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.
COVID-19
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.
KUT Afternoon Newscast for June 5, 2023
Central Texas top stories for June 5, 2023. UT COVID study finds economically disadvantaged areas had more infections. Austin American-Statesman staff on one-day strike. Round Rock ISD offering free summer meals. Williamson Justice of the Peace Forum. Kyle asks for input on growth plans. Austin FC.
Podcast explores whether a Texas Ranger extracted a false confession
Two major changes in federal policies within the past 24 hours having outsized implications for Texas. Change number one: the end of Title 42 rapid deportations. But for tens of thousands now trying to cross the Mexico border into Texas, the deportations continue.
The end of an era for the pandemic as the national emergency is lifted, but a Texas epidemiologist says that doesn’t mean an end to the COVID-19 threat.
A confession of guilt during a Texas murder investigation, but was the confession real or compelled by questionable interrogation techniques?
Also the week in Texas politics with the Texas Tribune and poetry from the Typewriter Rodeo.
Title 42 expires as border braces for migrants’ mass arrival
The end of an era, and the start of what could be a dramatic new chapter in the history of border and immigration policy. Title 42 ends at the stroke of midnight, and predictions of a period of chaos at the border are coming from President Biden on down. We’ll talk to someone on the front lines of providing shelter and food to migrants crossing into the U.S.
What rights does a fetus have in a post-Dobbs America? How the end of Roe v. Wade has states testing the limits of fetal personhood.
Nueces County charges ahead with plans for a new Tesla lithium refinery despite concerns about some of Elon Musk’s other big Texas projects.
KUT Morning Newscast for February 27, 2023
Central Texas top stories for February 27, 2023. MetroRail suspended. Austin ISD school renovations. Wimberley ISD pronoun and gender fluidity policies. Texas energy grid efficiency. Local COVID-19 resources.
How Austin has changed
Last night’s State of the Union touched on immigration, inflation, gun violence and other issues. Richard Pineda of the University of Texas at El Paso joins us with analysis of the annual message by the president to Congress.
A legal challenge to an abortion drug and a possible decision from a federal judge in Amarillo that could come as early as this week, with potential implications nationwide.
Wage gains for migrants filling jobs in the U.S. and why a visa program for seasonal workers may not be working for U.S. employers.
And author Lawrence Wright on the astonishing transformation of the Texas capital city.
How a ban on TikTok at UT-Austin affects journalists and other students
The Texas House and Senate release their spending roadmaps for the session, leaving tens of billions on the table unspent. It may be an understatement to say the state is awash in cash. Both chambers are now proposing unprecedented outlays. Bob Garret of the Dallas Morning News joins us to help with the numbers. Also pressure on Texas lawmakers to take more action on gun safety in the wake of the school shooting in Uvalde. Also what health experts are learning about Long Covid and chronic fatigue. And Omar Gallaga discovers a de facto treasure trove for PC gamers. And time runs out for TikTok on many Texas campuses. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
KUT Morning Newscast for January 9, 2023
Central Texas top stories for January 9, 2023. ERCOT Texas Supreme Court. Austin ISD registration postponed. Voting Bills in the Texas Legislature. Rep. Hinojosa on school funding. COVID-19 Omicron sub-variant. UT mapping deep space. Longhorn Men’s Basketball.
El Paso scraps plans for multimillion dollar arena
Another day, another attempt to elect a speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. Fights over who should lead lawmakers aren’t limited to D.C. There have been similar surprises in Pennsylvania and Ohio. So could it also happen in Texas? Brandon Rottinghaus of the University of Houston shares his insights. Also Bloomberg with a list of ten lawmakers to watch in 2023: one’s from Texas, and the choice just might surprise you. Plus with a controversy over LGBTQ content in libraries, city leaders in Huntsville decide to put the library in the hands of a private company. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Why Texas and the U.S. need larger apartments
Is there a Speaker in the House? Texas’ role in the drama over who will lead the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. No state sends more republicans to Congress than Texas, but those republicans are at loggerheads over who to pick as House speaker, and it’s brought Congress to a standstill before the next session’s even underway. Sean Theriault of UT Austin explains what’s happening and why. Also new travel restrictions as a Covid outbreak spreads in China. How concerned should Texans be, and will the restrictions really help? And W.F. Strong looks back on an historic sunken treasure discovery and more today on the Texas Standard:
Big Bend National Park to add thousands of acres of parkland
Tridemic? One of the world leading virologists says its more like a Septademic. Dr. Peter Hotez joins us and talks about staying healthy during the holidays. Also as the humanitarian crisis on the border grows Governor Abbott is calling for an investigation of some of the non-profits helping migrants. We’ll explain. Plus, Google is making some changes that affect the results that show up in your searches including those shopping ads. Our go to tech expert Omar Gallaga takes us behind the curtains. And Big Bend National Park is about to get a little bigger with new areas to explore. All that and more today on the Texas Standard:
The fight over preserving El Paso’s Castner Range
A San Antonio doctor says hospitals are facing a crisis as COVID-19, RSV and flu cases mount before in this holiday season. In Bexar county the wait for hospital beds on the rise, and some health experts are sounding an alarm as families gather for the holidays. We’ll hear the latest. Also a big OPEC meeting, a European ban on Russian oil and the ripple effects for Texas oil producers and consumers. And in a decades long effort to open up El Paso’s Castner Mountains what could be a tipping point for a regions that’s been losing a lot of natural land to developers. Those stories, the talk of Texas and and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: November 17, 2022
Arbitrary and capricious- so says a federal judge ordering an end to COVID-19 related rapid expulsions at the border. We’ll look at what’s next for Title 42. Other stories we’re covering: an 800% spike in ER visits for young people facing mental health emergencies in Texas. Anna Bauman of the Houston Chronicle with more. And tens of thousands of Tech company layoffs in rapid succession. Our go-to Tech expert Omar Gallaga has been looking into the whys and what’s next. And concerns about an outbreak of canine influenza in Texas. What pet owners and caregivers should know those stories and much more coming up today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: October 27, 2022
As a new poll points to a tightening race for Texas Governor, a focus on an issue considered one of the biggest. We’ll talk about how immigration and border security have been front and center in the contest between Republican incumbent governor Greg Abbott and democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke. Also with disinformation and misinformation rampant, the Standard’s Michael Marks on how to be a smart news consumer. And rising prices, rising wages. But not all paychecks rising at the same rate. Sean Saldana with more. And the southern second person plural that one writer now calls the most inclusive of all pronouns. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: October 26, 2022
Governor Abbott extends a COVID-19 disaster declaration for Texas as a majority of states move the other direction. We’ll have the latest. Other stories we’re tracking: a stay of execution for a Texas death row inmate turns the spotlight on a tactic used by police to extract confessions…not all of them true. Also as election day approaches the nuts and bolts of voting machines: often at the center of disinformation claims. And how bout them…ticket prices? If you want to see the Astros in the world series it’s gonna costa ya, big time. We’ll hear how much. And the barbecue capitol of Texas heats up for an event that’s truly smokin. All that and much more today on the Texas Standard:
KUT Afternoon Newscast for October 4, 2022
Central Texas top stories for October 4, 2022. Rent rise slows. ACL economic impact. Monkeypox concerns. COVID 19. Election staffing.
KUT Afternoon Newscast for September 16, 2022
Central Texas top stories for September 16, 2022. AISD student arrested. AISD COVID. Monkeypox update. Unemployment. Protest action report. Police monitor election. Pecan street festival. UT Sports. Austin FC.
Texas Standard: September 08, 2022
One of the world’s top vaccine experts takes on questions as a new COVID-19 booster arrives in Texas; we’ll be talking with Dr. Peter Hotez about the new Omicron focused vaccines. Other stories we’re tracking: with pandemic disruptions, gun violence and other concerns, how some Texas school districts are trying to address students’ mental health. Plus, a longtime liberal activist who worked alongside Anne Richards talks about a life in Texas politics and the future of the causes she fought for. These stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: August 31, 2022
18 months after a deadly statewide electricity blackout, state officials adopt new weather preparedness standards. But is it enough? We’ll look at what the new rules are and whether they have the teeth to prevent future events like the 2021 Winter Blackouts. Also, El Paso’s DA under fire and facing a petition seeking her removal. But she calls it a political move. Plus drug cartels in Mexico shifting production to an unusually lethal synthetic opioid that has health officials in the U.S. concerned about an overdose crisis. Those stories, a Politifact check on teacher salaries and more today on the Texas Standard: