KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts

KUT and KUTX news and music podcasts for Austin, Texas and beyond

Power Grid

For couple affected by dementia, a love song keeps memories alive

Five years on from the winter storm that caused blackouts across much of the state of Texas, what’s been done to address the failures of the blackout? And is Austin and Texas ready for the next big winter test of the power grid? More about what has and has not happened since February 2021.

There’s an argument to be made that the lieutenant governor of Texas is the most influential elected official in the state. Republicans have held the position for nearly three decades. We’ll hear about the candidates running to represent Texas Democrats in this fall’s election.

What happens to love when memories fade away? And how can we possibly try to hang on them? Hear how one woman in Pflugerville is doing her best to keep love alive through music.

Probe raises concerns over pregnant migrant girls held in Texas

The FAA reopened airspace around El Paso as abruptly as it shut it down. We’ll dig into what we know about the strange and unprecedented actions.
A months-long investigation from The Texas Newsroom and The California Newsroom finds pregnant migrant girls are being held at a South Texas shelter that’s been flagged as medically inadequate. Why even some within the Trump Administration are concerned.
Have you noticed more political ads touting concerns about Islamic terrorism? An analysis about what could be behind the change in GOP rhetoric.
We’re approaching the five-year anniversary of the deadly winter storm that almost led to the failure of the grid that powers most of Texas. “Dark Texas,” a new novel from author Charles J. Petrie Jr., explores what could have happened if the grid did fail.
Plus, West Texas Democrats have new hope for wins after Taylor Rehmet’s unexpected victory in Tarrant County.

KUT Morning Newscast for October 27, 2025: Tens of thousands of Travis County voters are in suspense

Central Texas top stories for October 27, 2025. It’s the second week of early voting in the November 4th election, and less than 5 percent of registered voters have cast a ballot. Tens of thousands of Travis County voters are in suspense. Data centers in the Austin area are placing considerable strain on the state’s electric grid. AISD is still hearing feedback from the community on its school consolidation plan; there’s a virtual meeting tonight. The Longhorns beat Mississippi State in overtime on Saturday.  

Spreading kindness through a Texas-made story

If the ongoing government shutdown runs into next week, Texas families could see their SNAP food benefits cut off.
Oil prices have plummeted to a level not seen since the COVID days. Why and what it could mean for Texas consumers and oilfield workers.
Contract negotiations, the Dallas Wings search for a new coach, and more: A breakdown of what to expect for the new WNBA season as the popularity of the league soars.
And “Dude. Be Nice”… The title of a new children’s book says it all.

Texas Extra: Introducing Season 3 of The Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas Blackout

Listen to the first episode of Season 3 The Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas Blackout.

This season the podcast explores the history of oil and gas regulation, how the industry became essentially self-regulating, and how some Texas officials continue to see natural gas as the future of electricity production, despite the rapid rise of renewable sources like solar and wind.

In the first episode, you’ll hear the story of a con man and a group of hardscrabble East Texas farmers who uncovered the biggest oilfield in U.S. history — and how that discovery forced an obscure state agency to confront the destructive forces of unrestrained oil drilling.

Listen and Subscribe to The Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas Blackout

Biden administration bets on Texas Instruments in the chip manufacturing race

Another August day, another forecast for record-setting heat – and plenty of questions about whether the power grid can manage the strain. So far, so good, to the surprise of many who’ve been bracing for calls to conserve electricity. What different about the energy mix this go-round?
Texas Instruments recently received a $1.6 billion Department of Commerce grant for new chip-building facilities.
In the least populated county in Texas, where truly every vote counts, a judge has overturned an election. We’ll hear about a shakeup in Loving County.
Plus: A new pin on our growing Texas Museum Map, this time in the border town of Eagle Pass.

KUT Afternoon Newscast for August 12, 2024

Central Texas top stories for August 12, 2024. Two women have filed federal complaints against Texas hospitals which they say denied them treatment for life-threatening pregnancy conditions. Texas lawmakers have been hearing testimony today on creating a school voucher program. More triple-digit highs in the forecast for the coming days. The City of Austin is reminding people to stay aware of local and statewide power grid conditions. Current and former Texas Longhorn athletes are bringing home 16 medals from the Paris Olympic games. It’s back to school season in Central Texas.

How the Texas Lottery helped a big spending group become surefire winners

Texas Congressman Lloyd Doggett on Tuesday became the first Democrat on Capitol Hill to call for President Biden to abandon his re-election bid.
In several high-profile cases, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed rulings from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, where Texas cases go on appeal.
Ever try your luck at the lottery? We’ll hear about an out-of-state scheme to win big by buying up the odds.
And soda’s unintentional pop: KUT’s Mose Buchele takes the lid off the mystery of exploding cans in hot cars.

KUT Afternoon Newscast for May 9, 2024

Central Texas top stories for May 9, 2024. A San Marcos man was charged with illegally carrying a gun during a protest on the University of Texas campus last week. How the power grid held up under yesterday’s unseasonably hot temperatures. A cold front is bringing a chance of rain and severe weather to Central Texas. The UT Austin president says the university will not allow disruptions to its graduation events. Travis County District Attorney José Garza can use county money to help him fight a petition filed to remove him from office. #1 ranked Longhorns in their final Big 12 Softball tournament.

KUT Morning Newscast for February 14, 2024

Central Texas top stories for February 14, 2024. Car crashed into St. David’s North Austin Medical Center last night. Congressman Greg Casar is filing a bill to further connect Texas to neighboring power grids. Hays county election integrity group. The Austin Convention Center facelift.

KUT Afternoon Newscast for January 16, 2024

Central Texas top stories for January 16, 2024. Hard freeze warning. State of the power grid. City of Austin’s response to this year’s freeze and past events. Austin Travis County EMS hypothermia calls. Longhorns Basketball.

KUT Morning Newscast for January 16, 2024

Central Texas top stories for January 16, 2024. Frigid forecast. Latest state of the power grid. Why we drip faucets in freezing temperatures. Austin-Bergstrom’s lights snow dusting explained. Mother’s Milk Bank at Austin is approaching its 25th anniversary.

KUT Afternoon Newscast for January 12, 2024

Central Texas top stories for January 12, 2024. Latest timeline for inbound freezing temperatures. Grid outlook for this weekend. Landlords shutting off water ahead of freezing temperatures. Austin-Bergstrom prepares for freezing temperatures. MLK day march and celebration plans. Voter registration in Texas. Austin ISD makes progress on special education evaluation backlog. The Hays County Health Department will open its Immunization Clinic next week.

KUT Morning Newscast for January 11, 2024

Central Texas top stories for January 11, 2024. Grid outlook ahead of cold snap. Austin-Bergstrom’s new concourse plan. Austin-Bergstrom flight cancellations due to grounding of Boeing 737 Max 9 planes. The City of Austin is trying to crack down on unauthorized short-term rentals. Healthcare enrollment stats.

What more electric vehicles mean for the Texas electric grid

Momentum is growing among Republicans to use the U.S. military to take on drug cartels in Mexico in the fight against fentanyl. How serious is such talk?

More ripple effects following a ruling by a federal judge in Amarillo that would effectively ban the abortion drug mifepristone.

The Dallas Federal Reserve finds young adults feel increasingly disconnected from work and school – but there may be more to the story.

And with more electric vehicles hitting the road in Texas, how will the need for pluggable power affect the state’s electric grid?

The latest on Texas’ winter freeze

As temperatures plummet with a major cold front bearing down on the lone star state, down into the teens in many parts, we continue to monitor conditions across Texas. Eric Berge of Houston’s Space City Weather joins us with an overview, the dangers ahead, and when we can expect to thaw out from this last big chill of 2022. Also a rethink of ways to address the mental health crisis. And the week in politics with the Texas Tribune. These stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:

KUT Morning Newscast for December 5, 2022

Central Texas top stories for December 5, 2022. Austin runoff early voting. Austin ISD superintendent search. Teacher salary report. Public Utility Commission power grid overhaul. UT Football Bowl bound. UT Volleyball NCAA tournament. Ronald Reagan Bridge.

The Campaign

Nearly two years after the big blackout in Texas, how big of an issue is the power grid in the 2022 race for governor?

We talk with Julian Aguilar, a reporter for the Texas Newsroom.

The Disconnect Season 2 is a project of The Texas Newsroom, the collaboration among NPR and the public radio stations in the state. It received support from FRONTLINE’s Local Journalism Initiative, which is funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

The Midnight Connection

We’ve already learned how Texas (or at least most of it) is an energy island — mostly cut off from grids in other states.

In this episode, we’ll hear about the time when one power company went rogue and threw a transmission line across the Oklahoma border.

This is the story of why they tried and how they failed to build a bridge off the island — and how it shaped the Texas grid today.

The Disconnect Season 2 is a project of The Texas Newsroom, the collaboration among NPR and the public radio stations in the state. It received support from FRONTLINE’s Local Journalism Initiative, which is funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

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