KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts
KUT and KUTX news and music podcasts for Austin, Texas and beyond
Investigators are still on the scene of a hotel explosion in Fort Worth as some ask if this is part of a larger trend spotted nationwide.
A special election to fill an open Texas House seat – and a race seen as a proxy for an intraparty fight within the Texas GOP.
A community like few others: Why an experiment outside Austin to provide housing for people experiencing homelessness is being seen as a potential model for other cities.
Plus: Could 3D-printed homes help with a housing shortage?
The second impeachment trial of Donald Trump is underway. So what have we learned and will any of it affect the chances of a conviction? We’ll explore. Also, the COVID-19 vaccine could put an end to this pandemic in the way we’ve been living it so far, but only if people get the vaccine. We’ll explore some challenges. And Mexico doesn’t get the credit it deserves when it comes to the way it’s shaped the global economy. That’s the premise behind a new book. What we could stand to learn about our neighbor to the south. And the growing backlog of unsolved murders in Texas and what it tells us about policing in the state. Plus we’ll take a break and nerd out a bit about gaming graphics. All that and more today on the Texas Standard:
The Texas legislature has gaveled into session with a new house speaker and big news on the budget front. We’ll hear more on what’s happening at the Texas capitol. Plus from the nations capitol, a conversation with a U.S. congressman from the Rio Grande Valley on the realities ahead on the presidential impeachment front. And with the muting of the president on social media…a new conversation about the future of big tech and free speech. Also, the completion of an historic sculpture in Galveston more than a hundred years in the making. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
As The impeachment trial resumes, how closely are Texas women listening? We’ll take a closer look at an important demographic in this election year. Other stories we’re tracking: Scores of Houston families on the long road to rebuilding after a massive explosion late last week: we’ll hear the latest. Also the Trump administration issues new orders to deal with so-called birth tourism. We’ll have the what and why. Plus after a seven year studio silence, a groundbreaking singer songwriter reemerges. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Houstonians shaken overnight by an explosion. We’ll explore the details. Also, we remember PBS host Jim Lehrer, the national star who spent years in the Lone star state died Thursday. Plus perceptions of U.S. troops stationed in Ukraine amid the president’s impeachment trial. And is this hemp or is it marijuana? Well, if in Austin there’s no need to fret if carrying small amounts. Also, adding and subtracting with Texas Instruments, the brand that brought us the calculators of the past is making news. All of those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
A time for reflection and healing as El Paso holds a city-wide memorial service for the 22 victims of the August 3rd mass shooting. We’ll have the latest. Other stories were watching: two incidents half a world away. How protests in Hong Kong and an explosion in the arctic circle could have ripple effects for the Lone Star State. Also, a tale of two governments fighting HPV. How a nation with a population and economy the size of Texas is beating the Lone Star State, and what we might learn. All of that and then some today on the Texas Standard:
Just Where do you draw the line? Gerrymandering may be legal in Texas, but now there’s a pushback in the Texas legislature, we’ll have the latest. Also, we’ve been hearing about brick and mortar stores shuttering and big box retailers leaving old spaces, so who’s filling those vacancies? To an increasing extent, it’s immigrant entrepreneurs. We’ll hear more. And did Texas once resemble East Central Africa? New images emerge from the study of bones discovered and locked away some 80 years ago. Plus is there a spending limit set by the Texas constitution? A Politifact check and more today on the Texas Standard:
As smoke from a chemical fire fouls the air over Houston, officials insist it’s not toxic. We’ll look at what we’re learning 3 days into a massive petrochemical blaze. Also, John Cornyn may have felt a sense of relief when Beto O’Rourke decided to run for president, but he may yet need that multimillion dollar warchest. Carlos Sanchez of Texas monthly reports on what could well be another battle royale for a U.S. senate seat. And shops selling CBD oil in Texas, is that legal? Those stories and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:
Tomorrow marks one month of the longest partial government shutdown in U.S. history. We’ll talk with correspondents statewide to gauge the impact on Texas. Also a new space race heating up, score one for the home team. Plus one of the deadliest tree diseases in the U.S. reaches epidemic proportions in the Lone Star State. An expert tells us what to do and what not to if we hope to save our oaks. All that and a whole lot more, today on the Texas Standard:
A proposal to put off the state of the union: a break with tradition, or perhaps a return to one? We’ll take a look at the history with historian Jeremi Suri. Also, what’s being done to keep guns out of the hands of those convicted of domestic violence? We’ll take a look. And the green new deal: some see it as radical, why the Houston Chronicle claims it’s a natural for Texas. Plus, how much do you like eggs? If you’re Instagram, more than 40 million times, at last count. What a viral sensation tells us about the state of social media. All of that and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:
The Commander is Chief wields a lot of power over U-S military action, but where do those powers begin and end? We’ll explore. Also, it’s been almost 10 years since Hurricane Ike devastated Galveston. But the city still hasn’t rebuilt much of the housing many depend on. And it’s been exactly 5 years since a fire and explosion at a Central Texas fertilizer plant killed 15 people and destroyed a large part of a small city. What’s been done to prevent another catastrophe like West, Texas? Also, Pulitzer prize-winning author Lawrence Wright’s new book hits shelves today. “God Save Texas” is all about the state he calls home, including what he describes as AM and FM Texas. Plus we’ll hear the argument for why it seems Texas lawmakers could have been drunk when writing the liquor laws. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
North of San Antonio, an explosion at a federal express facility raises new challenges in the investigation of Austin’s serial bomber. Also joining us, the head of the House Homeland Security Committee Texas congressman Michael McCaul on the federal response to the bomb attacks in the Texas capitol city. Also, is Mexico finally getting the upper hand on the drug cartels? We’ll explore some new developments that have put the question back on the table. And a pedestrian in Arizona killed by a self driving car: should we tap the brakes on the development of autonomous vehicles? Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
A fourth bomb detonates in in the Texas capitol city leaving two more people injured, a community on lockdown, and a city on edge. We’ll have the latest on the big story making national news out of Texas today, federal agents working feverishly with Austin police to detect some pattern or motive after four bomb attacks, and no suspects. Also, the primary’s over? Not for three candidates once running to replace Beto O’Rourke. They claim they were cheated out of victory by election fraud in El Paso. But how so? And reaching victims of domestic violence in an unconventional way: through the hairdresser? Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Now more than 300 federal agents join police in the Texas capitol city to get to the bottom of a mystery over package bombs left on front stoops. Three bombs, two dead and a whole lot of questions, we’ll explore. We’ll hear about the first fatality, a talented 17 year old en route to UNT’s celebrated music program. Also, water scarcity in El Paso at the heart of a case before the supreme court. And in east Texas, the explosion that occurred 81 years ago this weekend. An event so traumatic people didn’t talk about it for generations. Now they’re trying to make sure the victims aren’t forgotten. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
The Texan in charge of US diplomacy, isn’t anymore. After traveling the world, secretary of state Rex Tillerson is coming home, we’ll explore. Also, exploding parcels in the Texas capitol city. Police are trying to connect the dots, warning Austinites not to touch boxes left at front doors. And in Dallas explosions of another sort, these connected to gas mains. Lots of folks in big D asking questions, but not getting many answers. And what was the cause of the civil war? And how is it taught in Texas schools? Those stories and lots more today on the Texas Standard:
The Affirmative Action pendulum could swing yet again. What a new document suggests about plans inside the DOJ. It wasn’t long ago the Supreme Court sided with the University of Texas’ use of affirmative action. A new administration could bring back the debate. Plus, President Trump’s proposed Border Wall may be coming sooner than expected to Texas. And, Just when you thought fried food couldn’t get any crazier, Texas brings you: the tamale donut, and a crawfish lollipop. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Shots fired: a year after a deadly shootout at an otherwise peaceful march in Dallas, how much has healed and where are the scars? We’ll explore. Also many thought the black death the stuff of history books, but the plague is back, and its in west Texas. A CDC researcher tells us why. And back to the future? A Texas city decides the best way to secure elections: a return to the paper ballot. And researchers battle an unexpected problem for solar power, you might think of it as burnout. Those stories and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:
It was a deadly explosion that rocked a sense of security…3 years later, another jolt shaking the town of west Texas. We’ll explore. Texas is home to one of the largest squads of mosquito fighters in the country, but are they big enough to tackle the new threat of Zika… Also, a tempest in a taco bowl? Why a week after cinco de mayo, one incendiary tweet among many constitutes to reverberate. And learning to grow legally…how cannabis farmers are navigating the narrows of Texas law to get licenses. Those stories and lots more today on the Texas Standard:
Two firefighters hospitalized in an explosion of chemicals at an East Texas plant. What does it say about the culture of safety? Plus, a historic mass release of federal prison inmates has some south Texas sheriffs on edge. Also, remember when VW urged us to think small? Our commentator suggests some big thinking might be in order when it comes to business ethics. And Galloping for the exit doors…a prominent pollster calls it quits when it comes to covering the presidential horserace… Those stories and the top three tech trends for the next year and more. Its Texas Standard time:
Rick Perry said it was impossible but his successor disagrees. A dramatic 180 on the issue of ending rape in Texas prisons. Plus, only days after an explosion which sent four to the hospital at an east Texas chemical plant, the company says its returning to business as usual despite a safety investigation that’s far from finished… we’ll have details. Also what do you call a chicken crossing a road…in Bastrop it’s poultry in motion, stopping cars, waking the neighbors and sparking national headlines. And Texas has never had a world series parade…this year, we’ve got two shots at it…that and much more today on the Texas Standard: