The Hays Consolidated School District voted unanimously in favor of more than $12 million dollars in budget cuts ahead of the next school year. It’s the largest such budget slash in more than a decade, and it’s a move other school districts could be facing in coming years. There’s not much known about the tactics and technology used by Texas state police and ICE agents to detain people. But video from a detention last summer in East Austin is providing a better picture of how enforcement operati...
Mar 31, 2026•23 min
The Austin Independent School District is handing over control of three middle schools to a nonprofit in the hopes of avoiding a districtwide state takeover. Dobie, Burnet and Webb middle schools are trying to avoid a fifth accountability rating that could trigger the takeover. Acacia Coronado with the Austin Current has the story. Austin city leaders have approved a new strategic plan to address some of the issues faced by people experiencing homelessness. The plan calls for more shelter beds, ...
Mar 30, 2026•23 min•Season 2026Ep. 61
TxDOT is pouring billions of dollars into I-35 through Central Austin, adding more lanes and eventually sinking parts of the highway up to 60 feet below ground level. This could make it possible to build parks above the highways — but that comes with a hefty price tag. We’ll dig into why Austin city staff are urging elected officials to hold off on those plans. And a New York Times investigation is prompting new conversations about the legacy of labor leader Cesar Chavez across the country. We’l...
Mar 27, 2026•23 min•Season 2026Ep. 60
Temperatures are on the rise and Hays County is bracing for a fourth year of drought. On top of familiar water restrictions and limitations, t here are now new severe issues with the county’s water wells. In a viral clip heard around the world, actor Timothée Chalamet questioned the relevance of opera and ballet. The clip got people talking, but how do these words hit right here at home? We’ll hear from two local arts organizations, Ballet Austin and Austin Opera , to get their take. Hole in the...
Mar 26, 2026•26 min•Season 2026Ep. 59
Affordable housing is top of mind for many Austinites, but especially for educators working in our local schools. Now, a former AISD elementary campus is being transformed into housing — with some units set aside specifically for teachers. Acacia Coronado from the Austin Current takes a closer look at the East Austin project. Brown water is flowing from the taps in one Austin-area suburb. We’ll hear what residents say they wish they knew before moving in, and how they’re working to warn others. ...
Mar 25, 2026•25 min•Season 2026Ep. 58
We’re learning more about the tactics and technology used by police in Texas during deportation proceedings. The Texas Newsroom has accessed body and dashcam videos from an incident last summer in East Austin that ended with five people in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. We’ll discuss the tactics and technology being deployed in these apprehensions. The fallout from the sexual abuse allegations against Cesar Chavez made public this month continues among community members and ...
Mar 24, 2026•24 min•Season 2026Ep. 57
The Republican Party in Williamson County has agreed to let voters cast a ballot at any polling location available in the upcoming primary runoff. A move to precinct-specific voting made for a confusing process for many voters last month in Williamson and Dallas counties. We’ll have more about why the party is reversing course. Rent prices in Austin continue to fall as more units become available and with fewer people moving to the city. We’ll dig into the latest numbers. A wildfire out in Bastr...
Mar 23, 2026•24 min•Season 2026Ep. 56
Lake Pflugerville’s water levels remain low after a series of waterline breaks, the most recent of which was fixed on Wednesday. Local officials have issued water conservation calls while the man-made lake gets back to normal levels. We’ll have more about those water issues. Libraries are havens for many Texans, especially those living in rural areas, further away from resources like healthcare. That’s part of the reason one nonprofit is now providing mental health resources in some Central Texa...
Mar 20, 2026•24 min•Season 2026Ep. 55
In the wake of public sexual assault and abuse allegations against union organizer Cesar Chavez, organizers of the annual parade in Austin honoring him canceled their upcoming event. Now, local activists and politicians are calling for the City of Austin to change the name of Cesar Chavez Street, the East-to-West thoroughfare running through the heart of Austin. We’ve got the latest from the fallout. Austin-area state Rep. James Talarico will need to broaden his base of support in order to win t...
Mar 19, 2026•23 min•Season 2026Ep. 54
It’s been more than two weeks since the deadly shooting at Buford’s in downtown Austin that killed three, wounded more than a dozen, and affected countless others. For mass shooting survivors, recovery can be a slow process. We’ll have the story of a mother and daughter going through that very thing following a shooting last year at an Austin Target store. An autonomous vehicle in Austin blocked emergency vehicles trying to reach the shooting scene at Buford’s. We’ll look at why a lack of regula...
Mar 18, 2026•25 min•Season 2026Ep. 53
Many Republican-led states like Texas require police officers to cooperate with federal immigration agents. That’s left liberal cities like Austin debating how to respond when they don’t want spend resources on immigration enforcement. ICE operations are deterring immigrants from participating in routine parts of their lives. Here in Austin, one clinic has seen its demand drop dramatically over recent weeks. Plus, South By Southwest wraps up tomorrow, but there’s still time to get in on the acti...
Mar 17, 2026•23 min•Season 2026Ep. 52
South By Southwest has brought many travelers into Austin to enjoy the city’s music, food and culture, but getting out of town via the Austin airport has turned a bit chaotic as TSA agents go without pay amid a partial government shutdown. We’ll have the latest from the airport and from local officials. Carmen Mejia was exonerated from a Travis County prison after serving 20 years for a crime she didn’t commit. Once she was exonerated, however, she still faced threat from Immigration and Customs...
Mar 16, 2026•22 min•Season 2026Ep. 51
The University of Texas at Austin is consolidating seven ethnic and gender studies departments in the College of Liberal Arts. That consolidation was announced in February. We’ll look more into these changes. South By Southwest 2026 is in full swing. On this episode, we’ll bring you the director and stars of the film “STAGES.” It’s the story of an Austin musician navigating his life and career, and it features many of our city’s best hangs — from Hole in the Wall to Joe’s Bakery. The movie premi...
Mar 13, 2026•25 min•Season 2026Ep. 50
We kicked off South by Southwest 2026 with a special, live one-hour show at Scholz Garten. We’ll speak with Austin artists Shakey Graves and Kydd Jones about the things they’re working on this year. We’ll also be joined by the director and producer of the upcoming Netflix documentary “The Truth and Tragedy of Moriah Wilson,” about a top-class cyclist murdered on a trip to Austin. Plus, a roundtable of chefs from Michelin Guide-recognized restaurants Dai Due , La Santa Barbacha and Ramen del Barr...
Mar 12, 2026•51 min•Season 2026Ep. 49
Board members for the Austin Independent School District are considering an outside nonprofit to handle three of its middle schools with chronic failing grades. Another failing grade for these campuses would give the Texas Education Agency the authority to take over the district as a whole. We’ll have more about community meetings happening this week. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has notified AISD of a complaint alleging the district violated the state’s bathroom bill. We’ll dig into the st...
Mar 11, 2026•26 min•Season 2026Ep. 48
George Davis Jr. is one of the victims who had to be hospitalized after the deadly shooting at Buford’s on West Sixth Street. He reached out to 911 for assistance, but had to turn to help of strangers to get him to the hospital. Davis is recovering now and trying to find the people who he says helped save his life. We’ll hear more about his experience that early morning and his recovery journey since. Possible changes for smokable hemp in Texas could be happening sooner rather than later. We’ll ...
Mar 10, 2026•26 min•Season 2026Ep. 47
Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden was open for business over the weekend, just days after a shooting left three people dead and more than a dozen injured. Some Austin residents felt the opening was rushed after such a tragedy. We’ll hear from others who felt showing up was the right thing to do. The Austin Police Department has new rules for how its officers contact Immigration and Customs Enforcement. We’ll hear more about the change. After the suspected shooter in the attack was identified, a woma...
Mar 09, 2026•24 min•Season 2026Ep. 46
We’re learning more about the alleged shooter in Sunday morning’s deadly incident at a West Sixth Street bar. The suspect had no prior interactions with police in Austin, but that wasn’t true for other agencies in Texas. We’ll share more about that history, and why it wasn’t enough to keep him from legally acquiring firearms. The Texas Department of Transportation has not started construction on a new boardwalk along Lady Bird Lake. TxDOT pledged $25 million for the project as part of the expans...
Mar 06, 2026•24 min•Season 2026Ep. 45
We are continuing to follow developments after Sunday’s shooting at Buford’s that killed three people. We’ll hear the latest update from the Austin Police Department that just wrapped up in the last hour…we have an update on the number of people shot and victims still in hospital, and there was a vigil last night on the University of Texas campus to honor the victims at least two are confirmed UT students. And later imagine your local box store parking lot as it’s own thriving ecosystem,and now ...
Mar 05, 2026•26 min•Season 2026Ep. 44
Election Night is over in Texas, but we’re still figuring out exactly what happened yesterday in Williamson County . Some voters waited in line for hours, only to be told they’d have to go to an entirely different polling site to vote. Others made an after-hours trip to cast a ballot, only to find out their vote may not be counted. Our team of county reporters was covering the most important races in Central Texas. They join us in the studio with their latest reporting. And the City of Austin is...
Mar 04, 2026•26 min•Season 2026Ep. 43
We’re getting more information about the three victims from Sunday morning’s shooting at Buford’s. We’ll have the latest from the KUT newsroom. It’s primary Election Day here in Texas. Four Austin-area Texas legislators are vying for the Democratic nomination of various positions. In addition to the statewide offices, there’s lots going on in the Central Texas area. KUT’s county reporters for Hays , Travis and Williamson counties are out in the field talking to voters. We’ll hear about the reaso...
Mar 03, 2026•25 min•Season 2026Ep. 39
Three people are dead and many more are hospitalized following a deadly shooting over the weekend at a popular West Sixth Street bar. The incident is being investigated by the FBI as a potential act of terrorism, but authorities say it’s still too early to determine a motive. Austin Mayor Kirk Watson, Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis and other local officials held a press conference sharing more information on the victims of the shootings . We’ll also delve into what’s known regarding the 53-year-...
Mar 02, 2026•24 min•Season 2026Ep. 41
There are still a few hours left to vote early ahead of Tuesday’s Texas party primaries. We’ll tell you what you need to know before heading to the polls to vote today or Election Day on Tuesday. We’ll also have closer look at races for two Travis County Commissioner seats and go over what exactly commissioners do. Also, the federal government is now challenging a court order to repatriate college student Any López Belloza , who was deported after trying to fly to Austin last year. Huston-Tillot...
Feb 27, 2026•23 min•Season 2026Ep. 40
We’ve all seen it: People speeding down Mopac or neighborhood streets in Austin. Maybe you’ve thought, “shouldn’t they be getting a speeding ticket?” Well, new data shows Austin Police may be handing out more of those . Austin’s Live Music Fund is about to grant another round of funding after two years of controversy and complaints over the how those funding decisions are made. Speaking of music, you can’t pin down local band The Animeros to just one genre. They span beyond bolero, psychedelic, ...
Feb 26, 2026•25 min•Season 2026Ep. 39
Early voting in the March 3 primary wraps up Friday. Turnout is trending upward across Central Texas, with more voters casting ballots in Travis, Hays and Williamson counties compared to previous primaries. We’ll taking a closer look at who’s showing up and what patterns are beginning to emerge at polling locations locally and across the state. Questions about how ballots should be counted continue to spark debate. We’ll tell you about Republicans in one Texas county who are planning to hand cou...
Feb 25, 2026•23 min•Season 2026Ep. 38
Nearly 1 in 5 Americans live in rural areas, where there are often fewer licensed therapists and longer travel distances to mental health care. But hotlines like 988 give people access to the help they need. Today, we’ll find out why the support for that lifeline is stronger in some states than others. Daniel Johnston was known for his art and music. When he died in 2019, he left behind a trove of his work. But where can you check it out? Well, some of that work is on public display for the firs...
Feb 24, 2026•23 min•Season 2026Ep. 37
A growing body of evidence shows that doulas can improve health outcomes; especially for Black women, who have a maternal mortality rate 2.5 times higher than white women in Texas. Birth workers want their services to be accessible and understood by more folks. We’ll delve more into the practice. And the Texas DREAM Act gave undocumented Texans the chance to attend college at the cost of in-state tuition. Now, Texas public universities are progressing through the first full academic semester und...
Feb 23, 2026•25 min•Season 2026Ep. 36
Four men accused in one of Austin’s most infamous murders have been declared officially innocent; two of them were convicted, one was sentenced to death. 34 years later, their records have been cleared. We’ll have more from Thursday’s exoneration hearing. An Austin-area congressional seat is up for grabs for the first time in nearly a decade. We’re going to hear from voters in the 21st congressional district about what they want and don’t want from their next representative. Plus, Austin FC kick...
Feb 20, 2026•23 min•Season 2026Ep. 35
The four men wrongly accused in Austin’s yogurt shop murders were exonerated today in a Travis County courthouse. More than three decades on their records have been cleared. We’ll hear from family members who attended today’s hearing. The University of Texas Board of Regents has approved a policy limiting from classrooms “controversial topics.” What the new policy says and the plan for putting it into effect. And, music news with KUTX’s Maile Carballo. Plus, Spurs basketball is back at the Moody...
Feb 19, 2026•27 min•Season 2026Ep. 34
The Austin Independent School District has regained control of its special education program. The Texas Education Agency assigned a pair of monitors to the program for the last three years as AISD worked to address a backlog of evaluations. We’ll have the latest from Austin’s school district . A San Marcos City Council meeting went into the early morning hours today as council members decided on rezoning property to be sold for a data center. Hundreds of folks showed up to make their opinions kn...
Feb 18, 2026•23 min•Season 2026Ep. 33
