KUT Austin

@KUT

Austin's NPR station. A community-supported public media newsroom sharing news and information on-air at 90.5 FM and online. Support us at http://Donate.KUT.org

Austin, Texas

Joined February 2008

2KFollowing

111KFollowers

KUT Austin@KUT · 2 h

What would it take for Austin to allow swimming in Lady Bird Lake? Water quality is a factor to consider now, according to Austin Watershed Protection. But it played no role in the initial ban. l8r.it/PIKU

KUT's tweet card. A ban has been in place for decades. City officials say there are several factors to consider before allowing folks to jump in the water.

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KUT Austin@KUT · 16 h

Ban or regulate THC in Texas? State lawmakers still can't agree on what's next. l8r.it/Of0i

KUT's tweet card. After an attempt to ban THC was vetoed by Gov. Greg Abbott last month, the Texas Senate has revived similar legislation in the state’s current special session. The chamber held its first hearing...

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KUT Austin Retweeted

Lauren McGaughy@lmcgaughy · 20 h

What would it take for Austin to allow swimming in Lady Bird Lake? kut.org/austin/2025-07…

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KUT Austin@KUT · 17 h

The city of Austin is looking to cut overtime for Austin firefighters as a way to save money in the new budget. The change would mean adjusting staffing levels on many fire trucks, which some officials said puts people and fire crews at risk. l8r.it/j8kf

KUT's tweet card. Reducing the minimum number of firefighters per truck from four to three would save the city about $8.3 million in overtime pay. But the firefighters union said the reduction would put people and...

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KUT Austin@KUT · 21 h

A ban on swimming in Lady Bird Lake has been in place for decades. City officials say there are several factors to consider before allowing folks to jump in the water. l8r.it/II0u

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KUT Austin Retweeted

Luz Moreno-Lozano@LuzMorenoLozano · 24 h

Another day, another budget story. The city is looking to cut back on OT pay for firefighters as it looks to cut costs in the 2025 budget. Making the change would mean using 3 firefighters on a truck instead of 4. I've got the latest 👇🏽... via @KUT. kut.org/austin/2025-07…

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KUT Austin@KUT · 24 h

Until recently, one of the biggest controversies over cloud seeding — a method created to encourage rain — was whether it actually works. That's now been overshadowed by conspiracy theories blaming the technology for the deadly floods in Texas. l8r.it/HReZ

KUT's tweet card. Experts say outlandish claims of weather manipulation are hindering disaster preparedness and emergency response.

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KUT Austin@KUT · Jul 22

Two years after a district court declared that a Texas law diluting the policymaking power of blue urban areas was unconstitutional, an appeals court has overruled that decision. | via @TexasTribune l8r.it/kUDj

KUT's tweet card. The 2023 law, previously ruled unconstitutional by a Travis County judge, prevents cities from enforcing ordinances that don’t align with broad swaths of state law.

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KUT Austin@KUT · Jul 21

Hays County Commissioners voted unanimously this month to appeal a judge's decision to void the county's $440 million road bond. Now, the county is looking to start work on these projects, even while the bond’s future is uncertain. l8r.it/cIwD

KUT's tweet card. Commissioners requested an expedited appeal to a judge's ruling that voided the $440 million road bond, but it could take months before a decision is made. In the meantime, county officials are...

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KUT Austin@KUT · Jul 21

State lawmakers out of Texas say a newly passed law called the Life of the Mother Act should clarify for doctors in the state where to draw the line. Reproductive rights advocates and medical groups are watching to see if it saves lives. l8r.it/0X24

KUT's tweet card. In Texas, where abortion is banned, a bipartisan group of lawmakers, medical associations and groups on either side of the issue worked together to clarify when abortion can be used in emergencies.

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KUT Austin Retweeted

Lauren McGaughy@lmcgaughy · Jul 21

It's official: After SCOTUS declined to take up @Tesla's suit over direct sales in Louisiana, the case has now been dismissed. @elonmusk's EV company sued over not being able to sell his cars directly to consumers in the state. Texas has laws. #txlege #lalege

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KUT Austin@KUT · Jul 21

If KUT's budget hole is not filled, Debbie Hiott, the station’s general manager, said the organization may not be able to fill open positions and could stop airing certain shows. l8r.it/mtbt

KUT's tweet card. The station’s general manager, Debbie Hiott, said the cuts may lead to the station dropping some shows and freezing hiring.

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KUT Austin@KUT · Jul 21

While disaster recovery and preparedness are at the top of many Texans' minds, a rare mid-decade round of congressional redistricting will take up much of lawmakers' attention over the next month. l8r.it/iPFa

KUT's tweet card. President Trump is seeking to pick up at least four, potentially five, Texas congressional seats for Republicans in a midterm election cycle that ordinarily would favor the Democrats.

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KUT Austin@KUT · Jul 21

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 10% on average. It's the third rate increase this year. l8r.it/WhPG

KUT's tweet card. Some Austin City Council members have suggested finding a different gas utility after a string of rate increases from Texas Gas Service.

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KUT Austin@KUT · Jul 21

Soooo much good original reporting comes out of @kut and the Texas Newsroom, a collaboration of NPR and local stations.

LLauren McGaughy@lmcgaughy · Jul 21

🧵NEW: For years, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said he did not need to disclose more about his real estate interests to state ethics regulators. Of the 10 properties he or his blind trust own — most purchased in the last five years — he'd only ever listed four. #txlege

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KUT Austin Retweeted

Luz Moreno-Lozano@LuzMorenoLozano · Jul 21

The @AFA975 is out here this morning expressing concern about the proposed cuts to staffing levels for AFD. The proposed budget calls to cut back on Austin fire OT by moving to 3 person staffing on fire trucks. 1/

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KUT Austin Retweeted

Blaise Gainey@BlaiseGainey · Jul 21

When session ended in June, the Texas Legislature knew right away that they'd be coming back. Mainly to focus on regulating THC after Abbott had vetoed a bill that would've banned the substance. kut.org/politics/2025-…

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KUT Austin@KUT · Jul 21

Congress voted to cut public media funding, and KUT and @KUTX stand to lose an estimated $1.2 million a year. Your support is more critical than ever. Every dollar fuels the local reporting, music and podcasts you value. Donate today at donate.kut.org!

KUT's tweet image. Congress voted to cut public media funding, and KUT and @KUTX stand to lose an estimated $1.2 million a year. Your support is more critical than ever. Every dollar fuels the local reporting, music and podcasts you value. Donate today at donate.kut.org!

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KUT Austin@KUT · Jul 21

Austin ISD will need to figure out which programs it can maintain after the Trump administration announced at the end of June it was withholding more than $6 billion in federal grants to schools nationwide. l8r.it/qNRR

KUT's tweet card. The Trump administration has not released more than $6 billion in grants for schools nationwide. For Austin ISD, that amounts to a loss of about $9.6 million in funding that helps pay for more than...

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KUT Austin Retweeted

Mose Buchele@MoseBuchele · Jul 21

The relationship between the City of Austin and Texas Gas Service, the for-profit utility that supplies the city with natural gas, has appeared strained since a rate hike last year. Now, the Gas Service is asking for more money. kut.org/energy-environ…

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