On request from Florida, Texas sends teams of emergency officials to support local authorities as they brace for the arrival of Hurricane Milton.
A geyser erupted in West Texas last Wednesday, shooting salty, oily water 100 feet into the air – an unexpected event that continued through the weekend.
At the heart of San Antonio’s historic Spanish Colonial Missions are their iconic bells, which have been ringing for centuries to mark major community events.
Plus: There’s a growing age gap between Texans and their elected representatives – and emerging leaders are working to reshape the political landscape.
Election
KUT Morning Newscast for October 4, 2024
Central Texas top stories for October 4, 2024. Texas planning to vote in this fall’s election must be registered to vote by Monday. While some cities appear to attract to extra rainfall, Austin doesn’t seem to share the same luck. Travis County will launch mental health diversion program on Monday. Being recognized as a “dark sky” place isn’t cheap, but one Central Texas nonprofit is trying to ease that cost. Day one of the Austin City Limits music festival kicks off in Zilker Park and that means extra humans and traffic in Austin.
KUT Afternoon Newscast for October 1, 2024
Central Texas top stories for October 1, 2024. The City of Austin has unveiled its most detailed vision yet for the I-35 caps. The federal government is giving borrowers who have defaulted on their student loans extra time to apply for a program that will return them to good standing. A longstanding legal battle over the environmental impact of development in Dripping Springs arrived at the Texas State Supreme Court today. Hays County is a step closer to establishing its own animal center. On the ballot in this fall’s election are half of Austin’s 10 city council seats and the mayor’s office. TxDOT is warning about the increased risk to pedestrians from drivers less able to see them as the days get shorter.
Abilene Christian University gets green light for nuclear reactor research
In Texas’ 2024 elections, long shot candidates are facing uphill battles in heavily gerrymandered districts. Why these candidates are running.
Why federal regulators are giving researchers the green light to build a nuclear reactor at Abilene Christian University.
The state is paying more for mental health services. But private psychiatric hospitals say they’re not getting a fair share when it comes to funding.
A new book by Texas historian H.W. Brands explores a divided America before World War II – and what we can learn now.
And: the changing role of the church in the lives of Black voters and what it might mean for this presidential election.
Ultramarathoner prepares for run across Texas
Americans are pretty evenly divided on the issue of gun rights versus regulated ownership. How might it show up at the polls?
The number of migrants trying to cross the border with Mexico into the U.S. is down quite a bit. A look at why.
We’ll also introduce you to an endurance runner preparing to make his way from El Paso to Galveston. His goal is to draw attention to a cause.
The first spacewalk involving private citizens instead of astronauts is in the books. How we got here and what’s ahead.
Plus, recalling the journey to erect the Tejano Monument at the state capitol.
And why Texas lawmakers are working across the aisle to reverse a death penalty case.
Texas Extra: The Poll Party
Barely half of Texas voting age population turned out for the 2020 presidential election. And the story is worse for young voters. We wondered, what can we do about that? So the Texas Standard joined forces with our home music station, KUTX, and the UT Austin student station, KVRX, for what we called a poll party. The focus was issues important to young voters. But we think there’s something here you might find interesting no matter your age.
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.
Clinic teams up with barbershops to boost health care access for Black men
As Tropical Storm Francine forms, we’re keeping an eye on nasty weather in the Gulf and will have the latest on the impact to Texas energy as peak hurricane season arrives.
On the political front, cross-party endorsements are raising eyebrows. Political expert Daron Shaw of the University of Texas at Austin weighs in on the significance.
With higher rates of diabetes and heart disease among Black men, there’s an effort in Austin to get them connected with health care, by way of the barbershop.
Also: Grammy winner and Texas raconteur Ray Benson joins us ahead of headlining a new event series at the Briscoe Western Art Museum in San Antonio.
Texas athlete Ryan Medrano heads to his first Paralympic Games in Paris
Election Day is fast approaching, and controversies in Texas over who’s eligible to cast a ballot are picking up steam. The Texas Newsroom’s Blaise Gainey has an update on Republican-led efforts to purge voter rolls and growing concerns about what could be a recipe for confusion come November.
As Texas public schools see enrollment numbers drop along with their budgets, an idea being tried by some districts in West Texas is garnering lots of attention – and apparently lots of money.
Texas is again well represented in Paris: We’re talking with El Paso fitness trainer Ryan Medrano, who’s running in the Paralympic Games this weekend.
Plus: the week in politics with The Texas Tribune and poetry from the Typewriter Rodeo.
Preserving the legacy of the Kilgore Rangerettes
Is an investigation by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton protecting the balloting process or an attempt to suppress Latino voters?
CenterPoint Energy tries to repair damage to its relationship with customers after many were left without power following Hurricane Beryl.
A decade of drone research at Texas A&M Corpus Christi, what does the future hold?
Our Texas Museum Map project looks at the high-kicking legacy of the Kilgore Rangerettes and how they led the way for halftime entertainment.
And: In East Texas, newly hatched horned lizard babies offer hope for the future of the threatened species.
Biden administration bets on Texas Instruments in the chip manufacturing race
Another August day, another forecast for record-setting heat – and plenty of questions about whether the power grid can manage the strain. So far, so good, to the surprise of many who’ve been bracing for calls to conserve electricity. What different about the energy mix this go-round?
Texas Instruments recently received a $1.6 billion Department of Commerce grant for new chip-building facilities.
In the least populated county in Texas, where truly every vote counts, a judge has overturned an election. We’ll hear about a shakeup in Loving County.
Plus: A new pin on our growing Texas Museum Map, this time in the border town of Eagle Pass.
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.
What can Austin learn from Dallas about covering I-35 with a park?
Former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has won the Democratic nomination to replace the late Sheila Jackson Lee on the November ballot for Texas’ 18th Congressional District.
More and more Texas jurisdictions are sending people awaiting trial to other states and counties. What effect is this having on criminal justice?
As Frito pie season returns, Texas Standard commentator W.F. Strong dives into the rich history and lore of the iconic dish.
TxDOT is starting work this summer to expand and lower Interstate 35 through downtown Austin, and the city and University of Texas want to install large decks over the highway that could have parks on them. It’s a concept that already exists in Dallas, and KUT’s Nathan Bernier went to check it out.
New survey reveals bipartisan concern over Texas housing affordability crisis
With Kamala Harris in the spotlight, there appears to be a major momentum shift in presidential politics. Is it moving the needle in Texas?
A new survey indicates that 90% of Texans believe housing costs are too high, with Democrats and Republicans in agreement.
Schools are struggling to grapple with a rise in vaping among students.
A conversation with Oscar nominated actor Colman Domingo on his new movie “Sing Sing.”
And: the week in politics with The Texas Tribune.
What’s next after Biden exits presidential race?
President Biden’s decision yesterday to drop his campaign for re-election and to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee follows weeks of mounting pressure from members of his own party. But it was a Texan who was the first Democrat on Capitol Hill to call for Biden to step aside. We’ll talk with U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett.
What can we expect between now and Election Day? A UT Austin professor takes a look at the logistics of Biden stepping down and what it means for next month’s Democratic National Convention.
Some historical perspective: The last time an incumbent president announced he wouldn’t run for reelection was Texas’ Lyndon Baines Johnson in 1968.
Plus: Remembering the legacy of longtime Houston Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, who has died at 74.
How East Texas is recovering after massive storms
As heat replaces rain as the top weather concern, East Texas is still weathering the remnants of our stormy spring.
You’ve heard about a shortage of mental health facilities and doctors, but for those who do get treatment, what comes the day after discharge? How little-known clubs are filling the gap.
In a year that started with excitement for the San Antonio Spurs, it’s now the Dallas Mavericks with a shot at the title. Looking ahead to the NBA Finals, which start tonight.
And: Why are so many finding that “breaking up is hard to do” when it comes to tech providers? Omar Gallaga breaks it down.
Hidalgo County election overturned after being decided by handful of votes
Some top politicos are sensing that, for the first time in decades, this could be the year Texas sends a Democrat to the U.S. Senate.
Texas lawmakers are lining up to clamp down on hemp-based products like Delta 8 and Delta 9 being sold statewide.
Last fall, Edinburg City Council Member David White won re-election by just 10 votes. His challenger contested the results – and this past week, White’s win was overturned when a judge ruled that several votes were placed illegally.
A new book explores some lesser-known stories of courage from the D-Day invasion of 80 years ago.
And: Vigilante groups are repelling migrants at the southern border. What does law enforcement think about that?
How Mexico’s new president could affect U.S. relations
We’re bringing you the latest on Mexico’s historic presidential election in today’s edition of the Standard, hosted by Angela Kocherga from Mexico City. How will Claudia Sheinbaum, the country’s first female president, approach governing and U.S.-Mexico relations?
Is Attorney General Ken Paxton using consumer laws to promote his political agenda? Investigative reporters looked into the issue.
What another mega-merger of two Houston-based oil industry heavy hitters means. This is just the latest in a series of acquisitions across the U.S. oil patch.
And: A new grocery store offers culinary variety and sustainability in San Antonio.
Students could soon be taught Bible stories in public schools
You check in with your ID, find an empty booth and cast your ballot in secret. But have Texas voter transparency laws challenged that privacy?
Depending on where you live in Texas you might pay taxes to a local hospital system. Understanding how that works.
Storm chasers have enormous followings on social media, many copycats and, increasingly, even people riding along. It’s a growing industry of sorts, but is it a good idea?
A new docuseries coming to HBO, “Ren Faire,” follows what happens when the man who has presided over the Texas Renaissance Festival for 50 years retires.
And: A push for classical studies in Texas classrooms could also include more conversations about the Bible.
Laredo native Vanessa Gonzalez on how Texas informs her comedy
The May 28 primary runoff elections are fast approaching – we’ll have an update on contests in North Texas and a contentious battle over who will head the Texas GOP.
With Texas school boards at the center of culture wars, a closer look at how those boards operate.
What’s so funny about Texas? Laredo native Vanessa Gonzalez is featured in a PBS docuseries on the roots of comedy.
And: Some Texas legislators are pushing to crack down on squatters.