KUT News Now

Central Texas top stories for May 27, 2024. Excessive Heat Warning. “FLiRT” COVID variants. APD is enforcing a DWI No Refusal Initiative. The Austin City Council is looking at raising the property tax break for seniors or people who are disabled. Austin City Council’s busy week ahead. Longhorn’s in the Women’s College World Series. Longhorn’s path to the Men’s College World Series. The Primary Runoff Election is tomorrow.

The post KUT Afternoon Newscast for May 27, 2024 appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Central Texas top stories for May 27, 2024. Potentially record-breaking heat expected in the Austin area today. Some cooling centers will be open this Memorial Day. How Austin is helping city workers beat the heat. MetroBike will soon get an upgrade. Memorial Day closures. The Texas Softball team advanced to the Women’s College World Series yesterday.

The post KUT Morning Newscast for May 27, 2024 appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Central Texas top stories for May 24, 2024. Heat advisory. City workers feeling the heat. Capital Metro will close two downtown MetroRail stations next year until 2026. A lawsuit accuses Central Health of improperly using taxpayer money. Austin FC to play three matches in a week. The Texas Softball team opens their Super Regional Series tonight at McCombs Field against Texas A&M.

The post KUT Afternoon Newscast for May 24, 2024 appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

What do you think of when I say, “property taxes?” Maybe what you pay for Austin ISD pops up first. Maybe your city or county tax bill. But also on that list is a smaller portion for Central Health. As part of our “Civics 101” series here at KUT, which is bringing you stories about local institutions that keep everyday life running in Austin, KUT’s Olivia Aldridge tells us about Central Health, an organization that gets your tax dollars and might give you or your neighbor medical care.

The post Civics 101: What does Central Health do? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Central Texas top stories for May 24, 2024. Heat wave arrives in time for the holiday weekend. A new lawsuit alleges the City of Austin violated state law when approving the redevelopment of the former Austin American-Statesman office site. Programs that help support people who are experiencing homelessness are still facing challenges in Austin. The Summer Meals Program is ramping up as the school year comes to an end. Texas and Texas A&M will compete for a spot in the Women’s College World Series. Austin airport officials are reminding travelers to plan ahead when flying out of Austin Bergstrom International Airport this Memorial Day weekend.

The post KUT Morning Newscast for May 24, 2024 appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

There are a lot of moving parts and players in our local government systems. Sometimes it can be hard to know exactly what an elected officials job actually is. Take County Judge. As part of KUT’s Civics 101 coverage, we dive into that position with All Things Considered host Jerry Quijano and reporter Andrew Weber.

The post Civics 101: What does a County Judge do? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Central Texas top stories for May 23, 2024. Children at Risk has found nearly 50 zip codes in the Austin area qualify as childcare subsidy deserts for low-income families. Travis County’s Medical Examiner’s report into the impacts of the opioid epidemic in Central Texas. FBI probe into Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Waymo being investigated by NHTSA. Gas prices are trending downward heading into memorial day weekend. Stormy weather helps drought conditions.

The post KUT Afternoon Newscast for May 23, 2024 appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

School is almost over for the summer, but not at KUT – where our “Civics 101” series continues. We are exploring the institutions and governments that shape our lives and how we can be involved.

“I’m too busy. I didn’t have time, I was sick. I didn’t know what was on the ballot.” Those are some of the reasons people give for not voting. Travis County Clerk Dyana Limon Mercado also believes people are a bit intimidated by the process and may be unsure about how to participate. She talked recently with KUT’s Jennifer Stayton at the Travis County Clerk’s office in Austin all about elections and voting. But they started by first discussing what the County Clerk’s office actually does:

The post Civics 101: Unsure or intimidated by the voting process? The Travis County Clerk walks us through the basics. appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

All this week the KUT News team is working on stories that explain how some of our local governments and systems work. We’re calling the series Civics 101. But for next story we’re going to move away from explaining how something works and focus on what people are thinking. KUT’s Jerry Quijano talked with Nathaniel Wright from the Texas Lyceum about the group’s annual poll that tries to gauge where Texans stand on a number of issues.

The post Civics 101: Taking the temperature of Texans appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

This week, KUT is featuring stories on the local institutions that play a big role in day-to-day life in Austin. And it’s hard to think of one more important than Austin Energy. That’s the city’s electric utility. You might not think of it unless the power goes out, or you’re paying your bills. But, if you’re an Austin Energy customer, you have a voice in how the utility operates. 

As part of our Civics 101 series…we now join KUT’s Mose Buchele for a party at a Moontower.

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