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

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What next after UT Austin fires KUT head Debbie Hiott

KUT Public Media General Manager Debbie Hiott was fired Monday by leadership at UT Austin. The dismissal followed a dispute ahead of KUT’s inaugural festival in May and comes at a time when public radio stations across the country are dealing with mounting financial and political pressures.

Today, the university named an interim general manager to lead the station going forward. We’ll tell you what we know about the firing and the new leader on today’s show.

The firing has raised questions from listeners and readers about how KUT and the university are connected — as well as how monetary donations to KUT/X impact UT Austin. We’ll share answers to those questions.

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

Floodgates opened amid heavy rain in Austin area

Flooding this morning in the Austin area caused road closures and a water rescue and even necessitated the lifting of floodgates on the Colorado River.

As the city of Austin tightens the strings on its upcoming budget, nonprofits are bracing for even more cuts. Austin Current’s Sam Stark chats with us more about the groups that could be impacted and how organizations are preparing.

It’s last call at the Paramount Theatre as the doors shut temporarily for an all-out renovation — but they’re still bringing plenty of entertainment to town.

Summer reading has started. Join KUT for our bingo challenge!

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

Is Female Rap In Trouble?

On this episode we touch on a subject, we have discussed before with male rappers, but this time we talk about, the seemingly decline in popularity of female rappers. We also discuss if having a great discography is more important than having monster singles. Hip-Hop Facts this week include facts about Earth Wind and Fire, Lil Wayne, Eminem and more. Unpopular Opinion with Fresh this week is about Los Angeles being the most important city in hip-hop history.

Round Rock girls flag football team plays for state title

Plans to put a border wall in the Big Bend region have been taking shape, and a co-founder of the outdoor brand YETI is connected with a ranch involved in those plans.

Some Taylor residents are proposing an ordinance aimed at creating stricter regulations for data centers in the city. What they’re asking for.

The Austin airport is adding summer flights as expansion work continues.

The first-ever girls flag football state championship is happening this weekend, and the Round Rock High School team is preparing to compete.

Plus: The KUTX staff shares their favorite songs of 2026 so far, from Austin and beyond.

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

A Texas Tech gambling case could test NCAA rules

They say it’s only a game, but Texas sports fans know better. This time, however, some see an existential threat to college sports.


A scandal involving Texas Tech football quarterback Brendan Sorsby is now in the national spotlight. We’ll hear why and what’s at stake.

Meanwhile in Houston, evidence that there’s nothing like a challenging race to focus political will. After years of infighting, Texas Republicans putting up a united front at their party convention.


In El Paso, an effort to open up frontiers to an underrepresented community of filmmakers, marking a major milestone. We’ll have more on the Femme Frontera Film Festival.

How to protect your pets from New World screwworm

With confirmation of cases of the New World screwworm in Texas, plenty of focus is on the potential impact on the state’s cattle industry. But they’re not the only animals vulnerable to the parasite. We’ll have some prevention tips.

Texas Republicans dominated the primaries by going all-in on the MAGA movement. Now they have to sell that plan to Texans come November

A comedy game show at Austin’s Fallout Theater has segments that consistently go sideways, and that’s just how they want it.

And another excerpt from the Accent Unmuted storytelling series, elevating the voices of immigrants.

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

Texas officials race to contain screwworm outbreak

Can Mike Miles, the man appointed to lead Houston ISD and help that struggling district, provide a roadmap for others in the state? We’ll have the details.
Also, a look at the federal government’s plan to stop the New World screwworm from spreading as more cases appear in South Texas.
Plus, fire safety concerns about the batteries powering e-bikes.
And Texas is likely to become the world’s largest hub for data centers — that’s led to growing concerns across the state, including in suburban areas.
Plus, Go Spurs go! The team recovered from two losses to claim victory over the Knicks in New York in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.

Hovi Baby!

On this episode, we discuss Jay-Z’s recent performance at the Roots Picnic and the controversy that came with it. We also discuss what is more important, musical legacy or breaking records. Hip-Hop Facts this week include facts about Tom Holland, Toni Braxton, Janet Jackson and more. Fresh’s Unpopular Opinion is about a reboot of a popular show from the 90’s he’s not excited about.

UT Austin begins removal of Cesar Chavez statue

The Austin ISD community came together Thursday night to discuss budget changes that include cutting more than 550 positions, including teachers, as the district is working on reducing a $181 million deficit.

Christopher Taylor, a former Austin police officer, is suing the city and the Austin Police Department to try and get his job back after being acquitted in a fatal shooting.

The University of Texas at Austin has begun the process of removing a statute honoring Cesar Chavez, following accusations of sexual abuse against the late labor leader.

Plus: Ahead of Game 2 of the NBA Finals, where to catch the action and how Spurs fans in Austin are feeling.

And join KUT for our summer reading bingo challenge!

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

Austin ISD planning to cut hundreds of jobs

The Austin Independent School District is planning to cut hundreds of jobs in its upcoming budget, including teachers, librarians and campus law enforcement.

CapMetro’s Bikeshare system has been shut down since a fire Memorial Day weekend, with no timeline for resuming service. A forensic investigator is examining whether lithium-ion batteries caused the blaze at a CapMetro facility.

We’re coming up on the final weekend of the Kerrville Folk Festival. Let’s take a trip out to the Texas Hill Country This year’s iteration of the folk music mecca has special meaning after last summer’s deadly flooding in the Texas Hill Country.

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

Margaret Gómez, longest-serving Travis County commissioner, retires

New research finds 10% of Texans under 6 were recently uninsured, the highest of any state in the country. We’ll have the latest data.

We continue our Series of Lasts: stories from the final days of some Austin ISD campuses. Bring your appetite and some Kleenex as we sit for one last school lunch at Ridgetop Elementary.

Margaret Gómez, the longest-serving Travis County commissioner in history, is retiring after 53 years working for the county.

And: The Austin African American Book Festival kicks off later this month, but they’ve got a special guest helping to start the festivities this weekend.

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

Rural Texas counties say data centers are arriving faster than regulations

What control do county officials have when a data center wants to move in? A look at an investigation from the Texas Tribune.
The ballots are set for the midterm election in November, but at least one big thing is changing: Texas’ top elections leader, Secretary of State Jane Nelson, is stepping down.
What do the results from the primaries and primary runoffs tell us about how Texas Republicans are aligning with President Trump?
We’ve been digging into how Texas is reshaping the way the justice system responds to mental illness. Today, we step back and ask and even broader question: How do we view mental illness?
Plus, a beloved small-town Texas bakery just off the highway is reopening.

After two months in ICE detention, father is reunited with his family

A father who was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement after a traffic stop in San Marcos has been reunited with his family. Gerardo Reyes, who spent more than two months in detention, might still face deportation.

Parents and staff from the Austin Independent School District are urging state legislators to increase funding for schools. We’ll hear from some of the folks who spoke out this week.

Lou Diamond Phillips has been acting for decades, but his breakout role as Ritchie Valens in “La Bamba” was so iconic, it’s one he’s still largely associated with. Phillips’ latest film, “Keep Quiet,” recently screened in Austin, where he was recognized with a city proclamation.

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

Austin City Council moves to regulate e-motorcycles

Have you encountered an e-moto on the streets of Austin? The high-speed electric bikes are capable of reaching motorcycle-like speeds, and the City Council is looking at stricter regulations. Austin Current’s Sam Stark tells us more.

The school year is over, but there’s no break for the many things the Austin Independent School District has to consider — including a budget deficit. How the money problems got so bad, and how they’re hoping to address it.

The dog days of summer are creeping up on us, but Austin dogs have one less place to beat the heat after Yard Bar closed down over the weekend.

This is My Thing Podcast host Mike Lee talking with Yael Ouzillou on Doodling.

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

Our Minds Were Always Free w/ Lisa Davis

On this episode we interview entertainment lawyer, author, Lisa Davis about her book Our Minds Were Always Free. We also discuss Complex’s list of the top 50 New York rappers of all time. Hip-Hop Facts this week include facts about Rebbie Jackson, Andre 3000, Big L and more. Fresh’s Unpopular Opinion touches on how the best verse on a song isn’t the most lyrical sometimes.

State officials reject Austin ISD plan for failing middle schools

The Texas Education Agency has rejected Austin ISD’s proposal for three middle schools that have received consecutive failing grades — putting the entire district at further risk of a state takeover.

The Austin City Council has approved guidelines for the construction and operation of a new natural gas plant after the project was OK’d in a secret vote.

Thousands of Austinites received a call or text this month urging them to seek shelter or evacuate immediately, but many weren’t even sure the message was legit. Now police say they will improve the alerts.

Plus: Exploded Drawing kicks off their 16th year of electronic music showcases.

Texas Standard

Adrianne Palicki reflects on ‘Friday Night Lights’ at 20 ahead of ATX TV Festival reunion.

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

Probe says officers are tackling, pepper-spraying and tasering students in Texas schools

After Uvalde, Texas bet big on safety with police in every school, but a new report suggests an unintended and very troubling side effect.

The New York Times and the San Antonio Express-News reports thousands of incidents of officers tackling, pepper-spraying even tasering students for offenses that once would have meant a trip to the principal’s office, and no clear standards to protect against over-policing at school. We’ll talk to two of the authors of this report.

Also, Angela Kocherga with how the latest on the border wall may lead to an unusual conflict between church and state.

Plus a “Friday Night Lights” reunion conversation with actress Adrianne Palicki, the week in politics and more.

Court protection for Delta-8 sales is set to expire

Delta-8, a hemp product you might’ve seen for sale in gas stations and strip malls across Texas, could soon be treated as an illegal drug, putting it in the same category as heroin and LSD. What this would mean for the businesses that sell them and the people who use them.

It’s the last day of school for students in Austin ISD, meaning it’s the last day many seniors will ever set foot on campus. Before that, a group of them went back to trace their steps at Dawson Elementary before the school closes.

EddieAngel, the KUTX Artist of the Month for May, has the vocal chops to match the spirit of his on-stage persona.

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

Runoff election results show big changes for the Austin area

Primary runoff election night ended with some big changes for the Austin area and across the state. We’ll bring you the latest on last night’s results and the races we’ll be watching this November.

After a shooting spree this month by three teenagers ended in Manor, Austin Police say they could have caught the suspects sooner if they had license plate readers. Now, Mayor Kirk Watson is considering proposals to bring this kind of technology back to the city.

This week in Texas music history: an experimental composer and pioneer of the practice of “Deep listening” was born.

The Kathy Dunn Hamrick Dance Company is moving forward after the loss of its namesake leader. Their new performance this weekend is an embodiment of that spirit.

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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