KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts
KUT and KUTX news and music podcasts for Austin, Texas and beyond
We’re checking in with reporters statewide to hear how Texans are coping with efforts to keep our distance from each other per the CDC, also how the state is tweaking certain rules to accommodate closures. Plus a market drying up for oil worldwide sends grim signals across one of the state’s core industries. Is there a light at the end of the tunnel? Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
October 19, 2026
Latino horror anthology explores fears carried across generations
The border is secure, but there’s a border emergency. Why the difference between two GOP narratives? We’ll have a closer look.The first in-person votes are being cast in the Texas midterms today as early voting kicks off. The Standard’s Michael Marks joins us with a look at the race for agriculture commissioner, and how one […]
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October 16, 2026
Big Bend border wall worker camps raise concerns in West Texas
A border wall cutting through Big Bend is on hold, but something connected to the wall still has many locals unsettled.This week saw a debate between candidates hoping to represent what is geographically the biggest congressional district in Texas, and the stakes for both parties are high. Texas Public Radio’s David Martin Davies tells us […]
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October 15, 2026
What a Democratic governor could mean for Texas
The last time a Democrat served as Texas governor was decades ago. Is that about to change?For years, politics-watchers have all but dismissed the prospect of a Democrat being elected governor in deep-red Texas. But polls suggest the closest gubernatorial race in recent memory between incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott and challenger Gina Hinojosa. Two veteran […]
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October 14, 2026
New UT poll shows unusually tight statewide races
A new poll from the Texas Politics Project suggests the Republican winning streak in the Lone Star State faces its toughest test yet. It’s cotton picking season in Texas. Scientists studying wild cotton and its ancestral origins hope older genetic traits could eventually strengthen the varieties farmers plant today. And: One of the most durable […]
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October 13, 2026
South Texas congressional race tests GOP gains with Latino voters
What’s next for Camp Mystic as a judge rules wrongful death lawsuits filed by parents can move forward. Republican Monica De La Cruz is seeking a third term in Texas’ 15th Congressional District, where Democrat Bobby Pulido, a Tejano singer and first-time candidate, is challenging her. The South Texas race will test whether recent Republican […]
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October 12, 2026
How Corpus Christi’s desalination push landed it in hot water
New details from a deposition more than a decade old shed light on how Ken Paxton has amassed his wealth. Could they rattle the tight Texas U.S. Senate race?A new military push for AI, and an outsized role for Texas. Why some say the process is moving too fast.San Antonio’s Fiesta will look different in […]
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October 9, 2026
Texas singer-songwriter Israel Nash on his reimagined “Sweetheart of the Rodeo.”
President Trump’s performance in the Rio Grande Valley surprised many observers of the 2024 election. But was that that the start of a trend, or just a blip on the political radar? A new professional sports league is hoping to spur new interest in an ancient practice. The Sumo Championship League’s first-ever event is happening […]
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October 8, 2026
Could Bo French racism controversy hurt other Republicans on ballot?
Texas school districts appear increasingly suspicious of STAAR test results graded by a computer system. We’ll dig into what’s going on.Republican candidate for railroad commission Bo French recently drew criticism from many in his own party for comments widely labeled racist. We’ll look at the potential impact on the rest of the ballot.Texas leads the […]
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