Signs of a possible temporary end to the federal shutdown, but closer to home concerns are growing that Texas is running out of water.
The Texas Tribune employed artificial intelligence to answer some Texans’ water concerns, but there are limits. We’ll hear from two Tribune reporters who are trying to fill in the gaps.
The U.S. race for uranium: Why Texas is finding itself at the center of it.
We’ll also talk with a member of SNL’s Five-Timer’s Club now on tour across Texas: Comedian John Mulaney.
Mexico
Pushback in Mexico against SpaceX expansion
The latest on the dismissal of a Texas A&M professor and the removal of two top administrators after political pressure over what was being taught in a children’s literature class – an incident that has led to concern about academic freedom.
The impact of SpaceX launches in South Texas is felt across the border in Mexico, where some officials are even weighing legal action against the company.
Tech expert Omar Gallaga on how Facebook is bringing back one of its earliest features, the “poke,” to appeal to Gen Z.
The use of facial recognition technology in Juárez is raising red flags.
Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.
You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org
Kerr County emergency officials were sleeping when flood hit July 4
Why weren’t Hill Country communities alerted as a deadly wall of water roared down the Guadalupe on the weekend of July 4th? In their first public testimony on the floods, top emergency officials in Kerr County said they were away or asleep.
Voting the old-fashioned way? A return to hand-marked ballots in Collin County is part of a change sweeping Texas and other parts of the country.
Red-crowned Amazons squawk through summer nights in Brownsville – and they’ve been the city’s official bird since 1992.
Plus: An update on a major scramble to defend Texas from a devastating invader, the New World Screwworm.
Black farmers in East Texas feel the sting of DEI cuts
A peek into the week ahead for the Texas Legislature’s special session: We’ll hear the latest on a much-talked-about possible walkout by Democrats.
A plan to relieve congestion in Austin was approved by voters years ago – but so far, there’s not much to show for it. Is Project Connect off the rails?
The rollback of USDA diversity programs is impacting East Texas, which is home to more Black farmers than anywhere else in the U.S.
Plus: A big deadline for tariffs with Mexico on the table. If a deal can’t be reached by Aug. 1, what could that mean for Texas?
Climatologist explains what ‘1,000-year flood’ actually means
With the Hill Country devastated by deadly floods, many are asking: What’s a 100-year or 1,000-year flood, and are these terms outdated?
A closer look at how first responders from Mexico are helping in Kerr County.
A new report from the University of Texas at El Paso warns of growing job losses in Juárez’s maquiladora industry.
The health of America’s youth has “significantly worsened,” according to a new study. What’s driving the decline?
And: Fire up the grill – Valley pitmaster and YouTube star ArnieTex shares his new cookbook.
Trucking industry faces new border bottleneck
More rain pummels the waterlogged Hill Country, putting a pause on search efforts and bringing a new wave of weather warnings to the region. We’ll talk with James Hartley of KERA, who’s been in Kerrville this weekend.
Stuffed animals are strewn across flood-ravaged Texas. People are trying to get them to their owners.
The Trump administration is enforcing an English-language requirement for commercial drivers, and some Mexican truckers are losing their licenses.
Plus: Why is it so tough to get disaster alerts right? Wall Street Journal reporter Drew FitzGerald has been digging into the systemic failures.
Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.
You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org
Sugar Land acquires historic district tied to city’s roots in the sugar industry
A new Texas law requires posting the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms. We’ll look at the looming legal battle.
Where do Texans stand on how well state legislators are doing their jobs? What about how well the president is doing his job? A new poll by the Texas Politics Project offers a look.
The Mexican flag, long flown at restaurants and at cultural events, is more recently making a prominent appearance in protests. We’ll talk about perspectives on symbolism and cultural expression.
And: Once a company town built around sugar production, Sugar Land is now seeking to preserve its complex history with the city’s acquisition of the Imperial Historic District.
Senate GOP primary brawl could open a door for Democrats
Gov. Greg Abbott’s last-minute veto of a proposed ban on THC-derived products has opened a rift with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the powerful leader of the Texas Senate who championed the ban.
More autonomous vehicles are now on Austin streets – and these Tesla robotaxis are a little harder to spot than their Waymo counterparts.
Some Texans are finding relief from high grocery prices on the other side of the border.
License plate readers have become popular with police departments around the state, but many folks have concerns about privacy. What we learned from a Houston investigation.
And: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is looking to unseat U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in 2026 – and the bruising primary may offer Democrats a rare shot at flipping a Texas Senate seat.
Immigration crackdown hits touring regional Mexican artists
Why a stretch of border just over the West Texas state line has become the deadliest place for migrants.
How cuts included in the president’s “big, beautiful bill” could affect Texans who depend on Medicaid and Obamacare.
Why Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law the largest state-funded psychedelic research initiative in history.
Solar panel scams targeting Texans – especially elderly, disabled and low-income homeowners.
And regional Mexican music fans: some of your favorite bands won’t be visiting the U.S. because their visas were revoked.
Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.
You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org
A special broadcast from El Paso
Today we’re broadcasting live from El Paso for a special edition of the Texas Standard.
We hear from some prominent El Pasoans – former Congressman Beto O’Rourke and former El Paso Mayor Dee Margo – on the city’s dynamic politics.
El Paso has become a leader in innovative water management. How the city is securing its future in the desert.
KTEP’s Aaron Montes visits a local academy training the future stars of lucha libre.
And: How bighorn sheep have returned to El Paso’s mountains after a century away.
KUT Morning Newscast for May 8, 2025: ICE deported an Austin woman and her three children. Two of them are U.S. citizens.
Central Texas top stories for May 8, 2025. Local activists say an Austin mother has been deported to Mexico along with her U.S.-citizen children. The Austin City Limits music festival brought in more than half a billion dollars for the city’s economy last year. Texas lawmakers have passed a bill that would allow the use of helicopters to hunt aoudad sheep. It’s mosquito season in Austin.
Texas House gives initial approval to school voucher bill
For the first time ever, the Texas House votes to approve the use of taxpayer money for private school education. Blaise Gainey of The Texas Newsroom shares what comes next.
Many farmers in South Texas say a water treaty with Mexico is costing them dearly. Now the Trump administration appears ready to get involved.
Thousands of acres of Hill Country land have been set aside to create a new state natural area, and Texas Public Radio’s Jack Morgan got a preview.
And: Politics and water take center stage in the new documentary “Thirst for Power,” based on a book by Michael Webber. He joins the show with more.
How border businesses are reacting to Trump tariffs
The Texas comptroller’s race is underway in what’s expected to be a very crowded field. Who’s running and what’s at stake?
President Trump delayed tariffs on products from Mexico for a month. As a new deadline looms, we look at how Texas companies are coping.
Also, is testimony from inmates against other inmates reliable? We’ll examine a death row case.
Plus, a county in South Texas got financing to build low-income homes in Central Texas. Now there’s a lawsuit to stop the project.
And a new play about an enslaved man who found an unusual path to freedom in the 1800s.
Why Texas is so vulnerable to tariff impacts
Texas is in the crosshairs as tariffs against Mexico and Canada take hold. Why, what it means, and could short-term pain add up to long-term gain?
At the state capitol, a bill aimed at raising wages for workers who care for people with disabilities. Why some fear it won’t be enough to stem a critical shortage of such workers in Texas.
“Office Space” may have been a funny movie filmed in Texas, but there’s nothing funny about what a glut of unused office space is doing to the state’s metros. How one city’s trying to deal with the repercussions.
Speaking of movies, oh the horror! Why so few of the scary variety get critical acclaim, despite a growing public appetite.
Central Texas top stories for February 4, 2025: Texas Senate to begin debate on school vouchers.
Central Texas top stories for February 4, 2025. The Texas Senate is set to begin the debate on school vouchers today. Texas Governor Greg Abbott is calling for a “Texas-sized investment” to secure the state’s water supply. Here’s how tariffs could impact your economy. We hit record high temperatures yesterday.
Why did the Mavericks trade Luka Doncic?
With a de facto North American trade war set to begin tomorrow, Presidents Donald Trump and Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico announce a one-month delay on tariffs in exchange for added troops at the border.
What we learned in Gov. Greg Abbott’s State of the State address, where he announced some unexpected priorities.
And: A surprise deal by the Dallas Mavericks to trade away star Luka Doncic is sending waves of disbelief among Dallas fans and pro basketball nationwide.
How might proposed tariffs on Mexico impact Texas?
Texas does more business with Mexico than any other nation, and with 25% tariff threats now on the table from President-elect Trump, what should we expect? We’ll take a closer look.
The Texas Public Utility Commission issues a report on CenterPoint Energy’s much-criticized response to Hurricane Beryl.
Squaring economic data points with how voters felt going into this year’s election.
An educational oasis for some students is out of reach for others. A warning about community college deserts.
WNBA expansion sparks hopes for Austin franchise
The president-elect says he might use the military to support mass deportations of migrants in the country without legal authorization. But there are considerable obstacles to such an effort, both legal and logistic.
A new trade policy with an accent on tariffs. How Texas might find itself in the crosshairs.
Gov. Greg Abbott is pushing to boost nuclear power in the Lone Star State.
With the WNBA set to add teams in San Francisco, Portland and Toronto, there’s speculation about a 16th team. Could Austin be next?
And: how to kickstart a Kickstarter campaign.
Ultramarathoner prepares for run across Texas
Americans are pretty evenly divided on the issue of gun rights versus regulated ownership. How might it show up at the polls?
The number of migrants trying to cross the border with Mexico into the U.S. is down quite a bit. A look at why.
We’ll also introduce you to an endurance runner preparing to make his way from El Paso to Galveston. His goal is to draw attention to a cause.
The first spacewalk involving private citizens instead of astronauts is in the books. How we got here and what’s ahead.
Plus, recalling the journey to erect the Tejano Monument at the state capitol.
And why Texas lawmakers are working across the aisle to reverse a death penalty case.
Boerne Little League reflects on historic World Series run
Mexico has halted diplomatic ties with the U.S. Embassy over criticism of the outgoing president’s plans to overhaul the country’s judicial system. What does it mean for relations with our biggest trading partner?
Two towns within the city of Arlington are trying to distance themselves from their reputations as “speed traps.”
CDC researchers are trying to get the word out about a disease that affects many who many not even realize they suffer from the condition: heart valve disease.
And: Despite heavy rain, thousands in Boerne turned out to celebrate the Little League team that could. We’ll hear from a player and the team’s manager following their historic World Series run.