KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts

KUT and KUTX news and music podcasts for Austin, Texas and beyond

Measles

Could Texarkana be a political bellwether?

The state says the West Texas measles outbreak is over. What that means for parents and children.
Are natural gas wells, pipelines and storage facilities prepared for another dangerous winter storm? Mose Buchele of KUT News examines the inspection process.
We know AI data centers need a lot of power, but they also use a lot of water in drought-stricken TX.
Austin author Louis Sachar, perhaps best known for “Holes,” is back with his first adult novel, “The Magician of Tiger Castle.”
And: Could Texarkana be the new Peoria? A new study looks at green energy investments and voting patterns in red America.

Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.

You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org

KUT Afternoon Newscast for August 18, 2025: The City of Austin is being sued over its upcoming tax rate election

Central Texas top stories for August 18, 2025. The City of Austin is being sued over its upcoming tax rate election over the language on the ballot. Austin ISD goes back to school tomorrow, but some families have been struggling with enrollment before the big first day. State oil and gas regulators are not adequately ensuring that critical energy facilities are ready for another big winter storm. New Mexico is still feeling the effects of the West Texas measles outbreak.

This podcast is made at KUT Public Media Studios. You may have heard that Congress just took back the money it had allocated for public radio. Our organization stands to lose 1.2 million dollars. We’re asking our listeners now to help us make up this shortfall. If you want to help us out, you can make a donation at supportthispodcast.org.

KUT Afternoon Newscast for July 22, 2025: Austin Public Health reports traces of measles have been found in Travis County wastewater

Central Texas top stories for July 22, 2025. Travis County authorities may be close to accounting for everyone lost to the flooding on July 5th. Williamson County is looking to help people affected by the devastating flooding that swept through the area. What traces of measles found in wastewater means for the community’s safety.

This podcast is made at KUT and KUTX, which are public radio stations in Austin, Texas. You may have heard that Congress just took back the money it had allocated for public radio. Our organization stands to lose 1.2 million dollars. We’re asking our listeners now to help us make up this shortfall. If you want to help us out, you can make a donation at supportthispodcast.org.

Trade tensions with Mexico could drive up tomato prices

For the first time since Texas’ measles outbreak at the start of the year, there are no new reported cases. We’ll get an update on efforts to contain the disease.
A new report in The Guardian reveals pressure from Immigration and Customs Enforcement leadership to ramp up arrests, even of people not originally targeted.
Flag football is helping to tackle a gender gap in youth sports, getting a boost in Texas from none other than the NFL.
A simmering trade dispute could make tomatoes more expensive at the grocery store.
And: The week in politics with the Texas Tribune.

Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.

You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org

KUT Morning Newscast for May 23, 2025: Austin is moving forward with plans to put parks on top of I-35

Central Texas top stories for May 23, 2025. A child from Leander has tested positive for measles. Austin is moving forward with plans to put parks on top of I-35 after TxDOT lowers and widens the highway. Austin ISD trustees are expected to vote this fall on which campuses to close during the 2026-27 school year. Texas lawmakers are weighing a measure to allow more state employees to work from home. Advocates across the state say hefty regulations are making it difficult for food truck owners to make a profit. Several City of Austin offices will be closed Monday in observance of Memorial Day. Transportation officials are encouraging travelers to be ready for longer wait times at the airport and traffic congestion this holiday weekend.

KUT Afternoon Newscast for May 7, 2025: Today is the first day that REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses are required for domestic flights

Central Texas top stories for May 7, 2025. Austin Public Health is reporting a second location someone infectious with measles visited the weekend before last. Today is the first day that REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses are required to board a domestic flight. Rent prices in Austin continue to decline. The Austin City Limits music festival pumped more than half a billion dollars into the city’s economy last year. The future of Hays CISD’s Proposition D is still up in the air. There’s a wildfire preparedness class tomorrow at the Carver Branch Library.

How shrimp fraud is affecting coastal fishers

According to a new poll, Texans have predictable opinions along party lines about Donald Trump’s immigration policies – but it’s more complicated on the economy.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is taking legal action against Austin ISD, accusing it of teaching critical race theory. It’s not the first time a Texas district has faced such charges.
Shrimp fraud is driving that sector of Gulf Coast agriculture to the brink. What you need to know about it.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has released its annual list of the 11 most endangered historic places, including the San Juan Hotel in the Rio Grande Valley.
And: A land acquisition in the Big Bend preserves access to river recreation.

Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas. You can support our work by becoming a sustaining member at supportthispodcast.org.

KUT Afternoon Newscast for May 6, 2025: Arts organizations in and around Austin are facing an uncertain future

Central Texas top stories for May 6, 2025. Austin Public Health is warning about possible exposure to measles. Arts organizations in Austin could lose funding with the National Endowment for the Arts terminating grants nationwide. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has accused Austin ISD of violating a state law that bans instruction on critical race theory in public schools. Starting tomorrow, your driver’s license needs REAL ID for domestic flights.

KUT Morning Newscast for May 1, 2025: Whooping cough cases are rising in Texas.

Central Texas top stories for May 1, 2025. Whooping cough cases are on the rise in Texas. Texas Senators approved a bill that could shut down a church’s homeless navigation center in South Austin. Texas Governor Greg Abbott says he’ll pull state grant funding from San Marcos if the city passes a resolution related to the war in Gaza. 

KUT Morning Newscast for April 28, 2025: Updates on a second measles case in Travis County are expected today.

Central Texas top stories for April 28, 2025. Austin Public Health will give an update today on a second case of measles in Travis County. Tomorrow’s the last day of Early Voting in the May third election. A bill in the Texas legislature would attempt to introduce penalties for prescribers and manufacturers of abortion pills, even if they operate from a state where abortion is legal. A bill recently passed by the Texas House aims to protect homeowners who choose to conserve water during periods of drought. Twelve Texas Longhorns had their names called during this year’s NFL’s draft.

WNBA draft sends top pick Paige Bueckers to Texas

An area known as the Roosevelt Reservation is getting renewed attention thanks to an executive order allowing for military control. What it could mean for border communities.
Texas disability organizations are closely watching a legal fight involving the Social Security Administration.
SpaceX is becoming the go-to provider for military launches. How the Texas-based company secured contracts that used to go elsewhere.
The Dallas Wings landed star University of Connecticut point guard Paige Bueckers with their No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft.
Why an Austin drag queen is giving weekly lectures on state politics.
And: We celebrate the birthday of Tejano superstar Selena with a visit to her hometown museum.

Living near oil and gas wells linked to childhood leukemia

Cases continue to rise in Texas’ ongoing measles outbreak. Experts say they know how to stop the spread. What’s preventing that?
One priority for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick this legislative session is clawing back the state’s legalization of hemp-based products. Where that effort stands.
You’ll need a REAL ID to travel by air starting May 7. How to make sure you do.
New research out of Colorado finds that kids who live near oil and gas drilling sites face a higher risk of leukemia.
New to streaming: “Time Passages,” a personal documentary about memory and loss that manages to also be hopeful.
And: Texas euphemisms from commentator W.F. Strong.

Baylor bets big on E-sports with first-ever program director and coach

A second child has died of measles in Texas as cases continue to rise. How this latest outbreak compares with that of the ’90s.
Baylor has just hired its first-ever E-sports director and coach: Adam Stanley of Brewton-Parker College, a small private college in Georgia and powerhouse in E-sports.
Hosting the Final Four of the college men’s basketball championship has been a big boon to San Antonio. We’ll hear more as the Houston Cougars get set for their championship game against Florida tonight at the Alamodome.
And: A homecoming for Texas actor and comedian Michael Yo as the Moontower Comedy Festival gets underway in Austin.

KUT Morning Newscast for April 7, 2025: A second child in Texas died from measles.  

Central Texas top stories for April 7, 2025. A bill that could shut down Austin’s Equity Office is one step closer to the Texas governor’s desk. The Trump administration’s cuts to funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture are affecting food banks across the country, including here in Austin. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. traveled to Texas Sunday after a second child there died from measles. Austin Public Health is holding multiple free screenings and events this week. The NCAA women’s basketball championship game was played yesterday afternoon, without the Texas Longhorns who fell to South Carolina Friday Night. 

Deadly floods swamp South Texas, shatter records

Torrential rain in South Texas leads to dangerous flooding, trapping people in their homes. How the Rio Grande Valley is recovering.
A new DEI directive led the Pentagon to purge certain historical figures from web pages. Why that decision has now been reversed.
Some churches are looking to re-purpose buildings and land to help residents who need affordable housing.
As measles cases surge in West Texas, some parents are giving children dangerous amounts of vitamin A, wrongly believing it can cure or prevent the disease.
Plus: What are the best ways to protect the state’s dwindling water supply? From recycling to desalination.

Remembering Carole Keeton Strayhorn, a trailblazing Texas leader

Major cuts in federal funding for infectious diseases as West Texas struggles with a growing measles outbreak. We’re checking in with Brad Burt at KTTZ in Lubbock.
Remembering Carole Keeton Strayhorn, the trailblazing Texas politician who famously called herself “one tough grandma.”
Muslim women are speaking out about the stigma surrounding menstruation during Ramadan, when they are exempt from fasting while on their periods.
And: Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson’s Republican Mayors Association has raised over half a million dollars to elect more GOP candidates locally. But financial reports show little of that money has gone directly to campaigns.

KUT Morning Newscast for March 21, 2025: Texas congressional representatives demand answers from national health officials on measles outbreak 

Central Texas top stories for March 21, 2025. As the measles outbreak in West Texas continues, Texas congressional representatives are demanding answers from national health officials. Landlords in Travis County filed more than 13-thousand evictions last year. Religious leaders in Austin have joined two federal lawsuits challenging an executive order by the Trump administration that allows immigration enforcement in previously protected spaces, including places of worship. Travis County leaders want to hear from residents about how they should spend about 75 million dollars on child care services this year. 

×