new NBA season approaches, there are big expectations building for the San Antonio Spurs’ 19-year old Victor Wembanyama.