KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts

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

Winter Storm

What Trump’s declaration of an energy emergency could mean for Texas

As Texans try to keep warm, volunteers are bundling up to help a particularly vulnerable population: sea turtles facing “cold stun,” a life-threatening condition.

We’re three days into the new Trump administration and trying to keep up with a slew of executive orders. Digging into the impacts on the energy industry, as well as what it means to issue a presidential pardon.

Peer support specialists can help fill the gaps in mental health care in Texas. But there are some challenges to keeping people on the job.

And: The Sundance Film Festival gives fans a sneak peek at movies before they hit theaters. We’re keeping an eye on a few with Texas ties.

KUT Afternoon Newscast for January 21, 2025

Central Texas top stories for January 21, 2025. The winter storm has moved out and the snow that fell has been melting away. Austin and Travis County officials have been pleased with the response to winter weather warnings. Austin Travis County EMS has responded to nearly 40 weather-related calls since Monday morning, with two exposure-related deaths occurring overnight. Peoples’ reactions to the fleeting winter weather. The snow-sleet-graupel combo that fell in Austin has disrupted the city’s curbside collection services.

Trump’s first executive orders focus on immigration

Much of Texas is dealing with dangerously cold temperatures and conditions that make travel hazardous. How the state is coping – plus a look at the power grid.

President Trump declared an emergency on the U.S.-Mexico border and issued several executive orders on immigration. We’ll delve into the details.

A look at the life and legacy of Cecile Richards: The former president of Planned Parenthood, and a major force in Texas and national politics, has died of brain cancer at 67.

Plus: Texas Standard intern Yoali Rodríguez reports on the designers working to make El Paso a new fashion hub.

KUT Morning Newscast for January 20, 2025

Central Texas top stories for January 20, 2025. We might get some snow in the Austin area, but it might not linger for too long. Here’s how to protect your pipes from freezing weather. City closures are expected in observance of MLK day today and due to the winter storm tomorrow.

KUT Morning Newscast for February 6, 2023

Central Texas top stories for February 6, 2023. Austin Energy restoration update. What to do if you still have no power. Storm debris cleanup. FAA investigates near miss at Austin Bergstrom. San Marcos police contract. UT Basketball vs. Jayhawks. Fred Kerley mural.

KUT Morning Newscast for February 3, 2023

Central Texas top stories for February 3, 2023. Austin Energy power restoration efforts. Possible disaster declaration. Street debris cleanup. CapMetro resumes service. Carbon Monoxide poisoning. Who to call for downed power lines. State online damage survey. Atmos Energy natural gas service improvements.

KUT Morning Newscast for January 31, 2023

Central Texas top stories for January 31, 2023. Winter storm warning extended. EMS overpass concerns. Pre-treating Austin’s roads trial run. Williamson County winter storm response. Taylor winter storm response. Saving energy. Blood donation requirements changing.

KUT Morning Newscast for January 30, 2023

Central Texas top stories for January 30, 2023. Winter storm warning. Record temps in January. State hospital staffing. Austin homeless count. Round Rock library grand re-opening.

What this cold snap means for Texans experiencing homelessness

A last minute scramble to keep the Government funded as Texans clamber in advance of dangerously cold weather. We’ll have more on efforts to piece together a 1.7 trillion dollar spending bill; much debate centering on what’s happening at the border. Also as Texans prepare for a blast of Arctic air, we’ll speak with an official in Irving who’s been mobilizing efforts to help folks in the metroplex experiencing homelessness, who are especially vulnerable. Also a crisis among caregivers assisting Texans with disabilities. These stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:

The Texas Power Grid

In February of 2021, the Texas power grid was within minutes of total failure because of high demand in response to unusually cold weather. Most Texans went without power for some period of time — many suffered in the dark and cold for days. Some also lost access to water. Hundreds died. The following winter did not provide a true test of the grid infrastructure — but a very hot summer could. Texas Standard listener Katy Manck requested this poem.

Texas Standard: February 18, 2022

Nineteen indictments of Austin police officers in what appears to be one of the biggest indictments of a single police department in connection with the racial justice demonstrations of 2020. Also, the week in politics with the Texas Tribune. These stories and 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 16, 2022

As many watch for the next moves in Ukraine, Europeans are turning to Texas for more of their energy; it could come with strings attached. Also, six Texas congressional races to watch. And, an auction for wild horses…why some see it as a betrayal. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: February 14, 2022

Romancing the voters on this valentines day, Texas politicians in local and statewide races try to win over early voters in the nation’s first primaries. We’ll hear from the elections official of the state’s most populous county on a recent court decision in a fight against new voting regulations. Also, a Texas-based expert weighs in with the latest on what the US says is a rapidly advancing danger of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: February 7, 2022

A Texas official takes on listener questions about new vote-by-mail rules. Also, the energy implications of last week’s winter storm and the lingering psychological impacts of the winter storm of 2021. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:

Them Ol’ ERCOT Blues

Texans have (so far) not experienced widespread blackouts this winter. Still, many prepared for the worst heading into Winter Storm Landon. That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.

Texas Standard: February 2, 2022

With a winter storm warning set for much of the state, and the memories of last February still fresh, Texans brace for what’s coming. Also, vaccinations for the very young? A Texas-based expert on vaccine trials underway and what parents and caretakers  should know. Plus, across Texas, a record number of books being banned from Public school libraries; why the push right now and who’s pushing back. These stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: December 23, 2021

It was an event that left an indelible mark on Texans – what exactly happened as a winter storm and blackouts rolled across the Lone State State? There had been warnings for years that Texas’ power grid was vulnerable. Yet on a mid-February morning in 2021, the lights went out for millions of Texans – leading to shortages of food, water, heat – and hundreds of deaths. A step-by-step look at how a grim chapter in Texas history unfolded earlier this year – leading to questions we’re still grappling with today. From the podcast The Disconnect, the 2021 Texas power crisis as it unfolded, on this special edition of the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: December 22, 2021

After the storm and deadly rolling blackouts – a major question remains: why was Texas’ power grid so vulnerable? In February, a winter storm brought the energy capital of the world to its knees, leading to millions of Texans without power, a death toll well into the triple digits – and many questions such as how the power grid could have succumbed so suddenly, without apparent warning.  There’s a history that’s unique to Texas’ power grid – one that involves football, subterfuge, and a whole lot of lobbyists. From the podcast The Disconnect, the story of the Texas power grid – on a special edition of the Texas Standard:

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