#Fentanyl

Historic heat makes Texas’ ailing water infrastructure even harder to fix

A plan for state officials to take over special education in the Austin Independent School District is being reconsidered. Becky Fogel of KUT in Austin shares more.

Record heat this summer statewide has led to widespread water leaks amid an already pressing need for repairs – but will a fund earmarked for fixes be enough?

With five deaths from fentanyl on average in Texas each day, a growing number of those deaths is among young people. The Dallas Morning news turns a monthlong spotlight on a growing crisis.

What’s next after Abbott vetoes more than 70 bills?

The power of the pen: Gov. Greg Abbott has used his veto more this summer than he ever has before. What’s at stake?

Advocates for people with disabilities demanded some changes at the state Capitol this legislative session. We’ll hear more about how the issues fared from the Standard’s Shelly Brisbin.

Systems are pretty much back up and running in Dallas after a ransomware attack. A look at why these keep happening and how to prevent them.

Fentanyl in Mexico and the newer risks tainted drugs pose to those who travel there.

And it’s Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day or Freedom Day. We’ll visit a celebration in East Austin and talk to an author about enriching our understanding of the experiences of enslaved people.

Kate the Chemist aims to answer ‘the big questions’ about science with new podcast

Erin Douglas of the Texas Tribune joins with details on water infrastructure efforts that have bipartisan support, but a chasm separating House and Senate proposals – and just 11 more days to come to agreement.

More money for Texas public school teachers? Some educators say the proposals on the table aren’t enough to keep them in the classroom.

In San Antonio, what appears to be a first-of-its-kind effort to dramatically improve access to public bathrooms for people with disabilities.

And UT-Austin chemistry professor Kate Biberdorf – aka Kate the Chemist – shares a preview of her new podcast, “Seeking a Scientist.”

KUT Morning Newscast for May 1, 2023

Central Texas top stories for May 1, 2023. Early voting ends tomorrow. Court ruling in Travis County Democratic Party firebombing case. Nueces street expansion. Austin ISD teacher housing. Fentanyl test strip legalization. State government limiting home rule powers. Texas Stars leading playoff series. Austinite drafted in the NFL.

KUT Morning Newscast for April 26, 2023

Central Texas top stories for April 26, 2023. New emissions rules from EPA. Texas Senate passes police officer protections. San Marcos police contract negotiations. AACHI COVID-19 vaccine clinic. Hays CISD fentanyl education initiative. ACC 50th anniversary.

What more electric vehicles mean for the Texas electric grid

Momentum is growing among Republicans to use the U.S. military to take on drug cartels in Mexico in the fight against fentanyl. How serious is such talk?

More ripple effects following a ruling by a federal judge in Amarillo that would effectively ban the abortion drug mifepristone.

The Dallas Federal Reserve finds young adults feel increasingly disconnected from work and school – but there may be more to the story.

And with more electric vehicles hitting the road in Texas, how will the need for pluggable power affect the state’s electric grid?

What the worry over ChatGPT looks like on college campuses

The Texas House approved a ban on school vouchers but the Senate has plans to overcome that.

One pill kills: a new statewide campaign to warn Texans about the dangers of fentanyl.

An attempt by the EPA to cut substantial cancer risk in some Gulf Coast communities by as much as 96%.

From college classrooms in El Paso and Austin, a reality check on the impact of ChatGPT.

A Texas child mental health program that could prove to be a model for other states.

Plus more than just peanuts and Cracker Jack on the menu this baseball season… barbecue smokers, too.

What’s next after Texas judge rules abortion medication illegal

A ruling in Amarillo that could be the most consequential abortion decision since last year’s case overturning Roe v Wade. The ruling late Friday effectively bans Mifepristone, an abortion drug. But minutes after that ruling, another in Washington state orders the FDA to do nothing to restrict the pill’s availability. What happens next?

Two Democratic state legislators expelled last week in Tennessee. Could something similar happen in Texas?

And fentanyl: why experts are calling it the “social media drug”, and why interdiction efforts may be misplaced.

The Gulf of Mexico is getting warmer

Sergio Martínez-Beltrán of the Texas Newsroom shares a look ahead at the Texas Legislature as bills make their way to committees this week. Plus, what could be a relatively rare bipartisan agreement: clearing the way for fentanyl testing strips as a harm-reduction measure.

How some Texas schools are dealing with teenagers caught with THC vape pens. Even though those vapes may be technically legal, some young people face felony arrests that can stick to their records.

And the Gulf of Mexico is warming at twice the rate of the world’s oceans.

KUT Morning Newscast for February 7, 2023

Central Texas top stories for February 7, 2023. Austin Energy is still restoring power. Family without power. School storm damage. Some trees fell more than others. Pflugerville ISD potential school closures. Hays CISD fentanyl education.

What zoos are doing to stay safe

Funding for public education is set to take center stage at the Capitol. Sergio Martínez-Beltrán of the Texas Newsroom joins us with what to expect this week as the Senate finance committee takes up education funding.

Some Texas lawmakers say student mental health is a top priority this legislative session. We’ll take a closer look at what’s being proposed.

Nearly two years after a major winter storm that knocked out power statewide, the city of San Antonio is facing a federal lawsuit that says its emergency preparedness plan is in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Plus: After a series of animal disappearances at the Dallas Zoo, how are zoos and aquariums rethinking security?

KUT Morning Newscast for January 25, 2023

Central Texas top stories for January 25, 2023. Travis County supportive housing. New power plant in Central Texas. Eanes ISD Fentanyl awareness. Hays CISD school repairs. UT Basketball. Austin FC academy first pro.

KUT Morning Newscast for January 11, 2023

Central Texas top stories for January 11, 2023. Austin-Bergstrom delays. Hays County fentanyl overdoses. Austin ISD specialty programs. Williamson County water infrastructure improvements.

Remembering former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach

The Biden Administration is moving to address growing numbers of migrants at the border. We’ll hear from the Secretary of Homeland Security. Also the results of the mayoral runoff in Texas’ capitol city: a former mayor and state senator returning to city hall. And with 4 students killed and another rescued Hays ISD engaged in a major campaign to alert students about the dangers of fentanyl. Also a bill to bag big cats held in private hands: The Big Cat Safety Act wins bipartisan support in Congress. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

KUT Afternoon Newscast for October 12, 2022

Central Texas top stories for October 12, 2022. San Marcos fentanyl awareness. Fall rain. Alex Jones verdict Connecticut. Williamson County monkeypox. Single-use plastic. ABIA traffic. UT MacArthur grant recipient. Longhorn volleyball.

KUT Morning Newscast for October 12, 2022

Central Texas top stories for October 12, 2022. Rockdale lockout. AISD student election workers. Hays fentanyl funding. Pumpkin shortage.

Texas Standard: October 5, 2022

A Texas National Guard member becomes the tenth person connected with Governor Abbott’s border mission to die. We’ll have the latest details. Other stories we’re working on: with public safety one of the big issues in this election, a spotlight turns to bail reform and the rhetoric surrounding it. Also, the questions swirling around the incumbent Ag Commissioner as he runs for re-election. And new home construction in Texas, only the homes aren’t for sale. We’ll have a closer look at the build to rent phenomenon. Plus the effort to save bats from the worst of Texas winters, a Politifact check about the impact of fentanyl and much more today on the Texas Standard:

KUT Afternoon Newscast for September 22, 2022

Central Texas top stories for September 22, 2022. Ozone action day. Fentanyl awareness. Job fair for seniors. Indigenous remains. EMS education. Bastrop ISD school names. City council candidate forums.

Texas Standard: August 31, 2022

18 months after a deadly statewide electricity blackout, state officials adopt new weather preparedness standards. But is it enough? We’ll look at what the new rules are and whether they have the teeth to prevent future events like the 2021 Winter Blackouts. Also, El Paso’s DA under fire and facing a petition seeking her removal. But she calls it a political move. Plus drug cartels in Mexico shifting production to an unusually lethal synthetic opioid that has health officials in the U.S. concerned about an overdose crisis. Those stories, a Politifact check on teacher salaries and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: March 30, 2022

The five fastest growing counties by population in Texas last year; we’ll talk with the state demographer about shifts in population during a pandemic year. And, President Biden has a new spending plan, and on his wish list: millions for Corpus Christi. Also, Camilla Alves McConaughey on her new book aimed at getting little ones to try ‘just one bite’. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard: