The past three summers have been rough, but this one hasn’t been that bad… or has it? KUT’s Jennifer Stayton talks to KUT’s Energy and Environment reporter Mose Buchele. He tells us this summer was still unusually hot; it just wasn’t apocalyptically so.
texas
Elon Musk looks to build tunnels under Houston
Texas’ newly drawn congressional maps are aimed at helping Republicans in 2026, but they’re shaking up the political landscape already. We’ll hear just how today on the Texas Standard.
Rice University’s Mark Jones on the musical chairs among Texas’ congressional Democrats, and whether these maps are likely to survive scrutiny as legal challenges proliferate.
Over 800 new laws are set to take effect in just a couple of days. One of them is aimed at helping first responders deal with the trauma of being on the front lines of so much tragedy.
And a plan to channel water away when the next Hurricane Harvey hits. How Elon Musk is angling to be a part of that massive project.
College football arrives in the Rio Grande Valley
President Trump signs an executive order ending cashless bail. We’ll dive into what that means for cities like Houston.
We’re also tracking new state laws set to take effect Sept. 1, including one that aims to attract more film and television productions. Another increases the penalty for assaulting a utility worker.
Plus, could the San Antonio Spurs get a new venue as part of the Project Marvel effort to create a new downtown entertainment district?
And the Standard’s Kristin Cabrera reports on the Rio Grande Valley’s first college football team. The UTRGV Vaqueros are ready for kickoff.
California weighs in on Texas redistricting fight
A much-talked-about redistricting battle starts to take a back seat to other legislative priorities at the Texas capitol.
As the battlefront over redistricting shifts to a multistate fight with Texas and California setting the pace, top California Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger has a message for his fellow Republicans in Texas. The Houston Chronicle’s Lisa Falkenberg tells us about her conversation with the Governator.
Details of new anti-DEI laws set to take effect in just a few days. How laws like SB 12 may impact Texas’ LGBTQ+ students.
Also, this week in Texas music history remembers Jimmy Garcia, beloved star of conjunto music.
Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.
You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org
To Create Content Or Not?
On this episode we talk about how important being a content creator and musician in this new industry. We also discuss who is to blame for the perceived “negative” music being released and promoted. Hip-hop facts includes facts about Ghostface Killah of Wu-Tang, Mariah Carey, 2pac and more. Fresh’s Unpopular Opinion is that being able to sing and rap well doesn’t matter anymore.
Texas Extra: Asleep at the Wheel celebrates five decades with new album
Asleep at the Wheel are celebrating 50 years in the business with their latest album out this week, “Riding High in Texas.”
Longtime frontman Ray Benson joined Texas Standard to talk about the band’s legacy and the music of the Lone Star State in this extended version of a conversation that first aired in June.
Noah Hawley talks ‘Alien: Earth’
At the Texas Capitol, a big shift in focus as the spotlight swings from bare-knuckle politics to long-delayed flood relief.
Food is labeling set to change in Texas as a sweeping new law takes effect aimed at, among other things, alerting shoppers to ingredients long the focus of concern in other countries.
Austin-based filmmaker Noah Hawley likes to play in the worlds of some of his favorite directors – and he’s doing it again with Ridley Scott’s “Alien.” Hawley joins the Standard to talk “Alien: Earth.”
Alpha School, an AI-focused private school in Austin, puts an emphasis on parental choice. The Standard’s Zachary Suri has the story.
Plus: How the looming college football season is looking for Texas teams.
Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.
You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org
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.