KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts
KUT and KUTX news and music podcasts for Austin, Texas and beyond
Wildfire evacuations in Central Texas this week and concerns about rising sea levels reshaping the Texas coastline.
The Texas Standard’s Sean Saldaña shares the latest unemployment numbers and what they tell us about the economic shape Texas is in.
A new alliance of automakers is going to take on Tesla’s charging standard.
A Texas-sized theme party is planned to welcome the total solar eclipse coming next year.
Plus the week in politics with the Texas Tribune.
As Texans brace for another week of extreme heat, there’s pushback against a new state law that nullifies local rules requiring mandatory water breaks for outdoor workers.
Austin has ended its policing partnership with the Department of Public Safety – but Gov. Greg Abbott is sending more troopers to the capital city.
Some legal experts say the Supreme Court’s student debt decision may have scrambled the issue of standing, or whether a plaintiff has enough interest in a particular matter to stand before the court to request legal intervention. UT Law professor Stephen Vladeck explains.
And a new documentary on Jesse Treviño honors the late San Antonio artist, long considered one of the city’s finest.
A lawsuit challenging Texas’ new prohibition on hormone blockers and other treatments for transgender youth.
Lawmakers failed to pass new rules on locating concrete batch plants – what do those pushing for change plan to do next?
A report shows modest economic growth in Texas, we’ll hear more. Plus – Texas slips in the rankings of business-friendly states. Why and what are the implications?
A hit, or a swing and a miss? A certain sport using bats and balls arrives in Texas for summer, but are Texans ready for professional cricket?
Plus the week in Texas politics with the Texas Tribune.
A federal courtroom was filled with anger and tears as relatives of the victims of the 2019 mass shooting at an El Paso Walmart faced the gunman ahead of his sentencing. Julián Aguilar of the Texas Newsroom shares more.
A program aimed at helping Texans pay off old tickets has left hundreds of thousands without driver’s licenses and tangled in red tape.
Amid a stalemate between House and Senate Republicans over property taxes, House Democrats weigh in with a plan.
A new study has found air pollution from U.S. oil and gas production is responsible for $77 billion in health impacts every year, with Texas among the states with the highest proportion of health damages.
Houston is celebrating 50 years of hip-hop with an exhibit and film screenings at the Houston Museum of African American Culture.
And the week in politics with the Texas Tribune.
We have the latest on two rulings today from the Supreme Court: one striking down President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan, and another in favor of a web designer who refused to do wedding work for same-sex couples.
In about 30 years the number of banks across the United States has dropped by 75%. One perspective on what that means for consumers.
It’s always mosquito season in Texas, but there’s some reason to be extra cautious right now about getting bit. How to protect yourself from mosquito-borne illnesses.
Harder math classes may be in store for many Texas middle schoolers – why supporters of a new law say this is really good news.
And a wrap of one Texas special legislative session and the start of another. What you need to know to end your week.
An attempted coup in Russia is over – but what does it signify about Vladimir Putin’s grip on power?
What an 8-1 ruling against Texas from the Supreme Court says about future challenges to federal immigration policy.
A year after the overturn of Roe v. Wade, how Texans are seeking abortion access.
A program at Texas State University is playing a big role in identifying the remains of migrants who die along or near the Texas-Mexico border.
And El Paso Chihuahuas broadcaster Tim Hagerty shares stories from the minor leagues in his new book “Tales from the Dugout.”
For the first time since the mid 1800s, the biggest population group in Texas is not white – it’s now Hispanic.
The San Antonio Spurs officially chose Victor Wembanyama with their No. 1 draft pick Thursday night, and he’s been welcomed with open arms by a city ready to win NBA Championships again.
There’s a push and pull in some Mexican restaurants across Texas between a culture of machismo and one of celebrating flamboyant musician Juan Gabriel.
Texas-born singer-songwriter Jess Williamson joins us to talk about her latest album, “Time Ain’t Accidental,” her writing process and Marfa influences.
Plus, a wrap-up of another tumultuous week in Texas politics.
A tornado tore through the Panhandle town of Perryton on Thursday, leaving three dead, scores injured and many without homes – and forecasts say there’s more severe weather on the way.
Native American tribes are celebrating a big win before the Supreme Court in an adoption law case brought by a white foster couple from Texas.
What an expo in El Paso says about an aspect of border security that’s seldom talked about.
Remembering a giant of American novelists, Cormac McCarthy, and his ties to Texas.
And the week in politics with the Texas Tribune.
Impeached attorney general Ken Paxton won’t face trial in the Senate until late summer, but the indictment of prominent donor Nate Paul may have big implications for Paxton’s fate nonetheless.
Hurricane season is upon us, and the energy industry is making preparations for potential storms.
A colonia in El Paso is pulling water out of thin air using solar distillation.
A new podcast, “Under Cover of Knight, ” examines a death in small-town Texas – and why the CIA and local law enforcement wanted folks to stop asking questions.
And a longtime Texas radio journalist remembers NPR’s Wade Goodwyn.
Legislation on the governor’s desk known as the “Death Star” bill takes aim at local ordinances statewide. Will cities strike back?
In a place known for years of drought, heavy rain has forced evacuations in Amarillo and Hereford.
We’ll meet Houston’s Benchawan Jabthong Painter, winner of the James Beard Award for best Texas chef. Her secret recipe? Cooking with grandma in Thailand.
The new movie “Flamin’ Hot” tells the story of a janitor at Frito-Lay who set the snack world on fire. We’ll talk to the film’s director, Corpus Christi native Eva Longoria, and stars Jesse Garcia and Annie Gonzalez.
Plus the week in politics with the Texas Tribune.
Property tax cuts and border security are on the agenda as the Legislature’s special session moves into week 2.
A bill to promote police transparency received support in the House and the Senate, but now it’s apparently gone missing. KXAN investigative reporter Josh Hinkle explains.
There’s a shortage of mental health treatment for people arrested in Texas who are deemed in need of treatment before trial.
And Texas-based American Airlines has grounded planes amid an ongoing pilot shortage. What does this mean for summer travel?
Two high-profile Texas attorneys have been tapped to lead the case against Attorney General Ken Paxton in his Senate impeachment trial. Lauren McGaughy of the Dallas Morning News joins us with more about the legal top guns brought in by the Texas House.
A disagreement over property taxes between Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick may point to a much wider rift among Texas Republicans. USA Today’s John Moritz explains.
The USDA green-lights so-called climate-friendly beef. But when grilled about it, the lack of answers raises questions of whether it’s mostly marketing sizzle.
Also, James Barragán of the Texas Tribune with the week in politics.
For the first time in Texas history, the House voted to impeach the state’s highest law enforcement official, setting the stage for a trial in the Senate for Attorney General Ken Paxton.
The drama comes as the Texas Legislature gets set to end its 88th session today. But already, with some of the Gov. Greg Abbott’s top priorities still unfinished, there’s plenty of reason to think we’ll be going into overtime.
Memorial Day travel in Texas is back to pre-pandemic levels – a harbinger of summer?
Also, a big change could be coming for those registering a motor vehicle in Texas.
As the Texas Legislature moves into the final hours of the 88th session, a Republican-led House committee has issued 20 articles of impeachment against state Attorney General Ken Paxton, alleging a yearslong pattern of misconduct by the state’s top law enforcement official.
What happened to the $30 billion+ surplus lawmakers started out with this session?
Revenge of the Swifties: A bill signed into law this week cracks down on robot ticket scalpers.
And Mando Rayo on the art of the taco truck.
A bill would provide $10 billion in low-interest loans that would benefit the oil and gas industry, in the name of beefing up the power grid; there are a lot of questions over the push for those loans, aimed at preventing statewide blackouts.
Almost one year after the worst school shooting in Texas history, state lawmakers are running out of time in this legislative session to make changes to gun laws.
In San Antonio, the silver and black are back as Spurs fans get lit up over a No. 1 draft pick.
Also, actress Christina Vidal on a new streaming series, “Primo” about coming of age in the Alamo City.
Two major changes in federal policies within the past 24 hours having outsized implications for Texas. Change number one: the end of Title 42 rapid deportations. But for tens of thousands now trying to cross the Mexico border into Texas, the deportations continue.
The end of an era for the pandemic as the national emergency is lifted, but a Texas epidemiologist says that doesn’t mean an end to the COVID-19 threat.
A confession of guilt during a Texas murder investigation, but was the confession real or compelled by questionable interrogation techniques?
Also the week in Texas politics with the Texas Tribune and poetry from the Typewriter Rodeo.
At first, media coverage of the Cleveland, Texas, shooting focused on the manhunt for the gunman. But what about the victims lost?
As the clock ticks away for the 88th legislative session, there are some bills with bipartisan support that advocates say could have a positive effect on the state’s LGBTQ residents.
Housing affordability in Texas: is the state losing a certain edge? The Texas Standard’s Sean Saldana explains.
The cost of living is hitting Texans hard – how a group in San Antonio is fighting back with coupons.
Mexico is trying its hand at a controversial technique – cloud seeding – to break its drought.
Plus the week in politics with the Texas Tribune.
As Title 42 comes to an end, El Paso declares a state of emergency due to the influx of migrants.
The week ahead at the Texas Legislature, and two bills affecting transgender youth in Texas; one relating to medical treatment, the other, sports competition.
An investigation of a chemical fire in Deer Park outside of Houston, and what it says about warning signs and preparation for potential disasters.
Researchers revisit an educational debate from the Jim Crow era, and the contributions of the Black Texans at the center of it.
A push in the state Legislature to end countywide voting on Election Day. Nearly 100 counties in Texas allow voters to cast their Election Day ballots anywhere in the county. But now a move to require voters to cast their ballots in specific district locations. Why the push, and why it matters.
The Veterans Administration is looking into a new application for artificial intelligence: suicide prevention.
An oil tanker bound for Houston seized by Iran. What this move may signal.
And country music luminaries pool their talents for an album to celebrate the 90th birthday of the Red Headed Stranger Willie Nelson.
A decision from the Supreme Court on the availability of an abortion pill, and why it’s likely not the last word on the matter. What is the significance of the Supreme Court’s move regarding mifepristone? Constitutional law scholar Steven Vladek of UT Law joins us.
Also, a Texas bill to restrict real estate purchases by citizens of China, Russia, North Korea and Iran gets remodeled in the Senate. Sergio Martínez-Beltrán of the Texas Newsroom with more in our week ahead at the Texas Capitol.
Also, growing concerns over license plate theft, the myth of the “broke millennial” and much more.