food

KUT announces community festival in May

A long-running storytelling event in Austin’s Hyde Park neighborhood is pairing personal stories with curated musical selections. We’ll have more about the shows and how you can find them.

And KUT announced today that it is launching a festival of its own that’ll bring together the best of Austin’s music, arts, food and more. We’ll speak with KUT/KUTX General Manger Debbie Hiott to talk more about how the festival will build on the community that has powered the station for decades.

Plus, the Tacos of Texas podcast is nearing the completion of its fifth season – “El Cinco.” The team behind the podcast join us to talk about the work that’s gone into this season and their upcoming Taco Party.

Coffee shop Mercado Sin Nombre recognized by Michelin Guide

Austin ISD has some changes to its school consolidation plan. KUT’s Kailey Hunt brings us the latest updates.

The Michelin Guide this week honored more Texas restaurants, including Mercado Sin Nombre, a small, outdoor coffee and breakfast shop in East Austin recognized for making quality food at a quality price.

Halloween is the perfect time to embrace the darkness. KUTX’s Laurie Gallardo talks with Texas Standard’s Angela Kocherga about the goth scene in Texas and the Latine community.

Plus: Exploring one more horror movie filmed in Central Texas: “Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation” with Matthew McConaughey.

What difference has a Michelin star made for Texas restaurants?

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s lawsuit against Tylenol could trigger a wave of government-led litigation over claims about a highly questioned link to ADHD and autism.

A year after Michelin first arrived in Texas, the coveted dining guide has released its latest list of awardees. But what does the honor actually mean for local chefs and their businesses?

Bats are heroes for Texas farmers, eating insects that threaten crops like pecans. Michael Marks takes us to an orchard near Lockhart.

A new exhibit in Dallas, “Tell Her Story,” pairs breast cancer survivors of color with local artists to share their stories through portraits and creative works.

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

You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org

Ramen Del Barrio

Take one part Mexican, add Japanese sabores, what you’ll get is an incredible combination at Ramen Del Barrio.

If you’d like to support the Tacos of Texas podcast and other podcasts like it from KUT & KUTX in Austin, please visit supportthispodcast.org. Thank you for your support!

Salsa Daddy: Chef Rick Martinez

Let’s dip our way into Mexican Cooking and salsas with Chef Rick Martinez, author of Salsa Daddy: Dip your way into Mexican cooking.

If you’d like to support the Tacos of Texas podcast and other podcasts like it from KUT & KUTX in Austin, please visit supportthispodcast.org. Thank you for your support!

Why police are ditching a popular gun

Redistricting seems like the entire political conversation in Texas right now, so it’s probably no surprise it’s influencing the U.S. Senate race.
Texas received millions in federal funding for adult education programs, but it was uncertain and came several weeks late.
What are the impacts of programs that give money, with no strings attached, to people and families identified with high needs? We’ll dig into a study of such a program in Texas.
A Houston police officer is suing a gun manufacturer. He’s one of many saying his Sig Sauer P320 discharged without him pulling the trigger.

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

You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org

Texas Lottery scandal deepens as ex-director disappears

The Texas Lottery Commission faces a reckoning after a string of scandals. We look at what’s next for one of the largest lotteries in the country.

The U.S. Supreme Court has cleared the way for a controversial private facility in Andrews, Texas, to temporarily store high-level nuclear waste.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to open a facility in South Texas to help defend against the new world screwworm, a destructive pest that is working its way north through Mexico toward the southern border.

And: Waco Police Chief Sheryl Victorian is challenging policing stereotypes – not just in uniform, but now as the author of a children’s book about public service.

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

You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org

A special broadcast from El Paso

Today we’re broadcasting live from El Paso for a special edition of the Texas Standard.

We hear from some prominent El Pasoans – former Congressman Beto O’Rourke and former El Paso Mayor Dee Margo – on the city’s dynamic politics.

El Paso has become a leader in innovative water management. How the city is securing its future in the desert.

KTEP’s Aaron Montes visits a local academy training the future stars of lucha libre.
And: How bighorn sheep have returned to El Paso’s mountains after a century away.

How a Houston man spent 18 years in jail without a trial

How hot is it in Texas prisons? After many questions about deadly heat, a new discovery: the facts as presented may have been fake. Investigative reporter Lauren McGaughy of The Texas Newsroom with the discovery of falsified records in an ongoing scandal about heat-related deaths behind bars.

A Houston inmate jailed for 18 years who never got his day in court: How did that happen, and could there be more?

What do you get when you cross a mouse with a woolly mammoth? It’s no joke: A Texas company says it’s just the beginning.

Also, who owns Texas? The results of an investigation of land ownership.
And this week in Texas music history.

Rediscovering Texas farm worker history through photos

President Trump signs an order effectively dismantling the education department. What does it add up to for education in Texas?

The Las Vegas Sands Corp. folds, for now, on its push for a resort casino in Irving. We’ll hear why and what it says about the industry’s attempts to cash in on Texas.

Also, the week in politics with the Texas Tribune.

Plus, a new cookbook challenges the notion that you’ve got to have meat for traditional Mexican dishes.

And after our series on the Texas Farm Workers Union, a listener comes forward with photos – adding faces to an almost forgotten story.

Soup recipes for caldo weather that aren’t caldo

As the weather dips, we’re bringing it to you Tacos of Texas style! Switching it up this soup season with Mando Rayo who shares his favorite Mexican soup recipes for the winter weather (aka caldo weather.)

The programming featured in this bonus episode was originally aired on the Texas Standard on December 11, 2024.

As we gear up for the next season of Tacos of Texas, we want to hear from listeners like you! Head to kut.org/tacosurvey to send us your thoughts and ideas for the upcoming season of the show! And stay tuned for Season CINCO of Tacos of Texas.

¡Vamos!

Why Texas’ paid parental leave plan isn’t working

It took a while, but the Texas House now ready to take action on some closely watched legislation. Blaise Gainey of The Texas Newsroom gets us up to speed on the week ahead under the pink dome.
A new study assesses the severity of water access problems in colonias, unincorporated communities with long-standing infrastructure issues.
What happens after an ICE raid? Cactus, Texas, still feels the impact.
In 2023, Texas lawmakers touted a business-friendly paid parental leave insurance program – but two years later, few businesses are offering it, and most new parents still can’t afford to take time off.
And: Lights, camera, Texas? How some big stars are teaming up to bring in more movie production.

‘Petflation’ is real, and a Texas lawmaker wants to help

How President Trump’s new tariffs on steel and aluminum will impact a wide range of companies across the state.
Slashing federal grants that fund overhead for research labs will save some money but also hinder life-saving research.
Texans know the price of feeding your dog or cat has been rising. A state lawmaker wants to provide some relief by eliminating the sales tax on pet food.
Are electric cars inevitable? In his new book, Wall Street Journal reporter Mike Colias says yes.
And: 30 year’s after Selena’s death a new children’s books series pays tribute to the Tejano star’s life.

A special broadcast from Abilene

Today we come to you from one of Texas’ once great railroad towns – and though the trains aren’t so much a central part of life here anymore, something else has happened that’s been bringing people, prosperity and a sense of renewal back to Abilene.

An AI-focused facility could transform the Big Country region.

Ahead of the 2025, legislative session, Stamford Mayor James Decker shares insights on what’s needed for small-town Texas.

And: Wylie ISD is enacting a strict no-phone policy to reduce distractions.

After nearly 50 years, food critic Pat Sharpe asks for the check

Texas leaders are among President-elect Trump’s biggest supporters. Are they being left off the list of Cabinet picks?
She’s traveled and tasted dishes from across the Lone Star State: After 50 years, Texas Monthly food critic Pat Sharpe is retiring and sharing what she’s learned on the job.
The details of a plan to turn an old golf course into a world-class arboretum in San Antonio.
And: An update on the results of a rural summit bringing residents, local officials and state lawmakers together.

Is Boomer Influencer a thing?

Let’s get cooking with Arnie Segovia (ArnieTex), father, son, traditional cook and Tío Influencer?

Southlake teen Sam Watson sets speed climbing records ahead of Paris Olympics

Kamala Harris consolidates Democratic support, shattering fundraising records. How does this change things for Texas Republicans?

After the death of veteran Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, who takes her place for the remainder of her term and on the ballot for her open seat?

Sam Watson, an 18-year-old from Southlake, holds the three fastest times ever in speed climbing and will be competing at the Paris Olympics.

The Rio Grande Valley faces an unprecedented water crisis as drought intensifies.

And: a new push to change how Texas imposes the death penalty.

Texas Eclipse Festival attendees with disabilities describe treacherous conditions

Landowners in southeast Texas say they should be able to sue the state over their flooded property, and the U.S. Supreme Court agrees. People in Winnie, Texas, say their land only started to flood after the state rebuilt part of nearby Interstate 10. Now, they can seek compensation for the damages.
Live music seems more expensive, but are musicians getting paid more? Not really. We’ll talk to someone trying to change that.
And the attorney general crusades against a media outlet on behalf of Elon Musk.

A look back at the year in review

It was a year like few others in modern memory at the Texas Capitol, with four special sessions on top of a regular session, a historic impeachment trial of the state attorney general and more.

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of one of the most seminal Texas music moments ever committed to vinyl: Viva Terlingua!

What we know about Ken Paxton’s upcoming impeachment trial

The Department of Justice has sued the State of Texas over its floating border barrier near Eagle Pass, alleging Texas doesn’t have the authority to place barriers in the Rio Grande. Gov. Greg Abbott’s reply? “See you in court.”

Sergio Martínez-Beltrán of the Texas Newsroom brings us the latest developments in Ken Paxton’s upcoming impeachment trial.

Congressman Greg Casar is calling for federal regulations to protect workers against heat-related illness in light of state law that will undo local rules starting Sept. 1.

And why a goat that went missing from a livestock show has captured the imagination of lots of folks in the Rio Grande Valley.