Texans said yes to all 17 proposed state constitutional amendments. What’s that mean now?
We’ll also dig into some select local results from across the state, including an update in the race to fill the U.S. House seat of the late Sylvester Turner.
The Trump administration recently announced a new cap on the number of refugees that the U.S. will accept in the upcoming year. What’s that mean for the big picture?
Plus, an El Paso woman concerned about her neighbors who rely on government food assistance starts a program she hopes others will replicate.
Election
KUT Morning Newscast for November 4, 2025: It’s Election Day, here’s what you need to know before heading to the polls
Central Texas top stories for November 4, 2025. It’s Election Day, here’s what you need to know before heading to the polls. More than 87,000 people in the Austin area are likely to face delays receiving SNAP benefits. A section of the Shoal Creek Trail that runs along North Lamar Boulevard is about to get an upgrade. The UT women’s basketball team opened the season at home with a win.
How state Prop 14 could help fund Texas dementia research
Voters tomorrow will have one last chance to make their voice heard this election. One state constitutional amendment on the ballot – Prop 14 – would commit $3 billion to fund the new Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. We’ll get the details from KUT’s Olivia Aldridge.
Check out KUT’s Voter guides for Travis County, Williamson County and the proposed constitutional amendments. Plus what you need to know for election day.
Texas Standard’s Sarah Asch explores adult education programs across Texas that are working to help immigrants find jobs relevant to their professional experience from before they came to the U.S.
Plus: Austin FC is out of the playoffs after a weekend loss to LAFC.
Food banks prepare to fill the gap as SNAP runs out
SNAP food assistance benefits are set to run out at midnight, and across the Lone Star State, food banks are bracing for unprecedented demand. How Texans can best help their neighbors in need.
Of the 17 constitutional amendments to be decided by Texas voters, at least four go straight to the heart of a major effort to transform Texas into a world-class business and finance hub. With Election Day fast approaching, we’ll hear what’s at stake.
Texas author Fernando Flores discusses his new novel, “Brother Brontë,” a dystopian story set in the town of Three Rivers.
Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas. You can support our work by becoming a sustaining member at supportthispodcast.org.
KUT Morning Newscast for October 31, 2025: AISD is expected to release updates on its school consolidation plan today
Central Texas top stories for October 31, 2025. Today is the last day of early voting. The Austin Independent School District is expected to release updates on its school consolidation plan later today. Some faculty and students at UT’s College of Liberal Arts are fearful about a possible restructuring of departments. Austin’s air traffic controllers are under extra strain during the federal government shutdown. Open enrollment for Affordable Care Act marketplace insurance plans begins tomorrow.
What Texas voters should know before Election Day
With 17 constitutional amendments on the ballot next week, state officials are reminding Texans what to expect at the polls. We’ll talk with the Texas Secretary of State’s Office about dos and don’ts while voting.
Both Austin and Houston are facing financial strain, but their solutions couldn’t be more different: One wants to raise taxes, while the other wants to hold the line.
Austin DJ Laurie Gallardo, host of the podcast “SPF 1000: Vampire Sunscreen,” discusses Latinx goth culture, its roots in border life and the darker side of music and identity.
3.5 million Texans could lose their SNAP benefits
The federal government has been shut down for 27 days, and if it continues, more than3.5 million people in Texas – including 1.7 million children – will lose access to their SNAP benefits to help pay for groceries. KUT’s Olivia Aldridge shares more on what that will mean for Texans facing food insecurity.
Ahead of Halloween this week, we’ll take a look at one ’90s teen horror movie filmed right here in town: “The Faculty.”
Matthew Odam, longtime restaurant critic at theAustin American-Statesman, stops by to chat about the latest edition of his dining guide to the best restaurants in town.
What Travis County voters need to know this election
There’s a lot on the November ballot, from proposed property tax increases to state constitutional amendments. KUT’s Katy McAfee walks us through what Travis County voters will see.
Is something radioactive lurking in the walls of the state Capitol? KUT’s Juan Diego Garcia grabbed a geiger counter and went exploring for ATXplained.
Plus: A look ahead at a busy weekend in sports, including Longhorns football trying for a more decisive win on the road at Mississippi State.
KUT Morning Newscast for October 24, 2025: Main lanes of southbound I-35 in South Austin are expected to be closed tonight and tomorrow night
Central Texas top stories for October 24, 2025. Today’s the last day to apply for a ballot by mail. Main lanes of I-35 in South Austin will be closed tonight and tomorrow night. The Longhorns play Mississippi State tomorrow. The Viva la Vida parade and festival will take place tomorrow in downtown Austin.
Will beef from Argentina bring down US prices?
It’s the biggest drop in voter registration in Texas in a decade. What’s behind it and what does it mean for the future of Texas politics? Jeremy Wallace of the Houston Chronicle joins us with more.
When it comes to beef, Texas is number one. But President Trump wants push costs down with a plan to buy more beef from Argentina. Would that work? And what about the stakes for Texas? Some serious questions that we’ll put to an industry expert.
Car loan defaults reach levels not seen since the COVID era.
Also, who’s Texas’ Sausage Sensei? Where There’s Smoke, there’s Texas Monthly barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn.
Early voting kicks off on 17 proposed amendments
Yes, it’s that time again: Early voting gets underway across the Lone Star State on this Monday.
A statewide ballot that will decide no statewide offices? True, though the stakes in this election are huge for Texans – some 17 proposed changes to the Texas constitution hang in the balance.
We’ll hear about several of the most wide-ranging ideas on the line. Plus, The Texas Newsroom’s Blaise Gainey with more on the start of early voting.
And a potential final mission for the Space Shuttle Discovery, fraught with danger. A look at the difficulties of a smooth landing in Texas.
Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.
You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org
KUT Morning Newscast for October 20, 2025: Today is the first day of early voting in the November 4th election
Central Texas top stories for October 20, 2025. Today is the first day of early voting in the November 4th election. This year, ballots in Texas will also have 17 proposed amendments to the Texas constitution. Organizers of Austin’s local “No Kings Day” event estimated that some 20 thousand people came out to protest this weekend. Gov. Greg Abbott confirmed that a UT professor was dismissed from his administrative duties due to “ideological differences.” The U-S Grand Prix will continue in Austin through at least 2034. Today could be one of the busiest days at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. The Longhorns beat Kentucky 16 to 13 on Saturday.
Downtown Austin’s Hideout Theatre moves after 26 years
Early voting in this year’s elections starts Monday and here in Texas, you’ll have your choice on adding 17 proposed amendments to the state constitution. The Texas Newsroom’s Blaise Gainey joins us with more.
The San Antonio Spurs have made Austin their home for a couple of games in each of the past few seasons. Now, whispers about a permanent move have been buzzing, especially as San Antonio voters consider approving a new downtown stadium.
After 26 years in downtown Austin, the Hideout Theater is moving. We’ll have a look at where they’re going, what this means for the local comedy scene and how that space is changing.
What to look for on your ballot as early voting starts next week
Early voting starts Monday for the Nov. 4 election, and the discussion in Austin is centered around Proposition Q, a proposed tax rate increase. The city of Austin wants to use those dollars for more services in the city, but not everyone is convinced. KUT City Hall reporter Luz Moreno-Lozano explains.
Texans’ ballots will also include 17 proposed amendments to the state constitution. The Texas Newsroom’s Blaise Gainey talk us through a few of them.
Plus: How George Strait got his start in San Marcos.
Court weighs Texas redistricting fight
A court battle is set to begin over the newly drawn congressional maps. At stake is whether they go into effect for the 2026 midterm elections.
The Texas Newsroom’s Blaise Gainey joins us to talk about the recent rise in political violence.
Have you heard of 7-OH? It’s the latest drug cropping up at convenience stores. Now there’s a fight to stop the sale of what’s known as “gas station heroin.”
A new book by former CDC Director Tom Frieden offers a formula for better health – potentially saving millions of lives.
And today’s Hispanic heritage moment spotlights the trio of brothers known as Los Lonely Boys.
Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.
You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org
Rodney Crowell talks new album, career
A deadly shooting this morning at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Dallas. We’ll share the latest details.
Workplaces across the state trying to calculate the implications of a new $100,000 fee for H-1B applications. We’ll hear more on the questions raised by the new policy and the possible fallout.
How college football in Texas and beyond is being reshaped by new NIL rules allowing for direct athlete pay by advertisers and sponsors.
And the return of Rodney Crowell: Music and conversation with a Texas songwriting legend.
Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.
You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org
Some Texas counties switch to paper ballots ahead of midterms
No more QR or barcodes: Why Collin, Williamson and Bastrop counties are changing the way voters will cast ballots.
Housing affordability is a big issue in Texas, and three new state laws aim to address it. Will they work?
Many are concerned new Texas congressional maps dilute the voting power of Texans of color. But others welcome the changes.
Inside an ICE job recruitment fair in Arlington.
And: the bigger meaning behind the season’s first high school football game in Kerrville.
Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.
You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org
Texas lawmakers begin special session focused on floods, maps
Lawmakers recently ended a regular session of the Texas Legislature, but on this Monday, they’re back. They call it a special session: 30 days to complete a long list of action items including a response to the Hill Country flooding, the regulation of THC consumables, and a rare mid-decade push for redistricting that has some Democrats complaining the fix is in for next year’s midterms.
A hold on billions of education dollars sends Texas public school administrators scrambling.
Also, European sanctions against Russia’s oil industry – will there be ripple effects in Texas?
And this week in Texas music history.
Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.
You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org
Ranchers plead for help to fight a devastating pest on its way back to Texas
Several current and former Frio County officials have been indicted for alleged vote harvesting, part of a years-long investigation led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. One critic calls it voter suppression 101. What’s behind the charges?
In the conversation over cash bail reform, what’s missing? An new investigation points to a lack of focus on the bail bond industry.
The new world screwworm, a livestock pest, may be making a comeback in the U.S., and experts say Mexico hasn’t been cooperating to stop it. The Standard’s Michael Marks dives into why it’s considered so dangerous to Texas.
And: It’s prom and quinceañera season – milestone celebrations that often come with big dresses, big parties and of course, big meals. Mando Rayo, host of the Tacos of Texas podcast, digs in.
Documentary tells story of landmark Texas archaeological site
As the clock ticks down on the legislative session, how close is Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick to completing his wish list?
Weekend balloting across Texas brings some big local changes. We’ll hear from reporters statewide.
Texans dominate at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson golf tournament in McKinney.
The documentary “The Stones Are Speaking” tells the story of Michael Collins, the man who helped open the Gault site to researchers.
And: Who’ll be the next mayor of San Antonio? Voters have narrowed a field of 27 candidates down to two.
Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.
You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org