Forever Chemicals

Trade schools thrive as electric vehicle demand grows

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued two giants of the chemical business, 3M and DuPont, over so-called forever chemicals contained in household objects.
A new kind of car needs a new kind of mechanic. The Standard’s Kristen Cabrera goes inside a school for hybrid and electric vehicle repairs.
The old art form of tintype photography is being revived in Waco.
And: EA recently made 23 of its accessibility patents freely available to help developers create more inclusive games.

KUT Morning Newscast for December 05, 2024

Central Texas top stories for December 05, 2024. Police officer Christopher Taylor was fired from the Austin Police Department after being convicted for the fatal shooting of Mauris DeSilva. Rent prices keep going down in Austin. There are no traces of forever chemicals in the city’s drinking water. Make sure you are ready for a cold winter this year.

KUT Afternoon Newscast for September 9, 2024

Central Texas top stories for September 9, 2024. A new poll finds nearly 80 percent of Texas teachers have seriously thought about leaving the job in the last year. The Austin City Council is considering a resolution that would eliminate the use of harmful chemicals that firefighters are exposed to when they’re on a call.  A civil trial started today in federal court in Austin claiming intimidation and harassment by the “Trump Train” in 2020. Travis County employees are set to get a 5 percent raise next year, but some say it’s not enough to keep up with their workload. TxDOT has announced a major environmental study to look at expanding the bridge from Corpus Christi to Padre Island. The Hays County Sheriff’s Office will be ramping up enforcement on US Highway 290 along a stretch between Cedar Valley and Dripping Springs. Sally Duval is highlighting a platform of marijuana legalization. Tropical Storm Francine is expected to make landfall on the Upper Gulf Coast as a hurricane later this week.

KUT Morning Newscast for September 9, 2024

Central Texas top stories for September 9, 2024.The Austin City Council this week is considering a plan to phase out forever chemicals used in firefighting. A poll shows 78 percent of Texas public school teachers say they have seriously considered leaving their job in the last year. Testing data shows students in Texas are still struggling with math post-pandemic, a Central Texas district is trying to help. A UT poll shows an uptick of support for Democrats. The Longhorns are now #2 in the AP Top 25 College Football Poll.

KUT Morning Newscast for April 19, 2024

Central Texas top stories for April 19, 2024. EPA announces new regulations on “forever chemicals” in drinking water. Residents giving testimony at Austin City Hall will get more time to speak. In-person early voting starts Monday morning in the May 4th election. San Marcos’s new water restrictions. Weekend rain chances.

KUT Afternoon Newscast for April 3, 2024

Central Texas top stories for April 3, 2024. Professors are raising concerns about the dozens of positions UT Austin is eliminating to comply with a law banning DEI programs. Federal regulators say Austin’s water is free of what are referred to as “forever chemicals.” Abortion law survey. San Marcos officials want to change how the city manages water restrictions during drought. Unemployment in Austin is on the rise. Eclipse day weather forecast.

The ‘forever chemicals’ used in fracking in Texas

Calls for justice in Ciudad Juárez after dozen of migrants die in a fire at a detention facility. New details emerge about what happened just across the border from El Paso on Monday night.

Texas school districts banned hundreds of books last year. Now, the Legislature is looking to create standards that could pull even more books off the shelves.

Research increasingly shows that “forever chemicals” are making their way into our environment – especially in Texas, where they’re used in oil and gas extraction.

Plus an update from commentator W.F. Strong and a climate referendum in El Paso.