Central Texas top stories for August 16, 2024. Violent crime in Austin is down compared to last year. A new rule lowering the amount of land required to build a home in Austin goes into effect today. Travis County Constables want to hire more deputies to patrol what they call traffic “hot spots,” but the budget is tight. AISD says its chief financial officer, Ed Ramos, was reinstated Thursday. Travis County has seen a steady rise in new HIV diagnoses since 2020, they are launching a campaign to end the epidemic. There’s a new cooling center in Austin, it’s located in the Trinity Center on East 7th street.
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A recap of Texas primary election night
The votes are in and counted across Texas. What do they add up to for the upcoming general election and the future of Texas politics?
Despite a crowded field, U.S. Rep. Colin Allred took a big victory in the Democratic U.S. Senate primary to challenge incumbent Ted Cruz in November.
Speaker of the House Dade Phelan, the politician considered by many to be the third most powerful person in state politics, is now in a runoff after retaliation from fellow Republicans.
And: Very low turnout means a handful of eligible Texas voters are picking state politicians.
Austin area braces for eclipse traffic surge
Some Central Texas roads could be jam packed with eclipse watchers on April 8th. That’s the first time in over a century the moon will completely block the sun in Texas. As KUT’s Nathan Bernier reports, no one knows exactly how bad traffic will be. But in 2017, a total eclipse caused historic gridlock.
The state’s only sugar mill is closing. What’s next for sugar cane farmers?
New laws – one from Texas – to regulate platforms like Facebook and TikTok are getting Supreme Court scrutiny today, with potentially profound implications.
Years of drought have devastated sugar growers in South Texas – so much so that the state’s only sugar mill is closing.
Austin’s I-35, the spine of the region’s roadway grid, is about to undergo the largest expansion since the highway opened in 1962. Nathan Bernier joins with a drill down into what it means.
And: We’ll learn about a device that can help blind and low-vision people experience the eclipse.
Rare ‘Cattle Tyrant’ spotting dominates birders’ attention
Traumatic injuries are the leading cause of death in the U.S. for people under 45, and the odds of survival may depend on what part of the state you’re in. Lauren Caruba of the Dallas Morning News joins us to talk about a new investigation.
The Texas Standard’s Sean Saldaña has the latest on what some may see as contradictory signals in new employment numbers in Texas.
Are Texas roads considerably less congested? Why a new state-mandated report may raise some eyebrows.
And why the visit of a Cattle Tyrant to Corpus Christi drew excited fans from far and wide. The Standard’s Raul Alonzo explains.
How a Texas constitutional amendment would aid childcare centers
With the House of Representatives on hold in the absence of a speaker, a possible vote today could be a turning point.
Texas voters are about to face a big decision: a constitutional amendment aimed at boosting the availability of child care options. Lina Ruiz of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tells us more.
Two games in for the Astros and Rangers, what’s Major League Baseball’s first All-Texas league championship looking like?
More than 100 homes and businesses are on the fast track to demolition as the state moves to expand a portion Interstate 35.
KUT Morning Newscast for September 28, 2023
Central Texas top stories for September 28, 2023. Ozone day of action for Central Texas. Travis County takes I-35 concerns to the federal government. Texas Education Agency monitors assigned to Austin.
‘Death Star bill’ could destroy local protections for renters
As police departments across the nation back off dangerous high-speed car chases, the trend in Houston is running the opposite direction.
Texas is about to pull out of a multi-state partnership designed to curb voter fraud. Why, and who’s behind the shift?
There’s a hearing tomorrow in a challenge brought by several cities to a new Texas law barring local governments from passing ordinances on labor, agriculture, finance – and even the rights of renters.
Also, Texas author LaToya Watkins on her new book, “Holler, Child,” cited by many critics as one of the most highly anticipated of 2023.
Roads to Everywhere
(Episode 2) I-35 is more than a road. It’s been sculpting Austin’s housing scene for more than 60 years, encouraging endless sprawl and making gridlock a lifestyle. Take a drive with us through the highway’s history.
KUT Afternoon Newscast for March 31, 2023
Central Texas top stories for March 31, 2023. Austin Energy GM abruptly resigns. Texas bill would limit renewable energy. Austin man gets prison for Jan 6. Austin auditor looking for more COVID funding fraud. AISD interim superintendent to remain. Austin events to increase congestion Saturday.
Texas outlawed red-light cameras years ago – but this town still has them
As a deadline approaches for bills to be filed in the Texas Legislature, proposals on guns and secession are making headlines. There is rare bipartisan support building around a proposal that proponents say would boost the effectiveness of background checks for buying a firearm, a move prompted by the school shooting in Uvalde.
When it comes to property tax relief, are Texas Republicans a house divided? There is a possible battle looming between the Texas House and Senate.
And the last red-light cameras still giving out tickets in Texas – and the push to switch them off for good.
TCU makes history with College Football Playoff selection
After a little more than a year in office, the Texas Secretary of State is stepping down. We’ll look at why, and what it means for Texas. Other stories we’re tracking: how a Texan who may be mulling a presidential run in 2024 could, win or lose, shake up politics in Texas in a big way and why. Gromer Jeffers of the Dallas Morning News explains. Also the murder trial of a former Fort Worth police officer gets underway after lengthy delays. We’ll hear more. And the rise and fall of crypto and its impact on the Texas power grid. Plus, TCU: Cinderella no more as the Horned Frogs land in the college football playoffs. All that and then some today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: August 24, 2022
Hours away from a new law that amounts to a near total ban on abortions in Texas and a new legal challenge to that law. As Texas’ version of a post Roe vs. Wade trigger law takes effect, reproductive rights groups are suing the state attorney general. We’ll hear about the strategy and the prospects. Also, 5 years after Hurricane Harvey there are ongoing attempts to buyout the homes of people living in land that repeatedly floods. So how’s that working out? We’ll hear the latest. Also actor and comedian Mo Amer on a new Netflix series some say is the first of its kind to really capture the feel of a modern Houston. Plus a Politifact check and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: April 28, 2022
Governor’s Abbott’s border security mission known as Operation Lone Star, what has it accomplished? We’ll do a check of the claims being made. Other stories were tracking, federal scrutiny on Galveston county after a redistricting plan eliminating the county’s only majority-minority district. Also, is Twitter ‘Texas-bound’ after its purchase by Elon Musk? We’ll ask tech expert Omar Gallaga. And its Green Ghost, not Gringo…So says an unlikely feature film star, better known in Texas as a car salesman than a big screen superhero. The story of Green Ghost and the Masters of the Stone plus a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: April 5, 2022
Could what critics call Florida’s “don’t say gay” law be coming to Texas? The Texas Lt. Governor says it’s a top priority. Also, the end on an historic union lockout dubbed the “Battle of Beaumont”; what it says about organized labor in Texas. And, a collection of artifacts sheds new light on one of Texas’ most celebrated musicians. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Trailer: The Austin Transportation Podcast
The Austin Transportation Podcast examines the issues around mobility in the ATX with a focus on how people’s everyday lives are shaped by the decisions of government. Whether you’re sitting on I-35 or MOPAC every day, using alternatives like Capital Metro and scooters, or plodding along a trail, we look at the challenges of getting from here to there in one of the fastest-growing regions of the country. The podcast features produced radio stories, interviews and audio recordings.
Texas Standard: January 26, 2022
Who’ll take the place of Eddie Bernice Johnson? Why the race for Texas’ 30th congressional seat is one to watch as primary season closes in. Also, amid growing concerns about police traffic stops turning confrontational, and sometimes deadly, a Texas town tries a different approach: tickets via text message. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard.
Traffic – The Return!
As pandemic restrictions lesson and many feel safer traveling and gathering at homes, schools, and workplaces we’re also seeing the return of something familiar: traffic. That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.
Texas Standard: September 23, 2020
Less than 3 weeks until early voting in Texas and already some numbers are in: registration shatters records. Jeremy Wallace of the Houston Chronicle with more on voter registration records being set, what it tells us and what it doesn’t when it comes to the election outcomes. Also decriminalizing homelessness: one year on after a change in laws in the Texas capitol city. How much of a difference is it making, and are other Texas cities following suit? And far fewer cars on Texas roadways, why aren’t traffic fatalities far fewer as well? Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Why Is MoPac Traffic So Much Worse In The Afternoon Than In The Morning?
Does it really take longer to get home in the afternoon than to get to work in the morning?