University of Texas

ArnieTex brings the flavors of South Texas to millions on YouTube

We’re taking a look at the Texans who have been picked for President-elect Trump’s new Cabinet.
How some Democratic candidates in parts of Texas won their races amid a big red wave.
There’s a demand for raw milk, despite its health risks, and more public officials are saying that folks should be able to have it if they want it.
After 13 years, UT and Texas A&M are back on the football field this holiday weekend. What to expect as the rivals meet again.
Plus: The Standard’s Kristen Cabrera goes behind the scenes with ArnieTex, a Rio Grande Valley grilling sensation with nearly a million YouTube subscribers.

Marcus Myers

Lisa and Rich talk with Marcus Myers, former UT football player, Austin native and Diversity & Inclusion advocate in technology. He discusses his time on UT’s 2005 Championship football team, his collegiate recruitment experience, and how much college football has changed. Marcus also shares why he proudly identifies as a self-proclaimed nerd/jock, his tech journey, and some of his favorite memories growing up in Austin.

West Texas town dealing with insect invasion

Why an arrangement to care for an aging millionaire is raising questions about a Texas Supreme Court Justice and state ethics rules.
More and more college-age students are steering clear of campus life and turning to “microcredentials” as a path to employment.
We’re talking with Nico Lang, author of “American Teenager,” a new book on growing up LGBTQ+ in modern America.
Also: Why red flour beetles have taken over the town of Socorro, just southeast of El Paso, and what’s being done to deal with an unprecedented infestation.

Dr. Kate West and Leslie Rangel (Ep. 38, 2024)

This week on In Black America, producer and host John L. Hanson, Jr. discusses the importance of preparing journalism students for the difficulties and pressure of their chosen career with University of Texas journalism professor Dr. Kate West and broadcast journalist Leslie Rangel, authors of Journalists Break News: Don’t Let It Break You.

What’s ahead for U.S. gymnastics at the Olympics

A faculty committee at UT Austin found that university leaders violated their own rules when calling police to respond to protests over the war in Gaza at the end of the spring semester. Audrey McGlinchy of KUT News shares the latest.
Five years after the mass shooting at a Walmart in El Paso, a new memorial is unveiled to honor the 23 people killed.
Serious questions have been raised over a private contractor providing healthcare services to prison inmates in many states, including Texas.
And: Texas was well-represented at the men and women’s gymnastics team and all-around events at the Paris Olympics. A look at what’s ahead for the athletes.

Texas Democrats plot election year strategy at convention

Texas Democrats reconvene for their annual convention, plotting an election year comeback. What’s the plan? The Texas Newsroom’s Julián Aguilar tells us more about the Texas Democratic convention that just wrapped up in El Paso.
A change in the state’s Medicaid rules would eliminate several major nonprofit health plans from the program.
UT’s flagship campus taking disciplinary action against recent pro-Palestinian protesters.
The case of the stolen smokers – Daniel Vaughn shares the tale.
And the Mavericks, down but not out as the NBA playoffs shift to Dallas for Game 3.

Hidalgo County election overturned after being decided by handful of votes

Some top politicos are sensing that, for the first time in decades, this could be the year Texas sends a Democrat to the U.S. Senate.
Texas lawmakers are lining up to clamp down on hemp-based products like Delta 8 and Delta 9 being sold statewide.
Last fall, Edinburg City Council Member David White won re-election by just 10 votes. His challenger contested the results – and this past week, White’s win was overturned when a judge ruled that several votes were placed illegally.
A new book explores some lesser-known stories of courage from the D-Day invasion of 80 years ago.
And: Vigilante groups are repelling migrants at the southern border. What does law enforcement think about that?

The growing union drive in tech

Extreme weather brings flooding and evacuations to an area near the Trinity River. We’ll find out how folks are coping with all that water.
Police remove protestors trying to set up camp on the UT Austin campus.
A new book takes a look at the Republic of Texas – an armed secession movement in the Davis Mountains of West Texas. It happened nearly 30 years ago. Could we see it again?
Also, as union membership grows across the Lone Star State, what does that mean for tech workers and why they face challenges unionizing?

What does Drake’s A.I. Diss Song Mean for Rap?

Fresh defends Drake’s “Taylor Made Freestyle,” which uses dupes of Snoop and Tupac’s voices. Plus hear Confucius’ take on the University of Texas’ response to a recent pro-Palestinian protest along with other headlines, and Hip-Hop Facts.

House Speaker Dade Phelan has drawn an opponent

The Justice Department has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple, alleging that the maker of the iPhone violated antitrust law by maintaining an illegal monopoly in the smartphone market. We’ll hear more from Jason Snell, one of the nation’s top Apple watchers.
House Speaker Dade Phelan faces another challenge: not just re-election in his home district, but now a rival for his leadership position from state Rep. Tom Oliverson.
An update on the Standard’s Music Madness bracket, and how you can make your picks for the Elite Eight.
Plus: The week in politics with The Texas Tribune.

KUT Afternoon Newscast for January 30, 2024

Central Texas top stories for January 30, 2024. Texas Supreme Court hears arguments on the latest lawsuit stemming from the 2021 blackout. The city of Austin is considering changing euthanasia rules for dangerous dogs. Austin State Hospital now has an estimated opening day. Researchers at the University of Texas announce opioid alternative breakthrough. A million more Texans now have health insurance through the affordable care act. Gas prices are on the rise.

Inside Harris County’s guaranteed income experiment

Heavy rain, high winds and snow, elevated fire danger and more prompt the governor to raise the emergency preparedness level in Texas. We’ll have the latest overview of weather concerns.

A new report reveals high levels of toxic benzene exposure in a Houston suburb.

A plan to test a guaranteed basic income gets underway today in Harris County.

We’ll hear who’s eligible and where the money’s coming from.

The town of Diboll is seeking to be officially designated the “Quinceañera Capital of Texas.”

And: Remember cutting the cord for cable TV? Why many households are cutting the streamers, too.

KUT Afternoon Newscast for December 12, 2023

Central Texas top stories for December 12, 2023. Austin police give an update on last week’s shootings. A federal judge upholds Texas’s TikTok ban. University of Texas at Austin fires two Teaching Assistants. A member of Congress from Austin says more needs to be done to chip away at the state’s backlog of food assistance and Medicaid applications. Kyle unveils its new comprehensive plan. Gas prices fall with inflation.

The science on why it’s fun to be scared

Recriminations over donations and demands for a high-level resignation: What’s behind the latest political fight between Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan?

The Senate green-lights a voucher-like plan to provide public money for private school tuition. Matthew Watkins of the Texas Tribune joins us with more on the week in politics.

How to safely view Saturday’s annular eclipse over Texas.

Ken Burns returns with a new PBS series on the American Buffalo.

And: On Friday the 13th in this spookiest month, why so many folks love to get scared.

KUT Morning Newscast for October 12, 2023

Central Texas top stories for October 12, 2023. Changes coming to parking requirements in Austin. Austin ISD special education meeting. Aqua Texas over-pumping in Hays county. University of Texas robotics parade.

KUT Morning Newscast for October 10, 2023

Central Texas top stories for October 10, 2023. Police recruiting in Williamson County. School accountability rating lawsuit. Voter registration deadline. UT to open Esports arena.

KUT Morning Newscast for June 30, 2023

Central Texas top stories for June 30, 2023. Texas reactions to the Supreme Court striking down affirmative action in colleges. New development proposal plans for Austin. Firework laws and safety.

What we know about the mass shooting at an Allen outlet mall

Another Texas community is reeling after a mass shooting that killed eight people, this time at an outlet mall in Allen, outside of Dallas.

Following local elections across the state, we’ll have reports on some closely watched propositions in San Antonio, El Paso and Austin.

Fort Hood in Central Texas is formally set to be renamed Fort Cavazos for the nation’s first Hispanic four-star general. Hispanic and Latino civil rights groups are applauding the move but looking for more substantive change.

And the the University of Texas at Austin is getting a new school of civic leadership – but some questions are being raised by some students and faculty.

Has Texas cracked down on protest after 2020’s racial justice demonstrations?

Do Texans support raising the minimum age to purchase firearms? We’ll hear the results of a new study by the Texas Politics Project.

The struggle to find staffing for the state’s psychiatric hospital system as needs for mental health support post pandemic have grown.

In response to the murder of George Floyd and police brutality broadly, people across Texas headed out to protest. A few years after those demonstrations, there’s been a backlash, writes the Houston Chronicle’s Jeremy Wallace.

Fusion … or something more? Taco journalist Mando Rayo on the similarities between food from Mexico and the Philippines.

And the Standard’s Shelly Brisbin on what may be emerging as the front-runner to replace Twitter.