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KUT Morning Newscast for June 28, 2023

Central Texas top stories for June 28, 2023. Governor Greg Abbot calls another special session. New Ombuds office for Austin ISD.  Remote marriage licenses in Hays County.

KUT Morning Newscast for June 1, 2023

Central Texas top stories for June 1, 2023. Project Connect faces a pivotal vote. Childcare deserts in central Texas. Austin workers protest telework scheme.

KUT Morning Newscast for May 30, 2023

Central Texas top stories for May 29, 2023. Governor Abbot calls for a special session. Attorney General Paxton’s impeachment moves forward. Hutto city council vote goes to a runoff.

KUT Morning Newscast for May 29, 2023

Central Texas top stories for May 29, 2023. Updates on the impeachment of AG Ken Paxton. Memorial Day events across central Texas. Final days for bills to pass the Texas legislator.

 

What are the weirdest laws in Texas?

At the Capitol, an intraparty rivalry between Republicans explodes into the open. The dueling charges between Attorney General Ken Paxton and House Speaker Dade Phelan are so personal and serious, some longtime Capitol watchers are characterizing the battle as among the most significant in Texas political history. Lauren McGaughey of the Dallas Morning news will have details.

After a scandal at a Bastrop foster care facility, Texas lawmakers pass two new bills to crack down on abuses.

We’ll have more on a vigil last night in Uvalde marking the one-year anniversary of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary.

The Texas Legislature will finish its session having made lots of new laws. But there are plenty of old laws on the books that seem pretty weird by today’s standards.

And debt collectors get a new high-tech tool.

KUT Morning Newscast for May 23, 2023

Central Texas top stories for May 22, 2023. AISD and UT team up to train STEM teachers. Old education buildings in Austin rebuilt and reused. Housing bills in the state Senate.

Kate the Chemist aims to answer ‘the big questions’ about science with new podcast

Erin Douglas of the Texas Tribune joins with details on water infrastructure efforts that have bipartisan support, but a chasm separating House and Senate proposals – and just 11 more days to come to agreement.

More money for Texas public school teachers? Some educators say the proposals on the table aren’t enough to keep them in the classroom.

In San Antonio, what appears to be a first-of-its-kind effort to dramatically improve access to public bathrooms for people with disabilities.

And UT-Austin chemistry professor Kate Biberdorf – aka Kate the Chemist – shares a preview of her new podcast, “Seeking a Scientist.”

What it’s like in a self-defense class for LGBTQ Texans

The latest on a massive manhunt following the shooting deaths of five people in San Jacinto County.

As the Texas Legislature enters the final month of its biennial session, there’s a push to get more money for public schools.

There’s more turbulence ahead for Texas-based American Airlines as pilots say they’re ready to strike.

The border with Mexico is experiencing what many see as a surprising rise of Chinese migrants.

And fighting for the right to be free from fear: the Standard goes inside martial arts sessions for members of the LGBTQ+ community.

What’s in San Antonio’s ‘justice charter’?

Yes and no signs proliferate in San Antonio over Prop A. What’s behind the city’s so-called justice charter?

In Kyle, a corrections officer indicted in the shooting death of a person awaiting trial, and a family’s struggle to find answers.

Taking the STAAR tests online. Should there still be a paper option?

A push for more transitional housing for Muslim’s recently released from incarceration.

The story of a world premiere in Dallas for one of the most downloaded poets in the U.S.

And the week in politics with the Texas Tribune.

Texas county may shutter its library before it returns banned books to the stacks

Attorneys for a man convicted of fatally shooting a Black Lives Matter protester in Austin in 2020 are asking for a retrial – a request that comes after Gov. Greg Abbott asked the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to review the conviction.

The debate over school vouchers, or a variation called education savings accounts, has just passed by the Texas Senate. Are there parallels with a decades-old debate over charter schools in Texas?

In Llano County, after a federal order to return books with LGBTQ -and race-related content to library shelves, commissioners today take up whether to close down the library system altogether.

Also: What could be a new tipping point in offshoring jobs.

Feral hogs are a big problem in Houston

It’s spring in Texas, and that means tornadoes. We’ll find out what’s expected this season.

A federal judge has ordered banned books be put back on the shelves in Llano County.

The CBP One App is a lifeline for migrants stuck on the border seeking an appointment to apply for asylum. But many simply cannot connect.

A new hybrid school in Dallas teaches kids remotely part of the week and in person the rest.

And feral hogs are a growing problem across the state – one place they’ve caused trouble recently is Harris County.

Taylor Swift fans in Texas are ready for the Eras Tour

For the first time in three years, Medicaid recipients have had to re-apply for the benefit as a major safety net installed during the pandemic disappears – and millions of Texans may lose health coverage.

Taylor Swift is coming to town, and the excitement is off the charts for the superstar’s Texas swing, starting this weekend in Arlington.

Also take a deep dive into deep fakes.