Newspod

KUT Morning Newspod February 16, 2012

February 16, 2012 8:28 am by: Lucia Duncan

Date for Primary Leaning Toward Late May Another day of arguments in the Texas Redistricting Trial and a new primary date has still not been set. From Texas Public Radio, Joey Palacios reports that a day in May is currently being considered. STAAR Test Raises the Stakes Too Fast, Lawmakers Say Texas public school students have to take a new state test this year. But one major question is still up in the air: will it count towards their final grades? As KUT’s Nathan Bernier reports, pressure is growing on the Texas Education Commissioner to cut students a break. Kicking the Habits A group that serves people who want to kick their drug habits may end up helping them quit another one: smoking and tobacco use. As KUT’s Erika Aguilar reports one of Austin’s largest drug addiction treatment centers is going tobacco free....
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KUT Morning Newspod February 15, 2012

Finding Funding For Central Texas Rail Projects The state’s transportation department is envisioning a future when business people, students and day-trippers will ditch the highway and hop a rail car from Austin to Houston. It’s a project being studied right now. But as KUT’s Erika Aguilar reports it’s got something in common with several other Central Texas rail projects. Fact-Checking Gingrich on Texas School Prayer Case A Texas judge figured into a recent Newt Gingrich victory speech. KUT’s Nathan Bernier spoke with Gardner Selby of the Austin American-Statesman’s PolitiFact Texas about Gingrich’s assertion that the federal government’s legislative and executive branches should remove judges who are believed to be abusing their power and acting out of sync with...
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KUT Morning Newspod January 30th, 2012

State Economy Budget Snapshot In less than a year the Texas legislature will head back to work. And another protracted budget battle will be waiting for them. As KUT’s Ben Philpott reports, that’s in spite of the fact that the state’s economy has picked up in recent...
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KUT Morning Newspod January 26th, 2012

Ups and Downs of a Fracking Boom President Obama’s State of the Union Address this week called for an “all of the above” energy strategy – one that focuses both on renewables and drilling for new sources of oil and gas. There’s plenty of that drilling going on in Texas, and it’s...
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KUT Morning Newspod January 24, 2012

Sandy Creek Power Accident Rolling blackouts struck Texas once last year. And we went to the brink twice after that. So when an accident at the Sandy Creek power plant outside of Waco delayed more electricity from coming online, it came at exactly the wrong time. For StateImpact...
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KUT Morning Newspod January 20th, 2012

Looking Back at Perry's Campaign Now that Texas Governor Rick Perry has exited the race for the Republican Presidential nomination, people are wondering what happened to his campaign. Ben Philpott reports from South Carolina. Growing Support for Grown-Up Foster Care...
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KUT Morning Newspod January 18th, 2012

Young Voters’ Views on the Upcoming Presidential Election A new poll of likely Texas primary voters has Texas Governor Rick Perry in 3rd place in his home state. As we get clo…...
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KUT Morning Newspod January 16, 2012

MLK Holiday Closures City of Austin offices will be closed today in observance of the Martin Luther King holiday. Closures include City Council offices, City Hall and all Austin Public Library locations. The Austin Animal Center will remain open. Garbage, recycling and yard trimmings collection...
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KUT Morning Newspod January 12, 2012

Public Hearing on Proposed Electricity Rate Increases A public hearing Thursday night is sure to draw a crowd of residential and business customers of Austin Energy. The city-owned utility announced proposed rate increases last month. As KUT’s Erika Aguilar reports on today's Newspod, some...
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KUT Morning Newspod January 27th, 2012

Barrera Murder Suspect Found Dead Austin police say a man the prime suspected of killing 29-year old Esmeralda Barrera is dead. Barrera was killed early on New Year’s Day inside her home north of the UT-Austin campus. KUT’s Erika Aguilar reports. Spicewood Beach Water Crisis A cluster...
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KUT Morning Newspod January 25, 2012

State Hospital Abuse Hearing The revelation last year that the Texas state hospital system employed three doctors with a documented history of inappropriate behavior had lawmakers once again investigating questions of abuse within the much maligned system. That led to a hearing yesterday in...
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KUT Morning Newspod January 23, 2012

Perry's Influence at Home With his presidential campaign collapsed, Governor Rick Perry must now get back to work in Texas. But after a poor performance on the national stage, what's in store for Perry as he re-engages in state politics? KUT's Ben Philpott...
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KUT Morning Newspod January 19th, 2012

Governor Perry Drops out of GOP Race Rick Perry ended his bid for the White House today. “I am suspending my campaign and endorsing Newt Gingrich,” Perry announced at a news conference this morning in North Charleston, South Carolina. The decision comes a day after...
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KUT Morning Newspod January 17, 2012

DC Court Hears Redistricting Arguments A federal trial in Washington, DC comes a little more than a week after the Supreme Court heard arguments about which maps district Texas should use for the upcoming primary elections. There are two sets of maps at play – the original maps drawn by the...
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KUT Morning Newspod January 13, 2012

Public Speaks Out on Proposed Energy Rate Increase More than a hundred people signed up to speak Thursday night at the Austin City Council public hearing on the proposed electricity rate change. KUT’s Erika Aguilar has more on today's Newspod. GOP Senate Race...
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KUT Morning Newspod January 11, 2012

City Commission to Review Proposed Bags Ban The City of Austin’s Solid Waste Advisory Commission is scheduled to take up the city’s proposed plastic bags ban Wednesday night. The draft ban, as it's...
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