KUT News

Long List of People Hoping to Replace Travis County Commissioner Eckhardt

Andrew Weber — Thu, 23 May 2013 00:48:23 +0000

Travis County Commissioners Court Judge Sam Biscoe has announced that when his term was up, he's retiring.

News that the leader of the Commissioners Court was giving up the gavel has already drawn some 2014 hopefuls: current Precinct 2 Commissioner Sarah Eckhardt and Travis County Democratic Chair Andy Brown.

Texas Senator Says Campus Carry Bill Has Slim Survival Chance

Veronica Zaragovia, KUT News — Wed, 22 May 2013 23:55:17 +0000

This morning, State Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, told reporters he’s “frustrated” and “disappointed.” That’s because he lacks enough votes to get House Bill 972 out of the Senate.

Photos: Boardwalk Trail at Lady Bird Lake

Andrew Weber — Wed, 22 May 2013 23:05:00 +0000

The city’s Public Works department has given a midterm progress report on the Boardwalk Trail at Lady Bird Lake.

It’s over a mile of extensions and renovation to the Lady Bird Lake Hike and Bike Trail east of Congress Avenue, including newly-created boardwalk sections that will extend over the lake on concrete piers.

Perry, Interrupted, Meets With Medicaid Advocacy Group

Andrew Weber — Wed, 22 May 2013 22:45:00 +0000

A Texas advocacy group took some less than subtle steps today to get a meeting with the governor.

Members from the healthcare advocacy group Texas Organizing Project interrupted Gov. Rick Perry multiple times during a speech at the Texas Global Business Summit this afternoon, repeating a call for Texas to accept federal Medicaid dollars.

Agenda Texas: Bill Kill, Vol. 2

Ben Philpott, KUT News — Wed, 22 May 2013 22:30:00 +0000

It all ends Monday for the 83rd Texas Legislative session.

The final round of deadlines hit the House and Senate this week. Ending debate on some bills, leaving a trail of dead campaign promises, broken legislative dreams, and a long line of disappointed advocates and lobbyists. That’s right folks...it’s time again for Bill Kill - Volume 2!

Holder Acknowledges U.S. Citizens Killed in Drone Strikes

Carrie Johnson, NPR — Wed, 22 May 2013 22:07:50 +0000

For the first time, the U.S. government has acknowledged killing four American citizens in lethal drone strikes far outside traditional battlefields, confirming information that had been widely known but has only recently been unclassified under orders of the president.

Attorney General Eric Holder sent a letter to Congress on Wednesday explaining that only one of the four dead U.S. citizens was explicitly targeted.

A Tour of Texas Barbecue Joints

Nathan Bernier, KUT News — Wed, 22 May 2013 21:47:04 +0000

If you’re ever looking to take a barbecue road trip through Texas, you’d have trouble finding a better book to guide you than The Prophets of Smoked Meat: A Journey Through Texas Barbecue by Daniel Vaughn. It’s the first book published on Anthony Bourdain’s new HarperCollins imprint, Ecco. KUT’s Nathan Bernier talked with Vaughn about what goes into good brisket and how to find the good out-of-the-way spots.

Texas Settles E-book Suit vs. Penguin Group

Trey Shaar, KUT News — Wed, 22 May 2013 20:59:16 +0000

The Texas attorney general’s office has settled a lawsuit against Penguin Group, accusing the country's largest book publisher of colluding with Apple to raise the prices of electronic books.

Texas sued along with 32 other states and territories.

If the agreement is approved by a federal judge, $75 million will go to people who bought e-books.

Texas had already settled with four other publishers. The claims against Apple are scheduled for trial next month.

Male Sergeant May Have Filmed Female Cadets at West Point

Mark Memmott, NPR — Wed, 22 May 2013 17:44:06 +0000

A male sergeant at West Point has been accused of secretly videotaping at least a dozen female cadets, sometimes when they were showering, The New York Times reports.

Gen. John F. Campbell, the army's vice chief of staff, tells the Times that "once notified of the violation, a full investigation was launched, followed by swift action to correct the problem."

The accused, Sgt.

15 Years After a Vaccine Scare, a Measles Epidemic in Britain

Wed, 22 May 2013 15:52:02 +0000

Great Britain is in the midst of a measles epidemic, one that public health officials say is the result of parents refusing to vaccinate their children after a safety scare that was later proved to be fraudulent.

More than 1,200 people have come down with measles so far this year, following nearly 2,000 cases in 2012. Many of the cases have been in Wales.

Childhood vaccination rates plummeted in Great Britain after a 1998 paper by Dr. Andrew Wakefield claimed that the vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella had caused autism in a dozen children.

Man Killed by FBI in Florida Linked to Boston Suspect

Mark Memmott, NPR — Wed, 22 May 2013 14:23:19 +0000

In Orlando, Fla., early Wednesday "an FBI agent was involved in a deadly shooting connected to the Boston Marathon bombing case," NBC News is reporting. A man who was being questioned by the agent is dead.

In Oklahoma, Rescue Efforts Give Way To Recovery

Mark Memmott, NPR — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:21:09 +0000

(Most recent update: 8:30 p.m.

Under One Roof: Who Develops Affordable Housing for Austin?

Joy Diaz, KUT News — Wed, 22 May 2013 11:05:00 +0000

It’s early morning – still dark outside – and Walter Moreau is already done with his morning run. When I meet him he’s downtown, getting ready for his workout.

“I think there’s a lot of things here in the gym that translate to work,” he says.

Moreau leads Foundation Communities – Austin’s largest non-profit builder and manager of affordable housing.

Bill on Drug Testing of State Aid Recipients Gets Initial Approval

Veronica Zaragovia, KUT News — Wed, 22 May 2013 07:55:51 +0000

The Texas House split on a couple of bills that would drug test recipients of state aid. A midnight deadline passed before lawmakers could vote on a bill that would drug test recipients of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.

But earlier in the day lawmakers did pass testing for unemployment benefits.

Federal Agency Claims It Was Shut Out of West Investigation

Nathan Bernier, KUT News — Wed, 22 May 2013 01:00:36 +0000

The head of the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) says other government agencies are getting in the way of its investigation into the fertilizer plant explosion in West.

In a letter to U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer, CSB chairman Rafael Moure-Eraso says the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives blocked CSB investigators from accessing the site for a month, and "altered or removed almost all relevant physical evidence from the site."