KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts
KUT and KUTX news and music podcasts for Austin, Texas and beyond
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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.
Central Texas top stories for August 3, 2022. An update on wildfires in the region. AISD faces teacher vacancies and considers a teacher housing proposal to attract and retain staff. Central Health audit. San Marcos moves forward with putting the decriminalization of marijuana on the November ballot. Williamson County Commissioners finalize the county’s next budget.
Central Texas top stories for August 2, 2022. Austin Community College board of trustees approves new compensation package for employees. Austin’s Public Safety Commission reviews police staffing. Swimming is suspended at Blue Hole in Wimberley. The San Marcos City Council is hosting a discussion about putting the decriminalization of marijuana on the ballot in November.
Central Texas top stories for July 28, 2022. Wildfires in Central Texas. Jacob’s Well flow stops. Point in time counts resuming. San Marcos marijuana decriminalization. MoveOutATX begins. PanAm Park renaming postponed. Gas prices. 183 flyover closure.
As Willie celebrates birthday number 89, Texas cities contemplate decriminalization of something the singer’s known to be especially fond of. We’ll have the latest. Also the military’s hard line on COVID-19 vaccinations, and why some soldiers say it could make it harder for other religious accommodations. And with war in Ukraine and a push for alternatives to Russian oil, why are Texas pump jacks so silent? Texas Monthly’s Russell Gold reports they won’t be much longer. Also the push for big change at Big Bend to help deal with rising crowds. And the week that was in Texas Politics with the Texas Tribune and more today on the Texas Standard:
A woman charged with murder in Texas after an alleged self induced abortion has been released, but that’s far from the end of the story. Many fear the arrest and murder charge in Starr County could be a harbinger of what’s to come amid a rise in abortion restrictions and an expected ruling from the United States Supreme Court. We’ll hear more. Also the hype over hemp: what new data says about the legalization of the hemp industry in Texas and whether it has turned out to be as big an economic boon as advocates had hoped. And the race to save the stories behind a musical movement: reclaiming and preserving San Antonio’s Westside sound. All of that and more today on the Texas Standard:
A federal judge calls for an investigation into possible criminal charges of sex trafficking and pornography at a shelter for teens in Bastrop. Robert Garrett of the Dallas Morning News with more on an explosive hearing in a long running suit against the state’s foster care system. Also New Mexico prepares for marijuana tourists from Texas at that state’s laws on recreation pot change at the stroke of midnight. Angela Kocherga with the view from El Paso. And Texas’ role in the personal computer revolution. The unlikely story of the TRS-80, and the man behind it. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
It was the story of the summer in Texas Politics. Now proposals at the center of a legislative walkout appear set to become law. The Texas House, where a quorum was broken over Democratic opposition to a voting bill, has just passed its version of that voting bill. Was the walkout all for nought? We’ll hear more. Also at a healthcare hub in west Texas, ER wait-times climb to 20 hours. We’ll have the latest as we continue to track the spread of the Delta COVID variant. And 100 miles in a hundred degrees. What would you call it? How the hotter than Hell bicycle race is rolling into its 40th year. Plus the week in politics and more when today on the Texas Standard:
The walkout at the capitol over voting restrictions sparks one kind of response from the governor, but a different tone from the GOP House speaker. As governor Abbott threatens to withhold legislative pay over the house’s failure to pass a restrictive voting bill, the GOP speaker of the House defends the democratic walkout that scuttled the bill. Also in parts of Texas hardest hit by COVID-19, vaccination rates now surpass those of the rest of the state. We’ll hear why. And the real death toll from the winter freeze and power outages, a new report claims a massive undercount.Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
What a difference a year makes! The George Floyd ACT Poised to pass unanimously in Texas has stalled. Today we’ll tour the Texas Legislature and report on the progress, or lack there of, legislators have made. From police reform bills to bail reform to permit-less carry and marijuana related bills, we’ll take a look at the implications. Plus, in Texas literature Pulitzer Prize winner Annette Gordon Reed tells us how she mixed personal stories with history. And jolting the electric vehicle market here comes Lightning – ford’s newest F-150. Plus feral cats and the kids who are feeding them. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard: