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KUT and KUTX news and music podcasts for Austin, Texas and beyond

Housing

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.

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

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.

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.

New survey reveals bipartisan concern over Texas housing affordability crisis

With Kamala Harris in the spotlight, there appears to be a major momentum shift in presidential politics. Is it moving the needle in Texas?
A new survey indicates that 90% of Texans believe housing costs are too high, with Democrats and Republicans in agreement.
Schools are struggling to grapple with a rise in vaping among students.
A conversation with Oscar nominated actor Colman Domingo on his new movie “Sing Sing.”
And: the week in politics with The Texas Tribune.

KUT Morning Newscast for August 8, 2024

Central Texas top stories for August 8, 2024. Austin City Council members are set to finalize the city budget over the next week. Austin is set to open a record number of permanent supportive housing in the next couple of years. The Central Health board of managers vote on a proposed tax rate. The University Interscholastic League has announced new rules for outdoor activities to keep students safe in the heat. Lockhart voters will decide this fall whether to decriminalize low-level marijuana possession, and the National Weather Service expects triple-digit highs into next week.

Hidalgo County election overturned after being decided by handful of votes

Some top politicos are sensing that, for the first time in decades, this could be the year Texas sends a Democrat to the U.S. Senate.
Texas lawmakers are lining up to clamp down on hemp-based products like Delta 8 and Delta 9 being sold statewide.
Last fall, Edinburg City Council Member David White won re-election by just 10 votes. His challenger contested the results – and this past week, White’s win was overturned when a judge ruled that several votes were placed illegally.
A new book explores some lesser-known stories of courage from the D-Day invasion of 80 years ago.
And: Vigilante groups are repelling migrants at the southern border. What does law enforcement think about that?

Laredo native Vanessa Gonzalez on how Texas informs her comedy

The May 28 primary runoff elections are fast approaching – we’ll have an update on contests in North Texas and a contentious battle over who will head the Texas GOP.
With Texas school boards at the center of culture wars, a closer look at how those boards operate.
What’s so funny about Texas? Laredo native Vanessa Gonzalez is featured in a PBS docuseries on the roots of comedy.
And: Some Texas legislators are pushing to crack down on squatters.

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