KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts

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

David Brown

Asleep at the Wheel celebrates 50 years with Texas tribute

A very busy Thursday for first responders and meteorologists with flood conditions and heavy dust for many Texans – and it’s expected to get worse before it gets better. We’ll have an update.


Houston, we have a problem, and it may be related to a spat between the president and the world’s wealthiest Texan.


The Dallas Fed offers an assessment of the Texas economy and the Standard’s Sean Saldana has the details.


Also, Ray Benson of Asleep at the Wheel talks about a new album focused on his favorite subject: Texas.

As the clock winds down, Texas lawmakers scramble to pass key bills

A look at the behind-the-scenes dealmaking happening at the Texas Capitol with less than two weeks until lawmakers gavel out on June 2.

How proposed cuts to SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, would impact Texans.

Apple has a plan to make it possible to use your laptop, phone and even smartwatch with brain control. Tech reporter Omar Gallaga says it’s no gimmick and could bring serious accessibility benefits.

Plus: A new coach, a new star – and a bumpy takeoff for the Dallas Wings.

A special broadcast from El Paso

Today we’re broadcasting live from El Paso for a special edition of the Texas Standard.


We hear from some prominent El Pasoans – former Congressman Beto O’Rourke and former El Paso Mayor Dee Margo – on the city’s dynamic politics.


El Paso has become a leader in innovative water management. How the city is securing its future in the desert.


KTEP’s Aaron Montes visits a local academy training the future stars of lucha libre.
And: How bighorn sheep have returned to El Paso’s mountains after a century away.

Texas Extra: My KUTX

March was all about music for Texas Standard. We debuted our latest Texas Standard special – “Rap to the Ranch: The Ballad of Mason ‘Bric’ LaDue.” And we celebrated ten years of the show with a top 10 list of our favorite music interviews and stories from the past decade.

The first weekend in March, the music partner of our home station KUT actually let the Texas Standard team take a turn as guest DJs! Our playlist is very different from our top 10 list because these are *personal favorites in one way or another.

Please note, for podcast purposes, we couldn’t play the whole song – so you’ll just hear little teases. Here’s the playlist:

1. Asleep At The Wheel – “Bob Wills Is Still The King” (feat. Clint Black) [David Brown]

2. The Black Angels – “You On The Run” [Alexandra Hart]

3. Selena – “Tus Desprecios” [Raul Alonzo]

4. Freddy Fender – “Before the Next Teardrop Falls” [Kristen Cabrera]

5. Jess Williamson – “Chasing Spirits” [Leah Scarpelli]

6. David Halley – “Loose Diamond” [Shelly Brisbin]

7. Khruangbin – “The Infamous Bill” [Casey Cheek]

8. Scarface – “Good Girl Gone Bad” [Wells Dunbar]

9. Amanda Shires – “Mineral Wells” [Gabrielle Muñoz]

10. Margo Price – “Hands of Time” [Rhonda Fanning]

11. Black Pumas – “Colors” [Laura Rice]

Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas. You can support this work at supportthispodcast.org.

How a Houston man spent 18 years in jail without a trial

How hot is it in Texas prisons? After many questions about deadly heat, a new discovery: the facts as presented may have been fake. Investigative reporter Lauren McGaughy of The Texas Newsroom with the discovery of falsified records in an ongoing scandal about heat-related deaths behind bars.


A Houston inmate jailed for 18 years who never got his day in court: How did that happen, and could there be more?


What do you get when you cross a mouse with a woolly mammoth? It’s no joke: A Texas company says it’s just the beginning.


Also, who owns Texas? The results of an investigation of land ownership.
And this week in Texas music history.

Rediscovering Texas farm worker history through photos

President Trump signs an order effectively dismantling the education department. What does it add up to for education in Texas?


The Las Vegas Sands Corp. folds, for now, on its push for a resort casino in Irving. We’ll hear why and what it says about the industry’s attempts to cash in on Texas.


Also, the week in politics with the Texas Tribune.


Plus, a new cookbook challenges the notion that you’ve got to have meat for traditional Mexican dishes.


And after our series on the Texas Farm Workers Union, a listener comes forward with photos – adding faces to an almost forgotten story.

Navy destroyer headed to the southern border region

A U.S. Navy destroyer armed with tomahawk missiles enroute to the gulf waters off the coast of Texas. What’s this all about?


Investigative reporter Lauren McGaughy of The Texas Newsroom with word that the Texas government appears to be maintaining a list of people asking for information about changing the sex on their driver’s licenses. Who’s compiling this list and what is it being used for?


Five years after the declaration of a pandemic, what’s happened with vaccination rates?


And an AI service used by millions for free is about to go behind a paywall.
Plus, why Texas Monthly’s barbecue editor is busy making his list and checking it twice.

Mando Rayo’s Taco Glossary

Mando Rayo walks through some of the terms you need to know if you want to cook tacos in Texas.

You can learn more in the book “The Tacos of Texas.”

The programming in this bonus episode of Tacos of Texas originally aired live on the Texas Standard in 2017.

Still reading? We appreciate you! And as we gear up for season CINCO of the Tacos of Texas podcast, we want to hear from dedicated listeners like you! Please tell us what you want to hear on the show by taking our listener survey at kut.org/tacosurvey

Thank you.

¡Vamos!

Why Texas is so vulnerable to tariff impacts

Texas is in the crosshairs as tariffs against Mexico and Canada take hold. Why, what it means, and could short-term pain add up to long-term gain?


At the state capitol, a bill aimed at raising wages for workers who care for people with disabilities. Why some fear it won’t be enough to stem a critical shortage of such workers in Texas.


“Office Space” may have been a funny movie filmed in Texas, but there’s nothing funny about what a glut of unused office space is doing to the state’s metros. How one city’s trying to deal with the repercussions.


Speaking of movies, oh the horror! Why so few of the scary variety get critical acclaim, despite a growing public appetite.

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.

Reflections from three Holocaust survivors in Texas

President Trump’s long-promised deportation raids get underway in Texas and in other parts of the country. Today, what we know about the weekend operations and what we’re learning.

On this International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Texas Standard’s Sarah Asch brings us the voices and memories of survivors living in Texas.

And: The Texas Senate has unveiled a bill to create a school voucher plan. The Texas Newsroom’s Blaise Gainey gets us caught up on the plan ahead of a public hearing on Tuesday.

Will Corpus Christi’s water restrictions be enough to stem emergency?

A dramatic move at the Texas Capitol upends a decades-long tradition of power sharing as conservative Republicans succeed in banning Democrats from chairing legislative committees.

The end of the CBP One program for asylum-seekers following President Donald Trump’s inauguration has left many with questions about their future.

And: Growing demand and industrial expansion have left Corpus Christi facing a water emergency.

US military sending troops to southern border

The U.S. military is sending around 1,500 active-duty troops to the country’s southern border, under orders from President Donald Trump. But what will they be doing, exactly, and what are the limits on what they can do?

Half a trillion dollars have been pledged for a new AI venture called Stargate, and the first project is a data center in Abilene.

And: Sherman, Texas, is experiencing a silicon rush, with two massive microchip factories under construction – one by Texas Instruments and another by Global Wafers.

Health and Human Services Commission employees accused in data breach

Parts of Texas that seldom see snow may well see frozen precipitation blanketing beaches tomorrow. We’re keeping watch.

Seven employees of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission have been fired for improperly accessing, and in some cases, stealing, from the accounts of thousands of Texans receiving public assistance.

And: TikTok went dark for U.S. users on Saturday night, hours before a ban on the service was due to take effect. But on Sunday, the service returned, with a message crediting President-elect Trump, who said he would delay the ban. We’ll have the latest.

What we know about Texas ties to deadly attack in New Orleans

The FBI has identified the suspect in a deadly terrorist attack in New Orleans as Texas resident Shamsud-Din Jabbar. We’ll have the latest on the rampage that left 15 people dead.

Ahead of next week’s national day of mourning for former President Jimmy Carter, a look at his impact on the Lone Star State.

What steps should lawmakers prioritize in the upcoming legislative session to address the state’s water crisis?

And: Scientists have identified a new bee species found only in Texas and Oklahoma.

Our top music stories for the year

Queue up some jams for your New Year’s Eve party with this roundup of some of our favorite music segments from 2024, featuring Beyoncé, the Jesus Lizard, Bayonne and more.

Diving into Texas history

Through the years, countless Texans have made history, though some are far less remembered or memorialized. We’re bringing some of those stories to light today, from the far reaches of space exploration to the farmworkers who fought for change with the Texas Farm Workers Union.

The best of The Texas Newsroom

We’re taking a look back at some of our favorite stories of the year from our public radio reporting partners across the state, including:

A Dallas ISD program that’s getting more Black and Latino men into classrooms.

Mobile health clinics rolling out to provide vital medical services as the state loses rural hospitals.

And: A visit to the traditional Mexican rodeo in San Antonio.

After its buyout, has Whataburger lost its spice?

There’s a fight to lead the Texas House of Representatives, and two names top the list. Yesterday we heard about Justin Burrows; today we’re taking a closer look at his challenger, David Cook, who the support of the House GOP caucus.

How one Central Texas school district is trying to do something about chronic absenteeism.

And: Whataburger has long been celebrated as a Texas fast food icon, but after its sale to a Chicago-based company, many claim it just isn’t what it used to be. Omar Gallaga explains.

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