Austin Signal

A review of the city of Austin’s $25 million contract with the Long Center to disburse arts grants has exposed gaps in billing, transparency and oversight. City auditors said they raised concerns for years about weaknesses in the monitoring of city contracts. Andrea Ball from the Austin Current has the story. A new program aims […] The post Audit of Austin’s $25 million contract with the Long Center reveals gaps in billing, transparency, oversight appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Summer temperatures in Texas prisons can often exceed 100 degrees, and lawyers have argued those conditions constitute cruel and unusual punishment for incarcerated Texans.A federal trial underway this week in Austin could decide whether the state must provide air conditioning to all inmates. A group of scientists from the University of Texas at Austin and […] The post A federal trial underway in Austin could decide whether Texas must provide air conditioning to all prisons appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Hemp flower and other smokable forms of cannabis are no longer allowed to be sold in Texas. What hasn’t changed, however, is Texas law that says it’s legal to possess those kinds of products. So, can Texans procure these smokables from other states? It’s a complicated answer that we’ll delve into. UT Austin’s Mexican American […] The post Smokable hemp is now banned in Texas, but what about by mail? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

The Hays Consolidated School District voted unanimously in favor of more than $12 million dollars in budget cuts ahead of the next school year. It’s the largest such budget slash in more than a decade, and it’s a move other school districts could be facing in coming years. There’s not much known about the tactics and […] The post UT Austin researchers help discover new dinosaur species appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

The Austin Independent School District is handing over control of three middle schools to a nonprofit in the hopes of avoiding a districtwide state takeover. Dobie, Burnet and Webb middle schools are trying to avoid a fifth accountability rating that could trigger the takeover. Acacia Coronado with the Austin Current has the story. Austin city leaders […] The post AISD hands over control of middle schools in bid to avoid state takeover appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

TxDOT is pouring billions of dollars into I-35 through Central Austin, adding more lanes and eventually sinking parts of the highway up to 60 feet below ground level. This could make it possible to build parks above the highways — but that comes with a hefty price tag. We’ll dig into why Austin city staff […] The post Why some Austin city staff are urging against plan for parks above I-35 appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Temperatures are on the rise and Hays County is bracing for a fourth year of drought. On top of familiar water restrictions and limitations, there are now new severe issues with the county’s water wells. In a viral clip heard around the world, actor Timothée Chalamet questioned the relevance of opera and ballet. The clip […] The post What’s in store for Hole in the Wall after historic venue is sold appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Affordable housing is top of mind for many Austinites, but especially for educators working in our local schools. Now, a former AISD elementary campus is being transformed into housing — with some units set aside specifically for teachers. Acacia Coronado from the Austin Current takes a closer look at the East Austin project. Brown water […] The post AISD campus transforms into affordable housing for teachers appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

We’re learning more about the tactics and technology used by police in Texas during deportation proceedings. The Texas Newsroom has accessed body and dashcam videos from an incident last summer in East Austin that ended with five people in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. We’ll discuss the tactics and technology being deployed in […] The post How traffic stops turn into ICE busts in Austin appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

The Republican Party in Williamson County has agreed to let voters cast a ballot at any polling location available in the upcoming primary runoff. A move to precinct-specific voting made for a confusing process for many voters last month in Williamson and Dallas counties. We’ll have more about why the party is reversing course. Rent […] The post Williamson County Republicans reverse course on countywide voting appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Lake Pflugerville’s water levels remain low after a series of waterline breaks, the most recent of which was fixed on Wednesday. Local officials have issued water conservation calls while the man-made lake gets back to normal levels. We’ll have more about those water issues. Libraries are havens for many Texans, especially those living in rural […] The post Waterline breaks prompt Pflugerville officials to call for conservation measures appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

In the wake of public sexual assault and abuse allegations against union organizer Cesar Chavez, organizers of the annual parade in Austin honoring him canceled their upcoming event. Now, local activists and politicians are calling for the City of Austin to change the name of Cesar Chavez Street, the East-to-West thoroughfare running through the heart […] The post Cesar Chavez Street, local march reassessed amid abuse allegations against labor leader appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

It’s been more than two weeks since the deadly shooting at Buford’s in downtown Austin that killed three, wounded more than a dozen, and affected countless others. For mass shooting survivors, recovery can be a slow process. We’ll have the story of a mother and daughter going through that very thing following a shooting last […] The post It’s been more than two weeks since the deadly shooting at Buford’s in downtown Austin that killed three, wounded more than a dozen, and affected countless others. appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Many Republican-led states like Texas require police officers to cooperate with federal immigration agents. That’s left liberal cities like Austin debating how to respond when they don’t want spend resources on immigration enforcement. ICE operations are deterring immigrants from participating in routine parts of their lives. Here in Austin, one clinic has seen its demand […] The post How liberal cities are navigating mandated ICE partnerships appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

South By Southwest has brought many travelers into Austin to enjoy the city’s music, food and culture, but getting out of town via the Austin airport has turned a bit chaotic as TSA agents go without pay amid a partial government shutdown. We’ll have the latest from the airport and from local officials. Carmen Mejia […] The post SXSW, partial government shutdown impacting Austin-Bergstrom travel appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

The University of Texas at Austin is consolidating seven ethnic and gender studies departments in the College of Liberal Arts. That consolidation was announced in February. We’ll look more into these changes. South By Southwest 2026 is in full swing. On this episode, we’ll bring you the director and stars of the film “STAGES.” It’s […] The post New film ‘STAGES’ brings iconic Austin venues to the big screen appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

We kicked off South by Southwest 2026 with a special, live one-hour show at Scholz Garten.We’ll speak with Austin artists Shakey Graves and Kydd Jones about the things they’re working on this year. We’ll also be joined by the director and producer of the upcoming Netflix documentary “The Truth and Tragedy of Moriah Wilson,” about […] The post A special SXSW 2026 show from Scholz Garten appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Board members for the Austin Independent School District are considering an outside nonprofit to handle three of its middle schools with chronic failing grades. Another failing grade for these campuses would give the Texas Education Agency the authority to take over the district as a whole. We’ll have more about community meetings happening this week. […] The post Paxton targets Austin ISD over alleged ‘bathroom bill’ violation appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

George Davis Jr. is one of the victims who had to be hospitalized after the deadly shooting at Buford’s on West Sixth Street. He reached out to 911 for assistance, but had to turn to help of strangers to get him to the hospital. Davis is recovering now and trying to find the people who […] The post New changes to smokeable hemp rules could be coming appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden was open for business over the weekend, just days after a shooting left three people dead and more than a dozen injured. Some Austin residents felt the opening was rushed after such a tragedy. We’ll hear from others who felt showing up was the right thing to do. The Austin Police […] The post Buford’s reopens a week after deadly shooting appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

We’re learning more about the alleged shooter in Sunday morning’s deadly incident at a West Sixth Street bar. The suspect had no prior interactions with police in Austin, but that wasn’t true for other agencies in Texas. We’ll share more about that history, and why it wasn’t enough to keep him from legally acquiring firearms. […] The post More background on Buford’s shooting suspect released appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.