Veterans

How might proposed tariffs on Mexico impact Texas?

Texas does more business with Mexico than any other nation, and with 25% tariff threats now on the table from President-elect Trump, what should we expect? We’ll take a closer look.
The Texas Public Utility Commission issues a report on CenterPoint Energy’s much-criticized response to Hurricane Beryl.
Squaring economic data points with how voters felt going into this year’s election.
An educational oasis for some students is out of reach for others. A warning about community college deserts.

After nearly 50 years, food critic Pat Sharpe asks for the check

Texas leaders are among President-elect Trump’s biggest supporters. Are they being left off the list of Cabinet picks?
She’s traveled and tasted dishes from across the Lone Star State: After 50 years, Texas Monthly food critic Pat Sharpe is retiring and sharing what she’s learned on the job.
The details of a plan to turn an old golf course into a world-class arboretum in San Antonio.
And: An update on the results of a rural summit bringing residents, local officials and state lawmakers together.

Will Elon Musk have a role to play in the Trump administration?

With the presidency and a majority now in the U.S. Senate, Republicans are eyeing a trifecta of power by capturing the seats needed for a slim majority in the House. But several races still need to be called. What’s taking so long?
Elon Musk spent a great deal of his time and money helping Donald Trump win another term this fall. Will Texas’ wealthiest man have a role to play in the Trump administration?
And: More than half a million undocumented immigrants protected from deportation under the DACA program are now worried what the future holds come January. Stella Chávez of The Texas Newsroom has the story.

What can Austin learn from Dallas about covering I-35 with a park?

Former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has won the Democratic nomination to replace the late Sheila Jackson Lee on the November ballot for Texas’ 18th Congressional District.
More and more Texas jurisdictions are sending people awaiting trial to other states and counties. What effect is this having on criminal justice?
As Frito pie season returns, Texas Standard commentator W.F. Strong dives into the rich history and lore of the iconic dish.
TxDOT is starting work this summer to expand and lower Interstate 35 through downtown Austin, and the city and University of Texas want to install large decks over the highway that could have parks on them. It’s a concept that already exists in Dallas, and KUT’s Nathan Bernier went to check it out.

Rio Grande Valley again draws attention ahead of 2024 elections

Is the boom in home prices in Austin, one of Texas’ hottest markets, over? And what might that mean for affordability?
Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, long a champion of free markets, is now calling for lawmakers to take action and curb large-scale home purchases from institutional investors.
Some national politics watchers are pondering whether this is the year a long-time stronghold for Texas Democrats – Rio Grande Valley – turns solidly red.
And when it comes to chili, ¡Viva Terlingua! But chili’s got a new challenger. Texas Monthly barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn samples what’s cookin.’

Performers pay tribute to Willie Nelson for his 90th birthday

A push in the state Legislature to end countywide voting on Election Day. Nearly 100 counties in Texas allow voters to cast their Election Day ballots anywhere in the county. But now a move to require voters to cast their ballots in specific district locations. Why the push, and why it matters.

The Veterans Administration is looking into a new application for artificial intelligence: suicide prevention.

An oil tanker bound for Houston seized by Iran. What this move may signal.

And country music luminaries pool their talents for an album to celebrate the 90th birthday of the Red Headed Stranger Willie Nelson.

Is prosecuting librarians the next front in Texas’ book wars?

You’ve heard about library book bans in Texas, but behind the scenes there is a campaign underway to prosecute librarians for putting certain books on the shelves of school and public libraries.

After four decades, Texas politician Ben Barnes comes clean about his role, and that of former Texas Gov. John Connally, to delay the release of 52 American hostages held in Iran in order to ensure the election of Ronald Regan. Peter Baker of the New York Times joins us.

Also Texas gets a new professional sports franchise – not football or basketball, but Major League Cricket.

The rock stars and unsung heroes of Texas guitar playing

2 years after the insurrection on Capitol Hill the implications of the event and its aftermath for Texas and Texans. We’ll have more. Also on this January 6th, a look at concerns about extremism among some who previously served their country in the military. And order in the court? Despite discrepancies in representation between men and women in many fields, Texas bucking national trends with what some have called a golden age of elected female judges. And taco journalist Mando Rayo serves up some tips for home cooking. Plus the greatest Texas guitarists of all time, the week in politics with the Texas Tribune and much more today on the Texas Standard:

What does the new year have in store for Texans’ pocketbooks?

In just over a week, lawmakers gather again at the capitol. What to expect in the upcoming Texas legislative session? Niki Griswold of the Austin American Statesman and James Barragán of the Texas Tribune with more on what to look for in the 88th legislative session. Also new incentives to buy an electric car. What does it mean for those in the market and will it be enough to jumpstart reluctant buyers? Plus the latest on a lawsuit to address racial bias in veterans benefits. And a big win for the Horned Frogs puts them in contention for the National College Football crown. TCU’s winning ways and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: November 21, 2022

‘Tis the season for bill filing; a quick look at what filing season in the Texas legislature tells us about lawmaker priorities for the coming session. Other stories we’re watching: an earthquake recorded in west Texas last week, the third biggest ever recorded in the state, what it could mean for the oil and gas industry. And a nuclear reactor taking shape on the campus of Abilene Christian University, we’ll hear why. Also how military families are trying to deal with the search for suitable housing. These stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: November 18, 2022

The end of Title 42 and reaction from inside a migrant camp. Angela Kocherga reporting from Juarez. Also, as the impact of the midterms continues to unfold, a Texas election administrator with an insider’s account of what went right and wrong on election day. And a preview of the World Cup and the Texans who could be making history. Also the seldom told story of the woman from Dallas who shattered ceilings and made history in the world of sportscasting, business, and beyond. The authors of a new biography of Phyllis George. Plus the week in politics with James Barragán of the Texas Tribune and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: November 10, 2022

A major win in a very close race for the top seat in Texas’ most populous county. We continue to track final results and the implications of the midterms in Texas: Sergio Martinez Beltran with a debrief. Also apparent bipartisan agreement on one issue. With the passage of marijuana referendums in no fewer than 5 Texas cities. Plus in advance of Veterans Day, we’ll hear from a veteran who served two tours of duty during the don’t ask don’t tell era. And new archaeological findings about a west Texas massacre more than 100 years ago that complicates the historic narrative. All that and more today on the Texas Standard:

KUT Afternoon Newscast for October 11, 2022

Central Texas top stories for October 11, 2022. Last-minute voter registration. UT Campus polling places. Teen poll workers. Project Connect and displacement. Veterans Treatment Court. Monarch migration.

Texas Standard: August 25, 2022

Are billions in school debt owed by Texans about to be written off the books? We’ll look at what President Biden’s announcement adds up to for Texans. Other stories we’re tracking: buying out of flood prone property: what it could mean for a region ravaged by Hurricane Harvey 5 years ago. Also after this weeks rains in North Texas, how the struggle’s just beginning for some families. And as housing prices skyrocket across Texas and many parts of the nation, military allowances not keeping up. And is the University of Texas about to pass Harvard as the country’s wealthiest university?Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: July 28, 2022

18 billion in pandemic aid for Texas schools, a huge amount of money. So why has less than a third been spent? We’ll explore. Also with back to school just around the corner, many districts struggling to find and retain teachers. Will promises of a four day workweek do the trick? We’ll hear what educators and parents make of that approach. And five years after Hurricane Harvey, what researchers are finding out about a less obvious impact: the exposure to chemicals. Plus thousands of miles of new roads in Texas displacing hundreds of homes and businesses, but repeated findings of no environmental impact. A red flag? Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: June 9, 2022

In the aftermath of the Uvalde shooting, wrenching testimony on Capitol Hill and questions about what comes next to protect school kids. We’ll have the latest. Also, what if anything Texas lawmakers might do to tighten gun regulations. And the fight for political control in South Texas this fall. But among democrats, fireworks and calls for recounts already in two close congressional runoff races. Also a new report on childcare deserts. And behind the scenes for primetime hearings on the January 6th insurrection. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: April 8, 2022

New reports of a surge at the border but the story’s more complicated than what you may be thinking. Seven weeks after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a new chapter in the story unfolding at the border north of Tijuana is raising questions about who’s allowed into the US, who isn’t, and why. We’ll hear more. Also, federal funds to help COVID-19 patients cover hospital costs run out. So what happens now? And micro plastics called little poison pills polluting Texas waterways, but a Texas researcher has a recipe for cleanup… just add okra? Plus the week in politics with the Texas Tribune and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: March 03, 2022

A state judge tells Texas it must stop its investigation of a family suspected of providing gender affirming medical care for their transgender teenager. President Biden’s weighing in on the matter too. Plus, legally mandated efforts to get Texas public school students back up to speed after pandemic disruptions; schools say they simply don’t have the tutors to do it. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: February 17, 2022

Looking back at the winter storm of last February and why one year later disparities in the death toll persist; Mose Buschele, of KUT Austin, has more on that story. Also, efforts to secure federal recognition for Texas’ emancipation trail. And, the state’s legal challenge to the company formerly known as Facebook. These stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: February 9, 2022

As more teachers quit, those who remain are taking on more students and more responsibilities; a survey suggests a new Texas public school crisis in the making. Also, efforts to ban certain books from school libraries and how what’s been happening in Hood County may be a harbinger of what’s ahead. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard: