Central Texas top stories for April 22, 2024. Early voting began today. The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments today on a case that could change policies banning behavior related to homelessness in Austin. Construction is kicking off inside Austin-Bergstrom International Airport as part of a quarter-billion-dollar expansion of the Barbara Jordan Terminal. The City of Austin wants to raise awareness about the threat of drink spiking. Gas prices level off. Austin FC won in Houston on Saturday.
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KUT Morning Newscast for April 22, 2024
Central Texas top stories for April 22, 2024. A Travis County resident is attempting to remove District Attorney José Garza from office. Early voting starts today in the May fourth local elections. Elgin ISD’s $375 million bond package. The US Supreme Court will hear arguments this week on a case that could change policies banning behavior related to homelessness in Austin. A lawsuit alleges Travis County’s taxing hospital district Central Health has improperly provided money to Dell Medical School since 2014. The City of Austin is looking into how to close the $3.8 million gap in their budget.
Texas Eclipse Festival attendees with disabilities describe treacherous conditions
Landowners in southeast Texas say they should be able to sue the state over their flooded property, and the U.S. Supreme Court agrees. People in Winnie, Texas, say their land only started to flood after the state rebuilt part of nearby Interstate 10. Now, they can seek compensation for the damages.
Live music seems more expensive, but are musicians getting paid more? Not really. We’ll talk to someone trying to change that.
And the attorney general crusades against a media outlet on behalf of Elon Musk.
Austin to be hit as Tesla announces 14,000 layoffs
Are protest organizers responsible if a participant breaks the law? A court decision could have a chilling effect.
A new report on maternal health shows Black Texans are much more likely to die after giving birth than their white counterparts.
What layoffs at Tesla mean for jobs in Texas and the EV car market.
The Houston Dash celebrates a decade of women’s pro soccer. How the team and the league have grown over the years.
And: We’ll talk to comedian Jeff Hiller, who’s returning to his home state of Texas for the Moontower Comedy Festival.
An Indigenous perspective on the solar eclipse from a traditional healer
In a long-running securities fraud case against Ken Paxton, a deal has been reached that will let the attorney general avoid trial or an admission of guilt.
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments today in what could be the most important case on reproductive rights since the Dobbs decision, this time on access to medication abortion.
Autonomous vehicles are getting a lot of bad press. Could smart roads pave the way to self-driving cars and trucks? A smart highway in Texas may put that to the test.
Marika Alvarado, who describes herself as a “direct descendant of generations of Medicine Women: traditional native healers of body, midwives and plant medicine,” shares her Indigenous perspective on the solar eclipse.
And: A UT San Antonio professor has dubbed the upcoming eclipse “the most profitable 22 minutes in Texas history.” Bulent Temel joins the show with more.
The latest on Senate Bill 4, which puts immigration enforcement in the state’s hands
The on-again, off-again hold on Texas’ controversial SB 4 immigration law is now back on, hours after the Supreme Court’s temporary green light. Stephen Vladeck of UT Law joins with the latest.
The Supreme Court will hear arguments today in a Texas case that has its roots in small-town petty politics. But it could have implications for the future of free speech and what’s known as qualified immunity.
Plus: revelations from an investigation into what really happened the night of a fire that killed 40 people at a migrant detention center in Juárez almost one year ago.
The Rio Grande is getting saltier. What’s that mean for agriculture?
The U.S. Supreme Court will weigh in on SB4, the controversial Texas law that allows state and local police to arrest and prosecute migrants who enter the state, after delaying implementation of the law last week.
A lack of medical insurance and access to treatment is making life in rural Texas tougher than many might imagine.
Energy insider Matt Smith has the latest on rising gas prices as many Texans hit the road for Spring Break.
The Rio Grande, the body of water that outlines the border between Texas and Mexico, is becoming saltier – affecting people, farmland and livestock on both sides of the border.
And: Amid a statewide teacher shortage, one Central Texas school district is trying to turn things around by creating its own pipeline of new recruits.
UTEP scientists spot bird not seen in decades
A unanimous decision from the U.S. Supreme Court reverses a challenge to Donald Trump’s eligibility to remain on primary ballots, just ahead of Super Tuesday.
The Texas Newsroom’s Rachel Osier Lindley shares an update on wildfires in the Texas Panhandle, where the biggest blaze in state history is only 15% contained.
We’ll have more on some key races to watch, from Abilene to Dallas County, as Texans prepare to go to the polls tomorrow.
And: The yellow-crested helmetshrike, a bird long feared extinct, was discovered by a team of scientists from the University of Texas at El Paso on an expedition to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The state’s only sugar mill is closing. What’s next for sugar cane farmers?
New laws – one from Texas – to regulate platforms like Facebook and TikTok are getting Supreme Court scrutiny today, with potentially profound implications.
Years of drought have devastated sugar growers in South Texas – so much so that the state’s only sugar mill is closing.
Austin’s I-35, the spine of the region’s roadway grid, is about to undergo the largest expansion since the highway opened in 1962. Nathan Bernier joins with a drill down into what it means.
And: We’ll learn about a device that can help blind and low-vision people experience the eclipse.
State has seen rise in teen births since abortion ban was enacted
After Donald Trump’s win in the New Hampshire primary, what are the implications and ripple effects as Texas’ primary day approaches?
The Republican Party of Denton County has issued a resolution calling for Brent Hagenbuch to drop out of race for District 30 of the Texas Senate. At issue: allegations that Hagenbuch doesn’t live in the district.
A federal appeals court has given a second chance to Mexico’s $10 billion lawsuit against gun manufacturers, one of the biggest potential setbacks for gun manufacturers in recent memory.
A new study from the University of Houston finds a rise in teen birth rates a year after Texas’ six-week abortion ban went into effect.
And: Analysis of the Supreme Court’s ruling on razor wire at the border.
Supreme Court case pits Texas rancher against TxDOT’s highway renovations
A senior meteorologist with the National Weather Service offers a peek at what’s to come as much of Texas remains blanketed by bitter cold.
On South Padre Island, there’s a mission to rescue hundreds of sea turtles stunned by the cold.
A Houston-area rancher says his land is prone to serious floods because of renovations to Interstate 10, and he wants compensation from the state. Arguments are set for today before the U.S. Supreme Court.
A growing standoff between Texas and the federal government continues as the White House accuses Gov. Greg Abbott of blocking Border Patrol access, resulting in the drowning of three migrants.
We’re talking to state lawmaker Judith Zaffirini, the first woman to hold the role of dean of the Texas Senate.
And: re-examining the legacy of the space shuttle with astronaut and spacewalker Tom Jones.
Everything you need to know about cedar fever
Arguments are set for today in a challenge to Texas’ near-total abortion ban. Eleanor Klibanoff of the Texas Tribune with more about a major abortion case before the state Supreme Court.
A securities case before the U.S. Supreme Court could destroy the U.S. government, according to some critics. We’ll try to sort the hyperbole from the facts.
A Texas-based international relations expert weighs in with more on the extended ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
They call it cedar fever season – only there’s no fever, and for some, the suffering lasts more than a season. Top tips for dealing with a Texas scourge.
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Tracing the foodways of Black Seminoles
The Supreme Court finally has its own ethics code for justices following a series of scandals – including a Texas billionaire showering gifts on Justice Clarence Thomas. Will this new code of conduct make a difference?
Bison once ruled the Great Plains of North America before being hunted almost to extinction. We’ll hear about how Indigenous people in Texas are supporting their slow rebound.
For descendants of Black Seminoles – a group whose members included former slaves and the Seminole native people – finding foodways through Texas and Mexico takes care and intention.
And: Colleges can no longer use race as a determining factor in admissions, thanks to a Supreme Court decision earlier this year. What’s the upshot? It may surprise you.
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What’s next after Cruise suspends self-driving cars in Texas?
Several of the biggest cases before the Supreme Court this term originated in Texas, including United States v. Rahimi, which centers around the constitutionality of prohibiting people under domestic violence restraining orders from possessing guns.
There are growing concerns about near misses at airports – and the Austin airport in particular is drawing a lot of attention.
The driverless taxi company Cruise suspended its service in Texas and elsewhere, pending a review of accidents. What’s next in the driverless car space?
Plus a conversation with a musician many consider the original queen of outlaw country: Jessi Colter discusses her 13th studio album, “Edge of Forever.”
We’re tracking Texas cryptids all October
From guns to religion, free speech and more, a very loaded docket awaits the Supreme Court as it begins a new term.
Why a race for Houston’s top financial officer is getting so much attention.
A plan to consolidate schools in San Antonio could leave behind almost 20 empty buildings – and the district needs to figure out what to do with them.
As the dollar strengthens, other currencies weaken. But there’s a notable outlier: We’ll look at why the Mexican peso seems to be doing so well.
Also, as the spookiest month of the year gets started, a look at why Texas is so full of mysterious creatures unconfirmed by science.
Workers rally to fight state bill ending water breaks
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.
How to keep yourself and your pets safe this Fourth of July
Texas prison heat is an issue we’ve highlighted on this program for years. Why it’s not being solved quickly.
Abortion access is one of the top political issues in Texas. So how did state lawmakers manage to quietly pass a bill clarifying exceptions to the ban?
On the eve of July Fourth, we’ll give you a checklist to run through to make sure people, pets and property are all well taken care of.
And how the Supreme Court’s latest ruling on affirmative action will impact the processes at some Texas colleges and universities.
What the Supreme Court’s ruling on student loans means for Texans
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.
New law will allow chaplains in Texas public schools
The Supreme Court just struck down two race-based university admissions programs. What does it mean for Texas?
Even though Texas lawmakers knew federal money was on the way for expanding high-speed Internet access across the state, they decided to also implement their own program. A look at why.
A new podcast takes a deep dive into the decisions that have made Austin such an expensive place to live – and one where people of color were systematically pushed out.
And a new Texas law set to go into effect will allow public schools to have volunteer chaplains or even to hire them as part of the staff. We’ll hear the argument against the law.
Musician Amanda Shires on her collaboration with Bobbie Nelson
Hundreds of nurses are on a one-day strike in Austin, in what’s expected to be the largest nurses’ strike in Texas history.
Texans know summer heat, but these temperatures can be dangerous. A doctor shares important information on protecting yourself and others.
Residents living in colonias on the border who lack clean, safe drinking water say they’re the target of predatory practices.
And musician Amanda Shires on her new album “Loving You,” a collaboration with the the late great Bobbie Nelson.