An Austin ISD high school senior’s detention has shaken his classmates, church members and family awaiting his graduation. He’s being held in a South Texas immigration processing center. We’ll hear more about his story and the people awaiting his return. You’ve probably interacted with the Austin’s Art in Public Places program without even realizing it. The city of Austin and the public arts community are clashing over millions in funding for the program. Austin Current’s Andrea Ball will tell u...
May 12, 2026•24 min•Season 2026Ep. 92
The cost of childcare across the country is on the rise, outpacing the price of in-state college tuition in many states. While many local governments are working to figure out a solution, Travis County is ahead of the game. The pool at Barton Springs was first built around a century ago. But the springs that feed it have been around since long before humans ever arrived in Austin. More from our ATXplained series. Many Austin Energy customers were left without power after strong winds and heavy r...
May 11, 2026•26 min•Season 2026Ep. 91
The Austin Independent School District is set to cut more than 200 educator salaries as they work to address a multimillion-dollar budget deficit . District officials have also identified other ways to reduce the deficit, including cuts to the central office and projected revenue from real estate sales. The City of Austin has given the green light to almost a million dollars in taxpayer money toward a lawsuit alleging city and state police raided the wrong home in South Austin. We’ll hear more a...
May 08, 2026•26 min•Season 2026Ep. 90
The Austin City Council is considering a vote to renew its contract with a for-profit utility that provides natural gas to the city, despite long-standing dissatisfaction locally with gas rates. The IHOP near downtown Austin has finally been sold at auction. The pancake purveyor has remained steady despite rampant development all around it. Why it finally happened. We’re nearing the end of the school year, and some students in Austin ISD won’t be back on their campus next year amid school closur...
May 07, 2026•24 min•Season 2026Ep. 89
Austin’s SAFE Alliance will no longer provide exams for sexual assault survivors because of a funding shortfall. Other programs could also be on the chopping block. We’ll talk about how others are planning to assist. A swift local police response to the March shooting at Buford’s on Sixth Street was commended in the days after the tragedy. But overall, reaction times from Austin Police are trending upward — even though fewer calls are coming in. Ruben Ramos, better known to his fans as El Gato N...
May 06, 2026•25 min•Season 2026Ep. 88
A group of civil rights organizations filed a new lawsuit this week seeking to stop parts of the law that would let state police arrest people suspected of illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. We’ll have more about the law and why it’s been paused. Infowars, long home to Austin-based conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, shut down quietly over the weekend . It’s the latest in what’s been a years-long back-and-forth with the satirical publication The Onion over the property. An Austin Shakespeare...
May 05, 2026•22 min•Season 2026Ep. 87
Texas hemp businesses can keep selling their cannabis flower and concentrate products for now, after a Travis County judge blocked key parts of the state’s new hemp regulations while a lawsuit against those rules and increased fees plays out. There was just one bidder for the contract to take operational control of three struggling Austin ISD middle schools. The move is being made in an effort to avoid a state takeover. Acacia Coronado, Austin Current’s education reporter, joins us to talk about...
May 04, 2026•24 min•Season 2026Ep. 86
Voters in Georgetown will decide this weekend whether to sell off parts of their water system . The parts up for consideration lay outside the city limits, and the election comes as Georgetown is looking to manage rising costs. Construction at the Austin Surf Club near the airport has come to a stop, and now contractors have filed millions in liens against the developers. Its may first, but before we leave April too far behind, we’re chatting with Ryan Wen of our sister station KUTX about his to...
May 01, 2026•26 min•Season 2026Ep. 85
The inaugural KUT Festival is happening this weekend in Austin. It was scheduled to take place on the UT campus, but now a majority of the events are taking place elsewhere. More about the changes and the back-and-forth between UT and KUT leadership. Beef prices are sticking near record-high prices, an issue that’s been exacerbated by severe drought in some of the country’s main cattle producing regions. That’s forced some Texans to great creative about how they get their meat. Austinites have m...
Apr 30, 2026•24 min•Season 2026Ep. 84
It’s been almost two months since a deadly shooting outside a bar on West Sixth Street, and local officials are looking at the emergency response to that tragedy, including concerns about autonomous vehicles. Here in Texas, one of the country’s largest legal cannabis markets is fighting for its life, with exceptions allowing the sale of smokeable hemp slated to expire this week. This year, the Austin Film Society’s Doc Days Film festival is highlighting the effects of Space X on the South Texas ...
Apr 29, 2026•25 min•Season 2026Ep. 83
It’s day two of a special legislative hearing on the Camp Mystic tragedy. Investigators told lawmakers this week that camp operators were “complacent” when it came to safety protocols at the summer camp. Lindsey Wilson, director of the city’s Equity and Inclusion office, shares details about the Fair Housing and Economic Mobility Conference taking place Wednesday, April 29. Kendall Antonelli of Antonelli’s Cheese Shop stops by and introduces us to some of her favorite cheeses. And: Learn how som...
Apr 28, 2026•26 min•Season 2026Ep. 82
The Austin Independent School District is being investigated by the Texas Education Agency for celebrating its annual Pride Week. Attorney general is a powerful role; governors, senators and even vice presidents got their start as AG. Is Ken Paxton next? Have you ever wanted a handy one-stop guide to everything Austin? KUT’s Field Guide is bringing you even more ways to know the city. And an update on Athena’s surviving owlet , and why he might’ve been left for dead. The full transcript of this ...
Apr 27, 2026•24 min•Season 2026Ep. 81
Accessing reliable sources of water is becoming more difficult for some Central Texans — and more expensive. In Kyle, residents facing high water bills are carefully considering any way that they can limit their costs. An Austin firefighter battling terminal endometrial cancer is eligible for workers’ compensation, but the decision this week granting her those benefits came after a long fight with the city . Plus: We’ll chat about the work being done to bring together Central Texans of all relig...
Apr 24, 2026•23 min•Season 2026Ep. 80
Texas can force schools to post the Ten Commandments in classrooms following a ruling this week from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals — but for now, the Austin school district does not have to comply because of ongoing litigation. Highland Park Elementary School has become a powerhouse in the sport of archery, and they’re going after another national title. Plus: Are there wild elk lurking in South Austin? ATXplained investigates. The full transcript of this episode of Austin Signal is avai...
Apr 23, 2026•24 min•Season 2026Ep. 79
Steady rain in the region over the last few days led to flooding in Williamson County, with some evacuations occurring. We’ll hear from residents impacted by the floods and how it differed from last summer’s flooding. A Central Austin building that was home to a Sears store for decades has new life as a one-stop shop — but instead of lawnmowers and washing machines, folks can now have many of their health needs met. We’ll have more about the transformation . Plus, Austin author Rebecca Bendheim’...
Apr 22, 2026•24 min•Season 2026Ep. 78
It’s been almost two months since a deadly shooting on West Sixth Street left three people dead, including one UT Austin student. Now a new scholarship to help underprivileged students advance their education has been created in honor of Savitha Shanmugasundaram’s life . UT Austin has announced a new Dell Medical Center and research campus following a $750 million gift from the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation — one that makes the Dells UT’s first-ever billion-dollar donors. And, the satirica...
Apr 21, 2026•23 min
Austin’s unhoused folks say they lose everything when the city sweeps though their camps , despite a City Council resolution aiming to improve the sweeps and provide more notice ahead of time. The City of Austin overpaid hundreds of employees to the tune of more than $1 million. Most employees expected having to pay the money back — but didn’t expect to face potential legal action for the city’s error. Andrea Ball of Austin Current joins us now to talk about this. Gran Moreno , the KUTX Artist o...
Apr 20, 2026•24 min•Season 2026Ep. 76
Gov. Greg Abbott is threatening to cut off more than $2 million in state grants for the City of Austin because of police policies on cooperating with federal immigration authorities. This follows Attorney General Ken Paxton launching an investigation into the same policies. City of Austin leaders got their first peek at the budget forecast for the next fiscal year. Now, city leaders must decide which programs could lose their funding as the city attempts to make up a deficit of millions. Austini...
Apr 17, 2026•24 min•Season 2026Ep. 75
Water use for Tesla’s Giga Texas out far beyond East Austin jumped more than 200 million gallons in two years. That’s raising concerns about whether Austin can fulfill its long-term water conservation strategy as plans for a new semiconductor plant could push demand even higher. Sam Stark, Austin Current’s government reporter joins us to talk about this. A state district judge has ordered Camp Mystic not to alter, demolish, repair or remove structures affected by floodwaters that killed 27 peopl...
Apr 16, 2026•24 min•Season 2026Ep. 74
The parents of a girl still missing from Camp Mystic, a Christian girls’ camp where 27 people died during last summer’s deadly floods in the Texas Hill Country, are asking a judge to prevent the camp from reopening this summer. We’ll have the latest from the Travis County court room . A private disagreement between local officials broke out into the open this week when Austin Mayor Kirk Watson let it be known he opposes a decision by the agency building the city’s light-rail system. And, a docum...
Apr 15, 2026•24 min•Season 2026Ep. 73
Though construction of data centers in Texas has garnered plenty of opposition from residents, plans are still moving forward to bring more of these facilities to Central Texas. But just how many? And how soon? Those questions and more were part of a recent hearing held by state leaders. Austin’s parks are a favorite amenity of many an Austinite — and the city has hundreds more acres of parkland currently unused. The costs of developing a neighborhood park. Andrea Ball, growth and development re...
Apr 14, 2026•25 min•Season 2026Ep. 72
It’s legal again for Texas businesses to sell smokable forms of hemp. New state rules that went into effect in March had effectively outlawed these sales, while raising fees on the businesses who carry them. We’ll delve into the state of the Texas hemp market. The state board of education gave preliminary approval to a mandatory list of books that all Texas public schools will teach starting in 2030. Critics of the list say it lacks diversity and emphasizes Christianity. Plus, what’s the story b...
Apr 13, 2026•23 min•Season 2026Ep. 71
Ahead of the coming summer heat, a federal court is considering whether air conditioning should be provided in all Texas prisons. We’ve been following the case that’s been happening in Austin over the past couple of weeks. There are new changes to SNAP, the benefits that help low-income Texans purchase food. That assistance can’t be used for candy or most sweetened drinks. We’ll take a look at what impact this is having. The San Marcos Studio Tour continues this weekend. We’ll hear about one art...
Apr 10, 2026•26 min•Season 2026Ep. 70
The SAFE Alliance is preparing to make millions of dollars in cuts starting this summer. This could include closing a downtown shelter and the end of services that provide additional housing assistance for people leaving abusive situations. After public outcry over the unexpected demolition of former East Austin cafe, Cenote, the developer of the property has committed to maintaining what’s left of the historic building it originally promised to preserve. The problem? There’s just one wall left ...
Apr 09, 2026•23 min•Season 2026Ep. 69
Over the last year, Texas Republicans enacted regulatory and legal changes, completely altering life for noncitizens in the state. Many of these changes were put forward in the state Legislature, where they failed. Now, these changes are being made a reality outside of the normal legislative processes. We talk with Eleanor Klibanoff, the law and politics reporter at The Texas Tribune. Austin ISD is facing a giant budget deficit heading into the next school year. A draft of that budget was presen...
Apr 08, 2026•25 min•Season 2026Ep. 68
Vacancies for industrial buildings in the greater Austin region are near the highest levels of any place in the country. It could be that companies thinking of moving to Austin aren’t finding buildings big enough to accommodate them . Spring fever, oak and mold pollen, and now another strain of coronavirus — all about the latest variant and the complications it brings . Half a century ago incarcerated Texans formed bands and recorded their music inside of state prisons. That music was shared rec...
Apr 07, 2026•24 min•Season 2026Ep. 67
Williamson County is making changes to avoid the chaotic scene that unfolded last month on primary Election Day. The new change is going back to the ways things were before the most recent election. We’ll dig into why it happened and how the county is trying to avoid a repeat. The Karst Canyon Preserve is offering new public access to trails and open space in Hays County. The property near Jacob’s Well was previously slated for residential development. Plus, the region needed this weekend’s rain...
Apr 06, 2026•25 min•Season 2026Ep. 66
A review of the city of Austin’s $25 million contract with the Long Center to disburse arts grants has exposed gaps in billing, transparency and oversight. City auditors said they raised concerns for years about weaknesses in the monitoring of city contracts. Andrea Ball from the Austin Current has the story. A new program aims to bring Austin’s home-based side hustles out of the shadows of that crowded garage and into the light of day. It’s the latest effort from the city to create ways for mic...
Apr 03, 2026•23 min•Season 2026Ep. 65
Summer temperatures in Texas prisons can often exceed 100 degrees, and lawyers have argued those conditions constitute cruel and unusual punishment for incarcerated Texans. A federal trial underway this week in Austin could decide whether the state must provide air conditioning to all inmates. A group of scientists from the University of Texas at Austin and MD Anderson Cancer Center have developed a potential chemotherapy drug that may prompt a person’s immune system to attack cancer cells as if...
Apr 02, 2026•24 min•Season 2026Ep. 64
Hemp flower and other smokable forms of cannabis are no longer allowed to be sold in Texas. What hasn’t changed, however, is Texas law that says it’s legal to possess those kinds of products. So, can Texans procure these smokables from other states? It’s a complicated answer that we’ll delve into. UT Austin’s Mexican American and Latina/Latino Studies will soon be consolidated into a new department. Latino Studies scholars and researchers are protesting the changes while planning for the future....
Apr 01, 2026•25 min•Season 2026Ep. 63
