news

State regulators weigh new uses for fracking wastewater

Texas regulators are moving closer to allowing treated wastewater from oil and gas drilling operations to be reused on farmland and other sites outside the energy industry. Some fear the proposal is getting ahead of the science.

Texas Republicans signaled their priorities at their convention in Houston, with Gov. Greg Abbott outlining his vision for another term.

The Spurs’ hopes for a championship came to an end with a Game 5 loss to the New York Knicks — but it’s still a big win for San Antonio.

One Texas school district near is eliminating librarian positions and replacing them with hourly paraprofessional staff as part of a cost-saving effort.

A Texas Tech gambling case could test NCAA rules

They say it’s only a game, but Texas sports fans know better. This time, however, some see an existential threat to college sports.

A scandal involving Texas Tech football quarterback Brendan Sorsby is now in the national spotlight. We’ll hear why and what’s at stake.

Meanwhile in Houston, evidence that there’s nothing like a challenging race to focus political will. After years of infighting, Texas Republicans putting up a united front at their party convention.

In El Paso, an effort to open up frontiers to an underrepresented community of filmmakers, marking a major milestone. We’ll have more on the Femme Frontera Film Festival.

Local food influencer gives peek at new docuseries ‘David Eats Everywhere’

More than 60,000 Austinites work in the city’s food industry. A local nonprofit wants to help these food workers get health insurance. We’ll tell you about their work.

Peaches from Fredericksburg may be harder to find because of yet another warm winter. We’ll have more from the Texas Hill Country.

An Austin food influencer is moving from the small screen to the bigger screen with his new show, highlighting immigrant-owned eateries across town. We’ll hear about what he’s learned by going inside the kitchen.

And FIFA World Cup 2026 kicks off tomorrow. Our soccer/fútbol expert will have some teams to watch and a local connection on the Canadian national team.

Austin Signal is made possible by listeners like you. You can support our work by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org

Judge to decide whether Camp Mystic lawsuits can be settled out of court

A judge in Travis County is expected to decide soon whether Camp Mystic and its owners can settle wrongful death lawsuits out of court stemming from last year’s deadly summer flooding. The families want jury trials, but the owners want arbitration.

Visitors to Big Bend National Park are hoping to catch a glimpse before the protected region changes. The Trump Administration has been pushing on-again-off-again plans for a border wall through the park.

An event this week identifying and highlighting Asian artists in Austin is taking on an added function: Raising funds for some of their own involved in an accident while trying to pursue their art. Austin Creates Together and the recovery for Peelander-Z.

Austin Signal is made possible by listeners like you. You can support our work by making a donation atsupportthispodcast.org

Probe says officers are tackling, pepper-spraying and tasering students in Texas schools

After Uvalde, Texas bet big on safety with police in every school, but a new report suggests an unintended and very troubling side effect.

The New York Times and the San Antonio Express-News reports thousands of incidents of officers tackling, pepper-spraying even tasering students for offenses that once would have meant a trip to the principal’s office, and no clear standards to protect against over-policing at school. We’ll talk to two of the authors of this report.

Also, Angela Kocherga with how the latest on the border wall may lead to an unusual conflict between church and state.

Plus a “Friday Night Lights” reunion conversation with actress Adrianne Palicki, the week in politics and more.

Where things stand with Big Bend border wall plans

He wants to ban Islam in Texas and now he’s the GOP pick for a seat on one of Texas’ most powerful commissions. Who is Bo French? A closer look at why, after this week, a race for a seat on the Texas railroad commission suddenly carries more weight than it might seem at first blush.

A longtime U.S. Senator from Texas forced to give up his seat — what the end of the John Cornyn era says about Texas politics today.

And where to things stand with plans for a border wall in the Big Bend region?

Also, first it was streaming that rewrote the rules for the music industry — now it’s AI. Tech expert Omar Gallaga on two very big music deals involving TikTok and Spotify and why they matter.

Researchers find cities can change the way storms behave

When spring storms move through cities, they can intensify — creating dangerous flooding. New findings from Texas researchers may explain why.

It’s runoff Election Day in Texas. While all eyes are on the Republican Senate contest between John Cornyn and Ken Paxton, we’ll also spotlight some other key races to watch as ballots are counted.

Also, Memorial Day ushered in the summer travel season — and plenty of Texans are planning vacations and looking for trips to fit their budgets.

Plus, we’re heading into Game 5 of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs. Can the Spurs repeat their strong performance and pull off another win?

A preview of key races for primary runoff Election Day

Across the Lone Star State, Memorial Day observances and events are scheduled.
Meanwhile, voters in Texas are making their lists and checking them twice with primary runoff day set for tomorrow. We’ll get you up to speed on the statewide races to watch.

Plus, we’ll hear about a new app from the folks at Texas Parks and Wildlife. We’ll also learn about the women who’ve played an oversized, but often less-acknowledged, role in conservation.

Program at state prison in Austin helps shelter dogs get adopted

The Austin Independent School District expects a $181 million deficit in next school year’s budget — but it still hasn’t released a proposal for what cuts will be made.

Austin revised its rules on how city police can interact with federal immigration agents — and city leaders are divided on what the change actually means.

The Austin Animal Center is often overcrowded. But a new program at the Travis Unit state prison is getting dogs there training and socialization to help them get adopted.

And a look back at an iconic performance 41years ago at the Armadillo World Headquarters.

Austin Signal is made possible by listeners like you. You can support our work by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org

Latino community divided on renaming Cesar Chavez Street

Early voting is underway for Tuesday’s primary runoffs, and we have a look at two races on some Central Texans’ ballots: state House District 49 and Hays County judge.

Austin is working to rename Cesar Chavez Street after accusations of sexual abuse and assault. But some are struggling with those changes.

Some good news and some bad news about a ranking of Austin’s parks. We’ve got more from a new report, including who rivals the city’s parks.

And: A sneak peek at tomorrow night’s ATXplained Live!

Austin Signal is made possible by listeners like you. You can support our work by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org

UT Austin announces $750 million gift for new Dell Medical Center

It’s been almost two months since a deadly shooting on West Sixth Street left three people dead, including one UT Austin student. Now a new scholarship to help underprivileged students advance their education has been created in honor of Savitha Shanmugasundaram’s life.

UT Austin has announced a new Dell Medical Center and research campus following a $750 million gift from the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation — one that makes the Dells UT’s first-ever billion-dollar donors.

And, the satirical media outlet The Onion says they’ve acquired Infowars, the Austin-based source for decades of conspiracy theories.

Plus: The Indie Meme Film Festival is back for its 11th year. We’ll hear more about what’s coming to town.

Austin Signal is made possible by listeners like you. You can support our work by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org

Parents of missing Camp Mystic girl push to prevent camp’s reopening

The parents of a girl still missing from Camp Mystic, a Christian girls’ camp where 27 people died during last summer’s deadly floods in the Texas Hill Country, are asking a judge to prevent the camp from reopening this summer. We’ll have the latest from the Travis County court room.

A private disagreement between local officials broke out into the open this week when Austin Mayor Kirk Watson let it be known he opposes a decision by the agency building the city’s light-rail system.

And, a documentary explores the ‘83 Texas Baseball championship team.

Plus, an Austin exhibit is bringing stories of local overdose victims into the light with pencil-drawn portraits.

Austin Signal is made possible by listeners like you. You can support our work by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org

Smokable hemp products legal again in Texas — for now

It’s legal again for Texas businesses to sell smokable forms of hemp. New state rules that went into effect in March had effectively outlawed these sales, while raising fees on the businesses who carry them. We’ll delve into the state of the Texas hemp market.

The state board of education gave preliminary approval to a mandatory list of books that all Texas public schools will teach starting in 2030. Critics of the list say it lacks diversity and emphasizes Christianity.

Plus, what’s the story behind the freaky sculpture hanging in the Barton Creek Greenbelt? That’s the exact question someone asked us for our ATXplained project.

Meteor over Texas leaves debris, questions

A secretive project to build a long water barrier in the Rio Grande is revealed as letters go out to landowners to build a Big Bend border wall. We’ll hear what locals are thinking.

Look up to the sky: It’s a boom, it’s a flash… and a crash through a roof north of Houston. A UT geosciences professor helps us understand the meteor fragment impact that occurred this past weekend.

We’ll also dig into the somewhat surprising findings of a new report from the Brookings Institution on the costs of higher education.

And with March Madness in the air, the Sweet 16’s set in another bracket competition — the best Texas movie.

Debate grows over César Chávez Day and public memorials in Texas

Revelations over César Chávez’s reported history of sexual abuse has led to an immediate response across Texas. We’ll break it down.

Texas is home to two of America’s four strategic oil reserves. We’ll dive into why the Gulf Coast was the right place for this storage — beyond its oil and gas infrastructure.

We’ll take a trip to Brownsville for the Final Four — in college chess that is.
And we’ll bring you a story about a Texas-led discovery in South Korea: A new dinosaur species, the Doolysaurus — and it’s really cute.

We’ll also check in on the BBQ World Cup competition drawing interest across Texas for its huge, promised payout.

New Daniel Johnston exhibit celebrates Austin artist’s enduring impact

Nearly 1 in 5 Americans live in rural areas, where there are often fewer licensed therapists and longer travel distances to mental health care. But hotlines like 988 give people access to the help they need. Today, we’ll find out why the support for that lifeline is stronger in some states than others.

Daniel Johnston was known for his art and music. When he died in 2019, he left behind a trove of his work. But where can you check it out? Well, some of that work is on public display for the first time as part of a new exhibit at Texas State University.

This month marks 100 years of celebrating Black History Month and one local organization is creating space to celebrate Black Austinites. Find out what they have planned this weekend.

Austin Signal is made possible by listeners like you. You can support our work by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org

Four accused of yogurt shop murders are officially exonerated

Four men accused in one of Austin’s most infamous murders have been declared officially innocent; two of them were convicted, one was sentenced to death. 34 years later, their records have been cleared. We’ll have more from Thursday’s exoneration hearing.

An Austin-area congressional seat is up for grabs for the first time in nearly a decade. We’re going to hear from voters in the 21st congressional district about what they want and don’t want from their next representative.

Plus, Austin FC kicks off their new season Saturday night at Q2 Stadium. We’ll go over the things to look out for on the pitch and what you can expect this season from the team and our podcast Vamos Verde.

And a rare corpse flower blooms at a carnivorous plant shop here in Austin.

Austin Signal is made possible by listeners like you. You can support our work by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org

Four accused in yogurt shop murders now exonerated

The four men wrongly accused in Austin’s yogurt shop murders were exonerated today in a Travis County courthouse. More than three decades on their records have been cleared. We’ll hear from family members who attended today’s hearing.

The University of Texas Board of Regents has approved a policy limiting from classrooms “controversial topics.” What the new policy says and the plan for putting it into effect.

And, music news with KUTX’s Maile Carballo.

Plus, Spurs basketball is back at the Moody Center tonight and it’s a much different version of the team that’s visited Austin the past few years. The reason for the change and the possibility of a championship this season coming up.

Austin Signal is made possible by listeners like you. You can support our work by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org

San Marcos residents sound off on proposed data center

The Austin Independent School District has regained control of its special education program. The Texas Education Agency assigned a pair of monitors to the program for the last three years as AISD worked to address a backlog of evaluations. We’ll have the latest from Austin’s school district .

A San Marcos City Council meeting went into the early morning hours today as council members decided on rezoning property to be sold for a data center. Hundreds of folks showed up to make their opinions known. Most were against the idea, others say these data centers are inevitable. We’ll have more from that meeting.

Plus, The VORTEX theater hosted Butch Prom over the weekend.

And, we’re going to hear The Hole Story from our friends over at KUTX.

Austin Signal is made possible by listeners like you. You can support our work by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org

Early voting begins for the 2026 primaries

It’s the first day of early voting in the Texas primaries and there are many statewide races for consideration: comptroller, lieutenant governor, governor, as well as lots of eyes on the Democratic and Republican races for U.S. Senate.
We’ll have an overview, plus plenty more on the ballots in Travis, Hays and Williamson counties, as well.

Also, the Austin-raised college student who was deported while trying to visit family last Thanksgiving could soon be headed back to the U.S. We’ll have the latest from a judge’s order and from the attorney representing the student, Any López Belloza.

And we mark the start of the Lunar New Year by hearing what the occasion means to some Austinites.

Plus, we have a conversation with a legendary music maker turned mental health advocate at the SIMS Foundation.

Austin Signal is made possible by listeners like you. You can support our work by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org