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Central Texas top stories for July 22, 2025. Texas lawmakers kicked off a special legislative session yesterday, here’s what you need to know. The number of people missing after deadly floods in Texas dropped dramatically over the weekend, here’s why. Activists in Kyle are calling on City officials to get rid of license plate readers.

The post KUT Morning Newscast for July 22, 2025: Texas lawmakers kicked off a special legislative session yesterday, redistricting is on the table appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Central Texas top stories for July 21, 2025. Traces of measles have been detected in Austin wastewater. The City of Austin is looking to cut overtime for firefighters as a way to save money in the new budget. The Austin City Council is expected to weigh in on a plan from Texas Gas Service to increase rates in Austin. Travis County Commissioner Margaret Gomez is retiring at the end of her term. The men serving as interim UT Austin president and interim UT System Chancellor have been named the sole finalists for those positions. Texas Fury, an all-girls flag football team made-up of athletes from the Austin area, won the High School Girls division of the NFL Flag Championship over the weekend. Former Austin City Council member Bill Spelman has died.

This podcast is made at KUT and KUTX, which are public radio stations in Austin, Texas. You may have heard that Congress just took back the money it had allocated for public radio. Our organization stands to lose 1.2 million dollars. We’re asking our listeners now to help us make up this shortfall. If you want to help us out, you can make a donation at supportthispodcast.org.

The post KUT Afternoon Newscast for July 21, 2025: A proposed Austin city budget would reduce the number of firefighters responding to calls. Firefighters disagree with this approach appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Central Texas top stories for July 21, 2025. Texas lawmakers start a 30-day special session today, among the items on the list are redistricting, disaster relief and preparedness. Texas Gas Service, the for-profit utility that supplies Austin homes and businesses with natural gas, has announced plans to increase gas rates by almost ten percent on average. Hays County is set to continue building new roads even after a judge ruled killed a bond passed by voters in November. There’s a new Disaster Recovery Center in Burnet for people affected by floods earlier this month.  

The post KUT Morning Newscast for July 21, 2025: Texas Gas Service wants to raise Austin’s rates for the third time in the last year appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Central Texas top stories for July 18, 2025. It’s been two weeks since catastrophic floods hit Central Texas, killing more than 130 people. Congressman Greg Casar says a federal audit into staffing shortages at the National Weather Service is coming. Governor Greg Abbott has started the process to get Travis County added to a federal disaster declaration for flooding over the July 4th weekend. The City of Marble Falls is no longer under a boil water notice. The Recycled Reads store in North Central Austin is set to close in March as part of the city’s proposed 2026 budget.

This podcast is made at KUT and KUTX, which are public radio stations in Austin, Texas. You may have heard that Congress just took back the money it had allocated for public radio. If you want to help us out, you can make a donation at supportthispodcast.org. 

The post KUT Afternoon Newscast for July 18, 2025: As Texans start to rebuild after the floods, many face the reality of being uninsured appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Central Texas top stories for July 18, 2025. Austin police response times continue to lag, according to a new study out this week. The recovery process for the Sandy Creek neighborhood after the floods will take some time. The LCRA is asking people to be careful when visiting the Highland Lakes. Federal funding cuts are forcing Austin area school districts to make tough decisions ahead of the school year.

The post KUT Morning Newscast for July 18, 2025: Study finds Austin police response times continue to lag appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Central Texas top stories for July 17, 2025. Recovery work is not letting up in the Big Sandy Creek community. Floodgate operations have ended for now along the Highland Lakes system. Williamson County is opening a disaster recovery center to provide in-person support for people affected by the flooding. The City of Austin is considering a budget proposal that includes cuts to overtime for Austin Firefighters.

The post KUT Afternoon Newscast for July 17, 2025: Flood recovery efforts in Travis County continue more than 12 days since devastating floods appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Central Texas top stories for July 17, 2025. The Lower Colorado River Authority finished closing all floodgates at all dams along the Highland Lakes last night. State lawmakers will begin a special legislative session next week; one of Gov. Greg Abbotts priorities is police personnel transparency. The City of Kyle’s Mayor announced he’ll be stepping down from his position. More people can now use SNAP to buy hot and ready to eat meals

The post KUT Morning Newscast for July 17, 2025: The LCRA closed all floodgates to dams after releasing storm runoff from recent heavy rains appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

At the current pace, it would take two-hundred years for all the city’s low-water crossings to be repaired. KUT’s Nathan Bernier reports on why these fixes could take generations.

The post Austin has dozens of low water crossings that flood during heavy rains. The city has been fixing them, but very slowly appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Central Texas top stories for July 16, 2025. The Austin city manager’s $6.3 billion budget proposal includes enough cuts to get rid of a $33 million shortfall.The City of Kyle’s Mayor has announced that he’ll be stepping down from his position in November. The average cost of rent in the Austin area was down eight percent last month. Marble Falls is under a boil water notice due to recent flooding in the area.

The post KUT Afternoon Newscast for July 16, 2025: A church is offering help and hope to Kerrville’s Hispanic and immigrant community after the floods appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Central Texas top stories for July 16, 2025. Williamson County officials say they have shifted to clean-up and recovery mode after deadly flooding swept through the area on July 5th.  Austin’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management is hosting an Emergency Preparedness Pop-up event today where people can learn what to do before and after a disaster. In a state where natural disasters are common, emergency alerts are meant to break through the noise but often get buried under other notifications. Rent prices in the Austin area fell 8 percent in June. The Austin area HIV Planning Council is hearing feedback tonight from people living with HIV or AIDS. 

The post KUT Morning Newscast for July 16, 2025: Williamson County issues vouchers to assist with the cleanup after floods appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.