SpaceX successfully conducted a test launch of its massive Starship rocket from its Starbase facility in Boca Chica this morning. We’ll hear from Gaige Davila of Texas Public Radio live from Brownsville.
The U.S. House voted overwhelmingly yesterday to ban TikTok, citing security concerns related to the Chinese-owned platform’s control of Americans’ data. The Standard’s Shelly Brisbin has been following the story, including where Texans in Congress stand.
And: Why a courthouse renovation is East Texas is dividing a community.
school
How Mexico supplanted China as the nation’s top trade partner
A shooting at one of the most famous megachurches in Texas, Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston, leaves one dead and a child in critical condition. We’ll have the latest.
For most of the past few decades, the title of “top trading partner to the U.S.” has belonged to China – but the U.S. Census Bureau reports that last year, the United States’ biggest trading partner was Mexico.
Civil rights groups have filed a federal complaint against Bonham ISD alleging disciplinary discrimination against Black and disabled students.
The latest on a mysterious listeria outbreak.
And Russian propagandists twisting the narrative over border standoff between the Biden administration and Gov. Greg Abbott.
Standoff between Texas and the feds continues over Rio Grande access
Tensions between Texas and the federal government intensify over Border Patrol access.
On the day after the release of the findings of a federal investigation into the 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, what we’re learning and what it could mean for accountability.
With the intensification of winter weather this week, how advocates for people experiencing homelessness are trying to shelter and care for Texans left out in the cold.
A sneak peek at the Super Bowl prospects for the Houston Texans, facing a big playoff challenge this weekend.
And we’ll have the week in politics with Matthew Watkins of the Texas Tribune.
Justice Department report on Uvalde shooting finds ‘critical failures’ in police response
After a review of thousands of videos and other evidence, the Justice Department has released its report on the Uvalde school shooting, finding “critical failures” by law enforcement before, during and after the attack.
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals strikes down much of a new Texas law that sought to restrict which books are available in school libraries.
Texas may soon be a hub for hydrogen fueling. The Standard’s Shelly Brisbin has more.
CinéWilde, which bills itself as the state’s only monthly LGBTQ film series, turns 10.
And: Remembering award-winning science fiction author Howard Waldrop.
Community colleges get a funding boost, but with some changes
Gov. Greg Abbott received a $6 million campaign contribution from an out-of-state mega donor and school voucher advocate. Investigative reporter Lauren McGaughy of the Texas Newsroom shares more.
The Texas Newsroom’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán has the latest on what appear to be endorsement wars among top Texas Republicans.
There’s a new funding formula for community colleges. What could the change add up to?
And commentator W.F. Strong reflects on influencers – both intentional and accidental.
As arctic front looms, how is the electric grid looking?
As Texas braces for a true blast of wintry weather, how much should we be worried about the power grid holding up? Mose Buchele of KUT in Austin is monitoring the power grid and joins us with the latest.
Federal funding cuts for special education could hit Texas hard.
Many Texans who are eligible for Medicaid aren’t signed up. Will Bostwick shares more on his reporting for Texas Monthly.
And: Remembering a musical British invasion of Texas more than a decade after the Beatles.
Is this the end of efforts to keep Fairfield Lake State Park public?
For the first time in modern memory, the Texas House is set to take up a school voucher-like plan.
How do you put a price tag on a state park? We’ll hear more about the challenges facing Texas Parks and Wildlife as it tries to reclaim parkland purchased by developers.
In a dramatic U-turn this week, China’s president appears to be trying to warm up to the U.S. Some clues as to why might be found in a new report from the Dallas Federal Reserve.
Also: What some forecasters are calling a “super El Niño” is coming soon to Texas.
Why is Texas’ Railroad Commission wading into school textbook policy?
New Texas schoolbooks are raising concerns about the long-term implications for attitudes about climate change.
The state-appointed board now running Houston’s independent school district is dealing with more than what’s happening in the classroom, but also struggling to regain trust.
Apple weighs in on a push to give consumers the right to repair their gadgets. What that means for a growing “right to repair” consumer movement.
Plus, plans to build a major energy plant on the Texas coast on hold after a court rules Texas regulators should have applied stricter emissions standards.
The Texas Standard team wants to know what you think about the Texas Standard podcast! Take the Texas Standard Podcast survey
The Texas discovery of a new, dog-sized dinosaur
After months of stalemate, are the Texas House and Senate finally making progress on school spending?
For millions of years, the bones of a tiny dinosaur lay undisturbed in what are now the shores of Lake Grapevine. We’ll learn about a new species.
El Paso residents are concerned about the growing number of high-speed chases in their city.
And: Are city parks set to decline? A new law could make it tougher for urban areas to procure parkland.
Emmitt Smith’s latest move is fighting opioid overdoses
Texas governor Greg Abbott’s prediction a school voucher bill would pass now looks unlikely as the latest special session winds down.
Legendary running back and three-time Super Bowl champ Emmitt Smith teams up with NARCAN to reduce opioid deaths.
How Texans cross into neighboring New Mexico for abortions. We’ll have a special report.
A Texas town’s long-lost photos go on display. What residents hope to learn about their past.
And how a notorious monster has helped generations of parents get children to behave – especially at bedtime. Kristin Cabrera explains the Cucuy.
Exploring the tale of the Chupacabra
A deal over school vouchers at the Legislature – or high political theatre? As Gov. Greg Abbott declares victory, others have their doubts. Sergio Martínez-Beltrán of The Texas Newsroom shares the latest.
You’ve heard of solar farms, but how well do animals share that land? Why agrivoltaic farms are popping up all over Texas.
And our spooky season isn’t over. The Texas Standard’s Kristen Cabrera explores the story of the arguable king of the Texas cryptids: the Chupacabra.
Celebrating a century of Texas state parks
Dozens of Texas school districts have sued to stop changes in the A-F grading system used to evaluate schools.
The manager of the state’s power grid is out with a new forecast for winter. How prepared is Texas for another statewide freeze like 2021?
Israel, Hamas and disinformation on social media: Tech expert Omar Gallaga joins us with more.
New numbers in the race for mayor of Texas’ biggest city.
And a new book written by longtime Texas conservationist George Bristol, “Texas State Parks: The First 100 Years,” tells the story of how the state’s parks began.
Lawmakers discuss school savings accounts
After unprecedented attacks over the weekend, Israel is at war with Hamas. Jeremi Suri of UT’s LBJ school with more on what to expect as fighting intensifies.
A big day at the state capitol as lawmakers are called back into session by the governor. On the table: school savings accounts, what critics call vouchers, that some fear will upend public school funding.
Texas mega ranches hitting the market at what appears to be a quickening pace.
Plus the would be restaurant rivals who formed what they call the Taco Mafia.
KUT Morning Newscast for October 3, 2023
KUT Morning Newscast for October 3, 2023. Eanes ISD looks to buy Teslas for new law enforcement. Austin Justice Collation shows frustration with police oversight hire. ECROT expanding energy reserves
What Texans need to know about the impending government shutdown
In six days, the federal government runs out of money. Can a shutdown be averted? What’s at stake if lawmakers can’t come up with a plan for short-term spending by Oct. 1.
In Fort Worth and Tarrant County, families are falling into homelessness as pandemic relief funding is running out.
Five things to know before federally guaranteed student loan payments resume next month.
A plan to close nearly 20% of San Antonio ISD’s schools is being pushed in the name of equity. Camille Phillips of Texas Public Radio takes a closer look.
Plus, a crisis for Texas Gulf Coast shrimpers.
Summer’s Over
The last official day for summer in 2023 is Sept. 23. Though the temperatures haven’t really changed that much yet, many are embracing the early signs of fall. That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.
San Antonio ISD could close as many as 17 schools
San Antonio ISD could close nearly one-fifth of its schools as it deals with aging buildings and falling enrollment. But it’s not just San Antonio – this reflects a larger challenge facing many school districts across Texas.
A mystery at the Tarrant County Appraisal District has led to an office shake-up that may leave some taxpayers holding the bag.
What’s happening to the Texas economy? The Standard’s Sean Saldana’s been getting some clues from the Dallas Fed’s new Beige Book entry.
And: What’s to become of Benito, a giraffe in a Juárez park at the center of a controversy?
A budding pipeline fight highlights activists’ changing tactics
What does the first day of Attorney General Ken Paxton’s historic impeachment trial tell us about what remains ahead? The Texas Newsroom’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán joins us from the Capitol with a recap.
We’ll hear the latest on a new fight over a natural gas pipeline in West Texas – and how new strategies by opponents of such development are getting traction.
Among the new laws now in effect in Texas is a requirement for those who want to run for county sheriff.
The sister of Botham Jean, who was killed in Dallas five years ago, has written a new memoir, “After Botham: Healing from my Brother’s Murder by a Police Officer.”
Plus an update on wildfire dangers statewide.
KUT Morning Newscast for August 30, 2023
Central Texas top stories for August 30, 2023. Critical fire conditions for central Texas. “Death Star” bill and what it means for Texas cities. Dripping Springs school safety work.
A New Teacher’s First Week at School
The new school year typically focuses a bunch on the students. But this Typewriter Rodeo poem takes the perspective of an educator.