By KUT & KUTX Studios
KUT Weekend is a look at the top stories in Austin and Central Texas.
The latest on coronavirus in Austin in this edition of KUT Weekend! Subscribe at https://weekend.kut.org
Austin cancels South by Southwest. Plus, why Tuesday’s primaries were just round one in some political battles. And how some Austin police officers are trying to build trust with young people. Those stories and more in this edition of KUT...
A warm winter and the weird things it does in Austin. Plus, why do people in Travis County vote at grocery stores? And the Godfather of Austin’s club scene. Those stories and more in this edition of KUT Weekend! Subscribe...
We find out who’s behind the ‘funny little messages’ on signs along Austin roads. Plus, Austin landlords repeatedly cited for health and safety violations could get their right to rent revoked. And after a rise in mothers dying in childbirth,...
The Austin City Council gets one big step closer to a sweeping overhaul of the city’s land development rules. Plus, delays in the Austin Police Department handing enforcement of rules governing loud music to the city’s music office. And a...
The Austin City Council hires a new consultant to help with homelessness. Plus, Austin firefighters look to California to address the city’s wildfire risks. And the unique role of sports medicine at Texas rodeos. Those stories and more in this...
New data showing black and Latinx drivers are increasingly more likely to be stopped by Austin police. Plus, the story of a Central Texas man’s deportation to Mexico and how it affected his children, who are U.S. citizens. And the...
The Austin City Council tries to decriminalize low-level marijuana possession, but the police chief says officers will still bust pot smokers. Plus, rural counties in fast-growing Central Texas hustle to prevent being undercounted in the 2020 Census. And the Last...
Paying for new trains and buses in Austin could involve a joint venture and new taxes. Plus, as the Caddo Mounds State Historic State reopens, tornado survivors heal together. And teens in Texas react to U.S.-Iranian tension. Those stories and...
Five Austin students describe what it’s like not to know whether your school is going to close. Plus, a photographer makes it his mission to capture East Austin’s “essence” before it disappears. And reporters from Kazakhstan explore what makes Austin...
How a new state law makes it harder to open voting stations on college campuses. Plus, UT-Austin students want university officials to do more to fight for affordable housing. And how a scarcity of parking in Austin makes it hard...
Religious groups step in to provide contraception as Planned Parenthood gets sidelined in Texas. Plus, how does Austin’s school district move forward after its equity officer called a school closure plan racist? And who started the tradition of residents stringing...
Austin is one step closer to getting a contentious set of new rules that determine what can be built in which parts of the city. Plus, how narratives and not facts often drive news coverage of public opinion surveys. And...
The Austin City Council orders an extensive investigation into allegations of racism and bias in the Austin Police Department. Plus, a pediatric brain surgeon in Austin who died in a car race is remembered for his biggest wins off the...
A last-minute loophole could undermine a Texas law against surprise medical bills. Plus, Hill Country landowners say the energy company Kinder Morgan is lowballing them on land for a natural gas pipeline. And some Texas farmers going all in on...
Austin’s school board votes to close four elementary campuses. Plus, the number of abortion clinics in Texas continues to decline. And a new chorus in Austin for people whose memories are disappearing. Those stories and more in this edition of...
The Austin City Council votes to spend $8 million to buy and revamp a motel to house the homeless. Plus, Austin’s first Latina city council member says she will not seek re-election. And activists knock on doors to rally voters...
Why it took Travis County almost till 4 a.m. to finish counting election results. Plus, Capital Metro crunches the numbers on future transit plans. And why you might see tarantulas around town. Those stories and more in this edition of...
Life gets harder for people in Austin with nowhere to live. Plus, what’s on the ballot in the November election on Tuesday. And lessons learned since last year’s week-long boil water notice in Austin. Those stories and more in this...
Nobody seems to support Austin’s Proposition A, but we still have to vote on it. Plus, Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen resigns after a secretly made audio recording becomes public. And Austin’s music history is being preserved at a local...
The Austin City Council reinstates limited bans on camping and resting in public. Plus, what does the word “equity” mean in the context of AISD school closures? And iconic Austin burger joint Hut’s Hamburgers closes this weekend after 80 years...
Texas groups brace for cuts that could ‘devastate’ refugee resettlement services. Plus, Austin’s first homeless strategy officer steps down after just one month on the job. And we’ll hear from a guy who’s been calling Texas football games in Spanish...
Governor Abbott threatens state action over Austin’s homelessness policies. Plus, the latest on Austin ISD’s efforts to sell parents on plans that include closing and consolidating 12 schools. And what’s the best way to get into the chilly waters of...
Efforts to boost youth voter turnout in 2020. Plus, Austin ISD changes its tone on school closures. And how did Lake Travis’ Sometimes Islands get their name? Those stories and more in this edition of KUT Weekend! Subscribe at https://weekend.kut.org
Austin’s city council punts on reinstating rules to limit camping and resting in public. Plus, when taking out a reverse mortgage in Austin means losing your home. And Austin students demand government action on climate change. Those stories and more...
Austin police are still citing people for small amounts of marijuana as county prosecutors continue to reject cases. Plus, have ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft reduced drunk driving arrests in Austin? And the world says goodbye to Austin music...
The Austin school district’s plan to close twelve schools to cope with under-enrollment. Plus, how some Republican leaders in Texas may be dipping their toes into gun control policies. And we meet the Texas ‘ambassador’ who works at the Capitol...
A church destroyed by Hurricane Harvey finally reopens. Plus, how students at an elite magnet school in Austin ISD felt they had to prove they belonged. And how the legacy of slavery is still confounding the county’s efforts to eliminate...
How a psychological shift could be helping Texas Democrats. Plus, why is it so difficult to prosecute sexual assault cases in Travis County? And a mom who put her kids into a school with fewer resources to get them into...
What you need to know about toxic algae blooms on Lady Bird Lake. Plus, how Austin’s past failures at desegregating schools affect today’s decisions about school closures. And why do city of Austin lifeguards blow their whistles in an unusual...
Gun politics in Texas after a mass shooting in El Paso. Plus, who cleans up bat guano under the Congress Avenue Bridge? And the story of a woman who helps older Austinites stay connected. Those stories and more in this...
Fears surrounding school closures and consolidations in Austin ISD. Plus, Dripping Springs takes a community approach to mental health care. And why are there no billboards on MoPac? Those stories and more in this edition of KUT Weekend! Subscribe at...
Democrats are betting the state’s changing suburbs will help them win Congressional seats in 2020. Plus, migrants facing legal limbo as asylum laws change. And why some Central Texas lakes could be lowered for safety. Those stories and more in...
Austin gets its first triple digit heat of the summer. Plus, how new city rules on panhandling may benefit buskers. And why does the top of Austin’s tallest building look ‘unfinished’? Those stories and more in this edition of KUT...
The University of Texas at Austin plans to give a free education to students whose families make less than $65,000. Plus, how the Travis County District Attorney is changing the county’s approach toward low level drug offense. And who’s the...
Why Austin ISD is planning to close some of its schools. Plus, how a wet spring is causing a relatively cooler summer in Austin. And why the state’s surge in wind power has some people in remote areas of West...
Why Texas is at greater risk than ever this summer of rolling blackouts. Plus, Austin ISD’s top budget official on what the state’s new school finance law means for the largest school district in Central Texas. And we meet a...
The Austin City Council approves $8.6 million for a new homeless shelter on Ben White Boulevard. Plus, why is Austin’s “official” LGBT Pride celebration in August instead of June? And who is the motorcycle rider who does wheelies around Austin...
Austin ISD wants to raise teacher pay by at least 6 percent. Plus, hundreds of lakefront homes in Austin not on the city tax rolls. And who’s that Krispy Kreme employee who’s so positive all the time? Those stories and...
One of the issues Texas lawmakers did not tackle the legislative session: the state’s high rate of people without health insurance. Plus, could the boom-bust cycle in the West Texas oil town of Midland be over? And efforts to get...
Half of I-35’s main lanes through North Austin will close this weekend. Plus, the origin of the word “Texas” may be rooted in something other than friendship. And what’s the real story behind Dan’s and Fran’s hamburgers? Those stories and...
Texas lawmakers have until Monday to pass their latest proposal on cutting property taxes and boosting school spending. Plus, how death certificate delays have put healing on hold for a grieving family. And how an Austin woman helped change the...
Why Austin's mayor supports a plan to add lanes to I-35 even though he doesn't think it will fix traffic congestion in the long run. Plus, where are all these people moving to Austin coming from? And how DJ Southpaw...
A plan to increase the state’s sales tax is dead. Plus, black advocates demand changes in library policies after a 13-year-old’s arrest. And how did Texas become the only state with its own toast? Those stories and more in this...
Why the Austin school district is turning to realtors to better market its schools. Plus, a CDC study saying many Austin scooter riders don’t wear helmets, ride fast and don’t know what they’re doing. And how do musicians make the...
What’s happening with school finance and property tax cuts at the Texas legislature. Plus, presidential candidates court women of color at a Texas forum. And how one Texas man almost lost everything when it was his word against border officials....
In a special edition of KUT Weekend, we bring you a half-hour look at why many students of color are struggling in Austin’s public schools. It’s a documentary called Held Back, produced by KUT’s Claire McInerny.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick considers the “nuclear option” to pass property tax legislation. Plus, problems with the state’s STAAR test. And a Texas family’s tradition of bloodless bullfighting. Those stories and more in this edition of KUT Weekend! Subscribe at...
A battle over renewable energy takes shape at the Texas Capitol. Plus, how a wave of tech expansion could further strain affordability in Austin. And who is the crossing guard who waves to everyone near Mendez Middle School? Those stories...
Texas Senate budget writers agree to spend an extra $9 billion on public education and property tax cuts. Plus, local entrepreneurs look to change the face of Austin’s startup scene. And why everything in Austin is covered in green gunk...