Facing a challenge from fellow Republicans, Dade Phelan says he’s dropping his bid for re-election as Texas House speaker.
Texas has some of the most expensive insurance in the nation, forcing homeowners to pay more for less coverage.
Desert bighorn sheep return to the Franklin Mountains of El Paso, a major milestone in restoring the species.
While the area around the UT Austin Tower buzzes with activity, a quieter sanctuary to the north – the Turtle Pond – offers a break from the hustle. The Texas Standard’s Laura Rice takes us to this peaceful pocket and explores how it’s evolving amid campus changes.
marijuana
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 Afternoon Newscast for November 6, 2024
Central Texas top stories for November 6, 2024. Reactions to the Presidential Election result in Travis County. Austin Mayor Kirk Watson may be headed for a runoff. One of the three races for a place in the Austin City Council is heading to a runoff. One Austin ISD race is heading to a runoff. And a couple of races in Hays County are undecided. Republican victories in several races in Williamson County. Voters in Manor have approved a higher tax rate to generate more revenue for the school district. San Marcos CISD voters approved a tax rate increase to generate more money for that district. Two more Austin-area cities have voted to decriminalize possessing small amounts of marijuana. Austin area homeowners are being asked to confirm their homestead exemption.
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.
KUT Morning Newscast for July 11, 2024
Central Texas top stories for July 11, 2024. Steiner Ranch finished a second evacuation route in case of an emergency. Activists in Bastrop are joining other Texas cities to try to decriminalize low-level marijuana possession. Cedar Park officials are looking at changing the city’s housing and subdivision regulations. More Longhorns than ever are participating in this year’s Olympics.
Texas dance company brings a love story home to Shankleville
On the final day of its term, the U.S. Supreme Court sent the legal challenge to a Texas social media law back to a lower court and said Donald Trump has absolute immunity for official acts only. We’ll have the latest.
It may be up to Texas lawmakers to further clarify state rules around in vitro fertilization.
The latest on potential disruptions for energy and travel as Hurricane Beryl makes landfall in the Caribbean.
Marijuana is not legal for recreational use in Texas – but tests show the products sold at smoke shops and gas stations is more like the real deal than meets the eye.
And the Standard’s Kristen Cabrera reports from East Texas on the homecoming of the enduring love story of Jim and Winnie Shankle – one that began on a plantation and ended with emancipation – told in the universal language of dance.
KUT Afternoon Newscast for June 21, 2024
Central Texas top stories for June 21, 2024. The Texas Medical Board has adopted a final rule intended to guide doctors in navigating the emergency medical exception to state abortion law. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is asking for another shot at throwing out Austin’s marijuana laws. The Austin ISD school board has adopted a budget for the next school year that includes a 78-million-dollar deficit. A former Hays County corrections officer no longer faces criminal charges in an incident in which he fatally shot a fleeing inmate. Leander is looking at using more artificial turf to cut down on the amount of water used for landscaping. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport will get new baggage screening equipment soon. Austin Community College is seeing a big increase in enrollment for its upcoming semester.
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?
Voters in Texas have elected their first slate of property appraisal board members
A former Texas oil exec is being punished for allegedly raising the price of oil. Is it the tip of the iceberg or water under the bridge?
In spring elections across larger Texas counties, voters got a more direct say in who runs the obscure agencies that oversee the property appraisal process – agencies that determine how much you pay in property taxes.
The promise of solar panels seems bright, but some companies are getting some heat for misrepresentation. What you need to know.
New Mexico has a booming recreational marijuana industry thanks in part to some Texans making the trip. Will laws change on this side of the border?
Plus the most beautiful spot in Texas? Some point to a place out west that’s a bit off the beaten path.
Bitcoin miners came to rural Texas – and brought disruption with them
Critics say that Attorney General Ken Paxton’s lawsuit against five Texas cities over marijuana enforcement is all politics – but what does the law say?
In rural Texas, neighbors of bitcoin miners say the noise is causing migraines, sleepless nights and the flight of wildlife.
Texas freelance journalist Tamir Kalifa has won a top national prize for coverage of the shooting in Uvalde. We’ll meet him and hear how he approaches his reporting.
And: How Tex-Mex has become the MVP of the Super Bowl.
KUT Afternoon Newscast for February 1, 2024
Central Texas top stories for February 1, 2024. The number of pregnant teens in foster care increased last year. Reaction to the Texas Attorney General suing 5 Texas cities over marijuana policies. Texas Children’s Hospital opened its first location in Central Texas. Mental healthcare is a top priority for statewide jail reform. An Austin lawyer says the University of Texas at Austin violated students’ free speech rights. The Public Utility Council of Texas has a new Interim Executive Director. Longhorns Basketball.
KUT Morning Newscast for February 1, 2024
Central Texas top stories for February 1, 2024. New Austin police officers to get more money amid record-breaking departures. The Texas Attorney General is suing Austin over marijuana policies. The City of Austin is set to approve a tree trimming contract. Lower Colorado River Authority proposes new outdoor watering restrictions.
Astronaut Christina Koch on NASA’s upcoming Artemis 2 mission
Tensions are growing in Austin over the use of DPS officers to augment local police.
Facing resistance to a plan similar to school vouchers, an alteration getting attention at the state Capitol is focused on students with disabilities. Talia Richman of the Dallas Morning News Education Lab has more.
NASA’s plans to return to the moon: We’ll talk with Christina Koch, one of the astronauts assigned to the upcoming Artemis 2 mission.
And on this 4/20, a closer look at the complicated relationship between country music and Willie Nelson’s favorite way to kick back.
What’s in San Antonio’s ‘justice charter’?
Yes and no signs proliferate in San Antonio over Prop A. What’s behind the city’s so-called justice charter?
In Kyle, a corrections officer indicted in the shooting death of a person awaiting trial, and a family’s struggle to find answers.
Taking the STAAR tests online. Should there still be a paper option?
A push for more transitional housing for Muslim’s recently released from incarceration.
The story of a world premiere in Dallas for one of the most downloaded poets in the U.S.
And the week in politics with the Texas Tribune.
This Texas folk trio was lost to time – and that’s mostly OK with them
In an apparent first since the Dobbs decision, five women have filed suit against the State of Texas challenging the state’s abortion ban.
There’s frustration among immigration advocates amid reports that the Biden administration is considering reviving the practice of detaining migrant families who cross the border illegally, a policy initially shut down by the president shortly after taking office.
Tech expert Omar Gallaga on employer surveillance of workers and why it’s growing.
And the award-winning documentary “Nobody Famous” shines a light on the Pozo-Seco Singers, a Corpus Christi folk trio you’ve likely never heard of.
The Gulf of Mexico is getting warmer
Sergio Martínez-Beltrán of the Texas Newsroom shares a look ahead at the Texas Legislature as bills make their way to committees this week. Plus, what could be a relatively rare bipartisan agreement: clearing the way for fentanyl testing strips as a harm-reduction measure.
How some Texas schools are dealing with teenagers caught with THC vape pens. Even though those vapes may be technically legal, some young people face felony arrests that can stick to their records.
And the Gulf of Mexico is warming at twice the rate of the world’s oceans.
What do Texans think about expanding legal gambling?
As Texas senators hold hearings on a new budget, they may get an earful from everyday Texans. Sergio Martínez-Beltrán of the Texas Newsroom shares his look at the week ahead in the Texas Legislature, and how you can weigh in on the budget.
Reducing property taxes is likely to be a big part of the discussion, but some say it’s high time to consider legalizing cannabis sales to offset property tax cuts.
Major casino companies are betting big on Texas. How do voters feel about that?
Also the King of Tacos, Mando Rayo, takes us on a tour of the Taco Mile.
Plan to prevent the next blackout heads to the Legislature
Historic job growth, but how sustainable? Economist Ray Perryman weighs in on the latest numbers.
As lawmakers prepare for bruising legislative battles ahead, one thing some Texas Republicans and Democrats agree on? Dislike of a new proposal to prevent future statewide power grid blackouts.
Watch your wallets online: our go-to tech expert Omar Gallaga with the latest on data breaches.
And high hopes in some quarters for changes to Texas cannabis laws.
Texas Standard: October 7, 2022
A major turning point for marijuana laws or more political smoke and mirrors? A sweeping pardon for federal marijuana possession convictions announced by president Biden. Though federal and state marijuana laws remain in place, what are the implications in Texas? And what else should Texans be looking for? We’ll explore with a top expert on drug policy at Rice University. Also Facebook’s gone Meta. Twitter may be going to Musk. Who’s the new king of social media and why does it matter? Also the week that was in Texas politics and more today on the Texas Standard:
KUT Morning Newscast for August 17, 2022
Central Texas top stories for August 17, 2022. San Marcos voters will decide on decriminalizing marijuana this fall. Leander ISD’s new Early College High School. Lake Travis ISD bus driver shortage. Travis County methadone program.