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KUT and KUTX news and music podcasts for Austin, Texas and beyond
A Supreme Court ruling on redistricting in Alabama surprises critics – and raises hopes for Texans challenging political maps closer to home.
Why a plan to expand shipping in Matagorda Bay has many in the community sounding alarms.
An effort to lift the borrowing cap for graduate student loans raised hopes – and costs – but not the sort of opportunities expected, according to a new report using Texas data.
Also, a bit of sweetness in Uvalde as a favorite hometown festival makes a return.
Why couldn’t Republicans who control the Legislature see eye to eye?
There’s a cost to Texas taxpayers that comes with the Legislature going into overtime. Professor Mark Jones of Rice University helps us crunch the numbers.
The Texas Education Agency is expected to take over the Houston Independent School District on Thursday. We’ll take a look at what state-appointed managers face once they start getting settled in.
How did a fight over state incentives to attract business in Texas turn out – and did business boosters get what they wanted?
Plus, the young mariachi band that gave Uvalde something to cheer for.
The gavels have fallen on the 88th legislative session, yet lawmakers are still in action, as the governor called the first of what are expected to be multiple special sessions. We’ll look at the unfinished business on the agenda, and a special focus on where we stand with several bills related to public education.
The nonprofit organization Refugee Services of Texas – the largest resettlement agency in the state – is shutting down after four decades, citing mounting financial pressures.
Also, journalist Maria Hinojosa with more on a new special on Uvalde set to debut on PBS tonight.
At the Capitol, an intraparty rivalry between Republicans explodes into the open. The dueling charges between Attorney General Ken Paxton and House Speaker Dade Phelan are so personal and serious, some longtime Capitol watchers are characterizing the battle as among the most significant in Texas political history. Lauren McGaughey of the Dallas Morning news will have details.
After a scandal at a Bastrop foster care facility, Texas lawmakers pass two new bills to crack down on abuses.
We’ll have more on a vigil last night in Uvalde marking the one-year anniversary of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary.
The Texas Legislature will finish its session having made lots of new laws. But there are plenty of old laws on the books that seem pretty weird by today’s standards.
And debt collectors get a new high-tech tool.
On the one-year anniversary of the mass shooting in Uvalde that left 19 fourth-graders and two teachers dead, state Sen. Roland Gutierrez says he’s still pushing for gun reform. Meanwhile, trust in police remains frail in Uvalde.
A report from Matamoros on migrants in limbo after the end of Title 42.
As Austin firefighters rack up millions in overtime, the department is working to address mental health needs.
And state officials team up with a Texas producer for a walk on the wild side: a musical celebration of Texas parks.
Central Texas top stories for May 22, 2023. Remembrance for Uvalde. School voucher plans meet resistance. Childcare deserts in Hays County.
Economists call it political theater, but the implications of failure to reach a debt ceiling deal are very real.
As Washington faces a debt deadline, lawmakers in Texas race to beat the clock on the end of the legislative session, and one issue in particular could send them into overtime: The latest on the big divide over cutting property taxes.
With much of this session focused on culture war issues, where do registered voters in Texas stand? A new survey from the Texas Hispanic Policy Foundation may offer more than a few surprises.
It’s do or die for the Dallas Stars in the Stanley Cup race.
And a toxic worm that’s got Texans talking.
It started 5 months ago, and if all goes according to plan, it ends this week. Sergio Martínez-Beltrán of the Texas Newsroom joins us with his look ahead at the final days of the Texas legislative session. And what happens to the many proposals that didn’t pass? To understand, a knowledge of zombies might be beneficial.
Why have so many Democrats been lining up with Republicans on key items this session?
And you’ve heard the song “Whiskey River”? Though the song’s a fable, a new book shows how whiskey flows through Texas history more than you might expect.
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.
Texas is on the brink of becoming the latest state to ban gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott asks the governors of other states to provide police and military forces to help secure Texas’ border with Mexico, as the numbers of reported unauthorized entries plummet.
Tech expert Omar Gallaga tells us about congressional hearings on regulating artificial intelligence.
And the musician formerly known as the Texas Piano Man sheds his fancy white suit and hat: Robert Ellis tells us how fatherhood and Fort Worth factor into his new release, “Yesterday’s News.”
Erin Douglas of the Texas Tribune joins with details on water infrastructure efforts that have bipartisan support, but a chasm separating House and Senate proposals – and just 11 more days to come to agreement.
More money for Texas public school teachers? Some educators say the proposals on the table aren’t enough to keep them in the classroom.
In San Antonio, what appears to be a first-of-its-kind effort to dramatically improve access to public bathrooms for people with disabilities.
And UT-Austin chemistry professor Kate Biberdorf – aka Kate the Chemist – shares a preview of her new podcast, “Seeking a Scientist.”
Migrant crossings at the border with Mexico are reported to be dramatically down after the end of Title 42.
Adolescent medicine doctors at Dell Children’s Medical Center in Austin are out amid calls from politicians for an investigation of gender-affirming care at the hospital.
A bill to preempt new local regulations on a variety of issues including labor and the environment moves quickly toward an expected passage in the Texas Senate.
And what’s the story behind those “We Buy Ugly Houses” signs? A ProPublica investigation reveals that the buyers behind the signs took advantage of elderly homeowners.
What happens to a Republican-led plan to provide taxpayer money for private education if the Texas Senate and House can’t reach agreement in less than two weeks? The governor’s promising he’ll keep the Legislature in session.
The latest on bills aimed at banning access to gender-affirming care for young people.
Mind-reading technology? We’ll talk with a UT researcher at the forefront of the tech using artificial intelligence to interpret brain activity.
Also: Finding the best burgers in Texas.
Almost a year after the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, two injured fourth graders are still trying to recover. Edgar Sandoval of the New York Times talks with us about his profile of two children injured in the shooting – and the months since.
Yesterday’s half-hour grounding of Southwest Airlines departures was blamed on technical issues. Why the FAA and other investigators want a closer look.
Why some lawmakers are pushing to keep Texas crypto miners from cashing in on a tool to help the power grid survive during times of peak demand.
Almost a year after the Uvalde school shooting, a new investigation by the Texas Tribune reveals it was the type of weapon used, an AR-15, that prompted officers to back off from the room where the shooter was holed up. Reporter Zach Despart joins us to explain.
A closer look at bills in the Legislature focused on hot-button social issues, including what’s being taught in public schools.
And at Willie Nelson’s annual food fun and music shindig in Luck, Texas, there’s something extra special on the menu: The Standard’s Kristen Cabrera has more on the Indigenous food on the table.
This week at the Texas Legislature: Laws aimed at making it easier to have a baby in Texas.
Under the big dome in Austin, a hearing on a proposal to ban Chinese non-citizens from buying land in Texas.
The state Republican Party censures one of its own, U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, after a vote supporting a new gun law.
Is a two-tier court system coming to Texas? We’ll have more on a push for businesses to have their own legal system.
And: A gift to a major Texas museum is aimed at diversity for public art and and greater visibility for Latino artists.
Eight months after the school shooting in Uvalde, Democratic state Sen. Roland Gutierrez announces a package of gun safety reforms. Will Texas Republicans take it up?
A decades-old Texas is law forcing some condo owners to leave their homes.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the first lab-grown meat product for human consumption. But will consumers bite?
After conquering the hearts of many a Texan, Willie Nelson and Family take Sundance.
And a PolitiFact check of President Biden over whether wages are keeping up with inflation.
The Texas House and Senate release their spending roadmaps for the session, leaving tens of billions on the table unspent. It may be an understatement to say the state is awash in cash. Both chambers are now proposing unprecedented outlays. Bob Garret of the Dallas Morning News joins us to help with the numbers. Also pressure on Texas lawmakers to take more action on gun safety in the wake of the school shooting in Uvalde. Also what health experts are learning about Long Covid and chronic fatigue. And Omar Gallaga discovers a de facto treasure trove for PC gamers. And time runs out for TikTok on many Texas campuses. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Central Texas top stories for January 3, 2023. Teacher compensation report. Uvalde families push for gun safety laws. Travis County Christmas tree disposal. Red River Free Week.
As temperatures fall, a humanitarian crisis in El Paso deepens as there is a scramble to find shelter for thousands of migrants. Now Texas National Guard troops have been called in to maintain order at the scene. We’ll have the latest on a tenuous situation along the border. Plus, what to do with all the water used in fracking. Recycle it, maybe? We’ll hear why the idea is catching on now. And we’ve got one-on-one interview with a broadway star who’s got south Texas roots. These stories and more today on the Texas Standard: