It’s the last week of 2025, and we’re reflecting on the year of news here in Austin, including:
Resolution in a decades-long cold case known as the Yogurt Shop Murders.
The summer’s deadly flooding in Austin and Central Texas.
School campuses set to shutter across the city.

We’re also taking a look at the status of Austin’s housing market heading into the new year.

Plus: Another favorite track from 2025, and a look at some of the artists we lost this year.

The full transcript of this episode of Austin Signal is available on the KUT & KUTX Studio website. The transcript is also available as subtitles or captions on some podcast apps.

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It’s been a busy year, and KUT’s multimedia team has been capturing the moments that defined Austin in 2025. So which ones stood out most?  Visuals Editor Deborah Cannon takes us through the year in photos.

The Paramount Theatre is known for hosting unforgettable events — but have you ever wondered how audiences find their seats in the rush before showtime? What it’s like to work as an usher.

The year is winding down, but we still have songs for ya! Technical director Rayna Sevilla shares her top song of the year.

Plus: More local news coverage is headed to Austin with the launch of the Austin Current.

The full transcript of this episode of Austin Signal is available on the KUT & KUTX Studio website. The transcript is also available as subtitles or captions on some podcast apps.

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An Austin doctor is using vinyl records to help patients cope with serious illnesses and difficult treatments. KUT’s Olivia Aldridge has a look at how music is helping in the healing process.

Texans have access to some of the best bird-watching opportunities in the country. We’ll go behind the scenes of an annual census of the area’s bird population.

You may have spotted him stopping for photos with fans outside the Paramount Theatre or the Continental Club: Austin’s Santa on horseback, Samuel Grey Horse, is back in the saddle after a difficult year. KUT’s Greta Díaz González Vázquez brings us his story.

The full transcript of this episode of Austin Signal is available on the KUT & KUTX Studio website. The transcript is also available as subtitles or captions on some podcast apps.

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A library in Caldwell has become a beacon of hope for adults looking to get their GED or further their education — and volunteers are helping make that possible. The Texas Standard’s Sarah Asch has the story.

A look back at major developments in the business world this year and how they’re shaping the Austin area.

A Minnesota-based program that creates music inspired by stories of children in need worked with a 9-year-old Austin boy with a fatal genetic disorder on a piece that was performed by the Austin Children’s Choir.

The full transcript of this episode of Austin Signal is available on the KUT & KUTX Studio website. The transcript is also available as subtitles or captions on some podcast apps.

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Records in the divorce case for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton have been unsealed after a judge’s order. We’re talking with the Texas Newsroom’s Lauren McGaughy to find out what that means for the case.

Travelers at the Austin airport will soon have more options. KUT transportation reporter Nathan Bernier has the details on the newest flights coming to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.

Plus: a look inside the Press Room in Hyde Park, which is home to a vintage letterpress and a vast collection of original cinema advertising prints.

The full transcript of this episode of Austin Signal is available on the KUT & KUTX Studio website. The transcript is also available as subtitles or captions on some podcast apps.

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Austin has reached a four-year, $63 million contract deal with the city’s firefighters, ending months of negotiations with the Austin Firefighters Association.

Calling all bird enthusiasts: Texas Standard’s Raul Alonzo explains what a bird count is, why it matters, and how you can take part.

KUTX’s Confucius Jones, one half of hip-hop podcast The Breaks, shares his favorite song of the year.

Plus: If you’re looking for TV shows to watch over the holidays, Jennifer Morgan, the ATX TV Festival’s head of programming, joins us with some picks.

The full transcript of this episode of Austin Signal is available on the KUT & KUTX Studio website. The transcript is also available as subtitles or captions on some podcast apps.

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Austin faces a high-stakes choice on funding parks over I-35, with city leaders split over how to move forward. It all centers on the question of which highway decks the should city commit to paying for.

Catching up with longtime musician Robert Earl Keen, who’s gearing up for his Christmas shows here in Austin.

Plus, from KUTX: Maile Carballo checks in with the latest music news, and Ryan Wen rounds up his favorite songs of 2025.

The full transcript of this episode of Austin Signal is available on the KUT & KUTX Studio website. The transcript is also available as subtitles or captions on some podcast apps.

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The state of Texas is collecting information on transgender Texans using data from driver’s licenses — and it’s not clear what exactly that information is being used for. The Texas Newsroom’s investigative reporter and editor, Lauren McGaughy, has the story.

The Trump administration is looking to make changes to federal policy that could affect how homeless service providers do their work here in the Austin area. We sit down with Kate Moore from the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition to learn more.

Under the twinkling lights of the 37th Street Lights is a surprising group of fluffy friends ready to be adopted. The price for a stuffed animal? One simple task.

The full transcript of this episode of Austin Signal is available on the KUT & KUTX Studio website. The transcript is also available as subtitles or captions on some podcast apps.

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The National Weather Service is forecasting warmer and drier-than-normal conditions for the Austin area this winter — but high-impact storms are still possible. What city officials and Austin Energy are doing to keep potential winter storm outages to minimum.

Austin music legend Joe Ely has died at 78. Jeff McCord, KUT and KUTX’s former music director, reflects on the life of Texas-born singer-songwriter.

We’ll also hear from another KUTX-er Marnie Castor gives us her favortie song coming out of Austin for 2025.

If you’ve lived in Austin long enough, you’ve seen the words “violet crown” around town — but what does it mean, and why are there so many? ATXplained digs in.

The full transcript of this episode of Austin Signal is available on the KUT & KUTX Studio website. The transcript is also available as subtitles or captions on some podcast apps.

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Austin Public Health has experienced some federal and city budget cuts this year, and the failure of Proposition Q means some of those holes won’t be filled. We look at the public health landscape in Austin.

The old Faulk Central Library in downtown Austin became the Austin History Center, and has been redone after a renovation that was eight years in the making. What’s new in a place that showcases what’s old.

Plus: We hear from the Black Austin Matters podcast and their guest, Pastor Gaylon Clark of Greater Mt. Zion Baptist Church.

The full transcript of this episode of Austin Signal is available on the KUT & KUTX Studio website. The transcript is also available as subtitles or captions on some podcast apps.

The post A look at the public health landscape in Austin appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.