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

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Sandy Creek residents remember lives lost to 2025 flood

School’s out for the summer, but when Austin ISD students return in the fall, they’ll be navigating some big changes in how they get to school. KUT’s education reporter Greta Díaz González Vázquez will help get us up to speed.

It’s been one year since deadly floods tore through the Texas Hill Country. Residents of the Sandy Creek neighborhood in Travis County are honoring the neighbors they lost.

The FIFA World Cup is in full swing. KUT’s Jimmy Maas joins us to talk about tonight’s match between the U.S. and Belgium — which has suddenly gotten a lot more interesting.

Plus a Few Headlines mentions in the show today:

Austin Signal is made possible by listeners like you. You can support our work by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org

Vogue Magazine turns its lens on classic Texas

The CDC is trying to get to the bottom of a parasitic infection causing sickness in Texas and other parts of the country. The current spike in gastrointestinal illness has hit Texas, New York, Illinois and Michigan the hardest so far. We’ll hear what medical experts say about the dangers, possible causes and recommendations to stay healthy.


Many might think of fire ants as being as Texan as bluebonnets, but they don’t remember the war against them. Echoed in the more recent fight against the New World screwworm, we’ll hear the backstory.


Also, on the heels of Independence Day weekend, fashion magazine Vogue turns to classic images of Texas for inspiration and celebration.

Fake It Till You Make It

On this episode we discuss the lawsuit against rapper Moneybagg Yo and his manager over funding of his career and him not already being rich before fame. We also give our thoughts on if the BET Awards are still an important part of the culture. Hip-Hop Facts this week include facts about Jill Scott, Barack Obama, 2pac and more. Fresh’s Unpopular Opinion this week is his opinion that Queen Latifah is everything we believe Lauryn Hill is.

After floods devastated Sandy Creek, new nonprofit aims to provide relief faster

A year after catastrophic flooding in Texas, the Sandy Creek neighborhood in northwest Travis County is still deep in recovery mode. We’ll tell you about a nonprofit that’s lending a hand.

How Central Texans are mobilizing to help after Venezuela was rocked by devastating earthquakes.

This week in Texas Music History: 1985 Austin punk music festival gets grungy in Dripping Springs.

And are you planning a Barton Springs visit this weekend? Are you tiptoeing in, or diving head first? ATXplained explores the best way to get into the chilly waters.

Austin Signal is made possible by listeners like you. You can support our work by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org

What investigators found at Camp Mystic

This weekend marks a year since the deadly and devastating Hill Country floods. Now, a final report is out for the Texas Legislature on what happened at Camp Mystic one year ago.
We’ll also hear from a University of Texas at Arlington researcher developing a comprehensive warning system to save future lives.
Also, the story of the Hill Country couple hailed as heroes in the aftermath of last year’s flooding.
Mando Rayo on a trained group of volunteers formed after Mexico City’s 1985 earthquake who came from Mexico to help with the Hill Country flood relief.
And the week in politics with the Texas Tribune.

Austin’s Lawn Chair Brigade brings unique spin to Fourth festivities

The podcast “After The Flood” is marking one year since deadly flooding ravaged parts of Central Texas and the Hill Country. This area is often called Flash Flood Alley because of how frequently it’s affected by fast, accumulating waters. Today we’ll hear about another deadly flood that happened almost 50 summers ago.


Also, evidence-tampering charges against a former Williamson County sheriff and former assistant county attorney have been dropped. The move follows a years-long legal battle spurred by the death of Javier Ambler following a traffic stop.


Plus, one neighborhood in Austin has a unique way of celebrating Fourth of July. We’ll share the story of the Lawn Chair Brigade.

What immigration arrest data tells us about who is being targeted in Texas

The Trump administration says immigration crackdowns target the worst of the worst, but what do the numbers say? We’ll dig into the details of a Houston Chronicle analysis of immigration arrest data in Texas and what the numbers suggest about who’s really getting rounded up by immigration enforcement.
Also, the U.S. military reverses course on vaccines after flu numbers rise at bases like San Antonio’s Lackland.
Everything’s bigger in Texas, including skeeters, it would appear — especially this year. How health officials are trying to stay on top of the diseases mosquitos carry.
And in a city best known for the songs of Selena, a new and rapidly growing music scene.

How to protect yourself during a rough mosquito season in Austin

Mosquito season is hitting peak activity — and if it seems like this year’s batch is particularly bad, you might be on to something. We’ll hear from people keeping tabs on mosquito populations in our area, plus the do’s and don’ts of prevention.

Touch Girl Apple Blossom, the KUTX Artist of the Month for June, makes twee music that’s as dreamy as it is rockin’. They’re taking their latest album, “Graceful,” on tour overseas.

An update about the Austin Independent School District’s decision to to push most of its school boundary realignment changes to the 2028-29 school year.

Austin Signal is made possible by listeners like you. You can support our work by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org

Texas approves adding Bible passages to public school curriculum

A much-awaited decision from the U.S. Supreme Court expands the range of presidential power over regulators with a caveat.
Bernie Sanders keynotes as Texas Democrats convene in Corpus Christi to prepare for the midterms. We’ll look at the signals they’re sending in the run-up to November.
The state Board of Education made national headlines with a vote to add Bible passages to the public school curriculum. We’ll dig into what this means for classroom instruction and the likelihood of a legal battle.
Also, a red-letter day looms for folks with student loans. Changes are coming July 1. We’ll share what borrowers need to know.
Plus, renewed attention turning to Julian Onderdonk, the man some claim to be the Father of Texas Art.

Special episode: “After the Flood” podcast

A special guest episode from our friends at The Texas Newsroom:

In the early morning hours of July 4, 2025, floodwaters tore through the Texas Hill Country. At least 130 people died, many of them children. For the last 12 months, reporters from The Texas Newsroom have been talking to people about what happened that night and what it’s been like in the aftermath. The “After The Flood” podcast is about their stories and the remaining questions: Why did this happen? How could this happen with almost no warning? And could it happen again?

Episode 1: The Day Of
Matthew Childress and his wife, Wendie, learn that their daughter, Chloe, an 18-year-old counselor at Camp Mystic, is missing. And residents in Kerr County recount how they survived the grueling initial hours of the flood.

After the Flood is a collaboration of The Texas Newsroom and PBS’s Frontline.

Texas Extra: Introducing After the Flood

On July 4th, 2025, devastating floodwaters ripped through the Texas Hill Country, killing more than 130 people.

After the Flood, a new podcast from the Texas Newsroom and PBS’s Frontline, has followed survivors over the last year and  tries to find out why this happened – and whether it could happen again.

In this first episode, you’ll hear what happened during those harrowing early morning hours of the flood. And you’ll meet a father who had just sent his daughter to Camp Mystic two weeks earlier.

How many Austin city council votes happen in secret?

The Austin city council approved a plan last month to build new natural gas power generators. One thing that’s still unknown: The price of this new project. It’s estimated to cost more than $1 billion, but the vote approving the plan took place in executive session — behind closed doors. The KUT Newsroom wanted to know how many more of such votes have happened away from public view.

For kids, summer should be a magical time: catching fireflies, belly-flopping into the pool and maybe a little too much TV. But life can be tough for some kids. Luckily, there’s a place in the Hill Country that wants to help those kids experience some summertime magic, too.

This week in Texas music history, Lonnie Guerrero is born.

A few of today’s headlines:

Austin Signal is made possible by listeners like you. You can support our work by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org

What to make of new Supreme Court decisions on immigration and status

As the nation awaits some politically charged decisions from the Supreme Court, some new opinions were handed down yesterday with profound implications for immigration. We’ll discuss the decisions concerning asylum and Temporary Protected Status.
Venezuelans in Texas hope to help people back home affected by this week’s devastating back-to-back earthquakes.
This week in Texas politics looks at new polling data in the closely watched U.S. Senate race between State Rep. James Talarico and Attorney General Ken Paxton in Texas.
Plus, a World Cup update.

What you need to know about fire ants

Some hospitals are still denying miscarriage care despite a state law that’s supposed to prevent that. What an Austin-area woman having a miscarriage went through when she tried to get care.

Austin voters will decide this fall if they want an outside auditor to check the city’s books. But some city officials say that could be problematic.

What you need to know about those pesky fire ants in Central Texas.

We’re in the final stages of group competition as the knockout phase of this year’s World Cup starts this weekend. More from one of the hosts of KUT’s “Vamos Verde” podcast.

Austin Signal is made possible by listeners like you. You can support our work by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org

A Central Texas city eyes desalination to help with water woes

Water is never far from the top of concerns for Central Texans and folks across the state. Down in Corpus Christi, plans for a desalination plant are underway, and one Austin-area city is set to spend half a million dollars for a spot in line to get some of that water.

City of Austin leaders are divided on a bond election to improve local roads and parks. The election this November would come just one year after voters soundly rejected a property tax rate increase known as Proposition Q.

Plus, Austin’s food scene is chock full of fine dining experiences, but has that erased the presence of a bonafide Texas staple? Our ATXplained project chewed the question over.

Plus a Few Headlines mentions in the show today:

Austin Signal is made possible by listeners like you. You can support our work by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org

New podcast revisits the July 4 Hill Country flood aftermath

An important rethink of the state’s K-12 curriculum is on the drawing board in Austin. We’ll get up to speed on a week of contentious hearings now underway as the state board of education takes up a new statewide reading list featuring Bible passages and a reshape of the social studies curriculum.
One year after the deadly flooding in Texas’ Hill Country, a new podcast examines what happened last July and what’s changed in the months since.
Plus, scholar and storyteller W.F. Strong’s modest proposal to help those struggling with diphthongs and drawls: A phonetic alphabet for the Lone Star State?

The Texas phonetic alphabet

Texans tend to do things a little… well, differently.

While you can probably find a cutting board in the shape of any state, a cursory search shows if you want a waffle iron that shows your state pride, Texas is the one option. It’s one small, but delicious, example.

Texas Standard commentator W.F. Strong suggests Texans could do this a lot more. He has an idea — and he needs your help.

The Day Of

Matthew Childress and his wife, Wendie, learn that their daughter, Chloe, an 18-year-old counselor at Camp Mystic, is missing. And residents in Kerr County recount how they survived the grueling initial hours of the flood.

After the Flood is a collaboration of The Texas Newsroom and PBS’s Frontline.

New podcast explores aftermath of deadly 2025 flooding

The city of Austin is being sued by a group of Travis County property owners after reversing course on an agreement that would have released nearly 170 properties from the city’s jurisdiction. Sean Hemmersmeier from the Austin Business Journal tells us more.

We’re approaching one year since the devastating Fourth of July floods that claimed the lives of more than 100 Central Texans. A new podcast, “After the Flood,” takes a deeper look at the disaster’s lasting impact.

Looking for your next great read? The Field Guide to Austin Summer Reading Bingo Challenge is happening now, and we’ve got a couple of book recommendations to help fill your card.

Plus: Tattoo shops across Austin are finding it increasingly difficult to keep their doors open.

Austin Signal is made possible by listeners like you. You can support our work by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org

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