As data centers expand across the state, so does the need for energy. More power plants are popping up with Texas at the center of the AI data center boom.
The federal government gives its first briefing on a new border wall planned in the Big Bend region.
He helped U.S. troops during the war in Afghanistan — now the family of Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal wants to know how he died in ICE custody.
It was known as the Green Book, a guide for Black Americans during segregation that showed places that were welcoming. A new tour in San Antonio charts that history.
Data Center
Waymo expansion sparks safety concerns in Texas cities
A recent change to Texas law now requires local law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.
Driverless cabs are making headlines in Austin for all the wrong reasons. What this might mean for Waymo’s plans to expand statewide.
Politics v.s. pragmatism in West Texas, long known for its oil, now making a sometimes-begrudging shift to solar to meet growing electricity demand. Their question? What’s in it for them?
Also, why NASA’s hanging out the “help wanted” sign.
Texas ban on smokable cannabis products looms
Texas lawmakers did not get through a ban on THC sales this past legislative session, but new rules restricting them are about to go into effect.
There’s been some confusing back and forth from the Trump administration on what exactly a border wall might look like in Big Bend.
Another Texas university is making changes to race and gender studies programs.
New so-called “man camps” are popping up in rural Texas. We’ll delve into what they’re for.
Plus, Austin’s biggest festival, South by Southwest, is coming back to town. We’ll have a preview of films with Texas ties and a music event that doesn’t require a badge.
The town where Texas declared its independence
Who’s up, who’s down, and who’s in trouble — a final poll before primary day in the Lone Star State. We’ll go over what the numbers are telling us.
President Trump is in Corpus Christi today, hitting the hustings on this last day of in-person early voting before crucial primaries in Texas. James Henson of the Texas Politics Project joins us with results of a new survey.
Also, echoes of politics of the past as Texas prepares to mark 190 years since its own declaration of independence. Michael Adkison of Houston Public Media on a critical convention of 1836 and why it matters today.
And the fight over data centers takes a new turn.
Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas. You can support our work by becoming a sustaining member at supportthispodcast.org.
Former Uvalde officer acquitted in first criminal trial tied to shooting
Texans prepare for a major winter storm, projected to be the most severe since the deadly winter storm of 2021. We’ll get an update on preparations by state officials in what promises to be the first real test of the power grid since Winter Storm Uri five years ago.
A Uvalde school police officer, the first law enforcement official to be charged in connection with the Robb Elementary School shooting, has been acquitted by a jury.
Also, the death of Cuban immigrant at an El Paso detention center has now been ruled a homicide.
What Texas voters should know before Election Day
With 17 constitutional amendments on the ballot next week, state officials are reminding Texans what to expect at the polls. We’ll talk with the Texas Secretary of State’s Office about dos and don’ts while voting.
Both Austin and Houston are facing financial strain, but their solutions couldn’t be more different: One wants to raise taxes, while the other wants to hold the line.
Austin DJ Laurie Gallardo, host of the podcast “SPF 1000: Vampire Sunscreen,” discusses Latinx goth culture, its roots in border life and the darker side of music and identity.
A massive data center in Taylor is moving forward
A judge has dismissed a lawsuit in a case centered around the construction of a data center in Taylor on land that had been set aside for a park. We’ll hear from KUT Williamson County reporter Kailey Hunt, who has been following the story and speaking with the folks looking to put a halt to that development.
A group of volunteer musicians, the Viva Palestina Orchestra, is raising money for aid in Gaza by playing Palestinian music.
Need to yell out your feelings? How to join the next meeting of Scream Club Austin.
KUT Morning Newscast for October 9, 2025: Former UT lecturer’s lingering charges from pro-Palestinian protest dismissed
Central Texas top stories for October 9, 2025. If AISD goes ahead with the consolidation plan, it would reshape some of the most valuable public land across the city. Travis County prosecutors have dropped all remaining charges against a former UT lecturer who was arrested in last year’s pro-Palestinian demonstrations. A judge dismissed a lawsuit that tried to stop a controversial data center from being built on restricted land. The Austin City Council today is set to vote on buying a new property to serve as a city-owned housing navigation center.
KUT Morning Newscast for September 30, 2025: Taylor residents showed up in court to oppose a proposed data center
Central Texas top stories for September 30, 2025. Austin Police shared new details yesterday on how they found a new suspect in the 1991 ‘Yogurt Shop Murders.’ Taylor residents made a big showing at a court hearing yesterday to oppose a proposed data center. Texas Football will be back in action this Saturday, this time on the road. The Texas Commission on Environmental quality declared today an Ozone Action Day in the Austin area.
KUT Morning Newscast for September 29, 2025: APD is expected to release more information today in the 1991 “Yogurt Shop Murders” case
Central Texas top stories for September 29, 2025. The Austin Police Department is expected to release more information today in the 1991 murder case known as the “Yogurt Shop Murders” after announcing they’ve identified a suspect. The Austin firefighters union agreed to a new labor contract with the city. Several school districts in the Austin area are considering closing campuses amid budget deficits. A legal battle over a data center project in Taylor is set to go to court today. The Texas Longhorns are now number nine in the AP Top 25 College Football Poll.
KUT Morning Newscast for September 26, 2025: The City of Austin is changing its rules that allow the Austin Animal Center to spay certain animals
Central Texas top stories for September 26, 2025. The city of Austin is changing its rules to allow the Austin Animal Center to spay certain animals without first notifying rescue organizations. A Williamson County judge has temporarily blocked a data center project from moving forward with any work on its site in Taylor after neighbors filed a lawsuit. Main lanes of southbound I-35 will be closed tonight and tomorrow night for construction. An event in East Austin will offer free health screenings this weekend.
State parks are getting bigger and better
While the Texas House remains stalled due to a quorum break, the Senate continues its work, advancing a key education bill that could eliminate STAAR testing statewide.
Texas is seeing a boom in data centers driven by AI and crypto – but the growth comes with major energy and water demands.
Thanks to a $1 billion voter-approved investment, Texas is acquiring new land and developing trails to expand its state park system.
And: The legacy of Claude Eatherly, a North Texas native who flew a weather support plane over Hiroshima on the day of the bombing and later became a vocal anti-nuclear activist.
Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.
You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org
Data centers may start creating their own power plants
Gina Ortiz Jones made history over the weekend, becoming San Antonio’s first openly lesbian mayor and only the third woman to hold the office.
An assault case is exposing deeper failures in Texas group homes.
With the rise of data centers across Texas, a push for private power plants run by natural gas.
The new documentary “Sally” explores the private life of public space hero Sally Ride. We’ll talk to writer and director Cristina Costantini.
And: Diving into the history of Adolph Hofner, the Texas-born bandleader who popularized Czech music and made it swing.
Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.
You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org
Hays County residents aren’t happy about a new neighbor moving in: a data center
CloudBurst Data Centers is planning to build a facility south of San Marcos that could be leased to an AI firm or other tech company. KUT’s Maya Fawaz reports residents are concerned about the potential environmental impacts.
A special broadcast from Abilene
Today we come to you from one of Texas’ once great railroad towns – and though the trains aren’t so much a central part of life here anymore, something else has happened that’s been bringing people, prosperity and a sense of renewal back to Abilene.
An AI-focused facility could transform the Big Country region.
Ahead of the 2025, legislative session, Stamford Mayor James Decker shares insights on what’s needed for small-town Texas.
And: Wylie ISD is enacting a strict no-phone policy to reduce distractions.
What’s happening at the Cutoff in East Texas?
As cities grow, so do tensions between state and local officials over policy direction. A bipartisan coalition of 18 big city mayors team up to press state officials over top priorities. What they’re planning and more in our conversation with the mayor of Fort Worth. Also, how transgender youth and their families are gearing up to fight several new proposals in the GOP led Texas legislature. And an update over public access to a beloved east Texas body of water called The Cutoff. Plus rising grocery prices and the SNAP gap for those needing help to get food on the table. These stories and more today on the Texas Standard: