Ben Philpott
Ben Philpott covers politics and policy for KUT 90.5 FM. He has been covering state politics and dozens of other topics for the station since 2002. He's been recognized for outstanding radio journalism by the Radio and Television News Directors Association, Public Radio News Directors Incorporated, the Texas Associated Press Broadcasters and twice by the Houston Press Club as Radio Journalist of the Year. Before moving to Texas, he worked in public radio in Birmingham and Tuscaloosa, Ala., and at several television stations in Alabama and Tennessee. Born in New York City and raised in Chattanooga, Tenn., Philpott graduated from the University of Alabama with a degree in broadcast journalism.
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Hurricane Harvey has been downgraded to a tropical storm but it is still dumping a lot of rain on Texas. In the capital Austin, thousands of people are without power.
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The Texas governor and lieutenant governor are leading efforts to pass several Republican red meat bills – like a ban on transgender bathroom access. But one Republican lawmaker is pushing back.
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GOP presidential candidates may be spending most of their time in Iowa and New Hampshire right now, but delegate-rich Texas will be the far more consequential state in the Republican primary. -
Republican Rick Perry's presidential campaign has stopped paying its staff. It's a sign that the former Texas governor's second White House bid is struggling to gain support.
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George P. Bush is expected to win Tuesday's GOP primary for land commissioner. Ben Phillpott of KUT brings the story of the young Bush's low-key campaign and outreach to Hispanic voters.
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Texas Gov. Rick Perry called state lawmakers into a special session to deal with district maps used in the 2012 elections. A federal court had ordered new maps to better represent the growing Hispanic population.
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Ted Cruz, the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Texas, is scheduled to speak Tuesday at the Republican National Convention.
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The Republican race to succeed retiring GOP Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison wasn't supposed to be a heated primary battle, but it's become one of the hardest fought and most expensive intraparty races of the year. The runoff should be decided Tuesday.
