Shows
ATXplainedWhy do sidewalks in Austin sometimes just end? (archive episode)
In this story, originally from our Sept. 2022 ATXplained Live show, KUT’s Audrey McGlinchy investigates why Austin sidewalks sometimes just kinda stop. In the middle of a block. And she does battle with Shel Silverstein.
If you like what you hear on this podcast, consider becoming a member and supporting us with a few bucks. Go to supportthispodcast.org
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2025-07-3111 min
KUT News NowStuffed animals are strewn across flood-ravaged Texas. People are trying to get them to their owners.
Many of the flood victims were children. They left behind their stuffed animals. KUT’s Audrey McGlinchy reports.
The post Stuffed animals are strewn across flood-ravaged Texas. People are trying to get them to their owners. appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
2025-07-1100 minKUT News NowWealthy families are buying homes to get in-state tuition at Texas universities
Texas lets out-of-state students buy homes to get in-state tuition. KUT’s Audrey McGlinchy says the law has fed a growing industry of families buying condos in cash, holding onto them for a couple years and then selling to the next out-of-state family.
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2025-07-0207 minATXplainedWho was Austin’s first female lifeguard?
Laurel Seymour’s grandmother, Binnie Ruth Seymour, says she was the first woman to become a city lifeguard in Austin. Audrey McGlinchy looks at the record to see if Grandma Binnie is telling the truth.
The post Who was Austin’s first female lifeguard? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
2025-06-0512 min
The Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas BlackoutThe Choice
Texas leaders would have you believe there are two options: a reliable grid or a sustainable grid. In our season finale, we explore how those two things aren’t mutually exclusive. And how — if left alone — the Texas electricity market might make the decision on its own.Written, reported, produced and co-hosted by Mose BucheleCo-hosted and produced by Audrey McGlinchyProduced and edited by Matt LargeyProduction help from Rene Chavez and Jake PerlmanThe Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas Blackout is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin...
2025-04-0235 minThe Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas BlackoutThe Greater Force: A Spaghetti Bowl Story
When the 2021 blackout struck, the finger-pointing began. Electric utilities versus pipeline companies. But finding out exactly what happened is one of the most frustrating parts oil and gas regulation in Texas: getting a clear picture of who did what isn’t really possible. But there’s one man who says he can see exactly what happened. Now he just has to prove it in court.
Special thanks to Rachel Adams-Heard, an energy reporter for Bloomberg who appears in this episode.Her reporting on Texas pipelines was invaluable.
Written, reported, produced and co-hosted by Mose Buch...
2025-03-1233 minThe Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas BlackoutThe Bull of the Brazos
As the Texas Railroad Commission falls from global oil dominance, the energy crisis of the 1970s strikes and one gas company cuts power to millions. What comes next brings plenty of political intrigue, and sets up a divided system of energy regulation in Texas unlike anywhere else in the country. We talk about what that means for everyday people and energy reliability right up to today.
Written, reported, produced and co-hosted by Mose BucheleCo-hosted and produced by Audrey McGlinchyProduced and edited by Matt LargeyProduction help from Rene Chavez and Jake Perlman
2025-02-2635 minThe Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas BlackoutThe Bar Fight That Changed the World
We tell the story of how the National Guard descended on the East Texas oilfield, the chaos that followed, and how a bar fight in Austin helped establish a new system of energy regulation. Then we talk about World War II, and how the deal struck between Texas regulators and oil companies positioned the US to run the world of energy in the post-war era.
Written, reported, produced and co-hosted by Mose BucheleCo-hosted and produced by Audrey McGlinchyProduced and edited by Matt LargeyProduction help from Rene Chavez and Jake Perlman
2025-02-1935 min
Sea ChangeThe Disconnect: Power, Politics, and the Texas BlackoutIn February 2021, power went out for 4.5 million households across Texas. The blackout killed hundreds. And people wondered: “How could this happen in the energy capital of the U.S.?” Today, we bring you part of that fascinating backstory, and it starts with an East Texas con artist who inadvertently kicked off the biggest oil boom in US history. Reporters Mose Buchele and Audrey McGlinchy of KUT's podcast The Disconnect: Power, Politics, and the Texas Blackout take us on a Wild West story to understand the power of the fossil fuel industry in Texas and how that power led t...
2025-02-1532 minThe Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas BlackoutThe Long Con
Hear the story of a con man and a group of hardscrabble East Texas farmers who uncovered the biggest oilfield in U.S. history — and how that discovery forced an obscure state agency to confront the destructive forces of unrestrained oil drilling.
Written, reported, produced and co-hosted by Mose BucheleCo-hosted and produced by Audrey McGlinchyProduced and edited by Matt LargeyProduction help from Rene Chavez and Jake PerlmanThe Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas Blackout is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas. You can support our...
2025-02-1231 min
Texas StandardWhat’s ahead for U.S. gymnastics at the Olympics
A faculty committee at UT Austin found that university leaders violated their own rules when calling police to respond to protests over the war in Gaza at the end of the spring semester. Audrey McGlinchy of KUT News shares the latest.Five years after the mass shooting at a Walmart in El Paso, a new memorial is unveiled to honor the 23 people killed.Serious questions have been raised over a private contractor providing healthcare services to prison inmates in many states, including Texas.And: Texas was well-represented at the men and women’s gymnastics team and al...
2024-08-0250 min
City Cast AustinThe Fallout from UT’s April Protests, Faculty Layoffs, and Windowless BedroomsWhat is going on at the University of Texas at Austin? Host Nikki DaVaughn talks to KUT’s Audrey McGlinchy to find out. It’s been a tumultuous year on the 40 Acres, with the campus dealing with DEI layoffs, pro-Palestinian protests, and disciplinary actions that followed. Plus, why are students living in windowless bedrooms? We’d like to thank Tecovas, who makes our favorite Western wear in town, for being our exclusive launch sponsor. Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter. Follow us @citycastaustinYou can a...
2024-07-0223 min
Civics on the RocksHow Do We Save The Republic?Due to it being May, we decided to take our discussion to a galaxy far, far away. It went on a bit longer than intended. Also, somehow, we got to Oz. But stick with us, y’all. We eventually get back to this reality around the 18-minute mark. Enjoy, and may the force by with you.
References
Wookieepedia is a little vague on how the Jedi Council relates to the Galactic Senate, so the debate stands:
Star Wars Fandom. “Jedi High Council.” https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Jedi_High_Council
But during...
2024-05-061h 25Civics on the RocksHow Do We Save The Republic?Due to it being May, we decided to take our discussion to a galaxy far, far away. It went on a bit longer than intended. Also, somehow, we got to Oz. But stick with us, y’all. We eventually get back to this reality around the 18-minute mark. Enjoy, and may the force by with you.
References
Wookieepedia is a little vague on how the Jedi Council relates to the Galactic Senate, so the debate stands:
Star Wars Fandom. “Jedi High Council.” https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Jedi_High_Council
But during...
2024-05-061h 25ATXplainedDoes Austin have a rat problem? Maybe. But this reporter sure does.
Audrey McGlinchy on the prevalence, psychology and behavior of what are maybe humans’ most vexing pest.
The post Does Austin have a rat problem? Maybe. But this reporter sure does. appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
2024-04-0413 min
Growth MachineGrow or Die(Episode 7) Now that the machine has done its job, what now? We explore some of the existential questions that Austin’s housing market has wrought.
The full transcript of this episode of Growth Machine is available on the KUT & KUTX Studio website. The transcript is also available as subtitles or captions on some podcast apps.The post Grow or Die appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
2023-08-1945 minGrowth MachinePigs in a Parlor(BONUS — Deleted scene!) We go back 100 years to tell the origin story of modern zoning.
The post Pigs in a Parlor appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
2023-08-1008 minGrowth MachineThere Go The Neighborhoods
(Episode 6) Austin last re-wrote its land development code in 1984. Sounds boring, right? Well, that rewrite made it harder to build denser forms of housing. We explore the history of zoning in Austin and the opposition to changing the rules today, which could make the biggest difference in fixing Austin’s affordability crisis.
The full transcript of this episode of Growth Machine is available on the KUT & KUTX Studio website. The transcript is also available as subtitles or captions on some podcast apps.The post There Go The Neighborhoods appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Po...
2023-08-0544 minGrowth MachineWelcome to Silicon Gulch
(Episode 5) Not that long ago, Austin’s economy was sleepy, to put it mildly. People came here for UT, to work for the state or for the military.
A little more than 50 years ago, a bedsheet changed everything — including the housing market.
The full transcript of this episode of Growth Machine is available on the KUT & KUTX Studio website. The transcript is also available as subtitles or captions on some podcast apps.The post Welcome to Silicon Gulch appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
2023-07-2738 minGrowth MachineFertility Drugs for Cars(BONUS) We talked in episode 2 about cars and roads — and how they affect where we live. We didn’t talk about one other way that cars affect housing: making places to put all the cars.
The post Fertility Drugs for Cars appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
2023-07-2010 minGrowth MachineSmart Growth or Dumb Growth?
(Episode 4) When a new mayor came to power, he found what he thought would be a compromise — a way to bring new businesses and build housing for all the people coming to Austin without threatening the city’s ecological gems. It turned out to be more complicated than that.
The full transcript of this episode of Growth Machine is available on the KUT & KUTX Studio website. The transcript is also available as subtitles or captions on some podcast apps.The post Smart Growth or Dumb Growth? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
2023-07-1337 minGrowth MachineListen to This Podcast or We'll Poison Barton Springs
(Episode 3) In the 1990s, Austin voters passed landmark protections for parts of southwest Austin that sit on top of the aquifer that feeds Barton Springs. That set off a chain of events that had a profound effect on how the city would grow in the coming decades.
The full transcript of this episode of Growth Machine is available on the KUT & KUTX Studio website. The transcript is also available as subtitles or captions on some podcast apps.The post Listen to This Podcast or We’ll Poison Barton Springs appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios...
2023-07-0638 minGrowth MachineRoads to Everywhere(Episode 2) I-35 is more than a road. It’s been sculpting Austin’s housing scene for more than 60 years, encouraging endless sprawl and making gridlock a lifestyle. Take a drive with us through the highway’s history.
The full transcript of this episode of Growth Machine is available on the KUT & KUTX Studio website. The transcript is also available as subtitles or captions on some podcast apps.
The post Roads to Everywhere appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
2023-06-2936 minGrowth MachineWe Planned This(Episode 1) Austin has grown a lot in recent years — and the East Side has been impacted the most. To understand the city’s pattern of displacement, we have to go back to 1928.
The full transcript of this episode of Growth Machine is available on the KUT & KUTX Studio website. The transcript is also available as subtitles or captions on some podcast apps.
The post We Planned This appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
2023-06-2243 minGrowth MachineCOMING JUNE 22 | Growth Machine: How Austin Engineered Its Housing MarketHousing prices in Austin have exploded in the past decade, leading to a city that’s not just unaffordable, but also highly segregated. It’s the result of decades of decisions about what — if anything — gets built in Austin and where. Hosted by Audrey McGlinchy.
The post COMING JUNE 22 | Growth Machine: How Austin Engineered Its Housing Market appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
2023-05-0802 min
Pause/PlayHow Austin’s housing market helped build the music scene, and how it could destroy itIn the latest episode of Pause/Play, we’re looking at how the housing market helped build Austin’s music scene, and how it could be the thing that destroys it. You’ll hear from Austin artists about how the housing market has changed for them over the years and why some of them have decided to leave. You’ll also learn about the connection between cheap housing and thriving music scenes, musician incomes, and Austin’s housing market from experts Nicky Rowling, Michael Seman, and Audrey McGlinchy.
In this episode you’ll hear from:
Ray Benson of...
2021-12-0735 min
It's Been a MinuteAfter Defunding The Police; Plus, Michelle Buteau On 'The Circle'What does defunding the police really look like? Sam talks to Austin City Council Member Greg Casar about how decreasing the city's police budget has worked— and what they aren't getting quite right yet. Then, Sam talks to KUT reporter Audrey McGlinchy about how Texas, a Republican-led state, has responded and what that could mean for other cities trying to follow in the footsteps of Austin. Plus, Sam talks to actress and comedian Michelle Buteau about hosting the Netflix reality competition show The Circle and how she feels about being cast as the sassy best friend. You can fo...
2021-05-1538 minATXplainedWhat Happened To The Last Man On Rainey Street?A year ago, we answered a question from an ATXplained listener: Where did all the families that used to live on Rainey Street go?
One man was still there. But now, even that has changed. Audrey McGlinchy has this follow-up.
The post What Happened To The Last Man On Rainey Street? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
2020-01-2209 min
Third Coast Audio Library :: AllRe:sound #273 The Birth of BeingThis hour, stories about family ties, love and loss.Year: 2019Producers:Leila DayStephanie RowdenAudrey McGlinchyIsabel Vázquez
2019-05-3156 min
Re:soundRe:sound #273 The Birth of BeingThis hour, stories about family ties, love and loss.The Birth of Solomonby Leila Day for The Stoop.He was the perfect little brown baby. His name was Solomon. Thick curly hair, chubby legs and eyes closed with dark black lashes. Solomon's story is one that affects thousands of Black families whose babies are twice as likely to die before reaching the age of one, and Black mothers are up to four times more likely to die from pregnancy related causes. This story goes deep behind the statistic.
2019-05-3100 min
Views and BrewsThe 2018 Midterm ElectionJoin guest host KUT’s Ben Philpott along with political analyst Matthew Dowd, Texas Tribune Editor-in-Chief Emily Ramshaw Hartstein, and KUT’s Sr. Reporter Audrey McGlinchy to talk border wall, public school funding, affordable housing, and more.
2019-03-061h 02
KUT NewsViews & Brews - 2018 Midterm ElectionsJoin guest host KUT’s Ben Philpott along with political analyst Matthew Dowd, Texas Tribune Editor-in-Chief Emily Ramshaw Hartstein, and KUT’s Sr. Reporter Audrey McGlinchy to talk border wall, public school funding, affordable housing, and more.
2019-03-061h 02
KUT NewsFive Days To Vacate Part 4: Researchers Say More Data Needed To Understand EvictionsKUT’s Audrey McGlinchy looks at recent policies local elected officials have passed to address evictions – and what other cities have done.
2018-09-2806 min
KUT NewsFive Days To Vacate Part 3: 'I Feel Like I'm Stuck Evicted'In the first three months of 2018, 11,000 families were evicted from their homes in Travis County. KUT’s Audrey McGlinchy followed one woman who was evicted and had nowhere to go.
2018-09-2706 min
KUT NewsFive Days To Vacate Part 2: Eviction Forces Family To Leave AustinLast year, there were about 44,000 evictions in Travis County. As judges will tell you, the majority of these cases are because a family can no longer afford to pay rent. KUT’s Audrey McGlinchy has the story of how one family’s eviction meant moving out of Austin entirely.
2018-09-2606 min
KUT NewsFive Days To Vacate Part 1: How Evictions Work In Travis CountyAustin is a city of renters: 55 percent of households in the city rent. That number drops slightly, but not much, when you look at Travis County. That got Audrey McGlinchy wondering – how common are evictions? What she found surprised her. On average of 12 Travis County families a day are evicted from their homes. In the first of four stories in a series, we learn exactly how evictions work and how common they are.
2018-09-2510 min
KUT NewsAustin Mayor Steve Adler On Looking For Consensus On CodeNEXTAfter years of work and millions of dollars spent, the final draft of CodeNEXT, the rewrite of Austin's land use code, is in front of City Council. KUT’s Audrey McGlinchy talks with Austin Mayor Steve Adler about why he thinks CodeNEXT is necessary and how he hopes to finalize these new rules.
2018-05-3104 minATXplainedWhat’s Up With The ‘Doors To Nowhere’ At Austin’s New Central Library?There’s a new building in Austin that’s drawing a lot of attention. And there are a couple of doors — yes, doors — in that building that are getting some funny looks. Several people asked about them for our ATXplained project.
KUT’s Audrey McGlinchy investigated.
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2018-01-0407 min
PopcastSeamus Heaney and the Long DeadHow do you write a love poem to a 2,000 year old stranger? On Popcast, hear about Northern Irish poet Seamus Heaney's obsession with "bog bodies." These centuries-old human remains were found in boglands of Northern Europe, and were often killed in violent, ritualistic ways – something that resonated with Heaney, living in war-torn Belfast. Bioarcheologist Andrew Chamberlain and Heaney scholar Stephen Enniss of the University of Texas at Austin weigh in on the science and symbolism of bog bodies in Heaney's work.
This week's Popcast was produced by Audrey McGlinchy, a writer and radio journalist based in Austin, Texas. The archival au...
2015-08-2400 min