KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts
KUT and KUTX news and music podcasts for Austin, Texas and beyond
Texas is open 100 percent. The mask mandate that ends today was announced last week by Texas Governor Gregg Abbott. We’ll also talk about vaccinating people who are crossing the border illegally. And people who are caring for loved ones might experience burn out. “Already Toast” – a new book that explores caregiving challenges. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
August 30, 2023
State National Guard used WhatsApp to spy at the border
An investigation of Operation Lone Star finds a prohibited intelligence unit using WhatsApp to spy on migrants and smugglers. Davis Winkie of the Military Times shares more. A new Texas law, the Crown Act, takes effect this week, banning discrimination based on hair texture or hairstyles associated with race. Close your eyes and think of […]
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August 29, 2023
‘Death Star bill’ could destroy local protections for renters
As police departments across the nation back off dangerous high-speed car chases, the trend in Houston is running the opposite direction. Texas is about to pull out of a multi-state partnership designed to curb voter fraud. Why, and who’s behind the shift? There’s a hearing tomorrow in a challenge brought by several cities to a […]
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August 28, 2023
After environmentally destructive launch, will regulators let SpaceX blast off again?
A new law barring transition care for transgender youth has been temporarily blocked by a Texas judge, but it may take effect anyway Sept. 1. We’ll have the latest – plus how doctors are trying to prepare. Officials were left in disbelief over the scale and scope of environmental damage after the failed test of […]
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August 25, 2023
An old shipwreck was found in coastal East Texas. What’s in it?
The Pentagon says it is likely that the head of a failed coup in Russia was killed, though questions swirl around the incident. The digital divide in Texas was brought into sharp relief during the height of COVID. Now lawmakers are trying to bridge the gap between those with broadband and those without. As the […]
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August 24, 2023
Railroad Commission approves South Texas coal mine expansion
In the first Republican debate of the new presidential election season, an issue top of mind for Texans – border policy – takes center stage. The Texas Department of Transportation is giving a final green light to a highway expansion in downtown Austin that would add at least four lanes and get rid of the […]
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August 23, 2023
Why Will Hurd didn’t make the cut for the first Republican presidential debate
The Feds push back in court over Gov. Greg Abbott’s deployment of buoys in the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass. The City of Dallas has received $1.5 million in federal dollars for a major cleanup of contaminated sites. But will it be enough? Researchers in El Paso are trying to tap another source of potential […]
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August 22, 2023
Diaspora Network’s worship service represents nationwide shift in church demographics
We’re tracking Tropical Storm Harold, which is set to bring considerable rain and wind to large parts of South Texas. Meteorologist Matt Lanza of Space City Weather join us with the latest. House managers preparing for the impeachment trial of Ken Paxton have published nearly 4,000 pages of documents as the Senate gets set to […]
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August 21, 2023
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 […]
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