Central Texas top stories for March 7, 2025. Festival-goers who park downtown could have their parking tickets waived. A program that dispatches mental health professionals to certain 911 calls is getting a boost from Austin City Council. Scientists throughout the country are rallying today in protest of Trump administration policies impacting research. The city of Kyle plans to add more parkland. Southwest Airlines is closing a base for flight attendants in Austin this July.

The post KUT Afternoon Newscast for March 7, 2025: South by Southwest festival-goers could get rewarded for making responsible choices. appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Central Texas top stories for March 7, 2025. South by Southwest 2025 officially kicks off this morning. State lawmakers want to further restrict equity-minded programs across Texas.

The post KUT Morning Newscast for March 7, 2025: Thousands of visitors flock to Austin for South by Southwest. appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Central Texas top stories for March 6, 2025. Weather conditions are raising the risk of fire today in the Austin area. Public education advocates say a proposal to increase per-student funding falls short of what schools need. Barton Springs Pool is closed through next week for its annual spring cleaning. The City of Austin is trying to improve its Art in Public Places program. Frontier Airlines is expanding its service from Austin.

The post KUT Afternoon Newscast for March 6, 2025: Barton Springs Pool closes as South by Southwest hits Austin. appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Huston-Tillotson University is turning 150 this year. The historically Black higher education institution will mark this historic anniversary with events throughout the year. But this festive time in the university’s history is happening while the Trump administration is working to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in the public AND private sectors. KUT’s Jennifer Stayton talked to Huston-Tillotson University President Dr. Melva K. Wallace how things feel on campus.

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Lowering property taxes is one of the Texas Legislature this year. State lawmakers made moves towards this in 2023, including raising the state’s homestead exemption. But, for some, tax increases from local municipalities since then have cancelled out those savings. The Texas Newsroom’s Blaise Gainey reports this issue may affect another big topic on the list of priorities this year: funding for the state’s public school.

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Central Texas top stories for March 6, 2025. The National Weather Service says wind gusts as high as 30 miles per hour and low humidity will create near critical fire weather conditions today. The Lower Colorado River Authority is entering tougher drought restrictions. As the city of Austin works to redevelop some of its buildings, works of art housed inside them could be destroyed. 

The post KUT Morning Newscast for March 6, 2025: Low humidity today will result in near critical fire weather conditions in the Austin area. appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Central Texas top stories for March 5, 2025. Hays county authorities are hoping to make improvements to its communication efforts. State employees in Texas could soon be required to head back into the office full-time. Austin ISD is partnering with the Dallas Cowboys to launch a flag football league for high school girls. Austin Police arrested 12 people in connection with car break-ins at city parks.

The post KUT Afternoon Newscast for March 5, 2025: Wildfire alerts and evacuation orders caused confusion in Hays County. appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Central Texas top stories for March 5, 2025. By 4 a.m. this morning, the fire in Hays County had burned around 80 acres and was 45 percent contained. Strong winds left thousands of Austinites without power. Sixth street is restricting vehicle access during SXSW. Austin City manager, T.C. Broadnax is holding town hall meetings to hear input on the 2025-2026 budget.

The post KUT Morning Newscast for March 5, 2025: A fire in Hays County yesterday burned around 80 acres. appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Central Texas top stories for March 4, 2025. The Austin area is under a Red Flag Warning until 9:00 tonight. There’s been a drop in opioid overdoses in the Austin area. An exit on southbound I-35 will close permanently tonight as part of a major expansion of the interstate. Average rents in the Austin area fell again last month. Some CapMetro customers are struggling with a new app. Uber customers in Austin can now catch rides in a self-driving vehicle.

The post KUT Afternoon Newscast for March 4, 2025: Opioid overdoses in Austin are declining. appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Central Texas top stories for March 4, 2025. A Red Flag Warning is in effect today from 8AM until 9PM, Williamson and Travis County have a burn ban in effect. Capital Metro has rolled out a new system to pay your fare on the bus or train. Rent prices keep going down. An Austin-area space start-up has made history as the first private company to achieve a fully successful, soft-landing on the moon. 

The post KUT Morning Newscast for March 4, 2025: A Red Flag Warning is in effect today in the Austin area. appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.