Central Texas top stories for August 26, 2024. Austin Community College kicked off its fall semester today. Police in Round Rock say additional warrants have been secured for one of the suspects arrested in connection with the deadly gunfire at this year’s Juneteenth celebration. The Texas Juvenile Justice Department is the focus of a scathing report from the U.S. Department of Justice. CapMetro swore in its first-ever police chief today. People in West Travis County can now resume watering their lawns and filling up swimming pools. The Texas Longhorns kick off their first season in the Southeastern Conference this weekend.
DOJ
Amazon expands Prime shipping to rural areas, challenging USPS
More than 400 people ended up in emergency rooms with carbon monoxide poisoning after Hurricane Beryl, many from generators.
Five years later, victims of a mass shooting in El Paso wait for the state to prosecute the gunman.
Why Texas ranks last when it comes to healthcare access and affordability, especially for women.
Is there a link between the rising number of teachers without certification in the state and declines in student achievement? New research seeks to answer that question.
And: Amazon Prime’s two-day shipping is moving into rural areas to boost sales – a direct challenge to the U.S. Postal Service.
KUT Morning Newscast for August 2, 2024
Central Texas top stories for August 2, 2024. The U.S. Department of Justice is calling on Texas to reform the state’s Juvenile Justice Department. Cedar Park is looking to attract new, alternative forms of media production. Forecasters expect a hot, dry August in Central Texas. The inaugural Black Austin Film Festival starts tomorrow at the Coldtowne Theater on East 2nd Street.
KUT Afternoon Newscast for August 1, 2024
Central Texas top stories for August 1, 2024. An investigation has found extensive problems in Texas youth prisons. New Title IX rules are blocked in more than two dozen states, including Texas. The City of Georgetown reports more mosquito traps testing positive for West Nile Virus. A new clinic in East Austin is about to open its doors to patients. Outdoor warning sirens are once again operational in San Marcos. Gas prices have turned lower, but possibly not for long. Former Longhorn rower Kate Knifton helped lead Team USA to its best Olympic finish in the Women’s 4 racing event since 1992.
Massive disruption worldwide blamed on latest Microsoft update from Austin-based CrowdStrike
A massive disruption that knocked businesses and services offline worldwide – grounding planes, keeping bank customers from accessing their balances and more – was blamed on the latest Microsoft update from Austin-based cybersecurity company CrowdStrike.
The Justice Department has sued the Texas-based nonprofit Southwest Key Programs, alleging sexual abuse of migrant children in their care.
A new study sounds an alarm over the safety of tampons after finding found toxic metals, including arsenic and lead, in over a dozen popular brands. We’ll hear from the lead researcher.
Also: the week in politics with The Texas Tribune and poetry from the Typewriter Rodeo.
House Speaker Dade Phelan has drawn an opponent
The Justice Department has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple, alleging that the maker of the iPhone violated antitrust law by maintaining an illegal monopoly in the smartphone market. We’ll hear more from Jason Snell, one of the nation’s top Apple watchers.
House Speaker Dade Phelan faces another challenge: not just re-election in his home district, but now a rival for his leadership position from state Rep. Tom Oliverson.
An update on the Standard’s Music Madness bracket, and how you can make your picks for the Elite Eight.
Plus: The week in politics with The Texas Tribune.
KUT Morning Newscast for February 27, 2024
Central Texas top stories for February 27, 2024. Local activists are asking the Department of Justice to investigate APD. Austin’s budget troubles. Latest plans for the downtown Health South development site. Dairy plant development lawsuit. Texas anti-abortion activists consider pushing for changes to the state’s IVF laws.
Could Texas’ electric grid finally connect to other states?
A grand jury in Uvalde will consider possible charges over law enforcement’s failed response to the mass shooting at Robb Elementary.
An Air Force general who was stationed at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph faces a court-martial over charges of sexually assaulting a subordinate.
The Texas power grid is famously separate from the rest of the country – but a plan has been quietly moving forward to connect it to a grid operating in the southeastern U.S.
And: Shipping lanes are shifting routes amid attacks in the Red Sea. What are the ripple effects in Texas?
Standoff between Texas and the feds continues over Rio Grande access
Tensions between Texas and the federal government intensify over Border Patrol access.
On the day after the release of the findings of a federal investigation into the 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, what we’re learning and what it could mean for accountability.
With the intensification of winter weather this week, how advocates for people experiencing homelessness are trying to shelter and care for Texans left out in the cold.
A sneak peek at the Super Bowl prospects for the Houston Texans, facing a big playoff challenge this weekend.
And we’ll have the week in politics with Matthew Watkins of the Texas Tribune.
Justice Department report on Uvalde shooting finds ‘critical failures’ in police response
After a review of thousands of videos and other evidence, the Justice Department has released its report on the Uvalde school shooting, finding “critical failures” by law enforcement before, during and after the attack.
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals strikes down much of a new Texas law that sought to restrict which books are available in school libraries.
Texas may soon be a hub for hydrogen fueling. The Standard’s Shelly Brisbin has more.
CinéWilde, which bills itself as the state’s only monthly LGBTQ film series, turns 10.
And: Remembering award-winning science fiction author Howard Waldrop.
What’s ahead for space exploration in 2024
The federal government takes legal action to stop Texas from implementing a new state law aimed at arresting migrants who come into the state illegally. Julián Aguilar of The Texas Newsroom has more.
A new plan to use AI to help explore the effect of burn pits on veterans.
Why 2024 could be the launch pad for a new chapter in space exploration.
How the armadillo, a dormant dog-sized mammal considered a pest by many, won the affection of many a Texan.
Plus: The week in politics with The Texas Tribune.
KUT Morning Newscast for January 04, 2024
Central Texas top stories for January 04, 2024. Texans can now submit applications to vote by mail. Texas immigration bill lawsuit. New study on medication abortions. How sharks in Australia can help us understand Texas.
What has Van Horn residents so worried about a new pipeline
The Department of Justice has sued Colony Ridge, a Houston-area housing developer marketing primarily to undocumented migrants, over the company’s business practices.
Concerns are growing over a proposed pipeline in far West Texas, as nearby residents in Van Horn worry they simply don’t have the resources if there were an emergency.
Tech expert Omar Gallaga tells us why Apple’s taking many of its watches off store shelves, and why the president could get involved.
Also: Veteran public radio DJ Susan Castle of KUTX Austin serves up some holiday songs with a Texas twist.
What we know about Ken Paxton’s upcoming impeachment trial
The Department of Justice has sued the State of Texas over its floating border barrier near Eagle Pass, alleging Texas doesn’t have the authority to place barriers in the Rio Grande. Gov. Greg Abbott’s reply? “See you in court.”
Sergio Martínez-Beltrán of the Texas Newsroom brings us the latest developments in Ken Paxton’s upcoming impeachment trial.
Congressman Greg Casar is calling for federal regulations to protect workers against heat-related illness in light of state law that will undo local rules starting Sept. 1.
And why a goat that went missing from a livestock show has captured the imagination of lots of folks in the Rio Grande Valley.
Texas Standard: March 25, 2022
The Supreme Court rules in a case involving death row inmates and the involvement of spiritual advisors at executions. We’ll look at the implications. Other stories were tracking: after a court ordered stay, Texas attorney general Ken Paxton appeals to the Texas supreme court to permit child abuse investigations into parents who help their transgender kids access gender-affirming care. Also, with the expiration of pandemic bans on evictions, something somewhat unexpected happening in some courtrooms. We’ll hear the backstory. Plus the week in Texas politics and the search for the ultimate roller coaster. All that and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: February 18, 2022
Nineteen indictments of Austin police officers in what appears to be one of the biggest indictments of a single police department in connection with the racial justice demonstrations of 2020. Also, the week in politics with the Texas Tribune. These stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: February 7, 2022
A Texas official takes on listener questions about new vote-by-mail rules. Also, the energy implications of last week’s winter storm and the lingering psychological impacts of the winter storm of 2021. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: December 7, 2021
The U.S. Justice Department files suit against the State of Texas alleging that the new redistricting maps violate the Voting Rights Act. We’ll have details. Other stories we’re tracking the first case of the newly named Omicron COVID-19 variant discovered in Texas. We’ll look at what we know and what we don’t. Also after years of talking about a massive infrastructure project to defend the Texas coast from hurricanes and flooding, bipartisan momentum finally building in Washington. We’ll hear the latest. Plus turning a spotlight on a highly respected Black artist from Texas, who’s avoided the spotlight for years. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard: