Natural Gas

Researchers relocate coral to Texas coast in conservation project

The Matterhorn Express pipeline, a 580-mile project set to go online soon, will transport natural gas from a terminal in West Texas to Katy, near Houston. We’ll hear what it could add up to for Texas and for energy prices more broadly.

A proposed liquified natural gas terminal in the Rio Grande Valley is stirring debate among local Indigenous tribes.

In Corpus Christi, researchers are pitching in for “Operation Coral Rescue,” an attempt to save endangered reefs from the ravages of warmer oceans.

Voting in Texas means having the right ID. Need to update that driver’s license? Many Texans might be surprised it’s not quite as easy as it sounds.

East Texas has a long history of labor disputes you may not know about

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has suspended his bid for the White House and appeared with former President Donald Trump to offer his endorsement. What does it mean for the race moving forward?

Where does the economy really stand, and what do the presidential candidates’ promises add up to in substance? A top Texas economist does the math.

The University of Texas at San Antonio and UT Health San Antonio are set to merge by 2025, with the potential to become a national and international powerhouse.

And: An East Texas reporter has spent the weeks leading up to Labor Day looking back at the biggest historical labor disputes in the region. Michael Garcia of KETK in Tyler shares what he’s learned.

KUT Afternoon Newscast for April 12, 2024

Central Texas top stories for April 12, 2024. Education advocates concerned about computer-grading of written responses on standardized tests. Natural gas prices go negative. ACLU sues Travis Co over arrestees lacking counsel. Activists say Austin rapid rehousing program needs improvement. Longhorn Run this weekend. Kite Fest to take over skies over Zilker Park.

What new data says about the future of Texas agriculture

It’s the first day of early voting in the Texas primary. What you need to know before casting a ballot and why turning out matters.

What exactly does “residency” mean when running for office? The answer might surprise you.

Every five years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture conducts a census – tallying things like livestock, tractors, combines and crops – for a dense report packed with clues on where American farming is heading.

And: Remembering Sandy Wood, who helped stargazers navigate the universe for nearly 24 years as the voice of the radio program Stardate.

What we know about the hotel explosion in Fort Worth

Investigators are still on the scene of a hotel explosion in Fort Worth as some ask if this is part of a larger trend spotted nationwide.

A special election to fill an open Texas House seat – and a race seen as a proxy for an intraparty fight within the Texas GOP.

A community like few others: Why an experiment outside Austin to provide housing for people experiencing homelessness is being seen as a potential model for other cities.

Plus: Could 3D-printed homes help with a housing shortage?

How Texas voted on 14 statewide propositions

The votes are in, and Texans have given the green light to 13 of 14 amendments to the Texas constitution. The Texas Tribune’s Karen Brooks Harper shares a rundown of how the state propositions fared.
Public media reporters statewide join us with updates on key local races across the Lone Star State.

Nuclear power plants, once the target of major protests, are now winning over many Texans looking for lower carbon energy alternatives.

And what some have considered a guilty pleasure: Why more readers are taking the plunge into romance novels. One of the genres’ top authors, Ali Hazelwood, joins us.

KUT Morning Newscast for October 25, 2023

Central Texas top stories for October 25, 2023. Austin ISD superintendent search. Natural gas power plant amendment. Georgetown pride. Victor Wembanyama debuts tonight.

After environmentally destructive launch, will regulators let SpaceX blast off again?

A new law barring transition care for transgender youth has been temporarily blocked by a Texas judge, but it may take effect anyway Sept. 1. We’ll have the latest – plus how doctors are trying to prepare.

Officials were left in disbelief over the scale and scope of environmental damage after the failed test of a SpaceX starship in South Texas earlier this year, according to a new report.

A new book sheds light on the seldom-told tale of conscientious objectors who nonetheless went to the front lines in Vietnam.

Why Will Hurd didn’t make the cut for the first Republican presidential debate

The Feds push back in court over Gov. Greg Abbott’s deployment of buoys in the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass.

The City of Dallas has received $1.5 million in federal dollars for a major cleanup of contaminated sites. But will it be enough?

Researchers in El Paso are trying to tap another source of potential alternate energy, inspired by the prickly pear cactus.

There are growing concerns about challenges faced by deaf kids in the Texas foster care system.

Plus, San Antonio native Karen Tumulty of the Washington Post shares the latest on tonight’s GOP primary debate – and why former U.S. Rep. Will Hurd of Texas won’t be there.

New movie reminds us we’ve all been living in a Barbie world

Emotional scenes unfolded in what’s believed to be the first open court testimony by women challenging Texas’ abortion ban.

Reporters statewide offer an update on how Texans are coping with this record heat.

Details on a massive release of greenhouse gases in West Texas brought on by the heat.

How does the new movie ‘Oppenheimer’ stack up against history?

And as the ‘Barbie’ movie premieres, a look back at how the world’s most famous doll has been a source of both inspiration and debate for over 60 years.

KUT Afternoon Newscast for May 23, 2023

Central Texas top stories for May 23, 2023. Texas legislators push for more natural gas plants. Austin light rail plan would have 10 miles of ground-level track. Austin Parks Board approves plan for more Zilker parking. UT and AISD working together to get more STEM teachers. Williamson working with Mobile Loaves and Fishes on housing homeless.

KUT Afternoon Newscast for May 18, 2023

Central Texas top stories for May 18, 2023. Austin-area cities among fastest growing, Austin now in top 10. A unanimous re-vote on money for more natural gas power. Effort to keep standardized testing off religious holidays. Round Rock ISD looks at pay increase. Busy summer expected at Austin airport. Austin FC win.

KUT Afternoon Newscast for May 17, 2023

Central Texas top stories for May 17, 2023. Air quality could be unhealthy for sensitive groups. Bill to help natural gas plants gets criticism. Ride of Silence tonight in Austin. Plan to change community college funding method moves forward. Animal safety bill. Kyle Community Garden. Austin FC.

KUT Morning Newscast for February 3, 2023

Central Texas top stories for February 3, 2023. Austin Energy power restoration efforts. Possible disaster declaration. Street debris cleanup. CapMetro resumes service. Carbon Monoxide poisoning. Who to call for downed power lines. State online damage survey. Atmos Energy natural gas service improvements.

Texas Standard: September 12, 2022

Four months after Uvalde, what do we know about the role of the Texas Department of Public safety in the response? A deep dive into the history of Texas DPS Director Steve McCraw and the role he played (or didn’t) during the state’s deadliest school shooting. Also, Migrants are being released into the streets in El Paso, that’s because detention centers and shelters to support them are full. And energy prices are very high in Europe; we’ll look at energy weaponization. Also, what does it mean to re-wild and why is San Antonio an example of this tactic? These stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: August 8, 2022

Congress is on the cusp of passing climate legislation that has major implications for the Lone Star State. The multi-billion dollar package does quite a lot of things, but focuses on measures that will slow global warming. We’ll have the details today. Plus Houston’s food scene bows to no one. Why one new writer in the Bayou City says it’s among the most exciting food places on the planet. And putting artificial intelligence to good use: a new Texas partnership is trying to figure out how. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: July 6, 2022

Texans trying to stay cool this summer could get pretty steamed once they see their power bills. What’s behind rising electricity costs? We’ll take a look. Other stories we’re tracking: the defense department offering assistance to military families wanting to leave states with laws seen as anti LGBTQ, but many face barriers. Carson Frame of Texas Public radio with more. And despite the collapse in crypto markets, crypto mining continues to grow in Texas, now some miners using flared gas to power their operations. And a big win for proponents of the Texas high speed rail project, but the company behind it may be somewhat off the rails. The backstory and much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: March 23, 2022

Texas two senators press President Biden’s Supreme Court nominee in historic confirmation hearings at the capitol. Todd Gilman of the Dallas Morning News with more on the roles of Senator John Cornyn and Ted Cruz in the confirmation hearings of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. Also, does Texas need an independent monitor of the natural gas industry? A conversation with a Texas Senator pushing for this change. Plus a book that is as much a celebration of Texas 250 rivers as it is a warning. And why allegations of sexual abuse against the Boy Scouts are factors in a bankruptcy court settlement. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: February 16, 2022

As many watch for the next moves in Ukraine, Europeans are turning to Texas for more of their energy; it could come with strings attached. Also, six Texas congressional races to watch. And, an auction for wild horses…why some see it as a betrayal. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: February 9, 2022

As more teachers quit, those who remain are taking on more students and more responsibilities; a survey suggests a new Texas public school crisis in the making. Also, efforts to ban certain books from school libraries and how what’s been happening in Hood County may be a harbinger of what’s ahead. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard: