State of the Union

Thoughts on being a woman in Texas this International Women’s Day

Two veteran Texas-based politics watchers offer their analysis of Joe Biden’s State of the Union address.
What’s it like being a woman in Texas right now? We’ll hear voices of Texas women from across the state answering that question on this International Women’s Day.
South by Southwest is getting underway in Austin. Freelance journalist and documentary filmmaker Karen Bernstein joins with a film preview, while taco journalist Mando Rayo has tips on what to look for and what to avoid on the taco front.
Plus: The week in politics with The Texas Tribune.

KUT Afternoon Newscast for January 25, 2024

Central Texas top stories for January 25, 2024. Drought conditions after heavy rains. Jacobs well started flowing again. Kate Cox will be a guest at President Biden’s State of the Union address. Austin City Council calls for more transparency in hiring. Jonestown becomes Central Texas’ latest dark sky community. McKalla station set to open in time for Austin FC’s season opener.

Grammys So Black

Confucius and Fresh Interview Austin hip-hop artist Vintage Jay about his upcoming album and his other projects. Then they discuss the recent Grammy Awards, which featured a celebration of 50 years of hip-hop.

You’ll learn Hip-Hop Facts about the connection between Kanye’s song “Big Brother” and Prince, how Jay-Z ended up on Joe Budden’s “Pump it Up” Remix, why 50 Cent once played the Delco Center in Austin, and more.

Fresh states the Unpopular Opinion that concerts, as we know them, may be winding down.

Confucius talks about the upcoming Super Bowl, Biden’s State of the Union address and the recent ice storm in Austin in Confucius Reads the News.

 

How Austin has changed

Last night’s State of the Union touched on immigration, inflation, gun violence and other issues. Richard Pineda of the University of Texas at El Paso joins us with analysis of the annual message by the president to Congress.

A legal challenge to an abortion drug and a possible decision from a federal judge in Amarillo that could come as early as this week, with potential implications nationwide.

Wage gains for migrants filling jobs in the U.S. and why a visa program for seasonal workers may not be working for U.S. employers.

And author Lawrence Wright on the astonishing transformation of the Texas capital city.

How are Texas ranchers dealing with a hay shortage?

Two prominent scholars weigh in on what Texans should be listening for in tonight’s State of the Union address.

School vouchers or something quite similar promise to play a big role in the Texas legislative session now underway.

After a drought and ice storms, many Texas ranchers are facing a hay shortage and are fighting rising prices and scrambling for alternatives.

And a case from Texas 20 years ago that had ripple effects nationwide: our conversation with Wesley Phelps, the author of “Before Lawrence v. Texas: The Making of a Queer Social Movement.”

Texas Standard: March 02, 2022

Abbott vs. O’Rourke, that much was expected, but some key races hang in the balance. The race for attorney general and a big test for Progressives in South Texas appear headed for runoffs. Also what, if anything, the first in the nation’s primaries may tell us about the midterms this November. Those stories and much more on a special post-primary day edition of the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: February 6, 2019

The State of the State and the State of the Union: after speeches by Governor Abbott and President Trump, what happens next? Governor Abbott issues what he calls emergency items for Texas lawmakers and President Trump calls for unity but presses for a hard line on the border, we’ll take a closer look. Also a maquiladora walkout ends with a surprise victory for labor, and a democrat seeking the White House says paychecks aren’t keeping up with inflation: a Politifact check and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: January 17, 2019

A proposal to put off the state of the union: a break with tradition, or perhaps a return to one? We’ll take a look at the history with historian Jeremi Suri. Also, what’s being done to keep guns out of the hands of those convicted of domestic violence? We’ll take a look. And the green new deal: some see it as radical, why the Houston Chronicle claims it’s a natural for Texas. Plus, how much do you like eggs? If you’re Instagram, more than 40 million times, at last count. What a viral sensation tells us about the state of social media. All of that and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: January 31, 2018

How was President Trump’s first State of the Union? You might not be surprised that it depends on who you ask. We’ll have a Texas perspective. Also the Texas Rangers are getting involved in an investigation into a US Gymnastics team facility outside of Huntsville, we’ll have the latest. And Houston consistently sits towards the top of lists of worst traffic cities in the US. A look at how Space City’s highways came about and how they re-shaped communities. Plus, what happens when local lawmakers disagree with a Texas mandate? We’ll explore. We’ll also head to Waco to visit a new Arts facility, and we’ll take the red pencil to a recent claim by a man hoping to be the state’s next governor. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: January 12, 2016

Texas set to announce a crack down on 21st century slavery. We’ll meet the woman in charge and why she’s doing it. Also the Houston based head of one of the nation’s most notorious biker gangs convinces a judge he’s no flight risk: why federal officials have set their sights on the Bandidos. And what’s killing the lights over and over outside Houston? A Texas teenager named to Forbes 30 under 30 and his invention inspired by the BP oil spill. Plus the white house promises an out of the ordinary state of the union…how far could they go? Those stories and much more today on the Texas standard: