Austin Signal

Complaints against Austin Police could be worked out through a new city program focused on mediation. We’ll hear more about what these types of guided conversations to address community concerns could look and sound like. There is a downtown fixture close to Rainey Street that has somehow avoided becoming yet another Austin skyrise – the […] The post New program aims to address complaints ag...

The Austin Police Department is changing its rules over how officers report people to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The change comes after the detention and apparent deportation last week of a Honduran mother and her 5-year-old daughter. We’ll go over the changes and the reaction from Austin City Council members. And Austin voters could once again be […] The post APD changes ICE...

Text messages from officials in Kerr County reveal confusion amid the July 4 Hill Country floods last year. Information and misinformation spread amid the flooding that killed more than 130 people. We’ll talk about those messages. More changes are coming to I-35 as work continues on overhauling the highway at the center of Austin. We’ll dive […] The post Texts show officials’ confusion...

Earlier this month, the CDC reduced the number of recommended vaccines for children. The change has flummoxed some parents and pediatricians in the Austin area. We’ll listen to some of the questions they’ve been asking. It’s been more than six months since deadly flooding killed more than 130 people across Central Texas and the Hill Country. Recovery is […] The post New...

Demonstrations against ICE continued in Austin this weekend after an officer fatally shot Renee Nicole Good last week in Minnesota. We’ll hear about the activity around town and its aftermath. We’ll also hear about an Austin mother and her five-year-old daughter who were taken into ICE custody last week after police responded to a disturbance call […] The post Demonstrations again...

People in the Austin area joined with many thousands of others across the country in protesting after an ICE officer fatally shot a woman this week in Minneapolis. Demonstrators gathered outside a Department of Homeland Security building in Pflugerville. We’ll bring you some of those voices. After a U.S. military operation in Caracas last weekend, […] The post Austinites join nationwid...

The state health agency in Texas has proposed new rules for hemp products. Those rules could mean higher fees for businesses, more testing for products, and could effectively outlaw access to hemp flower. We’ll look at what’s being proposed and how Texas business owners are feeling about it. Plus, after oak wilt claimed a tree […] The post New rules for hemp products proposed appeared first...

Austinites aren’t the only ones who are bringing some change to the new year. The airport in Austin will be undergoing some modifications in 2026. More gates, more flights – and more construction. We’ll take a closer look at the changes happening at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. Plus, a major milestone has been reached in the construction […] The post Austin-Bergstrom bringin...

As we embark on the new year, many are expecting higher costs for the health care they need to live their best lives. That’s after Congress failed to extend subsidies to the Affordable Care Act during last year’s government shutdown and ahead of the new year deadline. We’ll talk about how Austinites and Texans will […] The post How Austinites may be affected with Affordable Care...

Crime statistics for Austin trended downward in 2025, with the city experiencing the lowest number of murders this decade. We’ll talk about the trends, both locally and nationally, and discuss why the sentiment that crime is rising still persists. Also, the city has released an updated design plan for a revamped Sixth Street. What will […] The post Crime statistics for Austin trended downwar...

The start of 2026 brings a bevy of new laws across the state, with a focus on taxes. Other new legislation focuses on artificial intelligence and how sheriff’s offices will work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. New toll lanes have opened on 183 North, and the additional access could mean increased traffic on your drive […] The post New year, new Texas laws on the books appeare...

It’s the final day of 2025, and we’ve been taking some time to listen back and reflect on the year that was here in Austin. Austinites love supporting local shops and restaurants, but the hard truth is that running any kind of business is the city is a difficult and expensive pursuit. A look back […] The post Reflecting on the year in Austin as 2025 winds down appeared first on K...

This year, Austinites reached out to 311 with 285,000 requests, covering everything from garbage and loud music to animal bites and scooters. We’ve got more about those requests —  and some coyotes. KUT News launched a new desk in 2025: the Art Beat. We’re talking about the year in arts in Austin, including the return […] The post What Austin called 311 about in 2025 appeared fir...

It’s the last week of 2025, and we’re reflecting on the year of news here in Austin, including:Resolution in a decades-long cold case known as the Yogurt Shop Murders. The summer’s deadly flooding in Austin and Central Texas. School campuses set to shutter across the city. We’re also taking a look at the status of Austin’s housing […] The post Reflecting on the...

It’s been a busy year, and KUT’s multimedia team has been capturing the moments that defined Austin in 2025. So which ones stood out most?  Visuals Editor Deborah Cannon takes us through the year in photos. The Paramount Theatre is known for hosting unforgettable events — but have you ever wondered how audiences find their […] The post What it’s like to work as a Param...

An Austin doctor is using vinyl records to help patients cope with serious illnesses and difficult treatments. KUT’s Olivia Aldridge has a look at how music is helping in the healing process. Texans have access to some of the best bird-watching opportunities in the country. We’ll go behind the scenes of an annual census of […] The post Austin doctor spins vinyl to bring music the...

A library in Caldwell has become a beacon of hope for adults looking to get their GED or further their education — and volunteers are helping make that possible. The Texas Standard’s Sarah Asch has the story. A look back at major developments in the business world this year and how they’re shaping the Austin […] The post Caldwell library expands adult education classes appeared f...

Records in the divorce case for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton have been unsealed after a judge’s order. We’re talking with the Texas Newsroom’s Lauren McGaughy to find out what that means for the case. Travelers at the Austin airport will soon have more options. KUT transportation reporter Nathan Bernier has the details on the newest […] The post Records in Ken Pax...

Austin has reached a four-year, $63 million contract deal with the city’s firefighters, ending months of negotiations with the Austin Firefighters Association. Calling all bird enthusiasts: Texas Standard’s Raul Alonzo explains what a bird count is, why it matters, and how you can take part. KUTX’s Confucius Jones, one half of hip-hop podcast The Breaks, shares […] The...

Austin faces a high-stakes choice on funding parks over I-35, with city leaders split over how to move forward. It all centers on the question of which highway decks the should city commit to paying for. Catching up with longtime musician Robert Earl Keen, who’s gearing up for his Christmas shows here in Austin. Plus, from […] The post Austin faces a high-stakes choice on funding...

The state of Texas is collecting information on transgender Texans using data from driver’s licenses — and it’s not clear what exactly that information is being used for. The Texas Newsroom’s investigative reporter and editor, Lauren McGaughy, has the story. The Trump administration is looking to make changes to federal policy that could affect how homeless […] The pos...

The National Weather Service is forecasting warmer and drier-than-normal conditions for the Austin area this winter — but high-impact storms are still possible. What city officials and Austin Energy are doing to keep potential winter storm outages to minimum. Austin music legend Joe Ely has died at 78. Jeff McCord, KUT and KUTX’s former music director, reflects on […] Th...

Austin Public Health has experienced some federal and city budget cuts this year, and the failure of Proposition Q means some of those holes won’t be filled. We look at the public health landscape in Austin. The old Faulk Central Library in downtown Austin became the Austin History Center, and has been redone after a […] The post A look at the public health landscape in Austin appeared...

A new “bathroom bill” approved by Texas legislators has been in effect across the state for just over a week, requiring people to use public restrooms aligned with the sex they were assigned at birth. But there are still questions about how the law will be enforced, and here in Austin, a lot of it […] The post ‘Bathroom bill’ in effect, but enforcement is unclear appeared first o...

The light-rail transit line long promised to Austinites could soon clear a major hurdle – and that could give new momentum to a project that’s been dragged down through legal and political resistance. The latest on where the project is headed. Months after a Texas A&M professor was fired for discussing gender identity in a literature […] The post Austin’s light-rail pois...