Shows / Austin Signal
Austin Signal
Every weekday, Austin Signal is the go-to place for the news of the day. Hosted by Jerry Quijano, the show covers news, music, sports, culture, and more from around Central Texas. KUT reporters break down stories from their beats, update you on breaking news, and more. Listeners will hear familiar voices from across KUTX, Texas Standard, and KUT/KUTX podcasts covering interesting stories and topics important to the Austin area.
Episodes
- Austin Signal
Reaction to AISD school ratings, Giant Adirondack chair, Books set in Austin
Classes start tomorrow in the Austin Independent School District, fresh off news last week that two of its middle schools registered a fifth failing state…
- Austin Signal
UT curriculum changes, Cesar Chavez Street input, Restaurant inspection scores
UT Austin wants to change the assigned classes required of future undergraduates. It’s the first such change in more than two decades. The city of Austin is…
- Austin Signal
Two Austin schools receive fifth failing ratings, opening door to state takeover
Two struggling Austin middle schools have received a fifth consecutive failing accountability rating from the Texas Education Agency, opening the door to a…
- Austin Signal
Could Austin land an NHL franchise?
The city of Austin is nearing decision time on its upcoming fiscal budget. The first draft called for cuts to public health programs, parks and other services…
- Austin Signal
Summer rains replenished Jacob’s Well — for a few weeks
UT Austin is implementing some new rules for getting around on campus ahead of the new school year, but the changes aren’t impacting every set of wheels. An…
- Austin Signal
How to get the best view of the Perseid meteor shower in Austin this week
Austin ISD classes start next week, and after announcing a change in how students will be shuffled to and from campuses, the district has backtracked on bus…
- Austin Signal
How Austin became obsessed with being weird
Gov. Greg Abbott is pitching the idea of eliminating what he calls “city monopolies” on providing electricity, a plan focused in part on Austin Energy. He…
- Austin Signal
UT Austin officials say new mobility plan is coming as cyclists worry about potential bike ban
Changes are coming to where people can and cannot ride electric bikes and scooters on the UT Austin campus. An invasive aquatic plant is expressing itself in…
- Austin Signal
Competing interests for the Dog’s Head development
We’ve been learning a lot about the Dog’s Head development over the past months, including the future plans a developer would like to see there; how little…
- Austin Signal
Austin’s Bikeshare program set to return
CapMetro’s system of electric-assisted bicycles will soon be back on Austin’s roadways — but it will be returning in phases, starting small. We’ll have the…
- Austin Signal
The origin story behind Austin’s ‘Master Pancake’
For years now, Austinites have been able to hail a driverless Waymo — but they’ve only been available to call for it through one specific rideshare company…
- Austin Signal
Activists call for better mental health resources in wake of teen’s shooting by police
Plans for high-voltage transmission lines have hit a snag after Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and his allies this morning called for a halt to the proposal. The power…
- Austin Signal
What to know as Delta-8 ban goes into effect Friday
A ban on Delta-8 products takes effect tomorrow and Austin police say possessing certain products could now be a felony. We’ll explain why the law is changing…
- Austin Signal
Activists call for Garza to prosecute officers in teen’s shooting death
Activists are demanding that Travis County District Attorney José Garza prosecute three Austin police officers who fatally shot a 17-year-old last week. We’ll…
- Austin Signal
Delta-8 possession will soon be a state jail felony
There’s the possibility of a CapMetro strike shutting down virtually all fixed-route bus service in Austin, but how much control does the agency have over…
- Austin Signal
“There is this sense of helplessness,” UT Professor talks about faculty fears following his tenure denial
Extended Interview: UT Austin professor Chaar López, a scholar on border surveillance, was denied tenure without a stated reason, despite positive reviews and…
- Austin Signal
UT president unexpectedly denies tenure for border surveillance scholar
UT Austin professor Chaar López, a scholar on border surveillance, was denied tenure without a stated reason, despite positive reviews and recommendations…
- Austin Signal
City Council approves financial agreement for Dog’s Head development
More than 12,000 homes and apartments, along with millions of square feet in office, retail and industrial space, could be coming to a large undeveloped piece…
- Austin Signal
Austin school district is closing another school
The Austin Independent School District plans to close another campus, Paredes Middle School, as the district faces the possibility of further state…
- Austin Signal
Company behind fast-tracked Dog’s Head project revealed
We now know which Fortune 100 company is behind the Dog’s Head project in East Austin. The venture moved through the Austin City Council with some urgency this…
- Austin Signal
Austin elementary teacher released after nearly 300 days in ICE detention
A fifth-grade teacher in the Austin district told his students at the start of last school year that he would need to miss a day for an errand. Roberto López…
- Austin Signal
Climate scientists have predicted greater flooding in Texas for decades
The Texas Hill Country has been impacted by torrential rains and devastating flooding for the second July in a row. Climate scientists have predicted this very…
- Austin Signal
The latest on flooding in the Hill Country
We’re continuing to monitor the flooding situation in the Texas Hill Country that’s killed at least two people and led to more than 200 rescues. We’ll bring…
- Austin Signal
1 dead as flash flood emergencies issued in Texas Hill Country
Floodwaters rose overnight in the Texas Hill Country, killing at least one person. We have the latest updates from the scene in Kerr County and speak with…
- Austin Signal
Sandy Creek residents find community after last July’s deadly flood
The onslaught of rain across Central Texas and other swaths of the state this week brings reminders of last summer’s floods. More than 100 people died…
- Austin Signal
CapMetro workers authorize strike, say better training would improve bus service
Nearly all of CapMetro’s fixed-route bus service could shut down if its workers strike. And 99.5% of workers voted in favor of that strike. Negotiators return…
- Austin Signal
Austin vigil honors Houston man killed by ICE
Austinites gathered over the weekend to mourn Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, the man fatally shot last week by an immigration officer in Houston. We have new details…
- Austin Signal
Taylor rejects citizens’ effort to temporarily ban data centers
The Taylor City Council was set to consider a citizen-led initiative to temporarily ban data centers, but 15 minutes into its meeting on Thursday night, the…
- Austin Signal
Austin Community College continues free tuition program and staff raises despite lower revenue
Data center construction is booming in Texas, and though proponents say the industry stands to bring billions of dollars to the state’s economy, their rapid…
- Austin Signal
New homeless navigation center coming to North Austin
For Austinites experiencing homelessness in the northern half of the city, accessing food, shelter or even a shower can mean taking the bus to downtown, or…
- Austin Signal
Austin paves over street murals including ‘Black Artists Matter’ following state order
Two street murals in Austin were paved over last week at the behest of state leaders who’d threatened to pull federal transportation funds if the city didn’t…
- Austin Signal
Sandy Creek residents remember lives lost to 2025 flood
School’s out for the summer, but when Austin ISD students return in the fall, they’ll be navigating some big changes in how they get to school. KUT’s education…
- Austin Signal
After floods devastated Sandy Creek, new nonprofit aims to provide relief faster
A year after catastrophic flooding in Texas, the Sandy Creek neighborhood in northwest Travis County is still deep in recovery mode. We’ll tell you about a…
- Austin Signal
Austin’s Lawn Chair Brigade brings unique spin to Fourth festivities
The podcast “After The Flood” is marking one year since deadly flooding ravaged parts of Central Texas and the Hill Country. This area is often called Flash…
- Austin Signal
Austin ISD postpones districtwide boundary changes
The Austin school district is postponing most of its school boundary realignment changes for an additional year. It’s not the first time the district has tried…
- Austin Signal
What is KUT’s relationship with UT Austin?
After the firing of KUT and KUTX General Manager Debbie Hiott by UT Austin leadership, listeners and financial supporters of the stations have wondered about…
- Austin Signal
How to protect yourself during a rough mosquito season in Austin
Mosquito season is hitting peak activity — and if it seems like this year’s batch is particularly bad, you might be on to something. We’ll hear from people…
- Austin Signal
Special episode: “After the Flood” podcast
A special guest episode from our friends at The Texas Newsroom: In the early morning hours of July 4, 2025, floodwaters tore through the Texas Hill Country. At…
- Austin Signal
How many Austin city council votes happen in secret?
The Austin city council approved a plan last month to build new natural gas power generators. One thing that’s still unknown: The price of this new project…
- Austin Signal
What you need to know about fire ants
Some hospitals are still denying miscarriage care despite a state law that’s supposed to prevent that. What an Austin-area woman having a miscarriage went…
- Austin Signal
A Central Texas city eyes desalination to help with water woes
Water is never far from the top of concerns for Central Texans and folks across the state. Down in Corpus Christi, plans for a desalination plant are underway…
- Austin Signal
New podcast explores aftermath of deadly 2025 flooding
The city of Austin is being sued by a group of Travis County property owners after reversing course on an agreement that would have released nearly 170…
- Austin Signal
Water samples from Austin’s Colony exceed limits for heavy metals
A new study from UT Austin found several water samples collected from the Austin’s Colony neighborhood in far East Austin exceeded regulatory guidelines for…
- Austin Signal
Juneteenth in Austin: Black History Bike Ride Documentary, Book Festival Preview and Reflections on Freedom
It’s Juneteenth, and it’s time for another trek through town for the Black History Bike Ride. The organization has been hosting the event for a few years now…
- Austin Signal
Capital Factory founder Joshua Baer dies in plane crash
Joshua Baer — founder of the tech investment company Capital Factory and described as the “godfather” of the Austin startup scene — died in a plane crash this…
- Austin Signal
Austin ISD improves STAAR scores as Spanish speakers fall behind
Students in the Austin school district outperformed state averages in most courses during the recent round of STAAR testing, with some scores surpassing…
- Austin Signal
What next after UT Austin fires KUT head Debbie Hiott
KUT Public Media General Manager Debbie Hiott was fired Monday by leadership at UT Austin. The dismissal followed a dispute ahead of KUT’s inaugural festival…
- Austin Signal
Floodgates opened amid heavy rain in Austin area
Flooding this morning in the Austin area caused road closures and a water rescue and even necessitated the lifting of floodgates on the Colorado River. As the…
- Austin Signal
Round Rock girls flag football team plays for state title
Plans to put a border wall in the Big Bend region have been taking shape, and a co-founder of the outdoor brand YETI is connected with a ranch involved in…
- Austin Signal
How to protect your pets from New World screwworm
With confirmation of cases of the New World screwworm in Texas, plenty of focus is on the potential impact on the state’s cattle industry. But they’re not the…
- Austin Signal
Local food influencer gives peek at new docuseries ‘David Eats Everywhere’
More than 60,000 Austinites work in the city’s food industry. A local nonprofit wants to help these food workers get health insurance. We’ll tell you about…
- Austin Signal
Judge to decide whether Camp Mystic lawsuits can be settled out of court
A judge in Travis County is expected to decide soon whether Camp Mystic and its owners can settle wrongful death lawsuits out of court stemming from last…
- Austin Signal
A shunned GOP candidate could regulate Texas oil and gas
Texas Republican leaders previously shunned Bo French for his racist social media posts. Now they want him to regulate the state’s oil and gas industries. The…
- Austin Signal
UT Austin begins removal of Cesar Chavez statue
The Austin ISD community came together Thursday night to discuss budget changes that include cutting more than 550 positions, including teachers, as the…
- Austin Signal
Austin ISD planning to cut hundreds of jobs
The Austin Independent School District is planning to cut hundreds of jobs in its upcoming budget, including teachers, librarians and campus law enforcement…
- Austin Signal
Margaret Gómez, longest-serving Travis County commissioner, retires
New research finds 10% of Texans under 6 were recently uninsured, the highest of any state in the country. We’ll have the latest data. We continue our Series…
- Austin Signal
After two months in ICE detention, father is reunited with his family
A father who was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement after a traffic stop in San Marcos has been reunited with his family. Gerardo Reyes, who spent…
- Austin Signal
Austin City Council moves to regulate e-motorcycles
Have you encountered an e-moto on the streets of Austin? The high-speed electric bikes are capable of reaching motorcycle-like speeds, and the City Council is…
- Austin Signal
State officials reject Austin ISD plan for failing middle schools
The Texas Education Agency has rejected Austin ISD’s proposal for three middle schools that have received consecutive failing grades — putting the entire…
- Austin Signal
Court protection for Delta-8 sales is set to expire
Delta-8, a hemp product you might’ve seen for sale in gas stations and strip malls across Texas, could soon be treated as an illegal drug, putting it in the…