As Texans start to rebuild after the floods, many face the reality of being uninsured Just 7% of homeowners in Texas have flood insurance through the federal government, which runs the biggest flood insurance program in the country. That percentage drops to 2% when you move inland, to ...

Just 7% Texas homeowners have federal flood insurance.

But the state also saw one of the biggest drops in people with this coverage in the past year. The July 4 floods, like other disasters before it, are forcing people to rethink that.

By @mcglinchyreports.bsky.social: www.kut.org/housing/2025...

Wealthy families are buying homes to get in-state tuition at Texas universities The practice has been accepted by public universities across the state. The law has fed a growing industry of families buying condos in cash, holding onto them for a couple years and then selling to t...

NEW: Want to save $100,000 on tuition at UT Austin? Just buy a house.

I've found an industry of out-of-staters buying condos with $$ and using these condos to get in-state tuition. It's legal and comes as undocumented students in TX lose the right to pay cheaper tuition: www.kut.org/education/20...

Very cool! Would love to hear what students think of it

Bills banning guaranteed income programs fail at Texas legislature State lawmakers filed four bills to outlaw guaranteed income programs this legislative session. None of the bills made it to the governor’s desk.

NEW: TX will not go the way of other GOP-led states in banning guaranteed income programs. Bills outlawing these cash aid programs failed at the lege this session.

www.kut.org/politics/202...

In Texas, insurers are watching your home from above. It could cost you coverage. Insurers in Texas are partnering with aerial imaging and AI companies to assess homes from the sky. Computer models parse these photos to flag moldy roofs, askew tree branches and missing shingles.

NEW from me: Insurers are increasingly using aerial images and AI to decide whether to renew homeowners’ policies. Companies say it's more efficient.

But I found examples where homeowners in Texas lost coverage because a sky-high photo of their home was misread: www.kut.org/housing/2025...

Gov. Abbott wants to stop 'squatters.' So, Texas lawmakers proposed bills speeding up evictions. Proponents of the legislation say it's necessary to ensure landlords can regain possession of their property faster. Tenant advocates warn these bills could strip renters of legal rights in a state wh...

New from me: One of TX Gov. Abbott's priorities this legislative session is "cracking down on squatters", or people who enter + occupy homes w/o ever having a legal right to be there.

But what lawmakers have proposed would affect renters with leases: www.kut.org/housing/2025...

We're excited to announce the 2025-26 Knight-Bagehot fellows. Congrats @amandaaronczyk.bsky.social, @bykylecampbell.bsky.social, @aishagani.bsky.social, @esmyjimenez.bsky.social, @mcglinchyreports.bsky.social, @robaeprice.bsky.social

Full list and bios at journalism.columbia.edu/2025-knight-...

Austin churches answer prayers for affordable housing — by building it themselves As faith organizations across the city watch their congregations dwindle, some are wondering if their property could be used to realize a core mission: providing for those in need. It’s a trend some h...

Latest from me: Austin's having a YIGBY, or "Yes in God's Backyard" moment.

As congregations dwindle and revenue drops, a growing number of churches are building affordable housing as a way to fulfill their missions but also earn some income: www.kut.org/housing/2025...

Conversation turns to rising cost of homeowner's insurance. Homeowners in West Austin, which is at great risk for property damage bc of wildfire, saw their insurance rates go up by 40% in one year (on average).

Watson, speaking to state legislators, says "Help us with that issue."

Watson is asked about proposed staff cuts at the federal govt and how that could impact housing in Austin:

"We don't know," he says. Says city relies heavily on fed funding for affordable housing. "There's reason to be concerned."

Watson now turns to housing issues at the lege, where Austin leadership and Republicans find themselves on the same side.

Watson: “When it comes to housing … Austin is on the vanguard in regard to what’s going on in the country … And we’re actually working in partnership with folks at the Capitol”

“We want generational equity, we want generational fairness. We want anyone and everyone to be able to stay here … [We] can’t do it if you don’t have the housing," Watson says.

Austin cuts minimum lot size by more than half, requiring less land to build a home For the first time in 80 years, Austin's elected leaders have voted to lower the amount of space needed to build one house — down to 1,800 square feet of land.

Watson mentions the vote this city council took in the past years to lower minimum lot size and to allow property owners to build 3 homes on land where historically you could only build one.

Some background here: www.kut.org/austin/2024-...

I'm at a @sxsw.com panel with Austin Mayor Kirk Watson talking about housing.

Watson touts the work of he and his colleagues over the past 2 years as part of Austin's "enormous success" on housing. Rents have been falling for nearly 2 years.

Justice Department Opens Probe of Sharp Surge in Egg Prices Antitrust enforcers are investigating whether large producers have engaged in anticompetitive conduct

Breaking: Antitrust enforcers are investigating whether large egg producers have conspired to raise prices or hold back supply.

Following Trump's lead, Abbott orders state workers to return to offices The governor quietly directed heads of state agencies to phase out hybrid-work schedules. It's unclear whether there's a hard deadline or if agencies could permit some workers to continue to work remo...

NEW from my @kutnews.bsky.social colleague: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has been quietly telling heads of state agencies they need to end remote policies and state employees need to return to the office five days a week.

www.kut.org/texas/2025-0...

DOGE Gains Access to Confidential Records on Housing Discrimination, Medical Details — Even Domestic Violence While some agencies have resisted efforts by Elon Musk’s team to access confidential records, HUD has opened the door. The potential harm to privacy could be significant.

From @propublica.org -- DOGE has now gained access to confidential data with sensitive information at HUD. www.propublica.org/article/doge...

As Elon Musk veers right, some Tesla drivers in Texas are saying 'hell no' As President Trump’s right-hand man overseeing DOGE, Musk is alienating some Tesla fans and drivers.

1/🧵 A couple weeks ago, I did a social media callout to Tesla and Cybertrucks drivers.

As Elon Musk veers right, I asked, how ya doing bud? I heard from folks all over Texas.

The consensus? Y'all Tesla drivers are in your feelings right now.

www.kut.org/politics/202...

Hi Austin housing folks -- I'm looking into the local impacts of reports of mass firings at HUD. If you want to talk, you can reach me on Signal: audrey.153

AP sues Trump White House for denying access over 'Gulf of Mexico' row The White House has kept the wire service from covering key events because it refuses to call the body of water between Mexico and Florida the Gulf of America, as the Trump administration prefers.

The White House has kept the wire service from covering key events because it refuses to call the body of water between Mexico and Florida the Gulf of America, as the Trump administration prefers.

NPR host Adrian Ma remembers his girlfriend who died in D.C. plane crash NPR host Adrian Ma's girlfriend, Kiah Duggins, was aboard the American Airlines flight that crashed into the Potomac River. He spoke to NPR about that night and about his late girlfriend.

NPR host Adrian Ma's girlfriend, Kiah Duggins, was aboard the American Airlines flight that crashed into the Potomac River. He spoke to NPR about that night and about his late girlfriend.

Strong drink and a bad attitude are never a good combination. But, occasionally, they do change history. In this episode of The Disconnect learn how a drunken brawl in downtown Austin delivered a system of energy price fixing that persists to this day.
kutkutx.studio/the-disconne...

Under Trump’s Mass Deportation Plan, Some Migrants Are Being Sent to Panama The administration has asked Panama to take in hundreds of people who can’t easily be sent back to their countries. Many say they are in danger.

They arrived seeking asylum. Instead they were shackled, flown to Panama, stripped of passports and phones, locked in a hotel, barred from lawyers and soon will be sent to a camp near the jungle. Julie Turkewitz @haleaziz.bsky.social Farnaz Fassihi Annie Correal www.nytimes.com/2025/02/18/w...

Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany on Saturday accused Vice President JD Vance of unacceptably interfering in his country’s coming elections on behalf of a party that has played down the atrocities committed by the Nazis. www.nytimes.com/2025/02/15/w...

Season 3 of The Disconnect — our podcast about the Texas power grid — has begun.

This time: natural gas — how it failed in the 2021 blackout and why TX leaders call it the future of a reliable grid.

The first episode is all about the con man who started it all.

kutkutx.studio/category/the...

Austin to overhaul how it regulates Airbnbs and other short-term rentals The city has proposed rules to make it hard to run a short-term rental without a city-issued license. Third-party data suggests thousands of owners rent out their homes without one.

NEW from me: Austin is set to change how it regulates short-term rentals (aka Airbnbs), after court cases have gutted the city's rules.

The city's now focused on getting more owners licensed and less on limiting the number of these controversial rentals: www.kut.org/housing/2025...
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🔊 Listen Now: The Disconnect Season 3: Coming Feb 12 The Disconnect: Power, Politics And The Texas Blackout from KUT 90.5 on NPR One | 2:28

The incredible Mose Buchele and @mattlargey.bsky.social asked me to help out with a new season of @kutnews.bsky.social's podcast about the Texas electric grid, The Disconnect, and I couldn't say no.

Season 3 coming next month: one.npr.org?sharedMediaI...

An immigrant faces deportation after a routine traffic stop in Texas, sparking more fear Advocates worry that rapidly shifting federal and state immigration initiatives will prompt more city police to funnel migrants without criminal records to federal agents.

Jose Alvaro, who is undocumented, had been navigating the long and costly process of applying for a green card.

Now he faces deportation proceedings following a traffic stop that led to police calling federal immigration officials.