KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts

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

Dan Patrick

Meta’s billion-dollar bet on El Paso

First responders in Kerr County struggled to communicate during this summer’s deadly Independence Day floods because parts of their radio network failed to reach key areas, according to an investigation by The New York Times.
Tech giant Meta is building a $1.5 billion data center in Northeast El Paso – a project that’s raising tough questions about water use, electricity demand and local incentives.
The ongoing federal shutdown and Trump administration tariffs are creating headaches for businesses that rely on the Port of Houston.
It’s pumpkin season – and the race is on to grow the biggest gourd.

Texas Standard 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 September 19, 2025: Texas A&M University President Mark Welsh will step down after turmoil over gender identity video

Central Texas top stories for September 19, 2025. Texas A&M University President Mark Welsh will step down today. Governor Greg Abbott has signed a bill into law that allows private citizens to sue out-of-state prescribers and distributors of abortion pills. Austin officials say they’re confident they’re complying with the law after the U.S. Department of Justice launched an investigation into the city’s hiring practices. Leander ISD is considering closing some schools to save money, but some officials are frustrated over the lack of discussion of plans. Texas Longhorn football fans are gearing up for tomorrow’s game against Sam Houston State. The City of Austin’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management is hosting an Emergency Preparedness Fair today. 

The Texas ties to an infamous Atari flop

Gov. Greg Abbott seems to be taking THC regulation into his own hands. What we know about what he wants to change.
About 20% of Medicaid recipients lose access during the yearly renewal process because of all the red tape. How Texas researchers are trying to fix that.
Texas is home to more than 100 Hispanic-Serving Institutions, but new federal cuts could eliminate funding that supports these colleges and universities.
What to know about Texas House Rep. James Talarico, the newcomer shaking up the race for U.S. Senate.
Solving the Atari game mystery that’s been lingering for decades – and its connections to El Paso.

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

You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org

Kerr County emergency officials were sleeping when flood hit July 4

Why weren’t Hill Country communities alerted as a deadly wall of water roared down the Guadalupe on the weekend of July 4th? In their first public testimony on the floods, top emergency officials in Kerr County said they were away or asleep.

Voting the old-fashioned way? A return to hand-marked ballots in Collin County is part of a change sweeping Texas and other parts of the country.

Red-crowned Amazons squawk through summer nights in Brownsville – and they’ve been the city’s official bird since 1992.

Plus: An update on a major scramble to defend Texas from a devastating invader, the New World Screwworm.

Black farmers in East Texas feel the sting of DEI cuts

A peek into the week ahead for the Texas Legislature’s special session: We’ll hear the latest on a much-talked-about possible walkout by Democrats.

A plan to relieve congestion in Austin was approved by voters years ago – but so far, there’s not much to show for it. Is Project Connect off the rails?

The rollback of USDA diversity programs is impacting East Texas, which is home to more Black farmers than anywhere else in the U.S.

Plus: A big deadline for tariffs with Mexico on the table. If a deal can’t be reached by Aug. 1, what could that mean for Texas?

KUT Morning Newscast for July 23, 2025: Austin voters could decide this November whether to increase property taxes

Central Texas top stories for July 23, 2025. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has backed 16 bills for the legislature’s special session. Williamson County partnered with the Central Texas Community Foundation to launch the ‘WilCo CARES’ fund to provide direct financial assistance to people affected by the flooding. Travis County’s Flood Resource Recovery Center is moving to Travis County Community Center in Jonestown. Austin voters could decide this November whether to increase property taxes. As Austin continues to iron out its budget for next year, funding homeless services is top of mind for many. 

Senate GOP primary brawl could open a door for Democrats

Gov. Greg Abbott’s last-minute veto of a proposed ban on THC-derived products has opened a rift with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the powerful leader of the Texas Senate who championed the ban.
More autonomous vehicles are now on Austin streets – and these Tesla robotaxis are a little harder to spot than their Waymo counterparts.
Some Texans are finding relief from high grocery prices on the other side of the border.
License plate readers have become popular with police departments around the state, but many folks have concerns about privacy. What we learned from a Houston investigation.
And: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is looking to unseat U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in 2026 – and the bruising primary may offer Democrats a rare shot at flipping a Texas Senate seat.

After yearslong fight, school voucher bill clears Legislature

A measure long sought by Texas Republicans is now on its way to the governor’s desk: A voucher-like plan to use public dollars to pay for private education. We’ll get details from Blaise Gainey of The Texas Newsroom.

A massive plan was once proposed to keep Texas from running out of water in the late 1960’s… Voters said no. How the debate has resurfaced decades later.

And a big win for opponents of local marijuana decriminalization moves in Texas.

Texas secures land for a new state park

A bird flu outbreak noted early in Texas is now a national issue, and concerns are rising about what the federal government plans to do.

From property taxes to THC and more, Lt Gov. Dan Patrick outlines the first batch of 40 legislative priorities for the current Texas legislative session.

Why a fight over mass transit it Dallas could wind up a matter for state lawmakers to untangle.

And: The state has finalized the purchase of a 2,000-acre tract along the Colorado River in Burnet County, next to Colorado Bend State Park.

KUT Afternoon Newscast for January 22, 2025

Central Texas top stories for January 22, 2025. This morning was the coldest of the season. First-responders say two people died as a result of the freezing temperatures. Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick indicated he was open to clarifying the exception for Texas’ near-total abortion ban. The Texas Department of Agriculture is now accepting applications for a summer program that makes free meals available to children statewide.

KUT Morning Newscast for January 22, 2025

Central Texas top stories for January 22, 2025. The winter storm is behind us, but cold weather lingers as Austin sees the coldest temperatures registered this winter. Reproductive rights activists are considering how to move their cause forward in Texas. The median sales price of a home in Austin rose last month.

KUT Afternoon Newscast for December 05, 2024

Central Texas top stories for December 5, 2024. The Marshalling Yard will stay open until a more permanent location can be identified. Homeowners in Travis County can expect an increase in their property taxes this year. Austin Public Health launched its “Opioid Resource Hub” today. Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick wants a statewide ban on sales of all consumable THC products. Can artificial intelligence translate the sounds of a country road or a bustling city into accurate images of those places? There’s postseason volleyball tonight at Gregory Gym.

Uranium mining poised for a comeback in South Texas

The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments about restrictions on gender-affirming care for young people. What a ruling could mean.
Texas elected officials will soon have to start disclosing more information about the properties they own – changes that could reveal more about Attorney General Ken Paxton’s recent real estate transactions.
Houston-based Enron went very publicly kaput more than 20 years ago. Now, it’s back? We’ll take a closer look.
Uranium mining is ramping up again in South Texas, raising questions about the environmental and economic implications.
Plus: ChatGPT is known to have its limitations. What one of its blindspots tells us about artificial intelligence.

How news organizations are partnering with public libraries 

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick wants the state to lead in dementia research. Why it’s such a priority and what happens next.
More people than ever get their news via social media, but with feeds looking very different for different folks, how do you bring people together? As the Standard’s Sarah Asch reports, the public library might help.
A school district in the Panhandle has a unique model for providing scholarship money for students. Commentator WF Strong says it began with a gift.
Plus: Rainbow trout may soon be arriving at a body of water near you. How to take advantage.

KUT Morning Newscast for October 17, 2024

Central Texas top stories for October 17, 2024. The deadline to vote by mail for this fall’s election is approaching. The number of young people experiencing homelessness in the Austin area has more than tripled since 2020. Texas lawmakers are working on legislation that may restrict whether people can wear masks or other face coverings during protests. Join us for a night dip at Barton Springs during tonight’s supermoon! 

Remembering iconic Texas actress Shelley Duvall

Five days after Hurricane Beryl’s landfall, more than 800,000 Texans are still without power as frustrations and questions rise along with the heat – and officials say half a million people may not get power back until next week.
Thirty-five percent of Texas students scored zero on the writing portion of STAAR test, raising big questions about the jump in low scores as computers take over the grading process.
Remembering Fort Worth native Shelley Duvall, who made a big mark on Hollywood and left it all for the Hill Country.
Also: the week in politics with The Texas Tribune and poetry from the Typewriter Rodeo.

The Texas State Aquarium balances marine conservation and hurricane challenges

The Texas State Aquarium has a spot right on the edge of the Corpus Christi Bay – and storms in recent years have provided lessons that staff put in place for Hurricane Beryl.


There’s tons of evidence that most extreme weather hits communities of color the hardest. As Texas recovers from Beryl, what’s being done to address that?


A new court system in Texas designed just for business matters opens in September with judges appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott.


And: Cameras in your earbuds and health data tracked in a ring? We’ll check in on the latest in wearable technology.

A report from Eagle Pass after a weekend of immigration protest

A bipartisan bill to address border security: one that mandates that President Biden shut down the border. David Martin Davies with more on the Senate bill on immigration and border security and an update on border protests over the weekend.

What appears to be the first human brain chip implant by Elon Musk’s Neuralink is raising concerns about safety, consent, and transparency. We’ll hear from a medical ethicist who’s been studying the implications.

In El Paso, a new exhibit that highlights a surprising relationship between humans and ducks.

And the thousandth PolitiFact check of Donald Trump – what the numbers say.

Exploring SpaceX’s potential land swap with Texas

The Texas Supreme Court hears arguments in a case challenging a law banning puberty blockers and hormone therapy for trans minors.

John Whitmire, Houston’s new mayor, campaigned to be “tough-but-smart on crime.” Houston Public Media’s Andrew Schneider takes a look at some of Whitmire’s plans for law enforcement.

SpaceX wants to give the state 477 acres of land near a national wildlife refuge in exchange for 43 acres from Boca Chica State Park, near its launch site – but the plan is drawing local pushback.

And: West Texas A&M University plans a new institute to advocate what the school’s president calls “Panhandle values.” Critics fear it’s a push to spread conservative values across the university.

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