Inflation

East Texas has a long history of labor disputes you may not know about

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has suspended his bid for the White House and appeared with former President Donald Trump to offer his endorsement. What does it mean for the race moving forward?

Where does the economy really stand, and what do the presidential candidates’ promises add up to in substance? A top Texas economist does the math.

The University of Texas at San Antonio and UT Health San Antonio are set to merge by 2025, with the potential to become a national and international powerhouse.

And: An East Texas reporter has spent the weeks leading up to Labor Day looking back at the biggest historical labor disputes in the region. Michael Garcia of KETK in Tyler shares what he’s learned.

KUT Afternoon Newscast for December 27, 2023

Central Texas top stories for December 27, 2023. Inflation impacts local food banks. The City of Austin completes resiliency hub upgrades. Eighth Street Shelter reopens. 2023 housing market. Jacobs Well update. Normal weather to end Austin’s warmest year on record.

KUT Afternoon Newscast for December 12, 2023

Central Texas top stories for December 12, 2023. Austin police give an update on last week’s shootings. A federal judge upholds Texas’s TikTok ban. University of Texas at Austin fires two Teaching Assistants. A member of Congress from Austin says more needs to be done to chip away at the state’s backlog of food assistance and Medicaid applications. Kyle unveils its new comprehensive plan. Gas prices fall with inflation.

KUT Afternoon Newscast for November 27, 2023

Central Texas top stories for November 27, 2023. Gas prices buck inflation trend. Kyle runoff election. Austin-Bergstrom service changes. Fayette Coal power plant pollution study. Pecan Gardens renovation. Longhorns in Big 12 championship.

KUT Afternoon Newscast for June 1, 2023

Central Texas top stories for June 1, 2023. Austin will pay $88 million to end lawsuits blocking terminal expansion at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. City of Austin employees protest new work from home policy. 90-day eviction grace period ending in San Marcos. Inflation affecting Central Texas school districts as lawmakers fail to increase per student funding. Austin FC gets a win ahead of another game this weekend.

The Price of Eggs

Maybe those egg prices at your local grocery store had you daydreaming about your own coop. That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.

How Ro-Tel became a staple of Texas cooking

Lawmakers at the Capitol are considering changes to how Texas handles bail. The push would give judges more leeway to deny bail for violent offenses – and Democrats may have a considerable say in what happens.

More fallout from this month’s ice storm: why the Texas capital city may be looking for a new city manager soon.

Amid concerns about rising prices, layoffs and more, the Dallas Fed weighs in with a forecast on the Texas economy.

And why a can of diced tomatoes – you know the one – has such a rabid Texas following.

In Texas, you can be forced to sell your condo

Eight months after the school shooting in Uvalde, Democratic state Sen. Roland Gutierrez announces a package of gun safety reforms. Will Texas Republicans take it up?

A decades-old Texas is law forcing some condo owners to leave their homes.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the first lab-grown meat product for human consumption. But will consumers bite?

After conquering the hearts of many a Texan, Willie Nelson and Family take Sundance.

And a PolitiFact check of President Biden over whether wages are keeping up with inflation.

Native Austinite Gabriel Luna on ‘The Last of Us’

One year after an attack on a synagogue in north Texas: an appeal to fellow Texans to step up the fight against antisemitism. We’ll have details. Other stories we’re tracking: with a record surplus, a legislative wishlist from leaders of higher ed in Texas. And which comes first, chicken or eggs? Inflation forcing some tough choices for many Texans as grocery prices scramble home budgets. Also dry January? Or just drier than usual? Some considerations for those resolving to abstain from alcohol in the new year. And a post apocalyptic video game transformed into a TV series. Actor Gabriel Luna on the show’s ties to Texas as well as his own plus much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: November 23, 2022

Where are the Texans? With a change in House leadership, the expectation was that Texans, who send more GOP representatives to congress than any other state, would be well represented in leadership posts. Why hasn’t that happened? We’ll have some answers. And we’re digging in to some of Texas’ favorite dishes and poking our head into the kitchens of Mexico. Also Rick Martínez takes us on a road trip where he made some delicious discoveries in the kitchens of Mexico. Plus, the pandemic was tough on Texas eateries, but many of those that managed to survive or get off the ground are among the tastiest places in Texas. We’ll hear a list of best new restaurants. These stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: May 16, 2022

Early voting starts today in the primary runoff elections. What you need to know about what’s on the ballot, and voting by mail. Also, one of the highest-profile races on the Republican ballot is for Attorney General. Incumbent Ken Paxton was considered vulnerable, but will current Land Commissioner George P. Bush be able to defeat him? And language in Texas’ recent abortion legislation has some doctors and pharmacists concerned about providing care for miscarriages. We’ll take a look at why. Also take a closer look at the Texas electric grid and why hot temperatures have so far been a challenge. Plus a conversation with a Texas researcher involved in that new photo of a black hole. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: April 18, 2022

Let em roll: Texas’ governor lifts his recently announced state inspections on commercial traffic at the border. What impact did Abbott’s beefed up border inspection protocol really have on immigration and the economy? Molly Smith of El Paso Matters with more. Also, as consumer prices rise at rates not seen since the early 1980s, what some in South Texas are doing to try to make ends meet. And he’s best known from Netflix’ Queer Eye, but in his role as a Texas based author, Jonathan Van Ness hopes that sharing his own story will help others embrace life’s complications. Our conversation and much more today on the Texas Standard:

Gas Prices

Texas gas prices are actually down quite a bit from the record high price (not counting inflation) set last month. AAA Texas reports the statewide average is $3.70 for a gallon of regular unleaded. But the cost of filling up is still challenging for many. That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.

Housing Prices

Home prices across Texas, and especially in some of its major cities, have risen steeply. The costs are also being passed along to those who rent. That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.

Texas Standard: January 4, 2022

As Texas students return to a post holiday footing some are finding it’s not ‘back to the classroom’ just yet. The latest pandemic spike punching holes in back to school plans. We’ll talk with a panel of education reporters with the latest from across Texas. Also, beef prices skyrocketing, but that money’s not making it back to Texas cattle ranchers. Now the Biden Administration’s stepping in: what Texas rancher’s have to say about the Feds’ new plan. And a new Texas law takes effect trying to put renters on an even footing with homebuyers when it comes to knowing if you live in a floodplain. All those stories and more today on the Texas Standard.

Texas Standard: December 27, 2021

As COVID-19 cases soar in Texas, we look at where Texas stands in the pandemic fight and what more we can do in the holiday season. Texas health experts weigh in on what’s happening with the rapid spread of the Omicron COVID-19 variant. Also what 2021 tells us about 2022 when it comes to Texas’ role as the world’s energy capitol. And inflation putting a pinch on many households. How much is this like the crisis of the 70’s? Perhaps less than one might think. Economist Ray Perryman weighs in. Plus the modern-day revival of an underground comics classic, one with a distinctly Texas accent. The freak Brothers backstory and much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: December 15, 2021

With the window now closed for names to go on the primary ballot for statewide races in 2022, what are we learning about the state of Texas politics? We’ll take a look. Other stories we’re covering, in a state with more military bases than any other except California: active duty service members reach big deadline for covid vaccinations. Also some state’s call it junk science, but in Texas courts it can be called admissible evidence. We’ll have more on the history of what’s called forensic hypnosis. And many Texans in mourning this week over death of a man who was more than a soaring tenor but a cultural icon as well. Remembering Vicente Fernández and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: June 10, 2021

The Democrats have voter engagement strategies lined up ahead of the 2022 elections. But do they have a candidate for the top of the ticket? We’ll take a look. Also, Governor Greg Abbott has banned private businesses from requiring so-called “vaccine passports”. But can he do that? And what can businesses do? We’ll explore. And Texans rely heavily on groundwater resources. Would President Biden’s infrastructure plan really address concerns about its sustainability? Plus, you may by now have heard about Amazon Sidewalk. But what do you do about it? We ask our go-to tech expert. And prices are up on a whole lot of things. What’s behind the increase and is it permanent? Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: September 9, 2020

As many Texans struggle to make ends meet in a pandemic, politicians debate what sort of relief to offer. We’ll talk with Senator John Cornyn. Also, among the biggest cities in the US, residents of Houston appear to be facing the toughest challenges when it comes to personal finance and health. We’ll have details from a new survey by NPR and Harvard. Plus the politics of medicine amid a pandemic, how college campuses are trying to curb the spread amid rising COVID-19 numbers, the Fed changes its position on curbing inflation, what that might mean from most everyday folks and more today on the Texas Standard: