KUT News Now

Central Texas top stories for May 7, 2025. Austin Public Health is reporting a second location someone infectious with measles visited the weekend before last. Today is the first day that REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses are required to board a domestic flight. Rent prices in Austin continue to decline. The Austin City Limits music festival pumped more than half a billion dollars into the city’s economy last year. The future of Hays CISD’s Proposition D is still up in the air. There’s a wildfire preparedness class tomorrow at the Carver Branch Library.

The post KUT Afternoon Newscast for May 7, 2025: Today is the first day that REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses are required for domestic flights appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Last week, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that would end the flow of federal money to PBS and NPR stations throughout the country.
KUT’s Jennifer Stayton talked with KUT and KUTX General Manager Debbie Hiott about what this means for the public media stations in Austin.

The post Interview: What Trump’s executive order to end funding for NPR means for KUT and KUTX appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Central Texas top stories for May 7, 2025. After nearly seven hours of public testimony, this morning the San Marcos City Council rejected a resolution supporting a ceasefire in Gaza by a vote of five to two. The Department of Defense is consolidating the U.S. Army Futures Command with another office. Rents in Austin continue to fall.  

The post KUT Morning Newscast for May 7, 2025: After nearly seven hours of public comments, San Marcos rejects Gaza ceasefire resolution.  appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Central Texas top stories for May 6, 2025. Austin Public Health is warning about possible exposure to measles. Arts organizations in Austin could lose funding with the National Endowment for the Arts terminating grants nationwide. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has accused Austin ISD of violating a state law that bans instruction on critical race theory in public schools. Starting tomorrow, your driver’s license needs REAL ID for domestic flights.

The post KUT Afternoon Newscast for May 6, 2025: Arts organizations in and around Austin are facing an uncertain future appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Central Texas top stories for May 6, 2025. Travis County us suing Nate Paul, an Austin developer tied to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, for over millions of dollars. Austin firefighters are struggling to meet their goal for response times. May tends to be the rainiest month of the year in the Austin area, but we still need more rain to recover from the drought.

The post KUT Morning Newscast for May 6, 2025: Austin firefighters are struggling to meet their goal for response times. appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Central Texas top stories for May 5, 2025. Stormy weather today in the Austin area. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton says his office is investigating the Austin Independent School District. What an “omega block” is and why it’s bringing rain to the area. The Trump administration is resuming collections today on defaulted federal student loans. The University of Texas softball team will be part of the SEC Softball Tournament for the first time.

The post KUT Afternoon Newscast for May 5, 2025: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is investigating Austin ISD for allegedly teaching ‘critical race theory’ appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Austin will see an increased need for workers in construction jobs over the next several years as the city takes on several major projects, like the redevelopment of the Austin Convention Center, the airport expansion and the Project Connect transit plan. Upcoming projects are expected to create 10,000 new jobs annually. KUT’s Luz Moreno-Lozano tells us the City’s new program is helping ensuring people are trained to fill those jobs.

The post New Austin program helps connect residents with jobs as city begins major construction projects appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Central Texas top stories for May 5, 2025. Today the Trump administration will resume collections on federal student loans that are in default. Texas governor Greg Abbott signed a $1 billion Texas school voucher bill over the weekend. Here are the results for this weekend’s local elections.  

The post KUT Morning Newscast for May 5, 2025: The federal government will restart collections on defaulted student loans.  appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Central Texas top stories for May 2, 2025. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect in the Austin area until 8pm tonight. Tomorrow is Election Day. Texas lawmakers are considering a number of bills that would significantly change how the state’s power grid operates. Two judges are ordering the University of Texas not to delete communications surrounding arrests last year during campus protests. The city of Austin has replaced several of the temporary barriers along 6th Street.

The post KUT Afternoon Newscast for May 2, 2025: Texas lawmakers are considering a number of bills that would curb the growth of renewable energy. appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Tomorrow is Election Day for many local races in Texas. But voting is not the only way to be civically engaged. KUT’s Jennifer Stayton talked with Mark Strama, director of the Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life at UT-Austin. They discussed what is civic engagement and how to be civically engaged.

The post Interview: Voting is not the only way to be civically engaged appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.