As the 89th session of the Texas Legislature looms, here’s a preview of some of the marquee issues that will likely hold the focus of lawmakers.
education
Is new fertilizer behind Texas cattle deaths?
A climate-friendly fertilizer turned out to be tainted with so-called “forever chemicals” that are killing cattle and other ranch animals.
Education Savings Accounts are on the legislative agenda and likely to pass. What they are and why they’re controversial.
Historic horse-drawn carriages will become a thing of the past in San Antonio as the city phases them out.
Public health experts in Texas say vaccine hesitancy in the state could grow under the new Trump administration.
And: the call for research on mountain lions, the state’s last big cat.
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.
How some donated land became a bounty for a small town’s students
Texas Standard commentator WF Strong says the Gruver Farm Scholarship Foundation has already made a multi-generational impact.
After nearly 50 years, food critic Pat Sharpe asks for the check
Texas leaders are among President-elect Trump’s biggest supporters. Are they being left off the list of Cabinet picks?
She’s traveled and tasted dishes from across the Lone Star State: After 50 years, Texas Monthly food critic Pat Sharpe is retiring and sharing what she’s learned on the job.
The details of a plan to turn an old golf course into a world-class arboretum in San Antonio.
And: An update on the results of a rural summit bringing residents, local officials and state lawmakers together.
A closer look at the country music Grammy nods
As lawmakers prepare to take up a school voucher-like plan, many state public schools are struggling with more cutbacks.
Gov. Greg Abbott is seeking an extension of a tuition freeze for public colleges and universities.
What the tiny town of Rockdale, Texas, could teach us about the energy transition and rising demand.
Mando Rayo of the Tacos of Texas podcast breaks down the state’s new Michelin-recognized restaurants.
And: What the Grammy nominations tell us about the changing landscape of country music – and why it’s sounding a lot more like an increasingly diverse Texas.
San Antonio’s Institute of Texan Cultures eyed for demolition
It’s possible the most closely watched statewide race in Texas this election cycle could also be the closest once the ballots are counted. How Ted Cruz and Colin Allred are making a final push in the days before Nov. 5.
In San Antonio, plans to demolish a building once part of a World’s Fair might be put on hold because of its history. Jack Morgan of Texas Public Radio tells us more.
And: The new book “The Fall of Roe” explores the decade before the Dobbs decision and the political apparatus that made it possible.
Digging into the business of predicting elections
It’s a state power struggle with life-and-death consequences: The latest on the Robert Roberson death penalty case.
The biggest statewide race on the ballot is the U.S. Senate race between Ted Cruz and Colin Allred. Today: A profile of Allred, a Democrat who has mounted a massive effort to unseat the incumbent Republican senator.
How the school voucher issue could decide some races in Texas.
The science and art of predicting elections and how the practice has evolved.
And: We’ll hear from voters across the state about why they turned out on the first day of early voting.
New exhibit showcases never-before-seen Freddy Fender artifacts
Schools and public libraries are often the focus of book bans. But what can we learn from a list of books prohibited in state prisons?
We’re celebrating the contributions of Hispanic Texans, including one who credits a librarian for helping him rise to became a leader in academia.
The infamous nuclear power plant at Three Mile Island could come back online to support a big tech company’s artificial intelligence operations.
And: The hometown of Freddy Fender will soon honor the trailblazing Tejano musician in a first-of-its-kind exhibit at the San Benito Cultural Heritage Museum.
A North Texas city has paused all new development
Princeton, a Dallas suburb, has quadrupled in population since 2010. Recently, city leaders paused all new residential development to let infrastructure catch up.
The latest in our series on the intersection of religion and politics: students from two schools in Abilene with a diversity of perspectives and a strong desire to bridge the political divide.
A standoff is brewing between Southwest Airlines and the San Antonio International Airport over terminal expansion plans.
Also: exploring Houston’s role in the renewable energy transition – the focus of a new podcast premiering today.
Can you trust polls saying Texas could turn blue?
As immigration returns to center stage in American politics, a curious reversal in messaging in one of the state’s most closely watched races.
It’s happened before: polls show a statewide race tightening up, hopes rising among Texas Democrats, only to be dashed on Election Day. Do you trust polls that suggest Texas turning blue? A guide for optimists and pessimists.
The latest on a lawsuit brought by inmates and their supporters over intense heat in Texas prisons.
And the dedication of a new national historic site to help explain an era when Texas created separate schools for Hispanic children.
KUT Morning Newscast for September 11, 2024
Central Texas top stories for September 11, 2024. State officials are considering whether to approve a new reading curriculum for elementary school students that includes Bible stories. Rent prices in Austin have continued to fall, even as rents in other large cities are going up. A mosquito infected with West Nile Virus was found in San Marcos last week, the mosquito season continues. Officials are honoring firefighters who were part of 9/11 rescue teams.
Ken Paxton sues Bexar County over plan to mail out registration forms to unregistered voters
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing Bexar County over a plan to reach out to unregistered voters with applications.
After two years of missing its recruitment goals, a new Army college partnership is helping recruits in San Antonio get their GEDs.
Amazon is trying to save its Echo program with a major artificial intelligence upgrade for Alexa. Tech expert Omar Gallaga with the how and what’s at stake.
And: A conversation with author Alejandro Puyana, a Venezuela native now living in Austin, on his debut novel “Freedom is a Feast.”
How to prepare for the fall/winter gardening season in Texas
What effect is Texas’ booming population having on how the state’s moving politically? Some signs as we approach November.
A Texas company faces federal allegations of a price-fixing conspiracy pushing up rents across the U.S.
Want to grow a veggie garden this fall? An expert shares tips for choosing plants, protecting from freezes & more.
Two astronauts are stranded in space until next year, way beyond initial plans for their mission. A former astronaut weighs in on what’s happened and what comes next.
And: Remembering groundbreaking DJ Steve Crosno, who helped make El Paso’s music culture the rich scene it is today.
KUT Morning Newscast for August 20, 2024
Here are the top stories from the KUT Newsroom for the morning of August 20th. The Austin ISD school board will ask voters to approve new funding for the district. Austinites waste lots of food, and yet, we also have too many people who are food insecure. The Taylor ISD needs to build more schools or it will run out of room for students as the area continues its explosive growth. And it’s the first day of school in Austin! Please watch out while driving to and from work today.
What Texas Democrats can look forward to as the DNC kicks off
Texas has the third-largest delegation at the Democratic National Convention. We’ll hear more about the four-day political spectacle getting underway in Chicago and what it could mean for the Lone Star State and the presidential race.
Conservative activists, led by the Houston-based group True the Vote, are submitting lists of names to county election officials all over Texas, claiming the listed people are illegally registered to vote.
More and more school districts in Texas taking cellphone bans seriously as students return to class.
Also: Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have developed a special type of self-watering soil that can actually pull water from the air and slowly release nutrients to plants.
How Texas is likely undercounting heat-related deaths
Just how dangerous is triple-digit heat in Texas? They say the numbers don’t lie. Last year was the deadliest on record in Texas, but there’s reason to think we don’t know just how bad it really was – or is.
As schools begin welcoming students back to class, data shows nearly 1 in 5 will be chronically absent.
Are you a mosquito magnet, or does it just seem that way? What the science says, and what you can do about it.
Plus, the week in politics with the Texas Tribune and poetry from the Typewriter Rodeo.
KUT Morning Newscast for August 12, 2024
Central Texas top stories for August 12, 2024. Another hot week ahead for Austin and Central Texas. Austin Community College receives $7.5 million grant to expand and develop new training programs for semiconductor manufacturing. Texas lawmakers kick off two days of hearings on educational issues. The city of Austin is looking to include $50 million in next budget to increase parkland in the city. Texas Longhorn athletes earn 16 medals at Paris Olympic games, including 6 gold.
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.
Investigation finds worker deaths from trench collapses were often preventable
President Biden is in Austin to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act – and is expected to deliver a speech that could have big implications for the future of the U.S. Supreme Court.
The surprise arrests in Texas of two leaders of the notorious Sinaloa drug cartel were a major victory for the feds, but now there are hints that the backstory involves a double cross. One of the state’s top experts on Mexico’s drug cartels explains.
A new survey finds that two-thirds of Texans support Gov. Greg Abbott’s school voucher plan.
And: A new investigation from NPR, Texas Public Radio and public radio program 1A finds more than 250 preventable deaths in trench accidents.