An interview with legendary Austin DJ Larry Monroe before his final episode of "Blue Monday" on KUT.  Recorded August 30, 2010. Apologies for the phone sound quality. 

Larry Monroe Before His Last Blue Monday Show On KUT

Despite public opinion surveys suggesting widespread support for tighter restrictions on bump stocks -- which allow someone to shoot a semi-automatic rifle with rapid fire -- public comments submitted to Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on potential new regulations overwhelmingly oppose any restrictions on bump stocks.

That's according to an analysis by The Trace, a non-profit news organization focused on guns in America. We asked The Trace's senior investigative fellow Sean Campbell about his analysis.

Read the story here: https://www.thetrace.org/rounds/atf-bump-stock-regulation-comments-analysis/

36,000 Comments to ATF on Bump Stocks Mostly Oppose Regulation

A new study of civic activity in Texas finds some of the reasons behind the state's notoriously low voter turnout rate and some glimmers of hope for more political participation. We spoke to Susan Nold, director of The Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life at the University of Texas.

Check out the Civic Health Index here: https://moody.utexas.edu/centers/strauss/texas-civic-health-index

Photo by Jorge Sanhueza-Lyon/KUT News

Finding Hopes For Increased Political Participation in Texas

A trade magazine Southwest Farm Press wrote in its January 2018 news story, "Texas is home to more feral pigs than any other state — an estimated 50 percent to 75 percent of all feral swine in the nation."

Is that true? 

We asked Gardner Selby of PolitiFact Texas.

Read the fact-check here: http://www.politifact.com/texas/statements/2018/feb/01/southwest-farm-press/more-feral-hogs-texas-than-any-other-state-but-not/

Is Texas Home to 50 Percent to 75 Percent of the Nation's Feral Hogs?

The slow smoked barbecue famous in Central Texas is slowly spreading nationwide and beyond, but the entirely different barbecue out of Korea has already attained worldwide popularity. 

Austin has a handful of restaurants specializing in the cuisine, and we spoke to Austin American-Statesman restaurant critic Matthew Odam about his review of one of them: Charm Korean BBQ. 

Read the review: https://www.mystatesman.com/entertainment/dining/get-your-grill/vmJpc67J19ByTLayFjhtpI/

See the menu: http://charmkoreanbbq.com/

Restaurant Review: Charm Korean BBQ

The Academy Awards are this weekend and one of the short documentaries up for an award is about the 2015 arrest of Austin elementary school teacher Breaion King. We spoke with the director of the HBO original documentary, Kate Davis.

Watch the documentary here: https://www.hbo.com/documentaries/traffic-stop

Oscar-Nominated "Traffic Stop" Examines Arrest of Austin Teacher

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is remembered as a hero to everyone 50 years after his assassination on April 4, 1968. But the founder of the LBJ School's Center for the Study of Race and Democracy reminds us that he was once criticized by the American press as being too subversive. 

We spoke to historian Dr. Peniel E. Joseph about King's legacy and how it connects with social and racial justice movements today.  

Photo by Dick DeMarsico

Racial Justice In America 50 Years After The Assassination Of Martin Luther King Jr.

At least 22 prisoners have died since 2004 from exposure to indoor heat in Texas prisons, and this week a landmark lawsuit could extend air conditioning to more prisoners. We spoke about it with Houston Chronicle reporter Gabrielle Banks. 

Read Gabrielle's story here: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Air-conditioning-could-extend-to-Texas-inmates-12887964.php

Legal Settlement To Address Dangerous Heat In Texas Prisons

Author and TV host Anthony Bourdain said he loved Austin from the first time he arrived and that the city has been "very, very good to me." Bourdain was found dead in his hotel room in Paris on Friday. CNN says the cause of death was suicide.

Here's an excerpt of our interview from 2011. 

Suicide is not a natural response to life's struggles. Most people who contemplate suicide recover. If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255

Anthony Bourdain Loved Austin

Two years after many Texas Republicans were still sore from U.S. Senator Ted Cruz losing the presidential nomination to Donald Trump, the state's GOP is gathering again in San Antonio to rally around the president's policies and adopt a platform of their own. KUT's Ben Philpott spoke to us from the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center.

Texas Republican Convention Kicks Off In San Antonio

I'm a transportation reporter at Austin NPR member station KUT 90.5 FM.

Larry Monroe Before His Last Blue Monday Show On KUT

Nathan Bernier

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