As the 89th session of the Texas Legislature looms, here’s a preview of some of the marquee issues that will likely hold the focus of lawmakers.
Greg Abbott
KUT Morning Newscast for November 13, 2024
Central Texas top stories for November 13, 2024. The City of Austin has a new park on what used to be a vacant field on the northeast side of town. Over 1,500 bills were filed yesterday as lawmakers get ready for the next state legislative session. Governor Greg Abbott said after Trump’s victory, the state might repurpose the money otherwise spent on his border mission Operation Lone Star. The City of Georgetown will offer some of its employees paid parental leave. A dry cold front is expected to make its way into the Austin-area later today.
Remembering iconic Texas actress Shelley Duvall
Five days after Hurricane Beryl’s landfall, more than 800,000 Texans are still without power as frustrations and questions rise along with the heat – and officials say half a million people may not get power back until next week.
Thirty-five percent of Texas students scored zero on the writing portion of STAAR test, raising big questions about the jump in low scores as computers take over the grading process.
Remembering Fort Worth native Shelley Duvall, who made a big mark on Hollywood and left it all for the Hill Country.
Also: the week in politics with The Texas Tribune and poetry from the Typewriter Rodeo.
KUT Morning Newscast for June 13, 2024
Central Texas top stories for June 13, 2024. KUT’s Luz Moreno Lozano in conversation with Austin’s new city manager, T.C. Broandax. Governor Greg Abbott appoints first judges to a new appeals court for lawsuits against the state. Swimming lessons will be available at Austin’s pools over the summer.
Rio Grande Valley again draws attention ahead of 2024 elections
Is the boom in home prices in Austin, one of Texas’ hottest markets, over? And what might that mean for affordability?
Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, long a champion of free markets, is now calling for lawmakers to take action and curb large-scale home purchases from institutional investors.
Some national politics watchers are pondering whether this is the year a long-time stronghold for Texas Democrats – Rio Grande Valley – turns solidly red.
And when it comes to chili, ¡Viva Terlingua! But chili’s got a new challenger. Texas Monthly barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn samples what’s cookin.’
Standoff between Texas and the feds continues over Rio Grande access
Tensions between Texas and the federal government intensify over Border Patrol access.
On the day after the release of the findings of a federal investigation into the 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, what we’re learning and what it could mean for accountability.
With the intensification of winter weather this week, how advocates for people experiencing homelessness are trying to shelter and care for Texans left out in the cold.
A sneak peek at the Super Bowl prospects for the Houston Texans, facing a big playoff challenge this weekend.
And we’ll have the week in politics with Matthew Watkins of the Texas Tribune.
Community colleges get a funding boost, but with some changes
Gov. Greg Abbott received a $6 million campaign contribution from an out-of-state mega donor and school voucher advocate. Investigative reporter Lauren McGaughy of the Texas Newsroom shares more.
The Texas Newsroom’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán has the latest on what appear to be endorsement wars among top Texas Republicans.
There’s a new funding formula for community colleges. What could the change add up to?
And commentator W.F. Strong reflects on influencers – both intentional and accidental.
The state 2D artist draws on his El Paso heritage
There haven’t been any votes yet, but we kind of already know what the Texas delegation to the U.S. House will look like in 2024.
The Israel-Gaza war is challenging what it means to have free speech at colleges across the country. A visit to a San Antonio campus highlights why.
Gov. Greg Abbott is set to sign into law a measure that makes illegal border crossing a state crime. What you need to know.
It’s tamale time for many folks across Texas. We’ll explore the base ingredient, masa, with our go-to taco journalist.
And a conversation with this year’s state 2D artist, Gaspar Enriquez, about how he depicts El Paso and what it means to be Chicano.
YouTube chef blends her Texan and Indian roots in new show
State Sen. John Whitmire defeated U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee in the runoff election to serve as Houston’s 63rd mayor. We’ll take a look at what his win may mean for the state’s biggest city.
The borderlines of two South American countries have long been in dispute. How a recent re-ignition of the argument may have just as much to do with politics as it does with oil.
School districts across Texas have been hoping for an increase in funding. Why even some with large tax bases are struggling to make ends meet.
When you think of climate activists, who comes to mind? It may surprise you which age group says it’s become a top issue for them.
And we’re talking food unique to Texas – not BBQ or Tex-Mex, but South Indian-Texan cuisine. Chef Deepa Shridhar joins with more on her YouTube series “KanDeepa Texan.”
Is Greg Abbott angling for a spot as Trump’s VP candidate?
Gov. Greg Abbott is issuing political endorsements, in what may be the first step in promised payback against some fellow Republicans. Also, a closer look at the governor’s own possible political ambitions.
Early voting gets underway in Houston’s mayoral runoff, and a new poll shows state Sen. John Whitmire with a seven-point lead over U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee.
Cow pies and black flies: the future of agricultural food? A Texas A&M professor explains.
Plus, just how nuts is it out there? We’ll hear what’s behind the large numbers of acorns all over the place.
Emmitt Smith’s latest move is fighting opioid overdoses
Texas governor Greg Abbott’s prediction a school voucher bill would pass now looks unlikely as the latest special session winds down.
Legendary running back and three-time Super Bowl champ Emmitt Smith teams up with NARCAN to reduce opioid deaths.
How Texans cross into neighboring New Mexico for abortions. We’ll have a special report.
A Texas town’s long-lost photos go on display. What residents hope to learn about their past.
And how a notorious monster has helped generations of parents get children to behave – especially at bedtime. Kristin Cabrera explains the Cucuy.
Exploring the tale of the Chupacabra
A deal over school vouchers at the Legislature – or high political theatre? As Gov. Greg Abbott declares victory, others have their doubts. Sergio Martínez-Beltrán of The Texas Newsroom shares the latest.
You’ve heard of solar farms, but how well do animals share that land? Why agrivoltaic farms are popping up all over Texas.
And our spooky season isn’t over. The Texas Standard’s Kristen Cabrera explores the story of the arguable king of the Texas cryptids: the Chupacabra.
Lawmakers discuss school savings accounts
After unprecedented attacks over the weekend, Israel is at war with Hamas. Jeremi Suri of UT’s LBJ school with more on what to expect as fighting intensifies.
A big day at the state capitol as lawmakers are called back into session by the governor. On the table: school savings accounts, what critics call vouchers, that some fear will upend public school funding.
Texas mega ranches hitting the market at what appears to be a quickening pace.
Plus the would be restaurant rivals who formed what they call the Taco Mafia.
Examining the skills gap in a post-pandemic workforce
Border Patrol agents say Texas efforts to address migration are disrupting their work. Troopers say complaints are overblown.
We’ll have an update on the state’s wildfire risk as the dangerous pattern of hot and dry conditions continues.
How one Texas school district spent the the summer addressing safety concerns.
Reports of a concerning trend in the workforce: new employees that just aren’t ready to do the job.
There’s bipartisan support for rolling back some environmental regulations to speed up the production of U.S.-made semiconductors.
And we’ll hear from Kiana Fitzgerald, author of the new book “Ode to Hip-Hop: 50 Albums That Define 50 Years of Trailblazing Music.”
Del Rio’s William Beckmann fuses youthful energy and timeless soul in country music
A body was found in a buoy barrier in the Rio Grande, prompting harsh criticism of Texas’ border strategy.
Four years after the mass shooting at a Walmart in El Paso, people at the scene that day who are eligible for immigrant visas are still waiting.
The end of the pandemic emergency – and the end of pandemic relief funds – could mean a cut in childcare options in Texas. We’ll hear why.
A women’s soccer champion-turned Texas collegiate soccer coach weighs in on the U.S.’ prospects as the World Cup moves into the knockout rounds.
Plus the rise of songwriter William Beckmann, a Del Rio native.
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.
Is Paycheck Protection Program fraud partly behind the home price spike?
A planned buoy barrier along the Rio Grande designed to prevent migrant crossings faces legal obstacles of its own.
What’s known and what isn’t about the man who had been reported missing in the Houston area for eight years – who had only really been missing for about a day.
Could pandemic-era abuses be partly to blame for rising home prices?
And, how to lose friends and alienate the Legislature: Austin journalist Christopher Hooks on Gov. Greg Abbott’s legislative strategy and why he’s had so much trouble passing some key items on his agenda despite Republican majorities.
How the Legislature’s property tax cut proposals differ
A regular session and now two specials – what will it take to get lawmakers to agree on a property tax cut plan? A closer look at why the two approaches are at the center of a political battle.
Sentencing begins in a federal courtroom this week for the gunman who killed 23 people at an El Paso Walmart in 2019.
How some Houstonians without adequate air conditioning are trying to beat the heat as the thermometer rises.
Plus, what science is revealing about a common bird of prey and frequent defender of many a Texas garden.
As one special session ends, the next one begins
Has the Texas border become like the Iowa State Fair, a mandatory stop for Republican presidential candidates?
It’s a long, hot summer for Texas lawmakers as the governor calls another special session, focusing solely on property taxes.
Rethink35, the organization questioning another expansion of the interstate highway that cuts through Austin, has given up its legal battle – at least for now. Why other cities in Texas
are watching closely.
Also, how Muslims in Texas are celebrating a holiday often referred to as Big Eid.
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.