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

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Could Texarkana be a political bellwether?

The state says the West Texas measles outbreak is over. What that means for parents and children.
Are natural gas wells, pipelines and storage facilities prepared for another dangerous winter storm? Mose Buchele of KUT News examines the inspection process.
We know AI data centers need a lot of power, but they also use a lot of water in drought-stricken TX.
Austin author Louis Sachar, perhaps best known for “Holes,” is back with his first adult novel, “The Magician of Tiger Castle.”
And: Could Texarkana be the new Peoria? A new study looks at green energy investments and voting patterns in red America.

Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.

You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org

Spite Club w/ Jedi512 and Boots

On this episode we talk with former KUTX Artist of the Month Jedi512 about his newest project “Spite Club” with producer Boots. Hip-hop facts include facts about LL Cool J, Migos, and TLC. Unpopular Opinion with Fresh is about Frank Ocean being underrated.

Why police are ditching a popular gun

Redistricting seems like the entire political conversation in Texas right now, so it’s probably no surprise it’s influencing the U.S. Senate race.
Texas received millions in federal funding for adult education programs, but it was uncertain and came several weeks late.
What are the impacts of programs that give money, with no strings attached, to people and families identified with high needs? We’ll dig into a study of such a program in Texas.
A Houston police officer is suing a gun manufacturer. He’s one of many saying his Sig Sauer P320 discharged without him pulling the trigger.

Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.

You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org

The sky welcomes you home

The start of the school year means it’s the end of summer travel season for many families. As Texans well know, depending on where you live in the state, it can take longer to travel out of it than to cross several state lines beyond our borders.

Texas Standard commentator W.F. Strong reflects on coming back to Texas.

KUT Morning Newscast for August 12, 2025: AISD released a list of schools to help the school consolidation process

Central Texas top stories for August 12, 2025. The motive is still not clear in the shooting Monday afternoon in the parking lot of a Target in North Austin. The Austin Independent School District has released a list of schools to help decide which ones should close and how school boundaries should be redrawn. Travis County’s public hospital district Central Health will lay out its proposed budget for county commissioners today. Texas House Democrats are into their second week out of state, protesting a Republican redistricting plan, but they say they are willing to come back and attend the special legislative session. Some Central Texas school districts start school today, watch out for more traffic.

The Future of Music at SXSW

South by Southwest is changing. The festival has been shortened to 7 days. There is no dedicated music weekend. The convention center is being renovated and won’t be finished for 3 years. So what will music at SXSW 2026 look like? Brian Hobbs, VP of Music at SXSW, sits down to talk about the future of the festival.

Pause/Play is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas. 

You can support our work by donating at supportthispodcast.org.

Dinosaur tracks uncovered near Austin after floods

Just one more full week is left in the Texas Legislature’s special session, and with House Democrats away, what happens next?
Some of those Democrats have decamped to California, which is now mulling a possible redistricting effort to offset potential Republican gains in the midterms.
The IRS says churches can now endorse candidates, a move that could give Texas pastors more power than ever.
And: The recent flooding in Travis County revealed fossilized dinosaur tracks. UT Austin paleontologist Matthew Brown describes what was found.

Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.

You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org

Project Pat Interview

On this episode we interview legendary artist Project Pat (brother of Juicy J from Three 6 Mafia) ahead of his show in Austin this weekend. Hip-hop facts this week include Eddie Murphy and Whitney Houston, a Jay-Z inspired Hulu series, and the film Paid In Full. Unpopular Opinion with Fresh this week is about underground rapper Dom Kennedy needing to put his more known album on streaming services.

Why Are Record Sales Important?

On this episode we discuss if record sales are still important and where is the undisputed summer anthem. Hip-hop facts include Public Enemy, Ginuwine and Tyler the Creator. Unpopular Opinion with Fresh is that the beef between Kendrick and Drake ruined hip-hop in a way.

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.

Why ‘Don’t California My Texas’ isn’t the whole story

Are Democratic lawmakers on the verge of a walkout to stop Republicans from redistricting during the special session? We’ll have the latest.

We’re also tracking possible federal funding cuts to legal aid organizations that could leave thousands of Texans who can’t afford a lawyer without the help they need.

Going beyond armed security guards, some Texas schools are turning to drones to increase security.

The changing role of social media influencers was on display in the aftermath of the July 4 floods.

And: Are Texas lawmakers quietly taking cues on governing from California?

Roc Nation Did It

On this episode we discuss overstaying your welcome as an artist in different spaces. We also discuss people blaming Jay-Z’s Roc Nation record label for all of their musical woes. Hip-Hop facts includes facts about Clipse, 2pac’s early college days, and why Joaquin Phoenix is a huge Michael Jackson fan. Unpopular opinion with Fresh is about not wanting Erykah Badu to choose rapping over singing on her records.

Houston archaeologists uncover tomb of ancient Maya ruler

The Trump administration releases billions of dollars in education grants it previously withheld. What it means as students head back to school.

How the U.S. military is responding to a new kind of warfare that uses small, inexpensive drones.

The story of a Cuban man who raised a family in Texas and spent years working for a school district near Abilene – and now is locked up in an ICE detention center.

A high school student’s plan to help schools coping with a shortage of mental health counselors.

And: A Houston husband-and-wife team of archaeologists have discovered the tomb of the ruler of the ancient Mayan city of Caracol, now in present-day Belize.

Ben Kweller on grief, music and ‘Cover the Mirrors’

As Texas lawmakers move to consider regulations on THC products, what’s legal, and what’s not? KUT News reporter Nathan Bernier joins us to break it down.

As many see the future of energy as cleaner renewables, why many in the city of Port Arthur are pinning their hopes for a comeback – on oil.

At the Austin YMCA, adults are conquering their fear of water and gaining life-saving skills through swim lessons designed just for them. Texas Standard producer Sarah Asch has the story.

Plus: Two years after the death of his teenage son, a father’s musical journey to find healing: Our conversation with Dripping Springs-based musician Ben Kweller.

Who really got things done at the Legislature?

As lawmakers get ready to return to the Capitol in a special session, a new report shows billions more are needed to address flooding.
Who are the most productive lawmakers in the Legislature? The Texas Newsroom’s Blaise Gainey takes a closer look.
Remember when there were growing concerns about a population explosion? In a new book, UT economist Dean Spears is sounding the alarm about quite the opposite.
Plus: Director Ari Aster on his new western, set in an era of pandemic and protest.

Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.

You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org

The hat that made the cowboy

There are a few symbols so deeply woven into the fabric of Texas that they seem as native as mesquite or bluebonnets. One of them is the Stetson hat. Not just any Stetson hat – the Boss of the Plains.

Texas Standard commentator W.F. Strong says that oddly enough, it didn’t come from Texas at all.

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