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KUT and KUTX news and music podcasts for Austin, Texas and beyond

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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.

On a mission with Chef Ana Liz Pulido

Let’s talk with Ana Liz Pulido, winner of Best Chef – Texas, on how she went from a small town, Mission, TX to the national stage of the James Beard Foundation.

You had me at Queso

Let’s take a melty, gooey trip into what we know as queso, chile con queso, con queso or for you phonetically abled chip eaters, keso. Guest is Nadia Chaudhury – editor of Eater Austin.

Trailer: Tacos of Texas Season 4

Tacos of Texas is back on August 20th. With Season 4, we’re taking the taco studio on the road to 3 markets in Texas and talk to locals about the food and the culture in their own communities. You’ll hear about the history of Vaqueros and Breakfast Tacos, learn about HEB’s road to Mi Tienda, meet James Beard award-winning chef Ana Liz Pulido, and more.

What VP Kamala Harris said at her Houston stop

The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee comes to Houston talking teachers, Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Andrew Schneider of Houston Public Media was at Kamala Harris’s speech to the American Federation of Teachers. We’ll hear what she had to say in her sprint toward the convention and Election Day.
How El Paso could teach the rest of Texas a thing or two about the future of managing water.
In the Panhandle, a federal plan to expand a wildlife refuge tenfold. Not everyone’s happy about it, either.
Corn or flour? Taco journalist Mando Rayo on some choices we Texans must face.
Plus, the week in politics with the Texas Tribune and poetry from Typewriter Rodeo.

What to know about sunscreen this summer

The Supreme Court has dismissed a closely watched abortion case, paving the way for doctors to perform emergency abortions in Idaho.
How a tunnel system in Houston contributes to flooding – and the bipartisan effort to fix it.
We’ll have the latest from Consumer Reports on their sunscreen findings, from SPF ratings to new ingredients.
Women at a Texas prison allege they and others are suffering abuse at the hands of one guard. Texas Public Radio investigates.
Plus: Netflix House is coming to Dallas, and tech expert Omar Gallaga has the details on what to expect from the immersive experience.

With the eclipse days away, this small city is more prepared than most

A plan will cap co-pays for state subsidized child care – how much of a difference will it make in stemming a childcare crisis?
On Wednesday, a federal appeals court heard the latest arguments over SB 4, Texas’ controversial new immigration enforcement law. In the meantime, where does the legal back-and-forth leave migrants?
Ennis, a North Texas town that attracts 100,000 visitors each April to see its bluebonnets, has an extra draw for tourists this year: It’s in the eclipse’s path of totality.
And: Why the Judd Foundation, named for Marfa’s most famous modern artist, is taking on Kim Kardashian in court.

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.

Why El Paso Mexican food hits different

There’s a six-way race in Houston for the Democratic bid to represent part of the city in the Texas Senate. We’ll look at how it’s shaping up.

A case involving a Navy SEAL is testing a Pentagon policy designed to keep extremists out of the military.

Change is coming to a corridor in the Texas Hill Country known for its wineries. Why it could just be the beginning of more development.

Megan Thee Stallion’s new single, “Hiss,” is her first solo track to debut at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It’s also being received as a “diss” track.

And: El Paso, with its proximity to New Mexico, does Mexican food a bit different. We’ll hear about some of the people contributing to its unique flavors.

The state 2D artist draws on his El Paso heritage

There haven’t been any votes yet, but we kind of already know what the Texas delegation to the U.S. House will look like in 2024.

The Israel-Gaza war is challenging what it means to have free speech at colleges across the country. A visit to a San Antonio campus highlights why.

Gov. Greg Abbott is set to sign into law a measure that makes illegal border crossing a state crime. What you need to know.

It’s tamale time for many folks across Texas. We’ll explore the base ingredient, masa, with our go-to taco journalist.

And a conversation with this year’s state 2D artist, Gaspar Enriquez, about how he depicts El Paso and what it means to be Chicano.

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.

The Texas Standard team wants to know what you think about the Texas Standard podcast! Take the Texas Standard Podcast survey

Trailer: Tacos of Texas Season Tres

Let’s talk tacos with Mando Rayo, Taco Journalist and the co-creator of United Tacos of America TV Show & Tacos of Texas book and PBS digital series.

As an avid taco ambassador, food explorer and street ethnographer, Mando has traveled across the U.S. to uncover the tastiest tacos, from the Rio Grande Valley in Texas to L.A. and New Orleans to New York City. And we’re keeping the conversation front and center through the Tacos of Texas Podcast Season Tres (3).

Keeping it true to our Taco Journalist roots, we’ll talk to Texas taqueros, tortilleras & makers; we’ll also explore food cultures & people while exploring issues like Taco Gentrification, roots of Barbecue and Migrant Farmworker rights. We’ve got some muy rico conversations coming up in season tres and this season we’re reconnecting with the roots and history of nuestra gente including Mexican Hands, Redefining Tex-Mex, Black Mexicans, Taco Tuesday in School Cafeterias y más!

How to catch a wave in Waco

The president of Texas A&M has resigned amid turmoil over the botched hiring of a journalism professor. We’ll have the latest.

Amid record heat, Texas prisoners struggle to cool down in facilities that lack air conditioning.

Harris County has sued the state over a new law that will eliminate its elections department – and, officials say, cause problems for voters.

Texas-raised filmmaker Taylor Sheridan is getting kudos for boosting the number of Native Americans on screen.

The Austin Outlaws, a women’s tackle football team, celebrate a historic season.

Some of the state’s best-known towns for surfing include Galveston, Corpus Christi, Port Aransas, South Padre Island and … Waco. Yes, Waco.

And taco expert Mando Rayo with top summer sipping tips.

How two Uvalde survivors are rebuilding their lives

Almost a year after the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, two injured fourth graders are still trying to recover. Edgar Sandoval of the New York Times talks with us about his profile of two children injured in the shooting – and the months since.

Yesterday’s half-hour grounding of Southwest Airlines departures was blamed on technical issues. Why the FAA and other investigators want a closer look.

Why some lawmakers are pushing to keep Texas crypto miners from cashing in on a tool to help the power grid survive during times of peak demand.

What do Texans think about expanding legal gambling?

As Texas senators hold hearings on a new budget, they may get an earful from everyday Texans. Sergio Martínez-Beltrán of the Texas Newsroom shares his look at the week ahead in the Texas Legislature, and how you can weigh in on the budget.

Reducing property taxes is likely to be a big part of the discussion, but some say it’s high time to consider legalizing cannabis sales to offset property tax cuts.

Major casino companies are betting big on Texas. How do voters feel about that?

Also the King of Tacos, Mando Rayo, takes us on a tour of the Taco Mile.

The rock stars and unsung heroes of Texas guitar playing

2 years after the insurrection on Capitol Hill the implications of the event and its aftermath for Texas and Texans. We’ll have more. Also on this January 6th, a look at concerns about extremism among some who previously served their country in the military. And order in the court? Despite discrepancies in representation between men and women in many fields, Texas bucking national trends with what some have called a golden age of elected female judges. And taco journalist Mando Rayo serves up some tips for home cooking. Plus the greatest Texas guitarists of all time, the week in politics with the Texas Tribune and much more today on the Texas Standard:

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