KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts

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

Transportation

Sul Ross raises its own bucking horses to keep rodeo tradition alive

We’re taking a look at the new laws that took effect in Texas on Sept. 1.
Hauling freight on trains is a multibillion-dollar industry in Texas. The latest on safety concerns.
A report from the Paralympics in Paris, where Texans are making a strong showing.
Sul Ross State University in Alpine is the birthplace of collegiate rodeo – and is now raising their own bucking horses.
And: Standup comedian Sheng Wang, a Houston native, is bringing his comedy back to the Lone Star State.

Civics 101: Who pays for highways?

Texas has a sprawling highway network with more than 200-thousand miles of lanes — almost the distance from Earth to the Moon. And those roads don’t come cheap. The Texas Department of Transportation  outspends every other state, devoting about 18-billion dollars a year to highways. 

Ever wonder who foots the bill? 

All this week the KUT newsroom is focusing on stories that explain how parts of our local government work. To kick things off KUT’s Nathan Bernier takes a look at who pays for highways in Texas. 

You can find all of our Civics 101 stories at KUT.org

Driven Out: Progress Coffee’s fresh start in Austin cut short by I-35 expansionDriven Out:

Imagine spending three years turning an old gas station into a cafe. And then right when you’re about to open, you realize the place will be torn down to make room for a highway.
That’s what’s happening to Progress Coffee on I-35 in Austin next to the upper decks. TxDOT has the green light to widen the highway, and more than a-hundred homes and businesses will be forced to move. We have an ongoing series about those displacements called Driven Out.
For this edition, KUT’s Nathan Bernier takes us to the locally owned coffee joint that’s had a long-brewing relationship with I-35.

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.

Remembering renowned ventriloquist Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Estrada

Ready? Or not? As primaries fast approach, an effort to prepare young Texas voters to cast their very first ballots.

A federal complaint filed over Texans being wrongfully kicked off Medicaid rolls.

The latest on a challenge to Texas’ new law prohibiting social media companies from censoring political speech online.

A new TV series on Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X inspired by the groundbreaking work of a Texas professor. We’ll talk with him.

Also, the Standard’s Kristen Cabrera on the death of a beloved entertainer: San Antonio-based ventriloquist Ignacio “Nacho” Estrada.

KUT Morning Newscast for December 14, 2023

Central Texas top stories for December 14, 2023. Austin wants to help folks build an additional home in their backyard. IntegralCare will choose a new CEO today. The Texas State Board of Education approved new standards for school library collections. Georgetown seeks public input for its transportation plan. Food insecurity in Hays county. Longhorn football’s 2024 schedule is revealed.

Tired of the same Christmas carols? This Texas composer has some rearrangements

A Texas judge grants a Dallas-area woman her request for an abortion, despite the state’s strict ban. It is thought to be one of the first attempts to seek a court-approved abortion since the U.S Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe vs. Wade. Olivia Aldridge of KUT in Austin shares more.

Aid for Ukraine and Israel is blocked for now over border security concerns, and Texas’ two U.S. senators were very much a part of that process. A Texas Tech political science professor breaks it down.

As Texas cities try to rein in traffic, San Antonio revives a plan to be more bicycle-friendly.

And: North Texas-based music writer and conductor Taylor Davis is discovering something new in the Christmas carols we’ve heard for decades on end.

Why homeschooling is on the rise across the ideological spectrum

Sean Theriault of UT-Austin with a look at why government shutdowns have become so common, and what needs to happen to avoid another come Sunday.

The summer of 2023 was the second hottest on record in Texas. But for renters, air conditioning isn’t legally required — at least not everywhere in the state.

Over the past couple of years, there’s been a shift in the way that many Texans school their kids, with more folks opting for homeschooling – for reasons that span the political spectrum, or lie completely outside it.

Writer Andrew Leland on losing his vision and the struggle to understand the changes, as told in his new memoir, “The Country of the Blind.”

How a UT professor is helping the CDC plan for the next pandemic

The Texas Education Agency is moving forward with plans to monitor problems with Austin ISD’s special education services.

What did we learn from COVID-19? We’ll talk to UT’s Lauren Ancel Meyers, who has been tapped to help the U.S. develop a plan to better tackle the next pandemic.

Texas tops the nation in oil industry deaths – but there’s more to the story once you get into the numbers.

Also: Remembering a pioneer of Tejano music, Lydia Mendoza, who earned the title of “Meadowlark of the Border.”

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.

The State of Disability in Texas – A Texas Standard special

How does disability impact millions of Texans, from public policy to long COVID?

People living with disabilities – a population that’s often overlooked and underestimated – play a wide variety of important roles in the life of modern Texas. They’re living full lives: advocating for better caregiving options, inclusive transportation and voting accessibility. And many participate in the vibrant arts and culture of our state.

Encompassing the wide array of these experiences in just one program would be impossible. That’s why we’re treating this special as a kickoff of Texas Standard’s yearlong commitment to featuring the voices of and covering the topics important to disabled Texans.

Diaspora Network’s worship service represents nationwide shift in church demographics

We’re tracking Tropical Storm Harold, which is set to bring considerable rain and wind to large parts of South Texas. Meteorologist Matt Lanza of Space City Weather join us with the latest.

House managers preparing for the impeachment trial of Ken Paxton have published nearly 4,000 pages of documents as the Senate gets set to decide the fate of the currently suspended attorney general.

And though polls show more people turning away from organized religion, many migrants in Texas are forming communities around churches.

KUT Morning Newscast for June 16, 2023

Central Texas top stories for June 16, 2023. Heat advisory extended for central Texas. Vehicle inspection changes across the state. Cooling centers in Austin are open.

San Antonio Spurs’ No. 1 draft pick could be a game-changer

A bill would provide $10 billion in low-interest loans that would benefit the oil and gas industry, in the name of beefing up the power grid; there are a lot of questions over the push for those loans, aimed at preventing statewide blackouts.

Almost one year after the worst school shooting in Texas history, state lawmakers are running out of time in this legislative session to make changes to gun laws.

In San Antonio, the silver and black are back as Spurs fans get lit up over a No. 1 draft pick.

Also, actress Christina Vidal on a new streaming series, “Primo” about coming of age in the Alamo City.

Pumped: Food, fuel and the future of Texas – A Texas Standard special

We don’t think of gas stations much, yet they are fixtures across Texas, and tell us a lot about who we are and where we’re going. There are more than 11,000 of them scattered across the state – along major highways and tiny backroads alike, they fuel up long haul trucks, hungry commuters and sometimes whole communities.

In some ways, the gas station is the backbone of our economy and the center of conversation and community. In other ways, they’re a blight on the landscape and, many feel, a soon-to-be anachronism. “Pumped: Food, fuel and the future of Texas” is an exploration of an often-overlooked staple of our life.

KUT Morning Newscast for March 1, 2023

Central Texas top stories for March 1, 2023. Austin Energy rates. Federal funding for mobility infrastructure. Joshua Wright prayer vigil. Campus polling ban pushback. Rockdale ISD 4 day school week.

KUT Morning Newscast for January 19, 2023

Central Texas top stories for January 19, 2023. Austin Water audit. City of Taylor homeless camping ordinance. ACC chancellor Richard Rhodes retiring. Texas energy grid proposed overhaul. Transportation legislation for bikers and pedestrians.

×