We’ll have the latest details the 400-acre Hudson Fire in Bastrop County, which has prompted the voluntary evacuation of about 65 homes.
On this day before elections, what we’re hearing about early turnout numbers.
Twenty-six states, including California, have citizen-led ballot initiatives – but Texas doesn’t. The Standard’s Sarah Asch brings us the history of a political tug-of-war.
Also: What comes next for death row inmate Robert Roberson and how his case may be affecting attitudes in Texas toward the death penalty.
Religion
Brazos County voters to decide whether livestock should roam free or be fenced in
Why Texas billionaires are spending big on judicial races with flashy political ads.
Some religious leaders touch on political issues – but how does this align with U.S. tax rules and the separation of church and state?
A new book from political science professor John Domino explores the history of privacy laws in Texas and what they mean today.
Texas Monthly’s barbecue editor toured the country searching for the best BBQ – and it turns out he didn’t have to roam far from home.
Should livestock in Texas be allowed to roam free, or do they need to be fenced in? Voters in Brazos County will decide.
West Texas town dealing with insect invasion
Why an arrangement to care for an aging millionaire is raising questions about a Texas Supreme Court Justice and state ethics rules.
More and more college-age students are steering clear of campus life and turning to “microcredentials” as a path to employment.
We’re talking with Nico Lang, author of “American Teenager,” a new book on growing up LGBTQ+ in modern America.
Also: Why red flour beetles have taken over the town of Socorro, just southeast of El Paso, and what’s being done to deal with an unprecedented infestation.
A North Texas city has paused all new development
Princeton, a Dallas suburb, has quadrupled in population since 2010. Recently, city leaders paused all new residential development to let infrastructure catch up.
The latest in our series on the intersection of religion and politics: students from two schools in Abilene with a diversity of perspectives and a strong desire to bridge the political divide.
A standoff is brewing between Southwest Airlines and the San Antonio International Airport over terminal expansion plans.
Also: exploring Houston’s role in the renewable energy transition – the focus of a new podcast premiering today.
Proposed school curriculum with Bible stories nears vote
A possible government shutdown looming with an Oct. 1 deadline. With the backdrop of elections, how might this story unfold? UT-Austin political science professor Sean Theriault talks about a perennial issue of government funding and where its headed.
Bible stories in the classroom? The Texas Education Agency is getting a lot of feedback and blowback over a new curriculum.
Mando Rayo of the Tacos of Texas podcast introduces us to a James Beard award winner in the Rio Grande Valley named the best chef in Texas.
This Hispanic Heritage Month, a look at some of the artists shaping the sounds of Texas.
Also, the week in politics, Typewriter Rodeo and more.
Hindu voters in Texas weigh in as political ties grow stronger
New questions about Attorney General Ken Paxton and his properties not disclosed in financial statements. Investigative reporter Lauren McGaughy of The Texas Newsroom with more on what she’s found looking into the property disclosures of the state’s top lawyer.
State lawmakers hear testimony about the investigation into what caused the largest wildfire in Texas history earlier this year.
Also, the rising political power of Texas’ growing Hindu community in our series on the intersection of religion and politics, the NFL’s Houston Texans surprising the doubters, and much more.
Palestine fights Union Pacific’s move to leave town despite 1872 contract
Defense attorneys for the Walmart mass shooter, who’s already sentenced to life in prison, are asking for the court to take the death penalty off the table or drop the charges altogether due to alleged prosecutorial misconduct.
As we move closer to Election Day, The Texas Newsroom is exploring the role of religion in politics.
And: The city of Palestine, once a booming railroad town, is in a legal battle with Union Pacific to enforce an 1872 contract that promised the railroad company would stay “forever.”
KUT Morning Newscast for September 11, 2024
Central Texas top stories for September 11, 2024. State officials are considering whether to approve a new reading curriculum for elementary school students that includes Bible stories. Rent prices in Austin have continued to fall, even as rents in other large cities are going up. A mosquito infected with West Nile Virus was found in San Marcos last week, the mosquito season continues. Officials are honoring firefighters who were part of 9/11 rescue teams.
Simone Talma Flowers
In the last episode of Season 2 of Black Austin Matters Lisa and Rich talk all things Trinidadian with Executive Director of iACT Simone Talma Flowers. She shares her experiences growing up in Trinidad, what faith means to her and some of her favorite recipes.
KUT Morning Newscast for September 19, 2023
Central Texas top stories for September 19, 2023. Georgetown ISD votes to let Chaplains volunteer at schools. Austin wins a 4 million dollar grant for a reuse warehouse. Texas has the most uninsured people in the country.
KUT Morning Newscast for September 18, 2023
Central Texas top stories for September 18, 2023. Ken Paxton’s trial ends and is acquitted. Austin ISD to take vote on special education plan. Georgetown school board discusses if Chaplins can be school councilors.
Texas is God’s Country
“Everything’s bigger in Texas” may be one of the most famous sayings about Texas. “Don’t mess with Texas” probably comes in a close second.
Texas Standard commentator WF Strong has been looking into another well-known saying about Texas.
Diaspora Network’s worship service represents nationwide shift in church demographics
We’re tracking Tropical Storm Harold, which is set to bring considerable rain and wind to large parts of South Texas. Meteorologist Matt Lanza of Space City Weather join us with the latest.
House managers preparing for the impeachment trial of Ken Paxton have published nearly 4,000 pages of documents as the Senate gets set to decide the fate of the currently suspended attorney general.
And though polls show more people turning away from organized religion, many migrants in Texas are forming communities around churches.
Porosity vs. Meditation
“Porosity” is a term developed by anthropologist Tanya Marie Luhrmann and psychology researcher Kara Weisman, to help understand the root of religious and spiritual beliefs. They argue that at the heart is the concept of a porous boundary between mind and world and that people in all human societies have conflicting intuitions about this boundary.
Here at Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy find this concept interesting and thought we would spend a little time, not only understanding it, but also complicating it, and asking, “what’s the difference between the concept of porosity and meditation?”
In this third and final episode in our three-part series on porosity, we dig into the mind-body connection.
Porosity Complicated
Last week’s episode focused on the concept of “porosity” a term developed by anthropologist Tanya Marie Luhrmann and psychology researcher Kara Weisman, to help understand the root of religious and spiritual beliefs. They argue that at the heart is the concept of a porous boundary between mind and world and that people in all human societies have conflicting intuitions about this boundary.
Here at Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy find this concept interesting and thought we would spend a little time, not only understanding it but complicating it.
In this second in our three-part series on porosity we ask a few questions about how it manifests in our daily lives and why we should care.
“Porosity is The Heart of Religion”
Porosity
When attempting to understand the root of religious and spiritual beliefs, anthropologist Tanya Marie Luhrmann and psychology researcher Kara Weisman argue that at the heart is the concept of a porous boundary between mind and world and that people in all human societies have conflicting intuitions about this boundary.
In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, and Dr. Bob Duke, map out this concept of porosity.
“Porosity is The Heart of Religion”
Texas Standard: June 14, 2022
A June heatwave across Texas testing the limits of our power grid and shattering records statewide. Any relief in sight? We’ll take a closer look. Other stories we’re tracking: with more Supreme Court opinions expected to be issued tomorrow, what a pre-Roe Texas might tells us about what could happen should the high court reverse its landmark abortion rulings. Also, the Texas Standard’s Alexa Hart reports on what’s compelled so many Texans to put their lives on hold and travel hours to visit Uvalde. And the north Texas church denied approval to appoint two pastors who identify as LGBTQ, but the church appointed them anyway. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: May 24, 2022
An explosive third party report on sexual abuse in the Southern Baptist Church. The new report on the scope and scale and coverup of sexual abuse in the Southern Baptist church confirms the findings of an 2019 investigation by two Texas papers, the Houston Chronicle and the San Antonio Express news. So what comes next for churches and congregants? Our conversation with the lead reporter on the story at the Chronicle. Also GOP lawmakers in Texas issue a warning to companies offering to cover expenses for employees seeking an abortion in other states. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: November 22, 2021
After earnest promises to fix the grid after last winters statewide blackouts, is Texas better prepared for the next winter storm? A new report offers answers, we’ll explore. Also Dallas and Houston among the top destinations in the U.S. for holiday travelers who are hitting the road this week despite a spike in gasoline prices. But but there may be some good news on the horizon. We’ll have the latest. Plus if you’re planning on taking the plane, how concerned are you about air rage? We’ll meet a scholar who says buckle up, there may be more turbulence in the passenger section. And a Thanksgiving feast stuffed into a single bag of candy corn? All that and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: November 10, 2021
Executions in Texas have halted while courts resolve whether Texas prisoners can have a spiritual advisor touch them as they’re being put to death. We’ll have the latest on the arguments in D.C. Plus, what went wrong at AstroWorld? A crowd safety expert gives us his thoughts on avoiding future catastrophes. And a steel house on the staked plains. It could be yours, for the right price. All that and more today on the Texas Standard: