Texans said yes to all 17 proposed state constitutional amendments. What’s that mean now?
We’ll also dig into some select local results from across the state, including an update in the race to fill the U.S. House seat of the late Sylvester Turner.
The Trump administration recently announced a new cap on the number of refugees that the U.S. will accept in the upcoming year. What’s that mean for the big picture?
Plus, an El Paso woman concerned about her neighbors who rely on government food assistance starts a program she hopes others will replicate.
Migrants
Texas schools turn to AI to flag banned books
A federal court orders the Trump administration to prevent the Supplemental Food Assistance Program (SNAP) from lapsing. What happens now?
A trial is set to begin this month against defendants for their alleged roles in the July 4 shooting at an ICE detention center in Alvarado. Why this may be a playbook for prosecutions now that Antifa has been designated a terrorist organization.
Public school districts trying to comply with new laws against DEI and sexual content in books are turning to AI with some surprising results.
Also, this week in Texas music history we remember the time post-punk legends Gang of Four made their way to the Lone Star State.
Operation Lone Star moves beyond the border
From the border to the rest of the state, Gov. Greg Abbott’s crackdown on immigration enters a new phase.
The Trump administration’s creation of long, thin military installations along the border is affecting not just migrants but locals as well.
Texas has settled another opioid lawsuit. So where’s that money going?
After more than 20 years in Washington, U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul says he will not seek reelection. What’s next for the Central Texas congressman and his seat.
If the idea of being too close to a stranger turns you off from a massage, a new AI-powered robotic massager is offering a different path to relaxation.
Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.
You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org
Study finds no evidence of serial killer on Austin’s Rainey Street
The Supreme Court allows ICE to round up people based on factors like appearance, at least for now.
The attorneys general of New York and Texas face off over mail-order abortion pills crossing state lines.
For years, rumors have circulated online about a serial killer targeting Rainey Street in Austin. A new study finds no such threat.
The personal toll for people with chronic conditions who don’t have insurance.
Photographer Pat Blashill captures the scene of Texas punk rock on the ’70s and ’80s in his new pictorial oral history, “Someday All the Adults Will Die!”
Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.
You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org
The rise of Maren Morris
As lawmakers return to Austin for a special session, who got the most accomplished in the regular? Why the numbers don’t tell the whole story.
With state legislators set to take up flood relief and related matters, we’ll hear how the region’s fairing two weeks after those deadly flash floods, and we’ll hear about efforts concentrated on the Spanish-speaking community in one of the hardest-hit counties.
A longstanding effort to provide healthcare services at the border, shut down over cutbacks.
Plus, Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Maren Morris is bucking industry expectations with a new album.
Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.
You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org
Why ranchers are ‘absolutely terrified’ of the New World screwworm’s return
A old law suddenly no more: a judge strikes down in-state tuition for undocumented students in Texas.
What changes can Texans expect for energy and the environment after this week’s conclusion of the 89th Texas Legislature?
After the Smokehouse Creek Fire scorched over 1 million acres, lawmakers also passed a slate of wildfire preparedness bills.
The devastating New World screwworm, eliminated from North America decades ago, are on their way back. The Standard’s Michael Marks talked to ranchers who remember what it was like to fight them.
And: Texas sheriffs could be required to help enforce federal immigration law.
Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.
You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org
Judge rules Trump’s use of Alien Enemies Act was unlawful
A South Texas ruling prevents the deportation of some detainees. What it means for the Trump administration’s strategy.
Houston’s large Afghan population is closely watching efforts to unwind programs providing them legal status in the U.S. Why many say they can’t return to their home country.
Some Texans will be headed to the polls tomorrow for local elections. A preview of some of the biggest races and initiatives, including one that would create a new company town.
Efforts to change what people can buy with food stamps, or SNAP assistance, are underway on a couple of levels.
A remembrance as this week marks 50 years since the fall of Saigon.
And: A new way to enjoy Texas Monthly – with a new series on PBS.
Bird flu is spreading across Texas wildlife
Bird flu is spreading fast among wildlife including foxes and raccoons in Panhandle counties.
Twenty-seven candidates are running to become the next mayor of San Antonio – the city’s biggest field in recent memory – as voters head to the polls next month.
Deployed Resources, a Texas company that grew into a contracting giant building tent shelters, is turning its focus to deportation.
Looking to buy a vehicle? What you should know about the car market amid tariff uncertainty.
And: The history of cascarones – colorful confetti eggs – a Texas Easter tradition.
KUT Morning Newscast for January 30, 2025
Central Texas top stories for January 30, 2025. Advocates say recent immigration enforcement is sowing fear among undocumented migrants in the Austin area. Despite the rain, Jacob’s Well is unlikely to open for swimming this summer.
KUT Morning Newscast for January 29, 2025
Central Texas top stories for January 29, 2025. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has arrested undocumented migrants in Austin and across the country in recent days, that includes people without criminal backgrounds. A federal judge temporarily paused a funding freeze put in place by Trump’s administration, the freeze could affect local non-profits. A temporary fix was made to Longhorn Dam after a gate got stuck, dropping Lady Bird Lake water level by two feet.
Abbott wants feds to cover Texas’ border costs
Gov. Greg Abbott wants the federal government to reimburse the state for more than $11 billion spent on Operation Lone Star, and some lawmakers from both sides of the aisle support the request.
Texas leads the nation in wind energy jobs, but a White House executive order to pause new wind projects has some in the industry concerned.
As the Trump administration ramps up deportations of unauthorized immigrants, many farmers are bracing for the impact on agriculture.
Luring Buc-ee’s beyond Texas: Cities across the U.S. are offering the company tax breaks and other big incentives.
And: New state data shows a growing number of minors are traveling out of state for abortions.
Will Corpus Christi’s water restrictions be enough to stem emergency?
A dramatic move at the Texas Capitol upends a decades-long tradition of power sharing as conservative Republicans succeed in banning Democrats from chairing legislative committees.
The end of the CBP One program for asylum-seekers following President Donald Trump’s inauguration has left many with questions about their future.
And: Growing demand and industrial expansion have left Corpus Christi facing a water emergency.
Trump’s first executive orders focus on immigration
Much of Texas is dealing with dangerously cold temperatures and conditions that make travel hazardous. How the state is coping – plus a look at the power grid.
President Trump declared an emergency on the U.S.-Mexico border and issued several executive orders on immigration. We’ll delve into the details.
A look at the life and legacy of Cecile Richards: The former president of Planned Parenthood, and a major force in Texas and national politics, has died of brain cancer at 67.
Plus: Texas Standard intern Yoali Rodríguez reports on the designers working to make El Paso a new fashion hub.
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.
Why Texans can’t put abortion – or other citizen-led initiatives – on the ballot
We’ll have the latest details the 400-acre Hudson Fire in Bastrop County, which has prompted the voluntary evacuation of about 65 homes.
On this day before elections, what we’re hearing about early turnout numbers.
Twenty-six states, including California, have citizen-led ballot initiatives – but Texas doesn’t. The Standard’s Sarah Asch brings us the history of a political tug-of-war.
Also: What comes next for death row inmate Robert Roberson and how his case may be affecting attitudes in Texas toward the death penalty.
Amazon expands Prime shipping to rural areas, challenging USPS
More than 400 people ended up in emergency rooms with carbon monoxide poisoning after Hurricane Beryl, many from generators.
Five years later, victims of a mass shooting in El Paso wait for the state to prosecute the gunman.
Why Texas ranks last when it comes to healthcare access and affordability, especially for women.
Is there a link between the rising number of teachers without certification in the state and declines in student achievement? New research seeks to answer that question.
And: Amazon Prime’s two-day shipping is moving into rural areas to boost sales – a direct challenge to the U.S. Postal Service.
The buzz around the Bumble ad controversy
The border buoys case in court: Why the arguments surrounding Texas’ river barrier were not about immigration.
El Paso County residents are concerned a proposed highway expansion project could imperil the Rio Bosque – a marshy area along the Rio Grande that has been “re-wilded” to support native plants and wildlife.
What will soon be one of Texas’ biggest gas pipelines is raising both environmental and safety concerns from the residents along the path.
The new book “They Came for the Schools” takes us further into the story of the Carroll Independent School District’s battle over what’s on library shelves and in classrooms.
And: Austin-based dating app Bumble apologized this week for an ad campaign that some believed mocked the choice not to date, or to remain celibate. Tech expert Omar Gallaga shares more.
What we know about the bribery charges faced by U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar
Heavy rains led to severe flooding in parts of Harris County and counties to the north, prompting evacuations, boat rescues and substantial property damage. We’ll get an update on the latest.
Texans voted in numerous municipal elections over the weekend. How some closely watched races turned out.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar and his wife were indicted late last week on conspiracy and bribery charges, accused of accepting bribes in connection with Azerbaijan.
On the one-year anniversary of a mass shooting at an outlet mall in Allen, Asian American groups call for a hate crime designation.
And: PETA has released the results of a years-long investigation into unlicensed horse racing, which they call particularly prevalent in Texas.
A national lab didn’t detect disease in Texas deer, but the state had already euthanized them
Missing mail and massive delays in postal delivery in the Houston area are sparking action from U.S. Rep. Al Green. We’ll hear what he plans to do about it.
A controversial law allowing Texas police to arrest people suspected of crossing the border illegally takes effect soon – but some rural sheriffs in the Big Bend region say they’re not eager to enforce it.
And: An entire herd of white-tailed deer at the Kerr Wildlife Management Area was euthanized amid concerns about the spread of a contagious disease. But the affected deer may not have had the disease after all, according to new test results.
Tired of the same Christmas carols? This Texas composer has some rearrangements
A Texas judge grants a Dallas-area woman her request for an abortion, despite the state’s strict ban. It is thought to be one of the first attempts to seek a court-approved abortion since the U.S Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe vs. Wade. Olivia Aldridge of KUT in Austin shares more.
Aid for Ukraine and Israel is blocked for now over border security concerns, and Texas’ two U.S. senators were very much a part of that process. A Texas Tech political science professor breaks it down.
As Texas cities try to rein in traffic, San Antonio revives a plan to be more bicycle-friendly.
And: North Texas-based music writer and conductor Taylor Davis is discovering something new in the Christmas carols we’ve heard for decades on end.