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KUT and KUTX news and music podcasts for Austin, Texas and beyond

Elon Musk

Camp Mystic ordered to preserve damaged cabins

Water use for Tesla’s Giga Texas out far beyond East Austin jumped more than 200 million gallons in two years. That’s raising concerns about whether Austin can fulfill its long-term water conservation strategy as plans for a new semiconductor plant could push demand even higher. Sam Stark, Austin Current’s government reporter joins us to talk about this.

A state district judge has ordered Camp Mystic not to alter, demolish, repair or remove structures affected by floodwaters that killed 27 people at the girls’ camp last summer.

This week in Texas music history: Mattie’s Ballroom opens amid East Texas Oil Boom.

Fusebox Festival continues through the weekend, and the Austin Symphony is doing something new: teaming up with an indie rock band.

Austin Signal is made possible by listeners like you. You can support our work by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org

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.

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.

Austin ISD approves plan to close 10 schools

The Austin Independent School District has passed a plan that will close 10 schools as it works to reduce a multimillion-dollar budget deficit and empty seats at many campuses. We talk more about the plan, the vote — which came after weeks of community meetings and protests — and what happens next.

State officials recently released a heavily redacted stash of communications between Gov. Greg Abbott and Elon Musk. How public information is becoming a little less public.

Lots of folks are heading for roadways and airports this holiday season. What’s it like to spend 24 hours in Austin’s airport?

Cindy Walker’s musical legacy gets renewed attention

He’s cultivated relations with top political figures, but how much is known about the ties between Elon Musk and Gov. Greg Abbott?
The Texas Newsroom’s investigative reporter Lauren McGaughy on what started out as a public records request that turned into an odyssey as she tried to learn more about the relationship between Musk and the Texas governor.
Also, she’s one of the most successful Texas songwriters in history – yet many Texans don’t even know her name. The Standard’s Leah Scarpelli reports on a push to turn the spotlight back on Cindy Walker.

Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas. You can help make this podcast happen by donating at supportthispodcast.org.

Texans consider ACA enrollment options amid rising premiums

Open enrollment for insurance plans purchased through the Affordable Care Act marketplace started this month. Millions of Texans currently use a marketplace plan, and here in Austin, folks are navigating uncertainty as premiums rise and federal subsidies expire.

State officials finally released a hoard of documents and emails between Elon Musk and Gov. Greg Abbott’s office – and a majority of the information was redacted. We’ve got more about the files and the story from The Texas Newsroom.

The Paramount and State Theatres in downtown Austin are raising funds for a major restoration that will include updated seating and new spaces. We hear more about what they’ve got planned for the future.

How a ‘nurdle’ nightmare is costing Texas

For the first time in more than a decade, there is no incumbent in the race for one of the most powerful – and often contentious – posts in Texas. Incumbent Attorney General Ken Paxton is not running for reelection, and now seven people are vying for his office. Eleanor Klibanoff of the Texas Tribune joins us with a preview of the upcoming battle.
Also, a new study says more than half of Texas parents haven’t heard of education savings accounts, sometimes called school vouchers. We’ll see what that adds up to.
Plus, along the Texas Gulf Coast, the latest in a long-running battle against plastic pellets known nurdles.

Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.

You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org

Houston megachurch faces legal revolt

A University of Texas professor says Congress has gotten so good at frequent government shutdowns, finding the political will to get back on track could be an obstacle in itself. We’ll take a closer look.

Nearly two weeks after the deadly shooting at a Dallas ICE facility, investigators say the motive may be more about notoriety than ideology.

Second Baptist Church in Houston is locked in a legal battle with its own members over leadership and finances, and the dispute is being heard in the city’s new business court.

Texas leads the nation in energy consumption, driven by population growth and the rise of AI data centers. What does it bode for the state’s grid and energy mix?

KUT Morning Newscast for October 3, 2025: Austin ISD to release school closures list today

Central Texas top stories for October 3, 2025. A long-awaited list of which Austin Independent School District campuses are set to close is being released later today. Monday is the deadline for Texans to register to vote for this fall’s election. The Longhorns will be back on the field tomorrow. It’s Day one of the Austin City Limits Music Festival, expect traffic around the city. A city near Austin is asking Musk and The Boring Company to help them make their streets more pedestrian friendly.

Bastrop asks Elon Musk for tunnels to connect city trails

ACL Fest is just one day away, but if you’re looking to take in EVEN MORE live music this weekend, KUTX Program Director Matt Reilly will stop by to talk with us about the shows happening tonight and outside of the festival gates.

Also, we’re talking tunnels! Bastrop is looking to have Elon Musk’s Boring Company build a pedestrian tunnel connecting the area’s trail system. The Texas Newsroom’s Lauren McGaughy will dig into it and give us the lowdown about what’s happening in Bastrop.

Plus, we’ll have an update on an Austin veteran and activist who is believed to be in the custody of Israeli forces after attempting to deliver aid to Gaza by flotilla.

Elon Musk looks to build tunnels under Houston

Texas’ newly drawn congressional maps are aimed at helping Republicans in 2026, but they’re shaking up the political landscape already. We’ll hear just how today on the Texas Standard.
Rice University’s Mark Jones on the musical chairs among Texas’ congressional Democrats, and whether these maps are likely to survive scrutiny as legal challenges proliferate.
Over 800 new laws are set to take effect in just a couple of days. One of them is aimed at helping first responders deal with the trauma of being on the front lines of so much tragedy.
And a plan to channel water away when the next Hurricane Harvey hits. How Elon Musk is angling to be a part of that massive project.

KUT Morning Newscast for July 10, 2025: After deadly flooding in Central Texas, questions are raised about the region’s emergency notification systems 

Central Texas top stories for July 10, 2025. As recovery efforts continue after flooding in the Texas Hill Country, officials in Kerr County have yet to answer questions about how the emergency alert system was used. The aftermath of deadly flooding in the Austin-area has raised questions about how effective the region’s notification systems are. Two of the state’s best-known brands, both born in Kerrville, are showing their support for Hill Country flood victims. Elon Musk narrowly wins fight against neighbors over Austin-area home. A program that assesses Austin’s air for biological threats will continue after federal funding uncertainty put it at risk. KUT’s Olivia Aldridge reports. 

Elon Musk’s lobbying machine finds wins in Texas

Elon Musk may be on the outs in D.C., but closer to home, his political influence appears to be on the rise: The state’s richest billionaire scored some quiet but rather significant victories in the last legislative session.
Legislative support for wind and solar may be on the wane, but Texas lawmakers appear to be warming up to geothermal energy.
Don’t like tariffs? Commentator W.F. Strong tells us how some earlier generations of Texans didn’t, either – and what they did to fight them.
And: Remembering Cass Wheeler, who helped transform the American Heart Association into a national force during his 30 years at the helm.

You can support our work by becoming a sustaining member at supportthispodcast.org.

Asleep at the Wheel celebrates 50 years with Texas tribute

A very busy Thursday for first responders and meteorologists with flood conditions and heavy dust for many Texans – and it’s expected to get worse before it gets better. We’ll have an update.


Houston, we have a problem, and it may be related to a spat between the president and the world’s wealthiest Texan.


The Dallas Fed offers an assessment of the Texas economy and the Standard’s Sean Saldana has the details.


Also, Ray Benson of Asleep at the Wheel talks about a new album focused on his favorite subject: Texas.

Oil companies face new deadlines to plug orphaned wells

Elon Musk is leaving the Trump administration. Why now, and what’s next for the Texas-based billionaire.

A bill that aims to plug the state’s abandoned oil and gas wells – sometimes called “orphaned wells” – is headed to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk.

Insurers in Texas are partnering with aerial imaging and AI companies to assess homes from the sky.

The Trump administration continues to threaten mass deportations. But dairy farms don’t seem to be losing any workers.

And: “Tacos of Texas” podcast host Mando Rayo shares his taco hot takes.

KUT Morning Newscast for May 2, 2025: Roughly 3,200 people experience homelessness in Austin on any given night.

Central Texas top stories for May 2, 2025. A tornado touched down in Burnet County yesterday, a house and a building were destroyed. Protesters marched down Congress Avenue in Austin yesterday to speak out against the Trump administration. The number of people experiencing homelessness in Austin and the surrounding counties has increased by about 36 percent, according to the latest point-in-time count. Voters will be going to the poles this weekend for the May 3 elections. The Austin Independent School District is working on plans to turn around three campuses that have received several failing grades in a row from the state. 

KUT Afternoon Newscast for March 24, 2025: Austin police found incendiary devices at a local Tesla dealership.

Central Texas top stories for March 24, 2025. Last night was our welcome to spring storm season. APD says they found incendiary devices at a Northwest Austin Tesla retailer. An Austinite is suing the U.S. Department of Education for removing access to income-driven repayment plans. Employees at the Travis County Public Defender’s Office will go before Commissioners this week to ask for higher pay, better benefits and more staffing. Texas is hiring Xavier’s Sean Miller to replace Rodney Terry as head Men’s Basketball coach.

KUT Morning Newscast for March 13, 2025: Catholic Charities of Central Texas announced the suspension of its refugee resettlement program.

Central Texas top stories for March 13, 2025. It’s unclear if Catholic Charities of Central Texas will ever resume its refugee resettlement program. Elon Musk’s SpaceX will receive a $17.3 million grant from the state of Texas. Texas lawmakers are considering a bill that could significantly speed up the time it takes to evict a renter. The Austin area could hit record-breaking high temperatures today.

A year after the Smokehouse Creek Fire

One year later, how are people in the Panhandle managing recovery after the biggest wildfire in Texas history?
The impact of DOGE cuts hits national parks in Texas, including a historical park in San Antonio. Jack Morgan of Texas Public Radio has more.
Capital Metro, Austin’s transit agency, saw its payment system collapse for about a month in 2024. We’ll hear what went wrong, and what’s happening now.
And: With egg prices going up, have you considered raising your own chickens? Lots of Texans have – but you might want to think twice.

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