Central Texas top stories for June 23, 2025. Governor Greg Abbott vetoed 26 bills and signed more than 11 hundred into law, including the Life of the Mother Act. ACC’s District Board of Trustees plans is joining a lawsuit challenging the end of the Texas Dream Act. Homes in Austin sold for an average of just under $600,000 last month. Austin ISD has two virtual community meetings this week on the school consolidation process to save money.
THC
Gov. Greg Abbott vetoes THC ban, breaking with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick
A closely watched bill to ban THC products gets vetoed by Gov. Greg Abbott – but that’s far from the end of the story, with the governor calling for a special legislative session aimed at regulating THC.
After U.S. airstrikes targeted against Iranian nuclear facilities, what comes next? One of Texas’ top foreign policy experts suggests this war could be ending more quickly than many fear. And Texas energy prices may be a leading indicator.
Also: a conversation with Laredo-born Adrian Quesada on his highly anticipated new album, a follow-up to “Boleros Psicodélicos.”
KUT Morning Newscast for June 23, 2025: Gov. Greg Abbott vetoes THC ban
Central Texas top stories for June 23, 2025. Texas Governor Greg Abbott vetoed a bill to ban products containing THC. Texas’s health system is ranked very low compared to other states. Musicians and music venues are at risk of losing unclaimed grants. Homes in Austin are selling for less but taking longer to sell compared to this time last year. A new pedestrian bridge is coming to East Austin. Today is the last day to give your input on Austin’s 2026 General Obligation Bond.
Marking Juneteenth where it began: Galveston celebrates freedom
President Trump considers a move that has brought together resistance from the left and the right. The stakes for U.S. involvement in a new Mideast war.
Juneteenth is a holiday marking freedom for people enslaved in Texas, a proclamation announced in Texas on this date 160 years ago, now celebrated across the U.S.. The Texas Standard’s Sean Saldana takes us to the city where that event took place.
A new audit reveals widespread failures in how complaints about local jails are overseen by the state agency in charge.
Plus: We’ll mark National Great Outdoors Month by revisiting some of our favorite stories about the outdoors, part of our 10th birthday celebration here at the Standard.
KUT Afternoon Newscast for June 18, 2025: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is demanding the city of Austin stop contracting with anti-gun companies
Central Texas top stories for June 18, 2025. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sent a letter to the city of Austin demanding they cease contracting with anti-gun companies. CapMetro’s police chief is leaving the transit agency. Governor Greg Abbott says he’s still on the fence about whether he’ll sign or veto a bill that would ban consumable products containing THC. Austin paramedic Selena Xie announced today that she’s running for a seat on the Austin City Council. Travis County residents are invited to hear updates tonight on the county’s progress building a mental health diversion center.
KUT Morning Newscast for June 3, 2025: Bills banning guaranteed income programs fail at Texas legislature
Central Texas top stories for June 3, 2025. A bill to crack down on doctors from out of state prescribing abortion pills to Texas women died at the legislature. A bill banning guaranteed income programs in the state also failed. Austin farmers ask Governor Greg Abbott to veto Senate Bill 3, which would ban consumable hemp products in Texas. The Austin Bergstrom International airport has a new expansion.
KUT Afternoon Newscast for June 2, 2025: Last week’s storms brought flooding, hail, and much needed rain to Austin
Central Texas top stories for June 2, 2025. People are still recovering after last week’s storms brought flooding, damaging winds and hail to parts of Austin. A bill that would ban consumable THC products is on the governor’s desk. Austin residents can now recycle food and beverage cartons and coated paper products. Texas Women’s Rowing took third place at this year’s NCAA Championship in New Jersey over the weekend. Texas softball is going back to the Women’s College World Series final.
KUT Afternoon Newscast for May 26, 2025: A bill that would ban THC products is headed to Governor Greg Abbott’s desk
Central Texas top stories for May 26, 2025. Hundreds of Austinites employed at local cannabis shops could lose their jobs. Austin ISD officials are recommending another $44 million worth of cuts. Barton Springs Pool will close an hour earlier every day starting June 1st. The Zilker Eagle Mini Train will be closed for at least a few days after someone drove across the train tracks.
KUT Afternoon Newscast for May 22, 2025: School districts across the state continue anxiously awaiting the fate of House Bill 2
Central Texas top stories for May 22, 2025. HB2 would dedicate an additional $8 billion to Texas public schools. The Texas Legislature has passed a bill that restricts local governments from using public funds to support women seeking out-of-state abortions. The Texas House has voted to enact a complete ban on consumable products containing THC. Austin FC will face the San Jose Earthquakes in the semi-final round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
Living near oil and gas wells linked to childhood leukemia
Cases continue to rise in Texas’ ongoing measles outbreak. Experts say they know how to stop the spread. What’s preventing that?
One priority for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick this legislative session is clawing back the state’s legalization of hemp-based products. Where that effort stands.
You’ll need a REAL ID to travel by air starting May 7. How to make sure you do.
New research out of Colorado finds that kids who live near oil and gas drilling sites face a higher risk of leukemia.
New to streaming: “Time Passages,” a personal documentary about memory and loss that manages to also be hopeful.
And: Texas euphemisms from commentator W.F. Strong.
House Speaker Dade Phelan bows out of leadership reelection bid
Facing a challenge from fellow Republicans, Dade Phelan says he’s dropping his bid for re-election as Texas House speaker.
Texas has some of the most expensive insurance in the nation, forcing homeowners to pay more for less coverage.
Desert bighorn sheep return to the Franklin Mountains of El Paso, a major milestone in restoring the species.
While the area around the UT Austin Tower buzzes with activity, a quieter sanctuary to the north – the Turtle Pond – offers a break from the hustle. The Texas Standard’s Laura Rice takes us to this peaceful pocket and explores how it’s evolving amid campus changes.
Texas Standard: August 27, 2021
It was the story of the summer in Texas Politics. Now proposals at the center of a legislative walkout appear set to become law. The Texas House, where a quorum was broken over Democratic opposition to a voting bill, has just passed its version of that voting bill. Was the walkout all for nought? We’ll hear more. Also at a healthcare hub in west Texas, ER wait-times climb to 20 hours. We’ll have the latest as we continue to track the spread of the Delta COVID variant. And 100 miles in a hundred degrees. What would you call it? How the hotter than Hell bicycle race is rolling into its 40th year. Plus the week in politics and more when today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: August 29, 2019
And then there were 10: Houston sets the stage for the third round of Democratic presidential debates. We’ll look at how this time things will be different. Other stories we’re tracking: the path of hurricane Dorian as it bears down on the U.S. mainland, a storm that promised to put the new governor of Puerto Rico to the test. Also a new effort by Texas to test for THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. And the future of the space industry in Texas after another launch this week. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: July 5, 2019
Texas’ fraught relationship with everything cannabis just took a new turn. The new hemp law that’s left law enforcement agencies scratching their heads, we’ll have details. Also, some of Texas’ fastest growing cities have public schools where the population is shrinking: “The Charter Effect”. We’ll explore. And from the days of the California Gold Rush to today, the Midland area remains crucial to those seeking fortune. Plus, nurdles and the woman in a kayak who’s fighting to rid Lavaca Bay of these plastics. And should your relationship with your gun change as you age? We’ll take a look at that and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: May 28, 2019
The 86th session of the Texas legislature is history, but is it one for the history books? We’ll take a look at the highs and lows, the winners and losers and more on a special edition of the Texas Standard. At a time of bitterness and division in national politics, a funny thing happened on the way to the Texas legislature in January: the three most powerful figures in Texas politics resolved to get things done without playing to the political extremes. From property tax and school finance reform, mental health care and beyond…we’ll look at who won who lost and how it affects all of us on our special edition of the Standard: