As the school year winds down across Texas, one major school district considers declaring an emergency over money. El Paso ISD sounds an alarm after finding a $52 million shortfall, leaving officials with many questions and critical decisions to make.
A primary runoff for a seat on the railroad commission has implications that may not be obvious.
For Corpus Christi, some encouraging news as the city scrambles to avoid an all-out water emergency.
And a Texas-based air carrier issues a ban on robots. Tech expert Omar Gallaga tells us resistance is futile.
Election
Latino community divided on renaming Cesar Chavez Street
Early voting is underway for Tuesday’s primary runoffs, and we have a look at two races on some Central Texans’ ballots: state House District 49 and Hays County judge.
Austin is working to rename Cesar Chavez Street after accusations of sexual abuse and assault. But some are struggling with those changes.
Some good news and some bad news about a ranking of Austin’s parks. We’ve got more from a new report, including who rivals the city’s parks.
And: A sneak peek at tomorrow night’s ATXplained Live!
Austin Signal is made possible by listeners like you. You can support our work by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org
I-35 construction has narrowed a passage on Lady Bird Lake
The Austin City Council is set to take up a controversial proposal this week about relying more on natural gas during times of high energy demand, and opponents worry about how it could affect climate goals.
If you venture out to Lady Bird Lake this Memorial Day weekend, you might encounter an unfamiliar sight: a construction zone on the water.
How a photography project is helping one woman reclaim her story of loss and perseverance.
Television lovers rejoice: The ATX TV Festival is returning for its 15th season.
Austin Signal is made possible by listeners like you. You can support our work by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org
Cycling the whooping crane migration route
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton faces criticism for a plea deal with a child sex offender.
Why the state is quicky becoming a hub for data centers with 30 projects alone in an area that stretches from Temple to San Marcos.
Texas high school students get training for oil and gas jobs with help from the industry.
A photographer and a birding expert on bikes follow the migratory path endangered whooping cranes take from Texas to Canada.
Ahead of the World Cup matches in the Lone Star State, we preview of a new podcast “When the World Comes to Texas.”
Texas Children’s settles gender care fight with unprecedented clinic deal
A Texas hospital agrees to what appears to be a first of its kind settlement over allegations of providing illegal gender transitioning to minors.
Houston based Texas children’s hospital agrees to form a first of its kind detransitioning clinic to settle charges of violating state law. A US China Summit, a stalemate with Iran and what it all adds up to for energy-rich Texas. A fresh look at disability inclusion in all things tech.
And what looks like currency, feels like currency, is issued by the government, but isn’t money? It’s called the Texas Redback and a lawsuit claims it may have crossed a redline.
Lou Diamond Phillips talks Texas roots, ‘La Bamba’ and legacy
Big and getting bigger — that’s been the story of Texas’ population growth, but recent census numbers suggest a new chapter being written. State Demographer Lloyd Potter helps us do the math.
Cancelled elections in some parts of Texas, though not for nefarious reasons. We’ll hear the why and how.
Full speed ahead on data centers? Not so fast. We’ll hear about a Texas county hitting the pause button on development.
Also, in the 40 years since “La Bamba” made him a household name, Lou Diamond Phillips reconnects with his Texas roots.
Who will replace Paxton as Texas attorney general?
It’s the final stretch before the primary runoffs in Texas, but the real test may not be the race most folks are focused on.
Next week, early voting begins in the primary runoff contest between incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and challenger Ken Paxton — but win or lose, who’ll take over Paxton’s current seat as attorney general? We’ll take a closer look.
Also, a top Texas-based expert in geopolitics weighs in on the summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping and what it might mean for the future of the U.S. conflict with Iran.
Harvest time in Texas? How warmer winters have triggered a seasonal shift for the Texas crawfish industry.
Shorter waits for affordable childcare in Austin area
The cost of childcare across the country is on the rise, outpacing the price of in-state college tuition in many states. While many local governments are working to figure out a solution, Travis County is ahead of the game.
The pool at Barton Springs was first built around a century ago. But the springs that feed it have been around since long before humans ever arrived in Austin. More from our ATXplained series.
Many Austin Energy customers were left without power after strong winds and heavy rains dropped hail and tree limbs across Central Texas. We’ll have an update and a look ahead at the forecast.
Austin Signal is made possible by listeners like you. You can support our work by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org
Hemp rulings reshape what’s legal in Texas
A cloud of confusion over rulings involving THC and smokable hemp in Texas: What’s legal, what’s not, and why now?
In this midterm election year, a test of efforts to expand legal protections and access to voting for Texans with visual impairments. We’ll hear why researchers say barriers are still common.
Thousands nationwide are exonerated as laws banning “junk science” take hold. But in Texas, the state’s top criminal court has blocked defendants from using the state’s junk science law to get a new trial.
And new developments in the Strait of Hormuz. Any signs of relief for Texans feeling the pinch at the pumps?
How the Supreme Court’s Voting Rights Act ruling could impact Texas
The Voting Rights Act is losing more teeth. We’ll look at what a Supreme Court ruling means for redistricting.
Also, another Supreme Court case is examining when and how police can use cell phone data. We’ll check in with our tech expert about what’s at stake.
China is making brand-new cars for cheap. It’s hard to get them in the U.S., but not impossible — just ask folks in El Paso. So, will more folks be driving them soon?
You’ve probably heard by now that FIFA World Cup games are coming to Texas. It’s expected to be huge for the sport, but how much will host cities like Dallas and Houston really benefit?
And we’re getting the dish on some taco hot takes, like is birria overrated?
Texas to launch its own clinical trials of psychedelic drug
The state of Texas is poised to spend millions on psychedelic drug research. We’ll have the details about the clinical trials set for ibogaine.
Profits for Texas restaurants are plummeting as ICE conducts more immigration raids. We’ll hear what restaurant owners want the Trump administration to do.
A deadline to ensure digital materials are accessible for people with disabilities has been extended. We’ll have a look at why and what the delay means.
A new cancer center for patients who need care opens in rural Texas.
And Austin’s ‘Into Light’ portrait exhibit puts a face on the opioid crisis.
Play The Record w/ Bak
On this episode we sit down with Record Play organizer and stand up comedian, Bak, as he talks about what’s next for him. We also discuss hip-hop’s relationship to the fun leaf over the decades in celebration of 4/20. Hip-Hop facts are mostly 4/20 related and there are a few surprises as well. Fresh’s Unpopular Opinion this week causes a great back and forth with Confucius.
New Age Media
On this episode we discuss the back and forth between radio personality Mero in NYC and popular streamer Akademiks and what it means for the new age of media. We also discuss Jay-Z’s recent interview with GQ magazine and what stuck out the most to us. Hip-Hop Facts this week includes facts about Jay-Z, Teddy Riley, the late DJ AM, and more. Fresh’s Unpopular Opinion is sure to get people talking so tune in to find out what it is.
Corpus Christi water crisis collides with mayor recall effort
As Corpus Christi scrambles to keep from running out of water, a complication arises: A petition to recall Mayor Paulette Guajardo.
After last year’s deadly July 4 Hill Country floods, plans to reopen Camp Mystic are tearing friends apart.
A confusing and chaotic primary in Central Texas’ Williamson County leads election officials to look back to the future.
Plus, how to defend against a parasite moving north from Mexico that could devastate Texas ranches? Researchers testing a new idea to combat the New World screwworm: Virtual fences.
AISD campus transforms into affordable housing for teachers
Affordable housing is top of mind for many Austinites, but especially for educators working in our local schools. Now, a former AISD elementary campus is being transformed into housing — with some units set aside specifically for teachers. Acacia Coronado from the Austin Current takes a closer look at the East Austin project.
Brown water is flowing from the taps in one Austin-area suburb. We’ll hear what residents say they wish they knew before moving in, and how they’re working to warn others.
We’ve had a very warm spring this year and we’re not even close to the peak of summer temperatures. The heat isn’t unusual, but it’s arriving at a time when Austin’s energy utility has sharply increased shutoffs for nonpayment.
Back in 1928, a city plan excluded Black residents from certain parts of Austin–including the city’s first public park, Pease Park. One group is working to reclaim that history and reshape the narrative. We’ll talk to the founders of the RISE Project on today’s show.
Austin Signal is made possible by listeners like you. You can support our work by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org
History of Texas prison bands lives on through rare recordings
Time has run out for what many thought would be a game-changing endorsement in the GOP runoff for a U.S. Senate seat. President Trump has yet to weigh in on the race between John Cornyn and Ken Paxton.
On the Democratic side of the aforementioned Senate race: What may be a difficult battle ahead for James Talarico, hoping to win more support from fellow Democrats.
A federal judge orders an extension for school voucher applications.
Gov. Greg Abbott announces steps to help with a water crisis in the Coastal Bend.
The rediscovery of music recordings from a Texas prison.
And a race to the bottom that could wreck the NBA.
How Corpus Christi could be on the brink of a water disaster
Corpus Christi, a major Texas port city, could run out of water as early as next year. What’s behind the looming crisis?
We’ll track how the war in Iran is affecting prices at the pump and what to expect next.
Will the national Democratic Party spend more money in Texas after James Talarico and other candidate’s strong showing in the primary election?
Plus, pan dulce: A new masterclass teaches home cooks how to bake the beloved sweet bread.
More background on Buford’s shooting suspect released
We’re learning more about the alleged shooter in Sunday morning’s deadly incident at a West Sixth Street bar. The suspect had no prior interactions with police in Austin, but that wasn’t true for other agencies in Texas. We’ll share more about that history, and why it wasn’t enough to keep him from legally acquiring firearms.
The Texas Department of Transportation has not started construction on a new boardwalk along Lady Bird Lake. TxDOT pledged $25 million for the project as part of the expansion of I-35. Now it’s warning the City of Austin to accept its terms or lose the project altogether. We’ll have more from a KUT News investigation.
We’ve got a little Austin music history for your day.
And this group of women in Austin have a shared interest in skateboarding. We’ll hear more about their story.
Austin Signal is made possible by listeners like you. You can support our work by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org
UT students hold vigil for victims of Buford’s shooting
We are continuing to follow developments after Sunday’s shooting at Buford’s that killed three people.
We’ll hear the latest update from the Austin Police Department that just wrapped up in the last hour…we have an update on the number of people shot and victims still in hospital, and there was a vigil last night on the University of Texas campus to honor the victims at least two are confirmed UT students.
And later imagine your local box store parking lot as it’s own thriving ecosystem,and now think about how that might be conveyed as an art installation in cardboard.
Austin Signal is made possible by listeners like you. You can support our work by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org
Amid ethics probe, Rep. Tony Gonzales admits affair
South Texas lawmaker, Rep. Tony Gonzales, is facing a runoff and has now admitted to carrying out an affair with an aide who later died by suicide. Now a House committee is investigating the scandal.
How the primary election turned Tejano music star Bobby Pulido into a Democratic political contender in the general election.
The taco truck: A staple of life in Texas. Taco journalist Mando Rayo on why many working in those trucks are feeling more anxious right now.
A preview of the Texas Film Awards happening tonight.
And commentator W.F. Strong on a love of Texas authors and what may be untapped wealth on your shelf.