KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts

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

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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.

APD, councilmembers hear from public about ICE enforcement in tense meeting

Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis and members of the Austin City Council met with community members this week to talk about local Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations and the city and police’s role in them. The meeting was billed as a conversation but turned into a shouting match that laid bare the community tensions around ICE enforcement in the Austin area and around the country. We’ll talk more about that meeting, and we’ll hear from some of the voices who were there.

Construction is happening on a new convention center in downtown Austin. Even so, a judge could rule any day on an effort to stop anything new from being built.

The new “wishbone” pedestrian bridge is opening this weekend on the eastern end of Lady Bird Lake. We’ll hear more about it.

Steven Skybell speaks about playing Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof playing at the Austin Opera House tonight and this weekend. We’ll hear more about it.

Austin area students stage walkouts over ICE actions

Student walkout demonstrations in the Austin area continued this week in protest of Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in Texas and across the country. The Austin Independent School District has come under fire from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton over such actions. We’ll hear from some of the students who participated in the walkout, as well as their parents.

We’ll also follow up on an incident at a demonstration Monday in Hays County – hearing from more student voices, and ways to deal with everything that we’re seeing on social media these days.

February is Black History Month, and Austin is chock full of Black music history. We’ll listen to a small piece of it today on Austin Signal.

Analysis finds extreme heat inside Texas prisons

Texas state prisons that don’t have a/c get so hot in summer with temperatures that violate state standards for other lockups.
Also, well-known former Texas Police Chief Art Acevedo questions tactics used by immigration agents in Minneapolis. We’ll hear from him about his concerns over fallout for other law enforcement.
And we’ll check in to see how people in Kerr County are coping with the mental health consequences in the aftermath of the July 4 flood.
Plus, the legacy of Houston hip-hop pioneer Michael “5000” Watts

Protesters, DPS troopers clash outside Dilley ICE detention facility

Protesters outside the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley called for the release of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father who were taken into ICE custody in Minnesota.Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, a massive military buildup as President Trump warns Iran to abandon its nuclear program – or else. But this may be about more than just nukes.Also, what new census numbers tell us about the state of the Lone Star State.

Gov. Abbott targets new H-1B visa applications at state universities, agencies

Immigrations and Customs Enforcement operations have been happening in Austin and Central Texas in recent week. During the past weekend’s weather event, local officials had to dispel rumors fueled by the operation. The lack of information and communication around these operations is causing panic and anxiety that can boil beyond social media.

Gov. Greg Abbott is freezing new H-1B visa applications until 2027, with some exceptions. The move is the latest in the administration’s scrutiny of foreign workers employed at taxpayer-funded institutions.

We’re less than a month away from the start of the new Austin FC season. We’ll take a look at some of the team’s offseason moves.

Possible government shutdown looms after ICE shooting

The second death of a person in Minnesota at the hands of ICE agents has fueled an outcry from some for another government shutdown.Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers aren’t just in Minnesota, of course. They’re also showing up in small-town Texas. A look at their impact on Elgin.We’ll hear from journalists José Ralat and Rodrigo Bravo Jr. who believe they were targeted by officers in West Texas.A hangout in Austin that promotes doodling nights for adults.And how some dairy farmers are taking a cue from goat yoga events. Would you like to cuddle a cow?

City of Austin paid out $143 million in overtime in 2025

Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in Minnesota have caught the attention of the nation and the world in recent weeks. Meanwhile, such operations in Texas have been taking place at the same time. We’ll check in with folks from Elgin, just outside of Austin, to hear how it’s impacting them.

The City of Austin paid out more than $143 million dollars to its employees in 2025. Five city departments regularly account for the bulk of overtime spending. We’ll go over which departments they are.

Plus, a spot in East Austin is building community beyond its menu by bringing folks together with Chess and Doodle Nights. We hear more about the community garden that’s growing.

Austin police cooperation with ICE faces renewed scrutiny

An update on this weekend’s winter storm – the lingering aftereffects, and when to expect things to get back to “normal.”Though the worst may be over, many extreme cold advisories have been issued statewide today, and frozen precipitation is making many secondary roads treacherous. We’ll have an update, plus a look at the storm’s impact on the power grid.Despite hazardous driving conditions, an important political debate went on as scheduled Saturday: A showdown between the top two Democrats running for a U.S. senate seat from Texas. We’ll have a recap of the Georgetown debate between U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett and State Rep. James Talarico. Also, questions about local law enforcement cooperation with ICE in Austin.

Arctic front bears down on Austin, Central Texas

An arctic cold front is approaching Austin and Central Texas. The National Weather Service has already issued an Extreme Cold Watch and a Winter Storm Warning for the weekend. We’ll have more about the latest forecasts and the ways for you to be prepared.

Immigrations and Customs Enforcement operations have continued in Central Texas. KUT News has obtained video of one such incident in Kyle. As these operations increase, so does the concern for public safety amid reports of slack hiring practices and training regulations for ICE officers. Speaking with Austin Signal is Alain Stephens, investigative reporter for the Intercept covering gun violence, arms trafficking, and federal law enforcement.

Plus, it’s Hi, How Are You Day in Austin. We’ll share how you can celebrate.

Former Uvalde officer acquitted in first criminal trial tied to shooting

Texans prepare for a major winter storm, projected to be the most severe since the deadly winter storm of 2021. We’ll get an update on preparations by state officials in what promises to be the first real test of the power grid since Winter Storm Uri five years ago.
A Uvalde school police officer, the first law enforcement official to be charged in connection with the Robb Elementary School shooting, has been acquitted by a jury.
Also, the death of Cuban immigrant at an El Paso detention center has now been ruled a homicide.

Why bats in Austin may be living rent-free in your apartment

Early voting for the upcoming primaries in Texas begins next month. Up in Williamson County, things are going to be a little different this election cycle. Voters there will no longer be able to vote at any polling site on Election Day. We’ll talk about why that is, and the impacts it could have.

Protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement have continued in the Austin area this week. Demonstrators gathered outside Austin City Hall on Tuesday. We’ll hear more from those who took part.

Plus, bats have long found a cozy home here in Austin, but they’re not just nestling up under the South Congress bridge.

And living, dying and grief is the subject of a short film premiering this weekend in Austin.

ICE operations in Hays County lead to detainment, injury

A person was detained last week by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in Kyle. The man had to be transported to the hospital, according to local police, and the KUT Newsroom is working to get more details on the story.

An attorney for the student who was deported while flying back to Austin for a holiday says the federal government admitted it violated a court order when it deported her to Honduras. Any López Belloza, an Austin-raised student at Babson College outside of Boston, was detained after trying to fly home to Austin before Thanksgiving. We’ll have more about her story and her status.

It’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and we’ll hear from him through archival audio in a reflection from the podcast In Black America.

ICE detainee deaths draw scrutiny at El Paso facility

From one end of Texas to the other: Parades, celebrations and service events in honor of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Veteran host of “In Black America,” John L. Hanson Jr., pays tribute to the civil rights leader.
We’ll also hear from the host of a new PBS documentary on the evolving legacy of Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
We’ll delve into the death of an ICE detainee at the nation’s largest detention facility in El Paso – a death that may soon be ruled a homicide.
And a projected shift in Texas weather.

APD changes ICE cooperation policy

The Austin Police Department is changing its rules over how officers report people to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The change comes after the detention and apparent deportation last week of a Honduran mother and her 5-year-old daughter.
We’ll go over the changes and the reaction from Austin City Council members.
And Austin voters could once again be faced with deciding whether to raise property taxes to help the city tackle expenses like park improvements and public safety. KUT’s city council reporter will have more on that.
Austin Poet Laureate Zell Miller talks about his new theatre program. It’s first production? A hip-hop rendition of Aesop’s fables.
Plus, KUTX hip-hop show “The Breaks” is up for a Best Radio Show award in the Austin Music Awards Poll. We hear about how they’d like to continue growing their show.

Demonstrations against ICE continue in Austin

Demonstrations against ICE continued in Austin this weekend after an officer fatally shot Renee Nicole Good last week in Minnesota. We’ll hear about the activity around town and its aftermath.

We’ll also hear about an Austin mother and her five-year-old daughter who were taken into ICE custody last week after police responded to a disturbance call at their home.

Plus, smokable hemp could be outlawed in Texas by the end of this month. The state’s health agency has proposed new rules that could upend the hemp market in Texas. We’ll delve into the new proposals and how Texans are feeling about the future.

We also take a look at news from our collaborators at Austin Current.

Minneapolis ICE shooting prompts protests in Texas

The killing of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis last week sparked protests around the nation this weekend. We’ll look at what happened here in Texas.
The state of Texas has handed over voter registration rolls to the Trump administration Justice Department. Why Texas Democrats and some experts fear that could have violated federal law and exposed confidential information about Texas voters.
For some women behind bars in Nueces County, a financial education effort is underway that proponents hope will be life changing.
Also, why one commentator says the Houston Texans – not the Dallas Cowboys – are now America’s team.

Austinites join nationwide protests after ICE shooting in Minneapolis

People in the Austin area joined with many thousands of others across the country in protesting after an ICE officer fatally shot a woman this week in Minneapolis. Demonstrators gathered outside a Department of Homeland Security building in Pflugerville. We’ll bring you some of those voices.


After a U.S. military operation in Caracas last weekend, Venezuelans in Austin are hoping for bigger changes before they feel ready to go back home. We’ll hear from them, along with a Venezuelan-Texan author based here in Austin.


Plus, how did Austin come to be known as “The Live Music Capital of the World”? Come and dig into the ATXplained vault with us.

Student deported after boarding a flight to Austin

A college student flying to Austin was detained and deported by immigration authorities. She was trying to surprise her family for the Thanksgiving holiday. Now she’s having to finish her semester of college in a different country. Her lawyer says her deportation went against a federal court order. We’ll have more about the reason for her deportation and what the next steps in her story are.

What do you imagine when you hear “dragon boat racing”? Fire spewing out across Lady Bird Lake? Boats speeding fast across and over the water? We’ll have a look at what it’s all about.

Plus, it’s that time of season for caroling and lighting up the big ol’ tree. Find out what’s happening this weekend in Downtown Austin.

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