As Texas lawmakers return home, what are the big takeaways from six weeks of overtime at the Capitol? We’ll take a closer look at what happened – and what didn’t.
Why some think Collin County could become one of the nation’s most highly contested political battlegrounds.
Antone’s, known as Austin’s home of the blues, celebrates its 50th birthday with a new box set with deep Texas ties.
Plus: A recap of the week in politics with The Texas Tribune.
Special Session
New state law will give farmers a heads-up on pests and diseases
The fight over redistricting has shifted from the Capitol to the courthouse, but plenty of serious work is still on the table when legislators return to their offices Tuesday. The Texas Newsroom’s Blaise Gainey joins with a look at what’s left on the agenda.
A new law in effect today creates a statewide alert system for pests and diseases that affect plants and wildlife. The Standard’s Michael Marks has the story.
And: The Standard continues celebrating 10 years on the air with a look back at some memorable animal stories.
Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.
You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org
KUT Morning Newscast for August 25, 2025: Deadlines to apply for financial assistance after the July floods are approaching
Central Texas top stories for August 25, 2025. A new lawsuit was filed right after the Texas Senate approved a new congressional map. The deadline for people affected by the July floods to apply for federal assistance is quickly approaching. We had a cooler than usual summer, we’ll explain why. Cheer Up Charlies is saved by community donations once more.
A Texas firm tackles space junk
After national headlines and a pledge from California to offset Texas’ redistricting plans, the walkout by Texas House Democrats is over. Blaise Gainey of The Texas Newsroom has the latest on the Dems’ return to Austin and what comes next.
Old satellites, tools, even food wrappers: Space debris is piling up. Now, a Texas company’s recycling initiative has NASA’s attention.
A new fight is emerging over the sale in Texas of kratom, an herbal supplement with opioid-like effects often found for sale at convenience stores.
And: A UT Austin-led team has discovered the oldest, most distant black hole yet – 13.3 billion years old.
Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.
You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org
Tesla’s robotaxi plans shift into gear
Blaise Gainey of The Texas Newsroom joins the show with a live update from the Capitol as the Legislature’s first special session ends amid a Democratic walkout.
After flooding and a historically wet July, new concerns about water levels dropping.
As students return to the classroom, more and more schools are being shuttered. The Standard’s Zachary Suri examines the long-term impact in Austin.
Tesla now has a permit to offer ride-hailing in Texas through next August. The company’s been testing robotaxis in Austin since June, and Elon Musk says “open access” is coming soon.
KUT Morning Newscast for August 14, 2025: The investigation into the Leander ISD bus rollover continues
Central Texas top stories for August 14, 2025. After hours of public testimony and debate, the Austin City Council decided to hold off on adopting next year’s budget. School in Leander ISD will be in session as usual today after a school bus rolled over yesterday. After Monday’s fatal shooting at a North Austin Target, advocates are highlighting the need to restrict firearms through “red flag laws.” Tomorrow is the last the of the Texas Legislature’s current special session, but lawmakers will be called back into another special session the same day. More Central Texas school districts are going back to class today.
Virtual public school enrollment surges
Gov. Greg Abbott threatens a concurrent second special session with a Democratic walkout still underway. Is there any end in sight?
Details from a new release of materials withheld by Uvalde County and the Uvalde school district in the wake of the 2022 Robb Elementary school shooting.
What’s behind a massive growth in virtual schooling in Texas?
W.F. Strong meditates on what welcomes Texans back home after a long time away.
And: The scene at Voz de la Paloma, a women’s mariachi competition in honor of a San Antonio ranchera icon.
Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.
You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org
Kerr County emergency officials were sleeping when flood hit July 4
Why weren’t Hill Country communities alerted as a deadly wall of water roared down the Guadalupe on the weekend of July 4th? In their first public testimony on the floods, top emergency officials in Kerr County said they were away or asleep.
Voting the old-fashioned way? A return to hand-marked ballots in Collin County is part of a change sweeping Texas and other parts of the country.
Red-crowned Amazons squawk through summer nights in Brownsville – and they’ve been the city’s official bird since 1992.
Plus: An update on a major scramble to defend Texas from a devastating invader, the New World Screwworm.
Food banks struggle to meet rising demand
What we’re now learning about what happened – and what didn’t – before the Hill Country floods. Investigative reporter Lauren McGaughy has the details.
Plus: Flood survivors are asking lawmakers meeting in special session right now to tap the state’s $24 billion rainy day fund to help them meet their immediate needs.
Even without a pandemic, Texas food banks are facing shortages and surging need. The CEO of Feeding Texas joins us to talk about what’s driving the crisis.
Funds for adult education were first put on hold, then released – but there’s a big asterisk. The Standard’s Sarah Asch on a policy change that could affect adult ed.
Plus: Texas Monthly barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn dishes on his latest list of the top BBQ 50 spots in the state.
Black farmers in East Texas feel the sting of DEI cuts
A peek into the week ahead for the Texas Legislature’s special session: We’ll hear the latest on a much-talked-about possible walkout by Democrats.
A plan to relieve congestion in Austin was approved by voters years ago – but so far, there’s not much to show for it. Is Project Connect off the rails?
The rollback of USDA diversity programs is impacting East Texas, which is home to more Black farmers than anywhere else in the U.S.
Plus: A big deadline for tariffs with Mexico on the table. If a deal can’t be reached by Aug. 1, what could that mean for Texas?
KUT Morning Newscast for July 25, 2025: Austin is dedicating more money to preventing and responding hate crimes
Central Texas top stories for July 25, 2025. The Texas state legislature kicked off a series of hearings on redistricting; advocates and elected officials held a rally outside the Capitol. Austin is dedicating more money to preventing and responding hate crimes. A new hotel and convention center is coming to Austin near the Circuit of the Americas track. A gas rate increase was postponed by Austin City Council. Lake Travis is open once more. Residents look for sentimental items among the debris from the flood of the July 5th weekend.
KUT Morning Newscast for July 24, 2025: UT Austin is asking some students for proof of “lawful presence.” Advocates worry this could have ripple effects.
Central Texas top stories for July 24, 2025. The Texas House and Senate’s new special committees on flood relief and preparedness met for the first time yesterday. Austin’s city council could vote today on a measure aimed at addressing a critical shortage of air traffic controllers at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. UT Austin is asking certain students to show proof of quote “lawful presence” by today. Tomorrow is the last day to volunteer with flood recovery through Travis County’s Volunteer Reception Center.
KUT Morning Newscast for July 22, 2025: Texas lawmakers kicked off a special legislative session yesterday, redistricting is on the table
Central Texas top stories for July 22, 2025. Texas lawmakers kicked off a special legislative session yesterday, here’s what you need to know. The number of people missing after deadly floods in Texas dropped dramatically over the weekend, here’s why. Activists in Kyle are calling on City officials to get rid of license plate readers.
Texas lawmakers begin special session focused on floods, maps
Lawmakers recently ended a regular session of the Texas Legislature, but on this Monday, they’re back. They call it a special session: 30 days to complete a long list of action items including a response to the Hill Country flooding, the regulation of THC consumables, and a rare mid-decade push for redistricting that has some Democrats complaining the fix is in for next year’s midterms.
A hold on billions of education dollars sends Texas public school administrators scrambling.
Also, European sanctions against Russia’s oil industry – will there be ripple effects in Texas?
And this week in Texas music history.
Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.
You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org
KUT Morning Newscast for July 21, 2025: Texas Gas Service wants to raise Austin’s rates for the third time in the last year
Central Texas top stories for July 21, 2025. Texas lawmakers start a 30-day special session today, among the items on the list are redistricting, disaster relief and preparedness. Texas Gas Service, the for-profit utility that supplies Austin homes and businesses with natural gas, has announced plans to increase gas rates by almost ten percent on average. Hays County is set to continue building new roads even after a judge ruled killed a bond passed by voters in November. There’s a new Disaster Recovery Center in Burnet for people affected by floods earlier this month.
Conspiracy theorists said ‘cloud seeding’ caused the Texas floods. It did not.
Online rumors are blaming cloud seeding for the deadly Texas floods, even though the science doesn’t support it.
Along with flood recovery and THC regulation, Texas lawmakers are tasked with redrawing congressional districts in their special session. The connection to racial gerrymandering.
Volunteers and rescue workers have descended on the Hill Country to help with flood recovery – and unfortunately, so have scammers. What experts say everyone needs to know.
The impact of recent budget cuts on mental health programs in schools.
And: Robert Earl Keen is going to headline a concert to benefit flood recovery. Our conversation with him on the star-studded lineup and why he says he was compelled to act so quickly.
In wake of Hill Country floods, how to talk to kids about tragedy
A week after the Hill Country floods, the president and first lady will visit Kerr County as the search for the missing continues and storms are in the forecast for the weekend.
Talking to kids about tragedy: A Dallas-based pediatric psychologist on how to deal with their questions and their anxieties.
Gov. Greg Abbott has added flood response to the call for the upcoming special session of the Legislature, along with another new item – mid-decade redistricting.
Plus: The week in Texas politics with The Texas Tribune.
Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.
You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org
KUT Morning Newscast for July 11, 2025: Cedar Park residents hold a vigil for the flood victims from the Austin area
Central Texas top stories for July 11, 2025. Texas House and Senate established flood and disaster committees ahead of the special session. Cedar Park residents held a vigil to honor the lives lost in the Austin area floods last week. The Central Texas Food Bank opened satellite sites to help those affected by flooding. Education advocates are relieved several changes to a federal student aid program did not make it in the final version President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill.”
Processing the range of emotions surrounding Hill Country flood tragedy
The Texas Newsroom finds that responders to the Hill Country floods called for a public alert early Friday, a warning some say came hours too late.
The upcoming special session of the Legislature, which originally looked like it would focus on regulating THC, now includes several emergency preparedness topics.
And: Gillian Rodriguez with the Texas Counseling Association in the Hill Country has been pulling together resources to help fellow Texans process the range of emotions surrounding the devastating flooding.
Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.
You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org
Senate GOP primary brawl could open a door for Democrats
Gov. Greg Abbott’s last-minute veto of a proposed ban on THC-derived products has opened a rift with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the powerful leader of the Texas Senate who championed the ban.
More autonomous vehicles are now on Austin streets – and these Tesla robotaxis are a little harder to spot than their Waymo counterparts.
Some Texans are finding relief from high grocery prices on the other side of the border.
License plate readers have become popular with police departments around the state, but many folks have concerns about privacy. What we learned from a Houston investigation.
And: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is looking to unseat U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in 2026 – and the bruising primary may offer Democrats a rare shot at flipping a Texas Senate seat.