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KUT Morning Newscast for October 5, 2023

Central Texas top stories for October 5, 2023. Rain comes to Central Texas with flood advisories. New police oversight chief has questions from Austin City Council. Narcan will be distributed at Austin City Limits.

A&M researchers are working to bring ocelots back

After a swift and historic vote in the U.S. House of Representatives to oust Speaker Kevin McCarthy, we’ll hear more about the role of the Texas delegation and what comes next on Capitol Hill.

Will climate change alter Texas’ coastal community landscape? It already appears to be doing just that, says Erin Douglas of the Texas Tribune.

Texan Simone Biles has pulled off a gymnastics move so remarkable that it now carries her name.

After overhunting and creeping development, the number of breeding ocelots in the wild has tumbled to under 100 – with very few in South Texas, where they used to be plentiful. Now, researchers are working on a plan to bring the cats back.

Plus, a conversation with James C. Watkins, the 3D state artist of the year.

Fall is finally here. What does that mean for Texas’ drought?

Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan has faced increasing pressure to resign since Ken Paxton’s impeachment trial – and a special session of the Legislature starts next week.

El Paso, a city with a reputation as welcoming to migrants, is now at a breaking point, according to its mayor. Angela Kocherga of KTEP El Paso has details.

About 24 million Texans are living through some level of drought right now, according to data from the U.S. Drought Monitor. What’s on the horizon as fall weather moves in?

The former Texas Memorial Museum on UT Austin’s campus, shuttered in March due to COVID and cutbacks, returns in grand style with a new name and focus.

KUT Morning Newscast for September 25, 2023

Central Texas top stories for September 25, 2023. Hail storms across Central Texas cause power outages and damage. New COVID vaccines are available. Round Rock votes on teacher raises.

Summer’s Over

The last official day for summer in 2023 is Sept. 23. Though the temperatures haven’t really changed that much yet, many are embracing the early signs of fall. That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.

Which major city in Texas has the worst weather?

Ken Paxton’s impeachment and Senate trial was the biggest political story in Texas in decades. History will no doubt recall what transpired over the previous two weeks at the Capitol, but how much do most Texans know that anything happened at all?

A state-imposed superintendent for Houston schools rolls out what he calls the New Education System – and it’s getting a lot of pushback.

Remembering Latina scientist Elma Gonzalez.

And with frequent hurricanes in Southeast Texas, and twisters up north … which big city has the worst weather in Texas, and why?

Texas voting restrictions challenged in court

The trial of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton continues, but not for long. We’ll have details on the latest testimony from the Senate floor.

State senators could start deliberations in Paxton’s impeachment trial as soon as Thursday.

Texas voting laws go on trial in San Antonio. We’ll have details about a case challenging state bans on 24-hour polls and drive-thru voting.

All that, and how to keep your trees fungus-free, the best bean and cheese taco in Texas, and the latest headlines from across the state. It’s coming up today on the Texas Standard.

Historic heat makes Texas’ ailing water infrastructure even harder to fix

A plan for state officials to take over special education in the Austin Independent School District is being reconsidered. Becky Fogel of KUT in Austin shares more.

Record heat this summer statewide has led to widespread water leaks amid an already pressing need for repairs – but will a fund earmarked for fixes be enough?

With five deaths from fentanyl on average in Texas each day, a growing number of those deaths is among young people. The Dallas Morning news turns a monthlong spotlight on a growing crisis.

In attempts to ban library books, Texas leads the nation

Texas prisons are under a statewide lockdown as officials search for contraband to stem a rise in prison homicides.

More than 700 new state laws took effect in Texas on Sept. 1 out of the almost 3,000 that were filed – meaning the vast majority didn’t become law. Texas Public Radio’s David Martin Davies tells us more.

Texas had the most book challenges of any state last year, according to the American Library Association.

Outlaw country, born in the 1970s, has long been dominated by men. But female artists have been making noteworthy contributions, especially recently.

Plus the week in Texas politics with the Texas Tribune.

After a pandemic boost, what’s the next chapter for independent booksellers?

Fort Worth ISD temporarily closed its school libraries as the district worked to comply with a new state law over adult content.

Texas is one of only 10 states that hasn’t expanded Medicaid. Why?

The pandemic boost for books, and its aftermath: the Standard’s Sean Saldaña on the next chapter for independent booksellers.

The most dangerous jails in Texas may not be the lockups that get the most attention. Eric Dexheimer of the Houston Chronicle shares more.

And the Texan trying to redefine travel TV, and what travel looks like in the real world, too.

Del Rio’s William Beckmann fuses youthful energy and timeless soul in country music

A body was found in a buoy barrier in the Rio Grande, prompting harsh criticism of Texas’ border strategy.

Four years after the mass shooting at a Walmart in El Paso, people at the scene that day who are eligible for immigrant visas are still waiting.

The end of the pandemic emergency – and the end of pandemic relief funds – could mean a cut in childcare options in Texas. We’ll hear why.

A women’s soccer champion-turned Texas collegiate soccer coach weighs in on the U.S.’ prospects as the World Cup moves into the knockout rounds.

Plus the rise of songwriter William Beckmann, a Del Rio native.

KUT Morning Newscast for July 24, 2023

Central Texas top stories for July 24, 2023. Austin City Council adds reserve police officers. Extreme heat continues throughout Central Texas. Advocates urge for an end to utility disconnections in dangerous weather.

What’s the future of air conditioning in Texas?

You’ve heard of abandoned, so-called orphan oil wells? Now there’s a growing concern about zombie wells.

After the pandemic, Texas Medicaid rolls are shrinking – but many are losing coverage for procedural reasons, and they may not even realize it.

A new state law means that next year, construction workers in some Texas cities may not have the protections they do now requiring water breaks

With climate change, can demand for A/C keep up? We talk to an author who says it might be making things worse.

And at TV stations large and small, something strange: the case of the disappearing meteorologists.

How to keep yourself and your pets safe this Fourth of July

Texas prison heat is an issue we’ve highlighted on this program for years. Why it’s not being solved quickly.

Abortion access is one of the top political issues in Texas. So how did state lawmakers manage to quietly pass a bill clarifying exceptions to the ban?

On the eve of July Fourth, we’ll give you a checklist to run through to make sure people, pets and property are all well taken care of.

And how the Supreme Court’s latest ruling on affirmative action will impact the processes at some Texas colleges and universities.

Snow Cones in Summer

One thing Texans have certainly been thinking about lately: the heat. But sweet frozen treats may be one delight that can inspire folks to venture away from the A/C, at least for a bit. That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.

Cormac McCarthy’s deep Texas ties

A tornado tore through the Panhandle town of Perryton on Thursday, leaving three dead, scores injured and many without homes – and forecasts say there’s more severe weather on the way.

Native American tribes are celebrating a big win before the Supreme Court in an adoption law case brought by a white foster couple from Texas.

What an expo in El Paso says about an aspect of border security that’s seldom talked about.

Remembering a giant of American novelists, Cormac McCarthy, and his ties to Texas.

And the week in politics with the Texas Tribune.

What does Nate Paul’s arrest mean for Ken Paxton?

Impeached attorney general Ken Paxton won’t face trial in the Senate until late summer, but the indictment of prominent donor Nate Paul may have big implications for Paxton’s fate nonetheless.

Hurricane season is upon us, and the energy industry is making preparations for potential storms.

A colonia in El Paso is pulling water out of thin air using solar distillation.

A new podcast, “Under Cover of Knight, ” examines a death in small-town Texas – and why the CIA and local law enforcement wanted folks to stop asking questions.

And a longtime Texas radio journalist remembers NPR’s Wade Goodwyn.

‘Flamin’ Hot’ shares the spicy story of a snack food phenomenon

Legislation on the governor’s desk known as the “Death Star” bill takes aim at local ordinances statewide. Will cities strike back?

In a place known for years of drought, heavy rain has forced evacuations in Amarillo and Hereford.

We’ll meet Houston’s Benchawan Jabthong Painter, winner of the James Beard Award for best Texas chef. Her secret recipe? Cooking with grandma in Thailand.

The new movie “Flamin’ Hot” tells the story of a janitor at Frito-Lay who set the snack world on fire. We’ll talk to the film’s director, Corpus Christi native Eva Longoria, and stars Jesse Garcia and Annie Gonzalez.

Plus the week in politics with the Texas Tribune.

What happened to the bill closing the ‘dead suspect loophole?’

Property tax cuts and border security are on the agenda as the Legislature’s special session moves into week 2.

A bill to promote police transparency received support in the House and the Senate, but now it’s apparently gone missing. KXAN investigative reporter Josh Hinkle explains.

There’s a shortage of mental health treatment for people arrested in Texas who are deemed in need of treatment before trial.

And Texas-based American Airlines has grounded planes amid an ongoing pilot shortage. What does this mean for summer travel?