KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts
KUT and KUTX news and music podcasts for Austin, Texas and beyond
State lawmakers heard hours of testimony on a bill that would restrict gender-affirming care for minors. Senate Bill 14 wouldn’t just end access to gender-affirming care for young Texans, it would also revoke the medical license of any doctor who provides it.
How Texas’ first family of oil and gas both regulates and profits from the energy industry.
And in far West Texas, the community of Toyah is dealing with a boil-water notice that seems like it will never end.
There’s a push in the Texas Senate to raise the penalty for illegal voting despite a widely reported absence of evidence that it’s a major problem. Sergio Martínez-Beltrán of the Texas Newsroom shares his weekly lookahead at what’s happening at the Legislature.
A bill filed last week would abolish the Texas Juvenile Justice Department and close down the state’s youth prisons.
There was chaos Sunday on the pedestrian bridge connecting El Paso with Juárez, Mexico. Lauren Villagran of the El Paso Times joins us to discuss what happened.
By many measures Texas is at the top of the pack for renewable energy, yet gas and oil likely remain big in the state for some time to come.
Plus we’ll hear from the directors and a student star of a new documentary that had its Texas debut at South by Southwest, “Going Varsity in Mariachi.”
We don’t think of gas stations much, yet they are fixtures across Texas, and tell us a lot about who we are and where we’re going. There are more than 11,000 of them scattered across the state – along major highways and tiny backroads alike, they fuel up long haul trucks, hungry commuters and sometimes whole communities.
In some ways, the gas station is the backbone of our economy and the center of conversation and community. In other ways, they’re a blight on the landscape and, many feel, a soon-to-be anachronism. “Pumped: Food, fuel and the future of Texas” is an exploration of an often-overlooked staple of our life.
As a deadline approaches for bills to be filed in the Texas Legislature, proposals on guns and secession are making headlines. There is rare bipartisan support building around a proposal that proponents say would boost the effectiveness of background checks for buying a firearm, a move prompted by the school shooting in Uvalde.
When it comes to property tax relief, are Texas Republicans a house divided? There is a possible battle looming between the Texas House and Senate.
And the last red-light cameras still giving out tickets in Texas – and the push to switch them off for good.
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.
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?
Nearly 400,000 homes and businesses are still without power in Texas, but the worst of the freezing rain may be behind us. Mose Buchele of the Disconnect podcast and KUT Austin joins us with more on the power situation.
A new poll suggests a disconnect between the headlines and what Texans really think of the state’s public schools.
Our focus on the push to cut property taxes in the Texas Legislature turns to how schools are funded in Texas.
And an effort to turn attention to a largely forgotten story of how Chinese labor helped to build West Texas.
The Supreme Court of the United States issues its first orders and opinions of the new year. UT Legal scholar Steven Vladek on the impact and what to watch for today. Other stories we’re tracking: the week ahead at the Texas lege: Sergio Martinez-Beltrán of the Texas newsroom on attention turning to teachers and the classroom. And President Biden’s Border initiatives and the connection to past administrations’ efforts to manage immigration. Also an historic grand hotel in Palacios spared from the wrecking ball, at least for the moment. And a surprising discovery at a huge federal nature preserve in southeast Texas. Plus the Cowboys maintain their losing streak in the playoffs and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Inauguration ceremonies at the capitol lift the curtain and set the stage as the 88th legislature gets underway in earnest. We’ll have more on the inauguration of the Governor and the Lt. Governor. Also a prison hunger strike and allegations of retaliation. And the constitutional sheriffs movement and why advocates of police reform are concerned a vow to uphold the law is being twisted into something that subverts the law. Also 50 years of BBQ. The barbecue editor of Texas monthly on what’s changed in those decades, and it might be a lot more than you think. Plus, commentator W.F. Strong in celebration of Texas grammar, a Politifact check and more today on the Texas Standard:
A big announcement that could add up to a major boost for tourism and the economy of North Texas. Underscoring the explosion of population and business growth in the Lone Star State, the announcement of plans to build a Universal Theme Park in Frisco is generating excitement in some quarters and concerns in others. We’ll hear all about it. Also after supply chain disruptions and worse, why Laredo could be at the center of a shift in how U.S. companies do business. And talk of a federal ban on gas stoves ignites a political firestorm, and fresh concerns about the safety of a common appliance. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
With new immigration rules and promises in increase enforcement, Joe Biden makes his first visit to the border as president. Angela Kocherga of KTEP joins us with more on president Biden’s visit to El Paso and the proposals he’s making to slow the numbers of migrants entering the U.S. without documentation. Also, as lawmakers in Texas get ready to gavel in a new session, the unprecedented pot of gold that has all concerned making out their wish lists. And could tens of thousands of central Texans lose access to one of the region’s biggest health care providers? Plus Horned Frog fever with tonight’s college football championship. All those stories and then some today on the Texas Standard:
A San Antonio doctor says hospitals are facing a crisis as COVID-19, RSV and flu cases mount before in this holiday season. In Bexar county the wait for hospital beds on the rise, and some health experts are sounding an alarm as families gather for the holidays. We’ll hear the latest. Also a big OPEC meeting, a European ban on Russian oil and the ripple effects for Texas oil producers and consumers. And in a decades long effort to open up El Paso’s Castner Mountains what could be a tipping point for a regions that’s been losing a lot of natural land to developers. Those stories, the talk of Texas and and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Seldom has mental health been a bigger part of the public conversation in TX, but how much of a priority for state lawmakers? We’ll take a closer look. Also after a record high number of more than 375,000 teachers in Texas last year, this year, 12% left the profession. We’ll have more on a crisis of retention and recruitment in teaching. And education in prison and the implications for the long term in Texas. Plus Cop27: what the climate summit means for the energy capitol of the world. And at the intersection of an ever evolving Texas culture and the kitchen: 100 recipes. We’ll meet the authors of the Big Texas Cookbook and more today on the Texas Standard:
With accusations of war profiteering, President Biden threatens a windfall tax on oil companies, we’ll have details. Plus after Uvalde, how much is the issue of gun safety moving Texas voters as we approach election day? We’ll take a closer look. Also, local propositions that could have major ripple effects: a focus on efforts to spend more on housing for teachers. And from Corpus Christi, a civil rights lawsuit over plans for a desalination plant. Plus more on a traditional Mexican celebration that’s a big part of the fabric of life in Texas…marking Dia de los Muertos and much more today on the Texas Standard:
The countdown is on: 8 days till election day. How are Texas voters leaning? In the past, political prognosticators turned to the science of polling and opinion surveys to determine things like voter outreach and messaging. But with confidence shaken in the polling process, could that have an impact on election day? We’ll explore. Plus comparing Texas voting laws with those of other states. And spooky stories from the energy sector, only these are true. Also how the Texas capitol city could be a test case for the health of the housing market. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Protests by parents in Uvalde and a major shakeup in security for schools there. Uvalde suspends all activities for its school police unit with workers reassigned, placed on leave or resigning. DPS has been asked to help with school security. We’ll have the latest on continued fallout from the mass shooting at Robb Elementary in May. Also after dipping a bit, gas prices rising once more. Our go to energy expert on what behind pump prices and some of the larger ripple effects as well. And the Texas author calling for a healthier vision for boys and masculinity moreover. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Abortion, gun laws and much more. What might be on the agenda as Texas lawmakers prepare to reconvene? Some of the political patterns emerging for Texas in the aftermath of the Texas Tribune festival. Political writer Patrick Svitek ties some of the strands together. Also eyes on the skies, as Hurricane Ian enters the gulf what it could mean for the energy cap of the world. You know the one. And speaking of energy, guess which state has the most blackouts? We’ll shed some light on that. Also not for the down and out, we’ll meet the man who literally wrote the book on the Texas dive bar. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
A democrat running for a top statewide office gets a big endorsement from a prominent Republican. Could it shake up the midterms in Texas? Other stories we’re tracking: what’s happening with home prices in Texas? Why price trends are pointing toward a return to a buyers market…with some big caveats. Plus, a study that could lead to reclaiming toxic wastewater from oil and gas production. And Peniel Joseph, author and scholar, on the Third Reconstruction. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
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:
Are billions in school debt owed by Texans about to be written off the books? We’ll look at what President Biden’s announcement adds up to for Texans. Other stories we’re tracking: buying out of flood prone property: what it could mean for a region ravaged by Hurricane Harvey 5 years ago. Also after this weeks rains in North Texas, how the struggle’s just beginning for some families. And as housing prices skyrocket across Texas and many parts of the nation, military allowances not keeping up. And is the University of Texas about to pass Harvard as the country’s wealthiest university?Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard: