Central Texas top stories for October 2, 2024. The deadline to register to vote is this coming Monday, October 7th. 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.
COVID-19
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.
How a UT professor is helping the CDC plan for the next pandemic
The Texas Education Agency is moving forward with plans to monitor problems with Austin ISD’s special education services.
What did we learn from COVID-19? We’ll talk to UT’s Lauren Ancel Meyers, who has been tapped to help the U.S. develop a plan to better tackle the next pandemic.
Texas tops the nation in oil industry deaths – but there’s more to the story once you get into the numbers.
Also: Remembering a pioneer of Tejano music, Lydia Mendoza, who earned the title of “Meadowlark of the Border.”
Dungeons & Dragons becomes lifeline for some Texas death row prisoners
When it comes the electric grid, every megawatt counts during peak demand. Industrial batteries have long been seen as a potential game-changer for energy storage. We’ll have details about how they’re coming online in the Lone Star State.
A new vaccine for COVID-19 will be in pharmacies soon. An epidemiologist lays out what you and your family needs to know.
Plus, Dungeons & Dragons on death row, the latest headlines, and a school finance revolt in North Texas.
The State of Disability in Texas – A Texas Standard special
How does disability impact millions of Texans, from public policy to long COVID?
People living with disabilities – a population that’s often overlooked and underestimated – 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.
Encompassing the wide array of these experiences in just one program would be impossible. That’s why we’re treating this special as a kickoff of Texas Standard’s yearlong commitment to featuring the voices of and covering the topics important to disabled Texans.
Tours from Beyoncé and Taylor Swift are big for local economies
COVID cases in Texas rise by almost 25% in a week as concerns mount over a new variant. Although the vast majority of Texans have given up masks and social distancing, health officials say they’re still important tools as cases pick up and students return to the classroom. Dr. Catherine Troisi of UTHealth Houston joins us with an update.
Young plaintiffs in Montana score a high-profile victory in a fight to force their home state to take climate change more seriously. Could a similar approach work in Texas?
And: Tours from Beyoncé and Taylor Swift are generating huge spending on everything from concert tickets and merch to spillover effects on travel, clothing and more.
KUT Afternoon Newscast for August 3, 2023
Central Texas top stories for August 3, 2023. Wildfire update. Heat protections special session. COVID cases rising in Austin. Short-term-rental ruling. College Possible expanding. Lone Star Tick. Austin art education grants.
Still Wearing Pajama Pants
The pandemic impacted many parts of many of our lives. For some, that included what we wear. This Typewriter Rodeo poem celebrates one change that the poet is embracing as permanent.