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.
environment
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.
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.
What’s next after Supreme Court restores Texas’ congressional map?
The eyes of many Texans are on the U.S. Supreme Court – with new redistricting maps hanging in the balance. The Texas Tribune’s Eleanor Klibanoff joins us with an update on a legal back and forth that could affect which maps Texas uses for the 2026 election season.
Another Texas Republican, U.S. Rep. Troy Nehls, says he won’t seek reelection to Congress. That makes him the sixth GOP lawmaker to step back from elected office as we approach a new election season. What’s behind these departures?
Also, a common refrain from Texas restaurants this holiday season: “Cash please, not credit.”
Austin City Council works to finalize budget after Prop Q failure
Austin City Council members are working to finalize a city budget – and they’ll have to find ways to trim after voters resoundingly rejected a proposed tax rate increase that would’ve generated more than $100 million.
The Austin Independent School District will vote this week on shuttering campuses and reassigning some students to different schools after releasing its final version of the plan last week. We have more about what’s changed and what’s the same.
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
Texas schools turn to AI to flag banned books
A federal court orders the Trump administration to prevent the Supplemental Food Assistance Program (SNAP) from lapsing. What happens now?
A trial is set to begin this month against defendants for their alleged roles in the July 4 shooting at an ICE detention center in Alvarado. Why this may be a playbook for prosecutions now that Antifa has been designated a terrorist organization.
Public school districts trying to comply with new laws against DEI and sexual content in books are turning to AI with some surprising results.
Also, this week in Texas music history we remember the time post-punk legends Gang of Four made their way to the Lone Star State.
Spreading kindness through a Texas-made story
If the ongoing government shutdown runs into next week, Texas families could see their SNAP food benefits cut off.
Oil prices have plummeted to a level not seen since the COVID days. Why and what it could mean for Texas consumers and oilfield workers.
Contract negotiations, the Dallas Wings search for a new coach, and more: A breakdown of what to expect for the new WNBA season as the popularity of the league soars.
And “Dude. Be Nice”… The title of a new children’s book says it all.
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
Live from ACL Fest a special Austin Signal broadcast
It’s Weekend 2 of the Austin City Limits Music Festival, and Austin Signal is capping off our first week on the air by broadcasting a special hour from Zilker Park.
We’re talking with local trio Next of Kin, who are playing the festival this year. And KUTX’s Deidre Gott joins with a retrospective on how ACL has changed over the years – and she would know, because she’s never missed a festival.
Plus: What happens to Zilker’s grass after two weekends of packed crowds? KUT’s Luz Moreno-Lozano has the details.
34 years later, police identify suspect in yogurt shop murders
For the families of the girls killed in one of Austin’s most notorious murders, justice seemed to be slipping away as more time passed. But now, almost 34 years later, a new break in the case of what’s known as the “Yogurt Shop Murders” yields the name of a suspect, identified through DNA.
KUT’s justice and accountability reporter Andrew Weber tells us how this decades-long cold case that captured the attention of the city – and the nation – was broken open once again.
We’ll get the latest on the case and look back at the impact to Austin when the crime first happened.
What to know after black bear sightings in East Texas
As the dust settles on this year’s legislative action at the Capitol, where do the two main parties stand?
If you buy beef, you may have noticed that it’s gotten more expensive lately. Michael Marks has the story, and whether there are any signs of relief.
For several years, black bears have gradually spread throughout the Trans-Pecos region. But recently, bear sightings in East Texas have earned headlines, too
What does “BU” mean to you? The latest on a trademark battle between Boston and Baylor.
Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.
You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org
Austin’s summer doesn’t seem so hot this year, what’s goin on?
The past three summers have been rough, but this one hasn’t been that bad… or has it? KUT’s Jennifer Stayton talks to KUT’s Energy and Environment reporter Mose Buchele. He tells us this summer was still unusually hot; it just wasn’t apocalyptically so.
A Texas firm tackles space junk
After national headlines and a pledge from California to offset Texas’ redistricting plans, the walkout by Texas House Democrats is over. Blaise Gainey of The Texas Newsroom has the latest on the Dems’ return to Austin and what comes next.
Old satellites, tools, even food wrappers: Space debris is piling up. Now, a Texas company’s recycling initiative has NASA’s attention.
A new fight is emerging over the sale in Texas of kratom, an herbal supplement with opioid-like effects often found for sale at convenience stores.
And: A UT Austin-led team has discovered the oldest, most distant black hole yet – 13.3 billion years old.
Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.
You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org