Lauren McGaughy
Investigative reporter + editor at The Texas Newsroom | @kutnews.bsky.social @npr.org | Covering Texas politics + Elon Musk | FOIA nerd📍Austin, TX
Signal: lmcgaughy.40
📧: lmcgaughy@kut.org
☎︎: 512-436-3641
- An Austin band said its drummer was pulled off a plane and detained by U.S. Customs. His story quickly went viral. It was not the full story. www.kut.org/austin/2025-...
- ICYMI: Federal safety agency asks Tesla for information ahead of its scheduled robotaxi rollout in Austin next month. www.reuters.com/business/aut... Here's the original letter: static.nhtsa.gov/odi/inv/2024...
- In 1964, he watched children in Chile die of measles. Now, this El Paso doctor is reminding Texans what he saw 50 years ago, and warning them of the serious consequences of the disease spreading in our midst. Today’s must-read story from @luciov120.bsky.social www.keranews.org/texas-news/2...
- NEW: Are insurers using AI to watch your home from above? Yup. And what they see could cost you your coverage. Must read from @mcglinchyreports.bsky.social www.kut.org/housing/2025...
- ICYMI: State Senate approves proposal for anti-abortion monument at Texas Capitol. Story by @luciov120.bsky.social. www.keranews.org/texas-news/2... #txlege
- Kinney County, Texas collected some $1.7 million in bail from migrants who were deported before they could make their court appearances. The money was never returned. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/01/u...
- Donald Trump has a negative economic approval rating in Texas for the first time, poll finds www.expressnews.com/politics/tex...
- BREAKING: FAA gives SpaceX environmental approval to increase rocket launches in South Texas. Final approval could come soon. www.kut.org/energy-envir...
- DATELINE: @pulitzerprizes.bsky.social! It was great to meet — and catch up with — so many talented journalists who judged the prizes with me. Now what the winners are announced, I can share these photos! First is of the investigative category team. Second is the @dallasnews.com alumni squad.
- I was honored this year to be a @pulitzerprizes.bsky.social judge in the investigative reporting category. It was a humbling experience that reinforced my belief in the importance of a free and fair press. Congrats to all the winners! www.pulitzer.org/prize-winner...
- Elon Musk adviser launches three Mars-themed companies in Texas www.expressnews.com/business/art...
- BREAKING NEWS: Elon Musk wanted to turn his SpaceX launch site into a city. Voters in Texas just said 'yes.' With @beregarcia.bsky.social of the @texastribune.org. www.kut.org/politics/202...
- Why am I at Elon Musk’s house? www.kut.org/politics/202...
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- Found it at a gas station on the way to Brownsville!
- On Saturday, voters in South Texas will decide whether Elon Musk gets to create his own city at the SpaceX rocket launch site. We got the voter rolls and analyzed them. There are only 283 people eligible to cast a ballot. We found that most of them work for Musk. www.kut.org/politics/202...
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- Thank you! I care about how stories flow for the reader. A big deal to me!
- Elon Musk wanted an election to create his own city in Texas. The vote happens tomorrow. We got the list of voters. 👀 www.kut.org/politics/202...
- At least two thirds of the voters eligible to cast a ballot in the Starbase election either work for Musk or signed a petition in support of the new city. Musk himself is on the voter rolls. It’s unclear if he’ll cast a ballot. www.kut.org/politics/202...
- If the vote passes, Musk wants more control over the nearby public beach. SpaceX is asking state lawmakers to give them the power to close it during the week for launches and tests. The bill passed another key hurdle last night. More here: www.kut.org/politics/202...
- This bill was just resurrected and passed. It now needs to pass the calendars committee and the House before it could become law. #txlege
- UPDATE: The Texas bill to give Elon Musk more control over the public beach at Starbase appeared to be DEAD earlier this week. But I’m hearing the legislation could be revived. Here’s why... #txlege
- UPDATE: The Texas bill to give Elon Musk more control over the public beach at Starbase appeared to be DEAD earlier this week. But I’m hearing the legislation could be revived. Here’s why... #txlege
- SB2188 died in House State Affairs this week. But the chairman, Ken King, a Republican, voted against it. That means, as part of the prevailing side, he can revive it in future. “We’re still working on it that’s all I can say at this moment,” he told our Capitol reporter Blaise Gainey. #txlege
- One member of the committee, John Smithee, was absent for the vote. He told Blaise that it was his understanding that King voted against the bill intentionally so it be revived at a later time. The committee meets again today. The bill isn’t on the hearing list at this time. #txlege
- Matt Thomas, award-winning radio journalist and anchor in Houston, dies at 41 www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/obi...
- UPDATE: The federal trial over the lack of A/C in Texas prisons is set for March, according to plaintiffs' lawyer. He wants to moved it up but trial is likely before December — and definitely not before another Texas summer. Background: www.kut.org/texas/2025-0... #txlege
- ORDER GRANTED
- NEWS: Trump administration agrees NOT to move some transgender women out of federal female prisons for the time being. As the case is being argued, the feds say they will not oppose extending court orders to keep these trans women in place.
- “If I ask you what were the last two billboards you saw on the side of the road, you probably couldn’t remember,” Jaye added. “But if you went out and saw two airplane banners today, you’d know what they were, and you’d know a week later what they were.”
- Many mass shooters have a history of domestic violence. The man who killed more than two dozen people in Sutherland Springs, Texas, in 2017 was no different. Today a comprehensive report on his violence past was released. @paulflahive.bsky.social reports. www.tpr.org/criminal-jus...
- NEW: Dallas County say an inmate committed suicide. But officials failed to do an autopsy, leaving the family with few answers about the death of their loved one. www.keranews.org/news/2025-04...
- Inbox: Bill to require A/C in Texas prisons passes House committee by a vote of 7-1. Background: www.kut.org/crime-justic... #txlege
- BREAKING: On Tesla investors call, Elon Musk said he will cut down his time spent on DOGE to one or two days a week starting in May. But he did add that he will likely continue to be involved in the federal government effort for the entirety of Trump‘s term in office.
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View full threadSomeone asks what needs to be done now to get Tesla self-driving taxis ready for public rollout. "You can just see for yourself in a couple months in Austin," Musk says.
- Q: How many self-driving taxis will be available in Austin in June or July? Musk: 10 or 20 vehicles on Day One with a gradual increase while keeping an eye on safety. #ATX
- "There will be millions of Teslas operating autonomously, fully autonomously, in the second half of next year." - Musk
- Fully autonomous driving will be available on personal-use Teslas "before the end of this year." - Musk
- "The future of Tesla is brighter than ever." - Elon Musk on 04/22/2025
- FWIW a plane was flying over the Tesla HQ city of Austin today, the date of the first investors call of the Trump admin, urging Musk to be fired from the company. Other investors were planning to demand he step down from DOGE. He's said he will only step away — but not give up on the federal gov't.
- Musk says he still plans to roll out unsupervised self driving Teslas in June in Austin. #atx @evilmopacatx.bsky.social
- By 2030, Elon Musk says he wants to have one million Optimus robots working in Tesla factories. He wants thousands working this year. #atx
- The Texas bathroom bill is back. Eight years ago, the bill restricting what restroom #transgender people can use, was first up for debate. I followed a trans man as he fought to kill the bill. Revisit Trenton Johnson’s story here. www.dallasnews.com/news/2017/03... #txlege #lgbtq
- Background: ACLU warns hundreds of Venezuelans face immediate deportation under Alien Enemies Act despite Supreme Court decision www.npr.org/2025/04/18/n...
- US Supreme Court orders temporary halt to deportations of Venezuelan migrants - www.reuters.com/world/us/ven...
- US Supreme Court orders temporary halt to deportations of Venezuelan migrants - www.reuters.com/world/us/ven...
- Have a tip about Elon Musk in Texas? 👀 Email, DM or Signal msg me about re: Neuralink, the Tesla gigafactory in Austin, Boring Company, X HQ and Starlink in Bastrop or SpaceX near Waco and Brownsville. Signal: lmcgaughy.40 Insta: laurenmcgaughy Email: lmcgaughy@kut.org KUT.org/lauren
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- It's amazing how one good call with a source can turn around your whole day.
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- Thank you, Andrea!
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- Thank you, Katelyn!
- While you were sleeping: The Texas House voted for a bill to let for families to use state tax dollars to help send their kids to private schools. More here from our team: www.kut.org/politics/202... #txlege
- Texas House set to debate school voucher bill, sweeping school finance legislation today 👀 www.kut.org/politics/202... #txlege
