Kirk Watson

KUT Morning Newscast for November 22, 2024

Central Texas top stories for November 22, 2024. The City of Austin has denied a request for a recount from mayoral candidate Carmen Llanes Pulido. After the November election, the Travis County Tax Office has been calculating property owners’ 2024 tax bills. The City of Austin has adopted the new Equity-Based Preservation Plan. The City of Austin got two federal grants to bolster the Downtown Austin Community Court Mobile Court program. Williamson County is working on facilitating inmates’ access to mental health treatment. Here’s where to volunteer this Thanksgiving.  

KUT Afternoon Newscast for November 20, 2024

Central Texas top stories for November 20, 2024. Austin Mayor Kirk Watson avoided a runoff this week by a slim margin. Hear from a couple of candidates still in the running for an Austin City Council seat this evening. Alex Jones is suing The Onion and families of victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre to block the takeover of Infowars. Hays County and Austin Pets Alive are building a pet resource center. ACC has announced plans to expand its advanced manufacturing curriculum online.

KUT Morning Newscast for November 15, 2024

Central Texas top stories for November 15, 2024. It’s official, Kirk Watson has been reelected as Austin Mayor. APD Chief, Lisa Davis, says she wants the department to retool how it looks at police data. Round Rock has a new fire station. If you’re in Downtown Austin and order takeout through Uber eats, don’t be surprised if your food is delivered by a robot.

KUT Morning Newscast for November 11, 2024

Central Texas top stories for November 11, 2024. The Austin Mayor race outcome will come down to provisional ballots. Republicans will soon make up nearly 75 percent of intermediate appellate court justices in Texas. Texas lawmakers are looking at ways to further dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives within higher education at the request of the Republican lieutenant governor. Here’s how Round Rock is protecting its residents from package theft. The University of Texas soccer team has won its first SEC Championship.

How Republicans broke a losing streak in South Texas

The words “historic election” have been far overused, but they’re worth considering when examining results out of Starr County. A look at a political shift in South Texas.
Texas’ oil and gas regulators requested an emergency influx of $100 million dollars in state money to address oil well blowouts and contamination. What’s happening in the oilfield?
Even during election time, you probably don’t give a lot of thought to the office of the Justice of the Peace. Why it matters – especially right now in Harris County.
Microsoft Windows users could soon face some consequences if they haven’t updated their software in a while. Our tech expert has tips on what steps to take now.
Plus, there was a plan to bring an exiled Napoleon to Texas. And no, it didn’t happen. Our W.F. Strong has been looking into this strange bit of history.

KUT Morning Newscast for November 7, 2024

Central Texas top stories for November 7, 2024. It might take a few more days to know if Austin Mayor Kirk watson will head to a runoff in his bid for reelection. Austin City Council District 6 member-elect Krista Laine says she’s not surprised by her win over MacKenzie Kelly. The re-election of former President Donald Trump could have major repercussions for the U.S. energy industry. Rent prices in the Austin area continue to fall.  

KUT Morning Newscast for October 10, 2024

Central Texas top stories for October 10, 2024. Austinites will vote for a mayor this fall, here’s the latest campaign finance data for that race. Groups in Texas are urging state lawmakers to prioritize affordable childcare in the next legislative session. Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath says attendance rates for public schools dropped during the COVID-19 pandemic and still haven’t bounced back. Hays County voters will decide this fall whether to pass a major bond for road improvements. 

KUT Afternoon Newscast for October 3, 2024

Central Texas top stories for October 3, 2024. The Texas Secretary of State expresses confidence in the state’s election system. A new study finds an overwhelming majority of Texans support increasing state funding for public schools. Travis County is set to launch its mental health diversion program on Monday. Higher than normal temperatures expected for ACL weekend one. Drought has returned to the Austin area.  You can hear from the contenders running to be Austin’s mayor in a panel tonight at city hall.

KUT Afternoon Newscast for January 19, 2024

Central Texas top stories for January 19, 2024. Art Acevedo returns to Austin. How San Marcos animal shelters are navigating this weekend’s cold temperatures. Austin ISD’s superintendent finalist on facilities issues in the district. Former Austin city council member Kathy Tovo is running for Austin mayor. Texas Rangers visit Round Rock as champions. 3M Half Marathon is this Sunday. Longhorns Basketball.

Smart Growth or Dumb Growth?

(Episode 4) When a new mayor came to power, he found what he thought would be a compromise — a way to bring new businesses and build housing for all the people coming to Austin without threatening the city’s ecological gems. It turned out to be more complicated than that.

KUT Morning Newscast for December 15, 2022

Central Texas top stories for December 15, 2022. Austin ISD interim superintendent. Runoff election result. Texas Monthly gives Austin “Bum Steer” award. UT Volleyball NCAA semi-final.

Remembering former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach

The Biden Administration is moving to address growing numbers of migrants at the border. We’ll hear from the Secretary of Homeland Security. Also the results of the mayoral runoff in Texas’ capitol city: a former mayor and state senator returning to city hall. And with 4 students killed and another rescued Hays ISD engaged in a major campaign to alert students about the dangers of fentanyl. Also a bill to bag big cats held in private hands: The Big Cat Safety Act wins bipartisan support in Congress. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

KUT Morning Newscast for December 6, 2022

Central Texas top stories for December 6, 2022. Austin Mayor runoff election debate. Runoff early voting turnout. T-CAD ransomware attack. Austin rent prices. School shooting false alarm. Austin ISD superintendent search continues. Christmas tree debate.

Oral arguments begin in United States v. Texas

A migrant camp sheltering an estimated 1,000 or so people has been torn down by police in Juarez Mexico. We’ll have details. Other stories we’re tracking: the U.S. supreme court hearing a case brought by Texas and Louisiana challenging the Biden Administrations policies of prioritizing deportations. Also a bill that would guarantee federal recognition of a marriage between any two people, regardless of sex, race, or ethnicity. We’ll hear about the implications and what the bill does and doesn’t do. And a safety plan to prevent tragedies like the deaths at a Travis Scott concert in Houston last November, does it go far enough? Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Demand for mental health care continues to soar

Psychologists are seeing a surge in demand for mental health treatment. How can they meet a growing need? 60% of the nation’s psychologists are too busy to take on new patients. We’ll tell you how they’re trying to meet the post-pandemic demand. Plus there’s a runoff in Austin’s mayoral election. We’ll hear from both candidates on why they should lead the capital city, starting today with Kirk Watson. And we’ll go back in time in south Texas, when Vaqueros roped and ranged through the desert scrub. All that plus a World Cup update and the latest headlines today on the Texas Standard:

Why Was I-35 Designed As A Double-Decker Through Central Austin?

Interstate Highway 35 is many things to many people. It is a vital thoroughfare for commerce and shipping. It is also an economic and social barrier through much of Austin. And nearly from its construction, it has been a source of frustration for drivers stuck in its traffic. I-35 has inspired a number of questions and even legends about its design and those who made it.

Read more here.