KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts
KUT and KUTX news and music podcasts for Austin, Texas and beyond
It’s the last week of 2025, and we’re reflecting on the year of news here in Austin, including:
Resolution in a decades-long cold case known as the Yogurt Shop Murders.
The summer’s deadly flooding in Austin and Central Texas.
School campuses set to shutter across the city.
We’re also taking a look at the status of Austin’s housing market heading into the new year.
Plus: Another favorite track from 2025, and a look at some of the artists we lost this year.
An Austin doctor is using vinyl records to help patients cope with serious illnesses and difficult treatments. KUT’s Olivia Aldridge has a look at how music is helping in the healing process.
Texans have access to some of the best bird-watching opportunities in the country. We’ll go behind the scenes of an annual census of the area’s bird population.
You may have spotted him stopping for photos with fans outside the Paramount Theatre or the Continental Club: Austin’s Santa on horseback, Samuel Grey Horse, is back in the saddle after a difficult year. KUT’s Greta Díaz González Vázquez brings us his story.
He’s been an elected Democrat for over 50 years, but now local party officials in Houston are refusing to endorse Mayor John Whitmire. Unwinding the political drama, today on the Texas Standard.
Texas’ new bathroom law effects schools and government-owned buildings, but one reporter found enforcement depends on exactly where you go.
Texans Michael and Susan Dell are giving away billions to American kids. Who’s eligible and how the donation will work alongside so-called Trump Accounts.
Texas drivers know monarch butterflies all too often end up on our windshields or car grills. Efforts are underway to protect their road crossings.
Plus, some environmental concerns for the popular Dinosaur Valley State Park.
Austin Public Health has experienced some federal and city budget cuts this year, and the failure of Proposition Q means some of those holes won’t be filled. We look at the public health landscape in Austin.
The old Faulk Central Library in downtown Austin became the Austin History Center, and has been redone after a renovation that was eight years in the making. What’s new in a place that showcases what’s old.
Plus: We hear from the Black Austin Matters podcast and their guest, Pastor Gaylon Clark of Greater Mt. Zion Baptist Church.
The Geminid Meteor Shower is happening, and we’ll have tips for your stargazing in a special live broadcast from the McDonald Observatory.
Today we’re focused on space science, including the history of this West Texas research gem – and how it’s continuing to contribute to what we know about the universe and beyond.
Dark skies are essential for observation, but there are challenges with light pollution. What they’re doing out in Fort Davis and what you can do at home.
Plus: A conversation with StarDate star Billy Henry.
Millions of student loan borrowers are bracing themselves for big changes. We’ll have details on the end of the so-called SAVE program and why experts worry millions of student loan borrowers may be forced into default.
As some Texas cities cut funding for homeless services, a look at one approach from nonprofits: giving cash directly to people who need it.
With Netflix in the news this week, tech expert Omar Gallaga notes some users are already spotting a change in how they stream the service at home as mobile casting is discontinued.
Plus, the great tamale debate: Corn husk or banana leaf? Sweet or savory?
Austinites and many others across Texas insured through Blue Cross Blue Shield could lose in-network access to Ascension Seton facilities on Jan. 1 unless the two sides can agree on a new contract.
Austin has been a testing ground for autonomous vehicles: Zoox, Texla’s Robotaxi, Waymo. However, Waymo has now issued a software recall after videos showed some vehicles passing stopped Austin ISD buses.
Plus: 2025 is nearing its end, and what a year it’s been for the Austin music scene. We take a listen back to some of this year’s KUTX artists of the month.
High-profile Democratic Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett launches her campaign for the U.S. Senate. We’ll look at how she’ll compete in a crowded field against primary opponent State Rep. James Talarico and prospective general election foes incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Last month Texas voters approved funding for a dementia prevention and research institute. Now a lawsuit means that plan is on hold.
Plus, why more and more Texans are selling their blood plasma for cash. The state leads the nation in donations.
And a Christmas festival in Galveston pays homage to author Charles Dickens.
Political musical chairs is underway in Texas on deadline day for candidates to file for the midterm elections. We’ll explore where we stand and what it means today.
Mandatory course reviews and changes to policies at universities have faculty warning of dire threats to academic freedom, especially when it comes to teaching hot-button topics – like transgender identity. Kaye Knoll with that story.
Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds… What about snacking on cottonseeds? The A&M researcher betting on making them edible.
Also, this week in Texas music history looks at Austin’s jaded teens who get turned on to the new sounds of the ’60s as The 13th Floor Elevators take the stage.
Democratic congressman Henry Cuellar from Texas faced charges of conspiracy, bribery and money laundering. Why did the president just pardon him? We’ll dive in today.
Texas becomes the first state to buy bitcoin. Why, and what it adds up to in a larger context.
Imagine distilling your entire year into a snapshot – like a top 10 list. Spotify may have popularized the year-end personal recap craze, but they’re not the only game in town. Holiday wrapping and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard.
Open enrollment for insurance plans purchased through the Affordable Care Act marketplace started this month. Millions of Texans currently use a marketplace plan, and here in Austin, folks are navigating uncertainty as premiums rise and federal subsidies expire.
State officials finally released a hoard of documents and emails between Elon Musk and Gov. Greg Abbott’s office – and a majority of the information was redacted. We’ve got more about the files and the story from The Texas Newsroom.
The Paramount and State Theatres in downtown Austin are raising funds for a major restoration that will include updated seating and new spaces. We hear more about what they’ve got planned for the future.
Whooping cough – particularly dangerous to infants and young children – is a growing concern, with Austin continuing to confirm cases amid a statewide surge.
Texas teens faced more barriers to getting an abortion than other age groups after the state’s six-week abortion ban went into effect in 2021. A new study looks at the impact on Texas and surrounding states.
Plus: We chat with a couple of the folks behind the new book “Austin’s Music Scene.”
Carl Stuart takes caller and text questions on personal finance, including retirement planning and navigating pension/retirement account options.
Voters tomorrow will have one last chance to make their voice heard this election. One state constitutional amendment on the ballot – Prop 14 – would commit $3 billion to fund the new Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. We’ll get the details from KUT’s Olivia Aldridge.
Check out KUT’s Voter guides for Travis County, Williamson County and the proposed constitutional amendments. Plus what you need to know for election day.
Texas Standard’s Sarah Asch explores adult education programs across Texas that are working to help immigrants find jobs relevant to their professional experience from before they came to the U.S.
Plus: Austin FC is out of the playoffs after a weekend loss to LAFC.
The federal government has been shut down for 27 days, and if it continues, more than3.5 million people in Texas – including 1.7 million children – will lose access to their SNAP benefits to help pay for groceries. KUT’s Olivia Aldridge shares more on what that will mean for Texans facing food insecurity.
Ahead of Halloween this week, we’ll take a look at one ’90s teen horror movie filmed right here in town: “The Faculty.”
Matthew Odam, longtime restaurant critic at theAustin American-Statesman, stops by to chat about the latest edition of his dining guide to the best restaurants in town.
Austinites aren’t the only Texans weighing proposed tax rate increases at the ballot box this year. In Williamson County, the Taylor and Liberty Hills school districts are asking voters for more dollars. KUT’s Kailey Hunt has a breakdown.
We’re one week out from KUT’s ATXplained Live show at the Bass Concert Hall. We’ll talk with Project Manager Matt Largey on this community-powered live storytelling event.
And Texas Standard teams up with magazine “Fangoria” to highlight a horror film shot in Central Texas’ waterways: 1978’s “Piranha.”
Howdy out there, Austin! This episode is the first live radio broadcast for Austin Signal.
We’re discussing the proposed campus closures announced by the Austin Independent School District. More than a dozen schools would be shut down ahead of next school year as AISD works against a budget shortfall. We’ll dive into those details with KUT’s Katy McAfee.
Speaking of budget: If buying meat is in yours, you’ve probably noticed the price is on the rise. Will it fall anytime soon? Texas Standard’s Michael Marks joins us to talk more.
And KUT’s Jimmy Maas talks college football with UT’s loss to Florida and more in today’s sports wrap.
ACL Fest is just one day away, but if you’re looking to take in EVEN MORE live music this weekend, KUTX Program Director Matt Reilly will stop by to talk with us about the shows happening tonight and outside of the festival gates.
Also, we’re talking tunnels! Bastrop is looking to have Elon Musk’s Boring Company build a pedestrian tunnel connecting the area’s trail system. The Texas Newsroom’s Lauren McGaughy will dig into it and give us the lowdown about what’s happening in Bastrop.
Plus, we’ll have an update on an Austin veteran and activist who is believed to be in the custody of Israeli forces after attempting to deliver aid to Gaza by flotilla.
For the families of the girls killed in one of Austin’s most notorious murders, justice seemed to be slipping away as more time passed. But now, almost 34 years later, a new break in the case of what’s known as the “Yogurt Shop Murders” yields the name of a suspect, identified through DNA.
KUT’s justice and accountability reporter Andrew Weber tells us how this decades-long cold case that captured the attention of the city – and the nation – was broken open once again.
We’ll get the latest on the case and look back at the impact to Austin when the crime first happened.
Texas Republican lawmakers redrew the state’s congressional districts in a special session this summer, doing so at the desire of President Trump and leaving no questions about their reasoning: They were changing the maps to benefit their party. But the idea of gerrymandering hasn’t been limited to just Texas this year. KUT’s Mose Buchele will dive deeper.
While some are counting down to the Austin City Limits Music Festival, others are hitting up Levitation Fest this weekend. It’s the perfect weekend to hit the town before thousands of visitors take over the city.
Plus: more live music and movie recommendations that are worth leaving your couch for.