Protests

Austin area students stage walkouts over ICE actions

Student walkout demonstrations in the Austin area continued this week in protest of Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in Texas and across the country. The Austin Independent School District has come under fire from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton over such actions. We’ll hear from some of the students who participated in the walkout, as well as their parents.

We’ll also follow up on an incident at a demonstration Monday in Hays County – hearing from more student voices, and ways to deal with everything that we’re seeing on social media these days.

February is Black History Month, and Austin is chock full of Black music history. We’ll listen to a small piece of it today on Austin Signal.

Protesters, DPS troopers clash outside Dilley ICE detention facility

Protesters outside the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley called for the release of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father who were taken into ICE custody in Minnesota.Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, a massive military buildup as President Trump warns Iran to abandon its nuclear program – or else. But this may be about more than just nukes.Also, what new census numbers tell us about the state of the Lone Star State.

Austinites join nationwide protests after ICE shooting in Minneapolis

People in the Austin area joined with many thousands of others across the country in protesting after an ICE officer fatally shot a woman this week in Minneapolis. Demonstrators gathered outside a Department of Homeland Security building in Pflugerville. We’ll bring you some of those voices.

After a U.S. military operation in Caracas last weekend, Venezuelans in Austin are hoping for bigger changes before they feel ready to go back home. We’ll hear from them, along with a Venezuelan-Texan author based here in Austin.

Plus, how did Austin come to be known as “The Live Music Capital of the World”? Come and dig into the ATXplained vault with us.

KUT Morning Newscast for June 18, 2025: APD says they’re prepared for a potentially long summer of protests

Central Texas top stories for June 18, 2025. The Austin Police Department says they have maintained a delicate balance during recent demonstrations. Business leaders are reacting to the Trump Administration’s decision to continue immigration enforcement in critical industries. Travis County Commissioners passed a resolution calling for constitutional and humane treatment of all immigrants. Capital Metro’s police chief is leaving the transit agency.

KUT Morning Newscast for June 12, 2025: Central Texas is under a Flood Watch until 7 tonight

Central Texas top stories for June 12, 2025. A Flood Watch is in effect for much of Central Texas until 7 p.m. Austin’s Mayor Kirk Watson says he was notified that the Texas National Guard will be ready to respond to protests this weekend. A report says the TCEQ permitted three new natural gas power plant projects in violation of the Clean Air Act. A judge has ruled a redevelopment of the former Statesman offices can go forward after a challenge from Save Our Springs Alliance.

Harris County deputy suicides raise questions about mental health support

From Houston to Fort Worth, thousands of Texans joined people across the country over the weekend in a national day of protest against the Trump administration.
The Texas Newsroom’s Blaise Gainey gets us up to speed on what’s happening at the state Capitol with six weeks left in the legislative session.
Four Houston-area suicides among members of law enforcement are drawing more attention to an issue some peace officers are reluctant to talk about openly.
And: Many Texans are mourning Pope Francis, who has died at 88.

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KUT Morning Newscast for October 17, 2024

Central Texas top stories for October 17, 2024. The deadline to vote by mail for this fall’s election is approaching. The number of young people experiencing homelessness in the Austin area has more than tripled since 2020. Texas lawmakers are working on legislation that may restrict whether people can wear masks or other face coverings during protests. Join us for a night dip at Barton Springs during tonight’s supermoon!

KUT Morning Newscast for August 29, 2024

Central Texas top stories for August 29, 2024. City leaders are set to decide today whether to pay two Austinites who were injured by police during protests in 2020. Texas Gas Service is proposing a rate hike for residential customers. Texas State University officials say they’re on track to see a record number of freshman enrolled this school year.

Is Houston still affordable?

An orange haze, a vicious wind, in some places visibility cut close to zero – is an exiting dust storm a warning of more? With high winds expected to return later this week, what the layers of dust across Texas may tell us about changes to our climate.

A recent survey from the U.S. Census Bureau revealed roughly four out of five Houstonians are stressed out about recent price increases – raising the question of whether Houston still deserves its long-held reputation as one of the most affordable large cities in the country.

Tens of thousands protest against the president in Mexico amid concerns about threats to elections there.

A bill set to raise the penalties for illegal voting in Texas gets the green light from a Senate committee.

On Rare Disease Day 2023, we’ll hear how advocates for people with such diseases are pushing for change.

And an online hack targeting Asian Texans.

Texas Standard: June 9, 2020

The latest chapter in the civil rights struggle and the young people at the center of it demanding change. As mourners gather in Houston to honor George Floyd, we hear from some of the voices of a younger generation who grew up hearing stories of Reverend King and the freedom riders, and now find themselves at the heart of another inflection point in the push for racial equality and justice. Also, Facebook posts and Tweets showing solidarity? A call now for action: what it means to be a real ally amid demands for reform. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard: