energy

What to know about hantavirus

After three deaths on a cruise ship, fears over hantavirus are going viral online. A top Texas epidemiologist shares what science says.
The race for a U.S. Senate seat from Texas is getting a lot of attention as current Attorney General Ken Paxton tries to take the seat of a fellow Republican. But what about the seat he’s vacating? How much do you know about who’s in the running?
Wind power: One of the biggest stories of Texas energy in recent years. But now, wind is set to take second place to something else.
Plus, the week in politics with the Texas Tribune and poetry from the Typewriter Rodeo.

South Texas water crisis spreads beyond Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi has been careening towards a water emergency, but it’s not the only city along the Gulf with water woes.
Another court battle over hemp, this time what stores can sell during a longer legal tie-up is at stake.
The United Arab Emirates is leaving the world’s most powerful oil cartel. We’ll look at what that may mean for OPEC and the prices we pay.
New rules for autonomous vehicles are now in effect in Texas, but some experts want to see more.
And commentator W.F. Strong has a story about a man who wanted to build a business in Texas and ended up with a global brand.

Dallasite David Lowery talks new film ‘Mother Mary’

Civil rights groups say the Houston City Council has caved to threats from Gov. Greg Abbott. We’ll hear more on the city’s decision to amend an ordinance limiting local law enforcement cooperation with ICE agents.
The latest frontier in the politics of energy: Andy Uhler on rising electricity demand statewide and the challenge convincing some rural Texans to get on board.
Austin archery students take aim at a national competition. We’ll hear about the real target of this undertaking.
“Mother Mary” director David Lowery filmed his new movie starring Anne Hathaway in Germany, but the Dallasite says he carries traces of Texas with him in all his work.
And will the owner of a huge statue in downtown Galveston please step forward?

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

You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org

ERCOT forecast raises new questions about Texas power demand

A judge has ordered the release of a family held in a South Texas detention center for 10 months. We’ll have a look at the case and what’s next.
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is leading a Religious Liberty Commission for President Trump. Patrick’s recent comments denying a separation between church and state could tell us more about the group’s forthcoming policy recommendations.
With gas prices still high, there are calls on both sides of the aisle to suspend the gas tax. What would that save you, and what would we lose?
Plus, it’s Earth Day. We’ll explore some of the challenges of extreme weather and the ways people across Texas are trying to make an impact.

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

You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org

War with Iran hits Texas energy from two directions

The war in Iran and the big energy bottleneck presents implications for the Lone Star State. As we parse out the latest, we’ll have a closer look at the impact on oil and why one top analyst says despite record oil exports from Texas, we’re still not out of the woods.
There has been a lot of talk about cheap drones that are giving an edge to adversaries on the battlefield. Why is the U.S. lagging on using them?
A new study examines an educational experiment in Dallas, rewarding teachers for student performance. How effective is that approach, and should it be replicated statewide?
We’ll hear the results and the takeaway, plus the week in Texas music and much more.

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

‘Western Star’ explores Larry McMurtry’s legacy and Texas storytelling

A proposed overhaul of Texas classrooms could change what millions of students read. We’ll look at how this could impact classrooms across the state.
An investigation into Congressman Tony Gonzales uncovers a pattern of pursuing staff members. What we know and how the congressman is responding.
Billions of dollars in clean energy investment across Texas is now in question, as federal policy shifts put projects at risk. We’ll delve into what this could mean for the state’s energy future.
Plus, three iconic Texas films share a common thread: The writing of Larry McMurtry. We’ll explore the new book “Western Star,” covering his life and the Texas he captured so vividly.

New book on Selena explores the enduring impact of the Queen of Tejano

The Senate race may be capturing all the attention, but don’t forget there’s another election coming up: A look at a couple of the big races on the May primary runoff ballots.
Water woes for more Texans: We’ll hear what’s happening in part of East Austin and why.
Abandoned wells are all over the Texas oil patch. The same was happening in Oklahoma, until they figured out these polluting old wells could be repurposed to produce geothermal energy.
NASA is going back towards the moon. We’ll dig into what you need to know about the Artemis II mission and Texas’ role in a previous launch.
Plus, 31 years since her death, remembering Selena Quintanilla-Pérez — now with a book of essays on the Queen of Tejano’s legacy.

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

Waymo expansion sparks safety concerns in Texas cities

A recent change to Texas law now requires local law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.
Driverless cabs are making headlines in Austin for all the wrong reasons. What this might mean for Waymo’s plans to expand statewide.
Politics v.s. pragmatism in West Texas, long known for its oil, now making a sometimes-begrudging shift to solar to meet growing electricity demand. Their question? What’s in it for them?
Also, why NASA’s hanging out the “help wanted” sign.

Historic Baptist ledger sheds light on early Texas faith

As gas prices nationwide skyrocket, President Trump announces a massive new Texas-based refinery in Brownsville he claims could spur thousands of new jobs.
Plus, Exxon’s move may signal a tipping point for Texas as a center for business.
Also, a cultural change in the U.S. military leads to growing concerns about reporting of sexual assault and harassment.
And a rare record book gives a glimpse at faith on the frontier and health concerns spark action affecting ranches on both sides of the Texas-Mexico border.

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.

Iran strikes stoke fears of wider war, impact on energy prices

Fighting widens as U.S. and Israeli warplanes pound Iran. Iran and its proxies hit back, leading to a spiraling expansion. We’re following a rapidly expanding Middle East conflict with a close eye on the implications for Texas. UT international affairs expert Jeremi Suri answers some of the critical questions right now.
Also, we’ll have a warning about energy prices Texans may be facing with the conflict underway as well as reactions from people in Texas with ties to Iran.
Plus, a deadly shooting at a bar in Austin this weekend is being investigated as a potential act of terrorism.

The Texans in the Epstein files

Can Sylvia Garcia, Houston’s only Latina U.S. representative, hang on to her seat? We may know sooner than some realize.
If you were waiting for this fall for the start of election season, wait no more. Early voting in the state’s primaries is set to begin tomorrow. A closer look at a race with huge implications for Texas – and beyond.
Amid concerning reports from the immigration detention center at Dilley, what are conditions really like inside? Ask the children being held there. We’ll talk with a ProPublica reporter who did just that.
Also, the Texans found in the Epstein files.

Austin police cooperation with ICE faces renewed scrutiny

An update on this weekend’s winter storm – the lingering aftereffects, and when to expect things to get back to “normal.”Though the worst may be over, many extreme cold advisories have been issued statewide today, and frozen precipitation is making many secondary roads treacherous. We’ll have an update, plus a look at the storm’s impact on the power grid.Despite hazardous driving conditions, an important political debate went on as scheduled Saturday: A showdown between the top two Democrats running for a U.S. senate seat from Texas. We’ll have a recap of the Georgetown debate between U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett and State Rep. James Talarico. Also, questions about local law enforcement cooperation with ICE in Austin.

Uvalde school shooting trial is underway

Over three years later, the first criminal trial over the police response to the Uvalde school shooting is underway. We’ll have a live report with the latest in the trial of one of the first police officers to arrive at the scene of the deadly school shooting at Robb Elementary.
With a big meeting set at the White House on Friday, we’ll review the stakes for Texas’ oil industry after the capture and arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
We’ll hear why a Texas teachers union is suing the Texas Education Agency over social media posts related to the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Plus, social media’s struggles to keep a lid on AI deepfakes.

Venezuelan Texans react to Maduro’s removal

The legal case against Nicolás Maduro and his wife has begun, but how’s that going to work exactly?
Venezuelans living abroad, including here in Texas, continue to react to the capture. Why Austin-based “Freedom is a Feast” author Alejandro Puyana says it’s so important we keep including their voices in the news coverage.
The U.S. military might increase fitness standards. Why some are pushing back on the idea.
New energy projects are taking off in Matagorda County. What it means for the mostly rural area.
Plus, commentator W.F. Strong pays homage to the modern archivist behind the popular “Traces of Texas” Facebook page.

Venezuela’s future and what it means for Texas oil

A historic U.S. military operation has extracted Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro from the country. What are the implications, both for Texas and the U.S.? University of Texas global affairs expert Jeremi Suri weighs in on this weekend’s events, including the legality of the Venezuela operation and whether it was about narcoterrorism, oil, or something more.
Speaking of oil, we’ll look at the implications for Texas as a global hub of the petroleum industry.
Plus, the future of oil and gas in the Rio Grande Valley, the rediscovery of a key piece of the state’s colonial history, and a Texas DJ who left a mark on American blues.

Tiny Texas town’s library could be adult education template

Houston, Fort Worth… Now three more Texas school districts are expected to be taken over by state education officials. Where, why and what comes next?
The son of Texas A&M’s campus rabbi is among those critically injured in the mass shooting at Bondi Beach near Sydney, Australia.
Mexican citizens who routinely cross into the U.S. at Texas’ southern border to donate plasma may be taking advantage of an immigration loophole.
And our own Sarah Asch tells us why a library in a tiny Texas town may be a template for preserving adult education programs nationwide.

Is Texas being used as an oil waste dumping ground?

Questions about the Trump administration’s military operations in the Caribbean against Venezuela are growing. We’ll delve into the details.
We’re also following the special election in Houston’s 18th Congressional District amid uncertainty over which congressional map Texas will use.
Fort Worth and Tarrant County cut back on some public meetings, leading to an outcry.
Is Texas becoming a dumping ground for oil waste from another state?
And we get a tour of San Antonio’s new Museo del Westside.