It’s the first day of early voting in the Texas primaries and there are many statewide races for consideration: comptroller, lieutenant governor, governor, as well as lots of eyes on the Democratic and Republican races for U.S. Senate. We’ll have an overview, plus plenty more on the ballots in Travis , Hays and Williamson counties, as well. Also, the Austin-raised college student who was deported while trying to visit family last Thanksgiving could soon be headed back to the U.S. We’ll have the ...
Feb 17, 2026•23 min•Season 2026Ep. 32
A $25 million contract between the City of Austin and the Long Center is under scrutiny over how the public money is being spent. The contracts and the fees inside it are tied to the city’ cultural arts grants program, raising questions about transparency and oversight. We’ll dig into the details of the contract and the future between the two sides. Texas Republicans have revived anti-Muslim messaging in races across the state as early voting begins tomorrow. It’s a change in messaging from elec...
Feb 16, 2026•Season 2026Ep. 31
Five years on from the winter storm that caused blackouts across much of the state of Texas, what’s been done to address the failures of the blackout? And is Austin and Texas ready for the next big winter test of the power grid? More about what has and has not happened since February 2021 . There’s an argument to be made that the lieutenant governor of Texas is the most influential elected official in the state. Republicans have held the position for nearly three decades. We’ll hear about the ca...
Feb 13, 2026•25 min•Season 2026Ep. 31
The University of Texas at Austin is restructuring departments in the College of Liberal Arts. The decision was announced today, but it’s a move that students and staff have been worried about for months. We’ll hear more about the departments affected. Police in Austin are still using license plate reader data months after city council ended using the technology on grounds of privacy concerns. We’ll dig into how and when APD says they’re using the data and the tech’s future use here in Austin. T...
Feb 12, 2026•25 min•Season 2026Ep. 30
Pregnant migrant girls are being sent to a South Texas shelter, where both the region and the facility lack the necessary care. The decision from the Trump Administration was made against objections from officials inside the administration. The story is a collaborative effort between The Texas Newsroom and The California Newsroom, and we’ll have from their reporting on today’s show . A new housing project in East Austin is combining affordable rent with support for musicians as they try to do th...
Feb 11, 2026•24 min•Season 2026Ep. 29
An affordable housing complex planned for the Travis Heights neighborhood is one step closer to becoming a reality. Neighbors around the proposed site say they aren’t opposed to the idea – more so the scale of it. We’ll hear more about the complex and the neighborhood it could be built in. The Austin Independent School District is looking to save money and exit some contracts for schools that are slated to close. We’ll dig into how much money they’re looking to save, and how they could do it. We...
Feb 10, 2026•24 min•Season 2026Ep. 28
The parents of an 8-year-old Austinite still missing after last July’s flooding in Texas have filed a lawsuit against Camp Mystic. It’s the fifth such lawsuit against the camp in the Hill Country where campers and counselors drowned in the floodwaters. We’ll have more about that lawsuit . Early voting in the primaries gets going next week and folks in southeast Travis County will elect a new leader for the first time in decades. We’ll hear about the candidates running for Precinct 4 commissioner...
Feb 09, 2026•24 min•Season 2026Ep. 27
Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis and members of the Austin City Council met with community members this week to talk about local Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations and the city and police’s role in them. The meeting was billed as a conversation but turned into a shouting match that laid bare the community tensions around ICE enforcement in the Austin area and around the country. We’ll talk more about that meeting, and we’ll hear from some of the voices who were there . Construction is ...
Feb 06, 2026•25 min•Season 2026Ep. 26
Teachers and students in the Round Rock school district say they’re seeing benefits from a statewide ban on cell phones in public school classrooms. The ban went into effect at the beginning of this school year, and some students say they feel more engaged inside the classroom and outside of it, too. We’ll have more from Williamson County. Elon Musk’s Tesla stands to lose millions in tax rebates unless they meet Travis County requirements . Another Musk-owned business is looking for the same dea...
Feb 05, 2026•24 min•Season 2026Ep. 25
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has said Immigration and Customs Enforcement needs to “recalibrate” its tactics, and he isn’t the only member of the Texas GOP to comment on the operations and the rhetoric around it. The messaging comes a few weeks before early voting begins in the Texas primaries ahead of the midterms. We’ll have more about that on today’s show . Former Austin police chief Art Acevedo says ICE agents are deploying tactics that show they’re either insufficiently trained or poorly supervis...
Feb 04, 2026•25 min•Season 2026Ep. 24
Student walkout demonstrations in the Austin area continued this week in protest of Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in Texas and across the country. The Austin Independent School District has come under fire from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton over such actions. We’ll hear from some of the students who participated in the walkout, as well as their parents. We’ll also follow up on an incident at a demonstration Monday in Hays County – hearing from more stude...
Feb 03, 2026•23 min•Season 2026Ep. 23
Nighttime temperatures in Austin won’t be cold enough this week to warrant the opening of warming shelters, but last month’s prolonged freeze did highlight the lack of nutritious food being served at one refuge in town. We’ll hear from someone who’s taken shelter there and the people helping to fill the need . Travis County District Attorney José Garza is joining a group of DA’s banding together to hold federal officers accountable to the rule of law. We’ll look at what brought them together, an...
Feb 02, 2026•23 min•Season 2026Ep. 22
There are about 43,000 people experiencing homelessness in Texas, and more than 3,000 of them are Austinites. We’ll take a look at the programs and services helping people get back on their feet here in the city. https://www.texasstandard.org/stories/esperanza-community-austin-ged-classes-adult-education-texas/ Most people have gone down a one-way street before – and downtown Austin is full of them. But it wasn’t always that way, and soon, we could be heading back to our old ways of two-way stre...
Jan 30, 2026•23 min•Season 2026Ep. 21
Local nurses led a peaceful vigil last night in Austin for Alex Pretti, the Minnesota ICU nurse shot and killed over the weekend by U.S. immigration officers. We’ll hear about the latest instance of local folks protesting ongoing customs and border patrol activities in Minneapolis. Three Austin ISD middle schools could get a fifth failing accountability rating, which means the state might step in to run them. We’ll learn about an alternative to that, and whether or not it worked at another AISD ...
Jan 29, 2026•24 min•Season 2026Ep. 20
Immigrations and Customs Enforcement operations have been happening in Austin and Central Texas in recent week. During the past weekend’s weather event, local officials had to dispel rumors fueled by the operation. The lack of information and communication around these operations is causing panic and anxiety that can boil beyond social media. Gov. Greg Abbott is freezing new H-1B visa applications until 2027, with some exceptions. The move is the latest in the administration’s scrutiny of foreig...
Jan 28, 2026•23 min•Season 2026Ep. 19
Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in Minnesota have caught the attention of the nation and the world in recent weeks. Meanwhile, such operations in Texas have been taking place at the same time. We’ll check in with folks from Elgin, just outside of Austin, to hear how it’s impacting them. The City of Austin paid out more than $143 million dollars to its employees in 2025. Five city departments regularly account for the bulk of overtime spending. We’ll go over which departments they ...
Jan 27, 2026•23 min•Season 2026Ep. 18
An arctic cold front brought freezing precipitation to the Austin area over the weekend. Classes were cancelled today at UT Austin and most school districts in Central Texas. Still, the area made out much better this time than in ice storms of years past. We’ll have more about the situation locally and this week’s forecast . The most high-profile candidates for the Texas Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate race in November – U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett and State Rep. James Talarico – debate...
Jan 26, 2026•23 min•Season 2026Ep. 17
The forecast continues to evolve as an arctic cold front heads towards the Austin area this weekend. Temperatures are forecast to remain below freezing starting Saturday night in Central Texas and could stay that way through Monday. We’ll have the latest forecasts and updates from city officials. Austin Community College’s free tuition pilot program ballooned to nearly 10,000 students this academic year. We’ll look at the students who are being impacted and the things they’re learning about. Hus...
Jan 23, 2026•23 min•Season 2026Ep. 16
An arctic cold front is approaching Austin and Central Texas. The National Weather Service has already issued an Extreme Cold Watch and a Winter Storm Warning for the weekend . We’ll have more about the latest forecasts and the ways for you to be prepared. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement operations have continued in Central Texas. KUT News has obtained video of one such incident in Kyle . As these operations increase, so does the concern for public safety amid reports of slack hiring practi...
Jan 22, 2026•23 min•Season 2026Ep. 15
Early voting for the upcoming primaries in Texas begins next month. Up in Williamson County, things are going to be a little different this election cycle . Voters there will no longer be able to vote at any polling site on Election Day. We’ll talk about why that is, and the impacts it could have. Protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement have continued in the Austin area this week. Demonstrators gathered outside Austin City Hall on Tuesday. We’ll hear more from those who took part. P...
Jan 21, 2026•23 min•Season 2026Ep. 14
Hundreds of private schools in Texas are being shut out of the state’s new school voucher program because of alleged ties to some organizations or foreign governments, and that includes dozens of schools in the Austin area. We’ll have more about the voucher program and its continuing rollout . Plus, hobbies can lead to rewarding experiences, but carving out the time to invest in one can be tough. We’ll hear the story of a group of skaters in Austin that prioritizes community and fun – despite th...
Jan 20, 2026•23 min•Season 2026Ep. 13
A person was detained last week by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in Kyle. The man had to be transported to the hospital , according to local police, and the KUT Newsroom is working to get more details on the story. An attorney for the student who was deported while flying back to Austin for a holiday says the federal government admitted it violated a court order when it deported her to Honduras. Any López Belloza, an Austin-raised student at Babson College outside of Bosto...
Jan 19, 2026•23 min•Season 2026Ep. 12
Complaints against Austin Police could be worked out through a new city program focused on mediation. We’ll hear more about what these types of guided conversations to address community concerns could look and sound like. There is a downtown fixture close to Rainey Street that has somehow avoided becoming yet another Austin skyrise – the IHOP on Cesar Chavez, of course. We’ll hear about the real estate drama behind its longevity and what the future could hold for the building and the land it’s b...
Jan 16, 2026•23 min•Season 2026Ep. 11
The Austin Police Department is changing its rules over how officers report people to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The change comes after the detention and apparent deportation last week of a Honduran mother and her 5-year-old daughter. We’ll go over the changes and the reaction from Austin City Council members. And Austin voters could once again be faced with deciding whether to raise property taxes to help the city tackle expenses like park improvements and public safety. KUT’s city co...
Jan 15, 2026•23 min•Season 2026Ep. 10
Text messages from officials in Kerr County reveal confusion amid the July 4 Hill Country floods last year. Information and misinformation spread amid the flooding that killed more than 130 people. We’ll talk about those messages. More changes are coming to I-35 as work continues on overhauling the highway at the center of Austin. We’ll dive into what to expect on the roads and how it could impact your travels. Plus, the Alamo Drafthouse is doing away with pen-and-paper ordering and folks have f...
Jan 14, 2026•24 min•Season 2026Ep. 9
Earlier this month, the CDC reduced the number of recommended vaccines for children . The change has flummoxed some parents and pediatricians in the Austin area. We’ll listen to some of the questions they’ve been asking. It’s been more than six months since deadly flooding killed more than 130 people across Central Texas and the Hill Country. Recovery is still a long way down the road. We’ll have an update from some of the folks still working through that process. Plus, the ATX Free Fridge Proje...
Jan 13, 2026•23 min•Season 2026Ep. 8
Demonstrations against ICE continued in Austin this weekend after an officer fatally shot Renee Nicole Good last week in Minnesota. We’ll hear about the activity around town and its aftermath. We’ll also hear about an Austin mother and her five-year-old daughter who were taken into ICE custody last week after police responded to a disturbance call at their home. Plus, smokable hemp could be outlawed in Texas by the end of this month . The state’s health agency has proposed new rules that could u...
Jan 12, 2026•23 min•Season 2026Ep. 7
People in the Austin area joined with many thousands of others across the country in protesting after an ICE officer fatally shot a woman this week in Minneapolis. Demonstrators gathered outside a Department of Homeland Security building in Pflugerville . We’ll bring you some of those voices. After a U.S. military operation in Caracas last weekend, Venezuelans in Austin are hoping for bigger changes before they feel ready to go back home . We’ll hear from them, along with a Venezuelan-Texan auth...
Jan 09, 2026•23 min•Season 2026Ep. 6
The state health agency in Texas has proposed new rules for hemp products. Those rules could mean higher fees for businesses, more testing for products, and could effectively outlaw access to hemp flower. We’ll look at what’s being proposed and how Texas business owners are feeling about it. Plus, after oak wilt claimed a tree in his yard, local artist Steve Parker turned its wood into a sonic experience. His solo exhibit at Ivester Contemporary features wooden records and wind instruments . We’...
Jan 08, 2026•24 min•Season 2026Ep. 5
Austinites aren’t the only ones who are bringing some change to the new year. The airport in Austin will be undergoing some modifications in 2026. More gates, more flights – and more construction. We’ll take a closer look at the changes happening at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. Plus, a major milestone has been reached in the construction of a new water delivery system underneath Lake Travis. Once it’s finished, the system is expected to increase the Brushy Creek Regional Utility Autho...
Jan 07, 2026•23 min•Season 2026Ep. 4
