A bipartisan bill aims to fix the country’s broken immigration system. Does it stand a chance in Congress?
We’ll look at how adult education can help increase income for families coping with rising costs.
Plus, free burgers for college students at UT Austin — how “churgers” are providing relief amid rising grocery prices.
And the NBA playoffs now shift to San Antonio. Spurs star Victor Wembanyama returns to the floor after his controversial Game 4 ejection.
Housing
Lawmakers hear from Camp Mystic investigators
It’s day two of a special legislative hearing on the Camp Mystic tragedy. Investigators told lawmakers this week that camp operators were “complacent” when it came to safety protocols at the summer camp.
Lindsey Wilson, director of the city’s Equity and Inclusion office, shares details about the Fair Housing and Economic Mobility Conference taking place Wednesday, April 29.
Kendall Antonelli of Antonelli’s Cheese Shop stops by and introduces us to some of her favorite cheeses.
And: Learn how some of the city’s top chefs are partnering up with the students of Austin ISD’s culinary arts and hospitality program.
Would could the Prairieland decision mean for future federal prosecutions?
Fire warnings, scary high winds, dust storms out west, temps plummeting 30 and 40 degrees in some places… We’ll get the latest on a wild weather weekend.
Guilty verdicts in a trial involving the shooting of a police officer outside a North Texas immigration detention center. Could the Prairieland decision be a possible template for future federal prosecutions against antifa protestors?
Texas’ laws on abortion access: New housing data suggests the economic ripple effects of such laws.
And March Madness bracket season with a Texas twist. What’s the best Texas movie? Let the games begin.
Texas ban on smokable cannabis products looms
Texas lawmakers did not get through a ban on THC sales this past legislative session, but new rules restricting them are about to go into effect.
There’s been some confusing back and forth from the Trump administration on what exactly a border wall might look like in Big Bend.
Another Texas university is making changes to race and gender studies programs.
New so-called “man camps” are popping up in rural Texas. We’ll delve into what they’re for.
Plus, Austin’s biggest festival, South by Southwest, is coming back to town. We’ll have a preview of films with Texas ties and a music event that doesn’t require a badge.
Probe finds pregnant migrant girls lack adequate care in Texas shelter
Pregnant migrant girls are being sent to a South Texas shelter, where both the region and the facility lack the necessary care. The decision from the Trump Administration was made against objections from officials inside the administration. The story is a collaborative effort between The Texas Newsroom and The California Newsroom, and we’ll have from their reporting on today’s show.
A new housing project in East Austin is combining affordable rent with support for musicians as they try to do their part to allow artists to afford to live in the city. We’ll go over what they’ve got going on and how this could lay out a path for future projects.
This week in Texas music history, Alan Lomax records the Soul Stirrers in Austin. We’ll have more about that.
And the bell’s about to ring! Don’t be late! New class times for students and staff in the Georgetown school district.
A history of the Texas Civil Rights Project
Remember the Democratic walkout this summer over Texas redistricting? Attorney General Ken Paxton’s lawsuit accusing Beto O’Rourke of bribery and other charges for supporting the walkout continues – but O’Rourke appears to have the upper hand.
Recovery funds are finally on the way for many in Houston who suffered damage during Hurricane Beryl and last year’s derecho. But the need for assistance continues to outweigh available resources.
For decades, the Texas Civil Rights Project has been a force in battles for voter rights, disability access and racial and economic justice. We’ll hear from founder Jim Harrington, who’s released a new book tracing the organization’s history.
A new episode of the “Tacos of Texas” podcast delves into tequila’s deeper meaning, including personal connections and heritage.
KUT Morning Newscast for September 9, 2025: Austin’s James Talarico is running for U.S. Senate
Central Texas top stories for September 9, 2025. State Representative James Talarico announced his run for U.S. Senate this morning. An Austin commission wants answers from the city’s Office of Police Oversight. The Austin City Council is set to take up some key housing-related issues this week. Texans affected by July floods can still apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance.
Some Texas counties switch to paper ballots ahead of midterms
No more QR or barcodes: Why Collin, Williamson and Bastrop counties are changing the way voters will cast ballots.
Housing affordability is a big issue in Texas, and three new state laws aim to address it. Will they work?
Many are concerned new Texas congressional maps dilute the voting power of Texans of color. But others welcome the changes.
Inside an ICE job recruitment fair in Arlington.
And: the bigger meaning behind the season’s first high school football game in Kerrville.
Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.
You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org
Could a new Texas law make some types of anime illegal?
The Texas Lottery gets a second chance under new management. So what will change?
A new state law now in effect targets AI-generated child pornography. But could it also ban some anime?
Americans have been on the move since the founding of our country. But now, more people staying put rather than relocating for new jobs and other opportunities.
And: Thinking about an energy efficient upgrade for your home? A tax credit to to help you get the job done is expiring at the end of this year.
Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.
You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org
Wealthy families are buying homes to get in-state tuition at Texas universities
Texas lets out-of-state students buy homes to get in-state tuition. KUT’s Audrey McGlinchy says the law has fed a growing industry of families buying condos in cash, holding onto them for a couple years and then selling to the next out-of-state family.
KUT Morning Newscast for June 24, 2025: Housing bills are set to become new laws
Central Texas top stories for June 24, 2025. Several bills related to housing in Texas are now officially set to become law on September 1st. The city of Hutto is forming a new commission focused on making local government more efficient. There’s a career fair for Austinites looking for jobs in infrastructure and skilled trades.
KUT Morning Newscast for June 10, 2025: Hundreds march in downtown Austin to protest Trump immigration crackdown
Central Texas top stories for June 10, 2025. Law enforcement officers used an eye irritant to disperse people protesting the Trump’s administration’s mass deportation efforts. Some students expect their tuition and fees to be more than double after the Texas Dream Act was struck down last week. A bill lawmakers hope will make it harder to stop or stall new housing has been sent to the governor’s desk. Juneteenth celebrations start in Austin today. FACE grant applications are open until July 17th.
A Texas company says it’s brought the dire wolf back from extinction
How shutting down the Department of Education will affect the rights of students with disabilities.
Dallas-based company Colossal Biosciences says it’s successfully created three genetically engineered wolf pups resembling the long-extinct dire wolf.
How the state makes it hard for journalists to track the deaths of abused and neglected children.
Military veterans helped elect President Trump. Now many are protesting his administration’s deep government cuts.
And: As state agencies implement return-to-office mandates, workers report cramped conditions, insufficient parking and more.
Long-awaited historical marker will recognize Sherman Riot of 1930
The Justice Department announces the arrest of a Salvadoran gang member as questions grow about deportations and presidential power. NPR’s Sergio Martinez-Beltran gets us up to speed on the Trump administration’s deportation push, and the pushback.
Five years after COVID, why some health officials in Texas are worried about whether we’re ready for future pandemics.
Why the future of farming may be looking up – as in vertically.
And: This weekend, a historical marker will be unveiled at the Grayson County Courthouse to recognize the Sherman Riot of 1930.
How border businesses are reacting to Trump tariffs
The Texas comptroller’s race is underway in what’s expected to be a very crowded field. Who’s running and what’s at stake?
President Trump delayed tariffs on products from Mexico for a month. As a new deadline looms, we look at how Texas companies are coping.
Also, is testimony from inmates against other inmates reliable? We’ll examine a death row case.
Plus, a county in South Texas got financing to build low-income homes in Central Texas. Now there’s a lawsuit to stop the project.
And a new play about an enslaved man who found an unusual path to freedom in the 1800s.
KUT Morning Newscast for March 11, 2025: Texas will not participate in the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer Program.
Central Texas top stories for March 11, 2025. Texas state lawmakers want to penalize cities for not enforcing bans on sleeping outdoors in public. Texas is one of a dozen states that will not be participating in a federal program that helps families pay for groceries while school is out. Today is the last day you can leave an official comment on Austin’s light-rail plans.
Why did the Mavericks trade Luka Doncic?
With a de facto North American trade war set to begin tomorrow, Presidents Donald Trump and Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico announce a one-month delay on tariffs in exchange for added troops at the border.
What we learned in Gov. Greg Abbott’s State of the State address, where he announced some unexpected priorities.
And: A surprise deal by the Dallas Mavericks to trade away star Luka Doncic is sending waves of disbelief among Dallas fans and pro basketball nationwide.
Could Houston send water to West Texas?
With temperatures on the rise, beware the temptation to let down your guard: a waning winter storm and what it means for drivers today.
Gov. Greg Abbott is keen on an idea to pipe Houston’s surplus water to drought-stricken West Texas.
With the U.S. inauguration just 10 days away, what’s in store for the relationship between Washington and Mexico City?
Plus: 2025 taco hacks from taco journalist Mando Rayo.
Marijuana is on the ballot in two more Texas cities
Areas around Austin, San Antonio and North Texas set records for the first day of early voting this week. But the story was different in El Paso.
A Democrat won a state House seat in Collin County last election cycle – but Republicans think they can flip it back.
What it means that decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana possession is on the ballot in more Texas cities.
A look at the impact of the ongoing IV fluid shortage on Texas hospitals.
And: We’ll ask whether it matters than an elected official in Harris County hasn’t clocked into work in about four years.
Setbacks stall two big energy projects in the Rio Grande Valley
A Houston housing program designed to increase affordability isn’t helping the lowest earners. Is it a failure – or is it more complicated than that?
Two liquified natural gas projects set to be built in the port of Brownsville are on hold after a court ruling. What that means for the plans long-term.
The safe return of two astronauts aboard the International Space Station remains a top priority for NASA.
We’ll introduce you to a pair of Dallasites working to preserve Black histories in a changing neighborhood, the Tenth Street district.
And: What to do when you need a physical copy of something and just don’t have a printer.