What next after UT Austin fires KUT head Debbie Hiott

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 [https://www.kut.org/education/2026-06-15/ut-austin-fires-debbie-hiott-kut-general-manager]. The dismissal followed a dispute ahead of KUT’s inaugural festival in May and comes at a time when public radio stations across the country are dealing with mounting financial and political pressures. Today, the university named an interim general manager to lead the station going forward. [https://www.kut.org/austin/2026-06-16/ut-austin-kut-interim-general-manager-leader] We’ll tell you what we know about the firing and the new leader on today’s show. The firing has raised questions from listeners and readers about how KUT and the university are connected — as well as how monetary donations to KUT/X impact UT Austin. We’ll share answers to those questions. Austin Signal is made possible by listeners like you. You can support our work by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org [http://supportthispodcast.org] The full transcript of this episode [https://kutkutx.studio/austin-signal/what-next-after-ut-austin-fires-kut-head-debbie-hiott#transcript] of Austin Signal is available on the KUT & KUTX Studio website. The transcript is also available as subtitles or captions on some podcast apps. The post What next after UT Austin fires KUT head Debbie Hiott [https://kutkutx.studio/austin-signal/what-next-after-ut-austin-fires-kut-head-debbie-hiott] appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts [https://kutkutx.studio].

Floodgates opened amid heavy rain in Austin area

Flooding this morning [https://www.kut.org/austin/2026-06-15/austin-texas-flash-flood-warning] in the Austin area caused road closures and a water rescue and even necessitated the lifting of floodgates on the Colorado River. As the city of Austin tightens the strings on its upcoming budget, nonprofits are bracing for even more cuts. Austin Current’s Sam Stark chats [https://austincurrent.org/2026/06/11/texas-austin-budget-nonprofit-cuts-taxes/] with us more about the groups that could be impacted and how organizations are preparing. It’s last call at the Paramount Theatre [https://www.kut.org/life-arts/2026-06-15/paramount-theatre-austin-tx-renovations-closure-last-call-event] as the doors shut temporarily for an all-out renovation — but they’re still bringing plenty of entertainment to town. Summer reading has started. Join KUT for our bingo challenge! [https://www.kut.org/austin-field-guide/2026-06-05/austin-tx-summer-reading-challenge-bingo-kut] Austin Signal is made possible by listeners like you. You can support our work by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org [http://supportthispodcast.org] The full transcript of this episode [https://kutkutx.studio/austin-signal/floodgates-opened-amid-heavy-rain-in-austin-area#transcript] of Austin Signal is available on the KUT & KUTX Studio website. The transcript is also available as subtitles or captions on some podcast apps. The post Floodgates opened amid heavy rain in Austin area [https://kutkutx.studio/austin-signal/floodgates-opened-amid-heavy-rain-in-austin-area] appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts [https://kutkutx.studio].

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 [https://www.kut.org/news/2026-06-11/yeti-co-founder-among-owners-of-west-texas-ranch-facilitating-border-wall-construction] is connected with a ranch involved in those plans. Some Taylor residents are proposing an ordinance aimed at creating stricter regulations for data centers in the city. What they’re asking for. The Austin airport is adding summer flights [https://www.kut.org/transportation/2026-06-09/austin-tx-aus-abia-new-flights-nonstop-summer-2026-expansion] as expansion work continues. The first-ever girls flag football state championship is happening this weekend, and the Round Rock High School team is preparing to compete. [https://www.kut.org/sports/2026-06-12/austin-tx-round-rock-girls-flag-football-state-championship-nfl] Plus: The KUTX staff shares their favorite songs of 2026 [https://kutx.org/features/kutx-staffs-favorite-songs-of-2026-so-far/] so far, from Austin [https://kutx.org/features/our-favorite-austin-songs-of-2026-so-far/] and beyond. Austin Signal is made possible by listeners like you. You can support our work by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org [http://supportthispodcast.org] The full transcript of this episode [https://kutkutx.studio/austin-signal/round-rock-girls-flag-football-team-plays-for-state-title#transcript] of Austin Signal is available on the KUT & KUTX Studio website. The transcript is also available as subtitles or captions on some podcast apps. The post Round Rock girls flag football team plays for state title [https://kutkutx.studio/austin-signal/round-rock-girls-flag-football-team-plays-for-state-title] appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts [https://kutkutx.studio].

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 only animals vulnerable to the parasite. We’ll have some prevention tips. Texas Republicans dominated the primaries by going all-in on the MAGA movement. Now they have to sell that plan to Texans come November [https://www.kut.org/texasstandard/2026-06-08/texas-maga-republicans-paxton-cornyn-talarico] A comedy game show at Austin’s Fallout Theater [https://www.kut.org/life-arts/2026-06-11/austin-texas-did-i-win-fallout-theater-improv-game-show-comedy]has segments that consistently go sideways, and that’s just how they want it. And another excerpt from the Accent Unmuted [https://www.kut.org/station-information/2026-03-03/accent-unmuted-returns-victorious-stories-with-a-global-voice-march-26] storytelling series, elevating the voices of immigrants. Austin Signal is made possible by listeners like you. You can support our work by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org [http://supportthispodcast.org] The full transcript of this episode [https://kutkutx.studio/austin-signal/how-to-protect-your-pets-from-new-world-screwworm#transcript] of Austin Signal is available on the KUT & KUTX Studio website. The transcript is also available as subtitles or captions on some podcast apps. The post How to protect your pets from New World screwworm [https://kutkutx.studio/austin-signal/how-to-protect-your-pets-from-new-world-screwworm] appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts [https://kutkutx.studio].

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 their work [https://www.kut.org/health/2026-06-10/austin-tx-good-work-food-service-restaurant-workers-health-insurance]. Peaches from Fredericksburg may be harder to find because of yet another warm winter. We’ll have more from the Texas Hill Country [https://www.kut.org/business/2026-06-10/fredericksburg-peaches-small-crop-winter-weather-chill-time-texas-hill-country]. An Austin food influencer is moving from the small screen to the bigger screen with his new show, highlighting immigrant-owned eateries across town. We’ll hear about what he’s learned by going inside the kitchen [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCJ0NIzckiI]. And FIFA World Cup 2026 kicks off tomorrow. Our soccer/fútbol expert [https://kutkutx.studio/category/vamos-verde] will have some teams to watch and a local connection on the Canadian national team. Austin Signal is made possible by listeners like you. You can support our work by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org [http://supportthispodcast.org] The full transcript of this episode [https://kutkutx.studio/austin-signal/local-food-influencer-gives-peek-at-new-docuseries-david-eats-everywhere#transcript] of Austin Signal is available on the KUT & KUTX Studio website. The transcript is also available as subtitles or captions on some podcast apps. The post Local food influencer gives peek at new docuseries ‘David Eats Everywhere’ [https://kutkutx.studio/austin-signal/local-food-influencer-gives-peek-at-new-docuseries-david-eats-everywhere] appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts [https://kutkutx.studio].