Austin Signal

Election Day is tomorrow, and lots of attention will be focused on statewide and national races tied to Texas. We’ll tell you why a small GOP delegation wants every ballot in Texas to be counted by hand. The Dog’s Head development has become a contentious issue in Austin this year. How we got here and what […]

It’s the final day of early voting and one thing on the minds of Texans heading to the polls is access, or lack thereof, to THC products. Rules on THC in Texas have been in flux for a number of years and it’s a big part of the race for the state’s lieutenant governor. In this one-hour […]

A Travis County judge says a telecommunications company and a Wyoming LLC must reveal who sent unauthorized texts and mailers purporting to come from Texas transgender advocacy groups. Friday is the last day to cast an early ballot in next week’s midterm elections, and it looks like rain could be another factor to consider when […]

Election Day is less than a week away, and voters in districts across Austin are deciding who will represent them on City Council. The dais will include at least two new representatives next year, including the council member from District 1. More about the candidates vying to represent Northeast Austin. We’re taking a look at the big […]

We’re one week out from Election Day, and 30% of registered voters in Travis, Hays and Williamson counties have already cast their ballots. If you haven’t made it to your polling place just yet, don’t fret! We’ve got more information about contests for a pair of Texas House districts, 45 and 52. We’ll also talk about Hays County, […]

Austin state Rep. James Talarico is locked in a tight battle against Attorney General Ken Paxton to become the next senator from Texas. Before his time in the halls of the Texas Capitol, Talarico’s political career commenced on the University of Texas campus. Dan Patrick is seeking his fourth term as lieutenant governor of Texas. The […]

We’re approaching the only weekend of early voting in Texas, and nearly 1 in 5 registered voters in Travis County have cast their ballot. We’ve got answers to some common voting questions. A new partnership will allow the Austin nonprofit SAFE Alliance to offer forensic exams to sexual assault survivors. Funding challenges ended those services earlier this […]

We’re halfway through the first week of early voting, and there are many statewide races in Texas that appear to be tight contests. Austin state Rep. Vikki Goodwin is running to unseat incumbent Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who’s held the position for more than a decade. We’ll tell you more about that race and the […]

It’s the third day of early voting and so far in Travis County the number of early ballots cast is higher than past midterm years. We’ll talk about the numbers we’re seeing so far. Southwest Austin will have a new city council representative for the first time since 2019. We’ll tell you about the candidates vying for the […]

Wilber Garces Perez, the man shot in September by an ICE agent in North Austin, appeared in a federal courthouse this month on charges of assaulting and resisting a federal officer. KUT News has obtained exclusive audio from that hearing. Texans will be electing a new agriculture commissioner for the first time in a decade. […]

It’s the first day of early voting in Texas, and here in Austin, five City Council seats are being contested. That includes the District 9 seat covering downtown and the UT campus, where four challengers are vying against incumbent Zohaib “Zo” Qadri. Austinites will also have their say on a number of propositions, including one […]

Volunteers have collected enough signatures to request that the state close Burnet and Webb middle schools, in an attempt to stop a state takeover of Austin Independent School District. We’ll discuss what’s next. As election season gets underway, we’re taking a look at some key local races, including City Council District 5, where incumbent Ryan Alter is […]

The city of Taylor has made a deal with developers on a proposed data center in an unincorporated part of Williamson County. Officials say the city can impose regulations on the development, but neighbors aren’t sure about what comes next. The median age of the Austin area’s population skews young, but that is changing, and fast. […]

Some parents at two Austin middle schools are running out of time in their effort to get the schools closed, a move to try and avoid a state takeover of the entire Austin Independent School District. Austin Police characterize the fatal shooting this summer of an unarmed teen as a likely “suicide by police.” But some […]

With early voting around the corner, you might be focused on the races for U.S. senator and governor, but several important local votes are happening — including a nearly $300 million bond proposition to help local libraries and parks. Austin and San Antonio are growing closer together every day. We’ll get an update on home […]

Early voting starts in just one week, and local officials are furiously working to make sure everyone who has registered to vote is ready to go. A wrongful death lawsuit against Camp Mystic has been allowed to proceed after an initial pause while the camp began to work its way through bankruptcy court. What’s better […]

The second weekend of the Austin City Limits music festival is underway, and the Austin Signal team is coming to you live from Zilker Park with a one-hour special jam-packed full of goodies. We chat with the frontman of Cure for Paranoia, the winner of this year’s NPR Tiny Desk Contest, about the whirlwind year […]

We’re just over a week away from the start of early voting, and Texas registrars are still working to process thousands of voter applications. The latest from Travis County’s effort to address the backlog. A new city initiative has a goal of connecting folks experiencing chronic homelessness with long-term supports, but some advocates are concerned about […]

The Austin school district is one of four in the state that’s under review by the Texas comptroller for how it spent taxpayer money last year. It’s happening as many districts in the state, including Austin, are working to balance their budgets. We’ll dig into what we know so far. NPR has mined grade-school and college students for […]

Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in Austin received renewed scrutiny and media attention following last month’s shooting of Wilber Garces Perez, but ICE’s presence in the Austin area increased months prior, following a statewide and national trend. What the numbers show. When a gunman shot two people and was on the run near multiple elementary schools […]

Weekend 1 of the Austin City Limits Music Festival is in the books, and now the park grounds have a few days to recover before Weekend 2. The rain and mud made for a messy first weekend, but it was an even tougher outing for people with mobility issues. It’s the last day to get registered in […]

Wilber Garces Perez, the man shot by an ICE agent in North Austin who spent more than 10 days with a bullet lodged in his body, has now undergone surgery. Travis County District Attorney José Garza was at the center of a Texas House committee hearing where lawmakers targeted so-called rogue prosecutors for not trying or investigating […]

A man has been arrested after the Texas Department of Public Safety found a “credible” threat to attack the state Capitolthis week. The man shot by an ICE agent in Austin last month will remain in custody, but not return to a detention center, after appearing in federal court this week. The latest updates and what comes next. […]

The man who was shot by an ICE agent this month in North Austin has been charged with assaulting, resisting, interfering and impeding law enforcement. Wilber Garces Perez is set to appear in an Austin court today. Travis County Commissioners approved a more than $2 billion budget for the next fiscal year — directing more money toward affordable housing, mental […]

A flood watch has been issued for the Austin area for Wednesday night to Friday night, overlapping with the first day of the Austin City Limits Music Festival. A drop in Austin ISD’s enrollment could soon be impacting its budget. The district also planned to save money by cutting down on bus routes, but that may be undercut […]