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Nathan Bernier

@kutnathan.bsky.social
635 followers 53 following 337 posts

Transportation reporter at Austin NPR station KUT 90.5 FM kut.org/nathan I have all my web/X/YouTube/IG posts mirrored here: nathanbernier.com

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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Austin spent $22 million to renovate the Barton Springs Bathhouse. Why does it sometimes smell like sewage? Why is the rotunda locked when it was supposed to open last October? For #ATXplained, I dug into city emails, contracts and millions in spending. www.kut.org/austin/2026-...
kut.org
Why is Austin's $22 million Barton Springs bathhouse renovation taking so long?
The city set out to restore the historic gateway to Barton Springs. For our ATXplained project, we take a look at the ballooning costs, finger-pointing and architectural tradeoffs.
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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Austin police may now arrest someone for possession of Delta-8 based only on the label on the packaging. The policy also cuts the other direction. Cannabis flower or concentrate with a label showing it's under 0.3% Delta-9 THC generally won't be seized. www.kut.org/business/202...
kut.org
A Delta-8 label could be enough for an arrest in Austin, even though APD says it's not a priority
A state rule that was reinstated July 31 bans Delta-8, and Austin police said the packaging could establish probable cause for a felony arrest. But APD says cracking down on Delta-8 isn't a "primary o...
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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Is it legal to possess smokable hemp flower or THCA concentrate in Texas? Or is it a felony? Kind of an important question considering they were sold legally as recently as June. DSHS wrote the rule. But they said ask law enforcement, so I did. www.kut.org/business/202...
kut.org
Is possessing smokable hemp flower and concentrate legal in Texas? No one knows
The Texas health department wouldn't say if its newly updated list of highly illegal drugs includes the same hemp flower made legal by state law.
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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
Austin's Bikeshare service has been shut down since a May 23 fire inside a battery charging room at a CapMetro facility on Ben White. The same day, a Bikeshare bike caught fire on South Congress. The role of batteries is being investigated in both. www.kut.org/transportati...
kut.org
Investigators examine whether batteries sparked fire that shut down Austin's Bikeshare
Almost 500 electric bikes have been pulled from Austin streets since Memorial Day weekend, with no timeline for their return.
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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
NEW: TxDOT denies Austin request to keep certain street art including: • Black Artists Matter mural on 11th • Pride crosswalk at 4th and Colorado • TEXAS mural on Guadalupe • "River" crosswalk on Lake Austin Boulevard • Traffic circle art at East 22nd and Salina www.kut.org/transportati...
kut.org
TxDOT denies Austin request to keep 'Black Artists Matter' mural, Pride crosswalk
The state also rejected Austin's request to keep the giant "TEXAS" street painting near the University of Texas at Austin campus and gave the city until June 22 to submit a plan.
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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
Lady Bird Lake under I-35 has been narrowed to a 75-foot-wide passage until about 2033. The Austin Rowing Club says "keep out" buoys don't make clear where to go. The club requested more lighting and signs. TxDOT says they have no plans to add those. www.kut.org/transportati...
kut.org
Austin boaters concerned over narrow pass on Lady Bird Lake created by I-35 construction
TxDOT says the 75-foot-wide passage is needed to keep boaters away from construction equipment. Some daily lake users say the setup can be confusing from the water.
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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
I also asked if DSHS would order other products containing cannabinoids converted from CBD — such as THCP and HHC — be pulled from shelves. Apparently, that's also still under review.
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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
When will Delta-8 gummies be banned in Texas now that SCOTX reversed a 2021 temporary injunction that had allowed for their sale? I asked the Department of State Health Services. The response I got 45 minutes ago was they're still reviewing the ruling.
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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
I realized after posting this story that Watson reacted that way after a senior staffer, Max Lars, sent Watson a tweet by X user @data_atx complaining about the lease. Screenshots sent to me were blurry, which is why I didn't realize till after seeing the original this morning x.com/data_atx/sta...
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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
"What is he thinking?!" Mayor Kirk Watson texted a staffer as ATP pursued a $32 million office lease at 100 Congress Ave. AT KUT Fest, CM Paige Ellis agreed the plan was "tone-deaf," but said the dispute showed Project Connect oversight is working. www.kut.org/transportati...
kut.org
$32 million office lease proposal for Austin light-rail project was wrong move, council member says
At KUT Fest, Paige Ellis — who's on Austin's city council and CapMetro's board — agreed with Mayor Kirk Watson that ATP's office lease plan was wrong, but said the dispute showed oversight is working.
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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
BREAKING: Smokable hemp can stay on store shelves across Texas after Travis County judge grants temporary injunction that also freezes sharply higher licensing and registration fees. www.kut.org/business/202...
kut.org
Court order allows smokable hemp to stay on shelves in Texas
A Travis County judge issued a temporary injunction allowed the sale of hemp flower and concentrates and blocking sharply higher state fees charged to businesses that make and sell hemp products.
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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
I'm sorry I couldn't give live updates on the state's closing arguments. I was trying to quickly write and file radio stories. But here's the audio of the last part of the proceeding. The judge said she'll issue a decision "in short order." cpa.ds.npr.org/s252/audio/2...
cpa.ds.npr.org
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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Audio from the second part of today's hearing, including closing arguments from hemp industry plaintiffs: cpa.ds.npr.org/s252/audio/2...
cpa.ds.npr.org
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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
They took a break for lunch til 1:30.
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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Plaintiff attorney reiterates they're asking for statewide injunction and says the district court has authority to extend relief to hemp businesses that aren't involved in the lawsuit.
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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
"The people who are trying to limit their alcohol intake, what happens to them? Those are real world harms," plaintiff attorney says. Pivots to loss in sales tax revenue and economic activity. Says rules would harm Texas' reputation a place with "predictable rules."
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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Plaintiff attorney says without a temporary injunction, consumers may turn to "less safe and potentially black market alternatives." "A rippling effect that is beyond economic calculus. ... The exact thing the state says what they want won't happen. ... Reduced transparency."
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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Plaintiff attorney says the regulations will cause immediate and irreparable harm.
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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
This is the plaintiff slide explaining a claim around the Administrative Procedures Act.
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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Plaintiff lawyer says DSHS acknowledged significant economic impact but didn't "substially comply" with the Administrative Procedures Act. "There wasn't even a laughable attempt. Why?" "They're trying to kill the industry, not follow the law," he said.
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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
"Agencies do not have authority to impose taxes," hemp attorney says. "But that's what they've done."
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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Plaintiff attorney says the intent of the rules was to kill the hemp industry in Texas. "These fees are not tied to any regulatory cost. Not even close to it. But instead function to ... essentially destroy an industry."
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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Plaintiff attorney going over all this again.
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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
"When bureaucrats write rules that dismantle an entire industry with the stroke of a pen, the people of the state of Texas have no recourse except to vindicate their rights in your honor's court," hemp industry attorney says.
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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
"The rule makers enacted a series of rules that imposes a total THC compliance standard that ... make a large majority of products that are legal under the statutes illegal under the rules," he said.
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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
"The 2026 rules effectively do what the governor refused to do when he vetoed SB3 in 2025," hemp attorney says.
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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Plaintiff attorney starts by saying the Texas AG team has been very civil and professional. On to closing argument. "This is a separation of powers case." Legislature has considered but never enacted amendments to the law governing this industry.
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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Moving to closing arguments now.
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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Plaintiff attorney: Do you understand that we're not challenging all the regulations and you can still go after bad actors? Stevenson: Yes Plaintiff: No further questions
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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Here's the specific page on my site with the X thread, in case it's easier for you to read on my than Bluesky nathanbernier.com/items/2026-0...
nathanbernier.com
Texas hemp stores will have to stop selling smokable forms of cannabis Friday at 5 p.m.... | Nathan Bernier
45 posts from a reporting thread.
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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Court is back. Plaintiff attorney: You're not testifying as an expert in this case right? Stevenson: Correct
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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Bluesky can't seem to handle long threads, which is really annoying. For your info, all of my X/Twitter posts are mirrored at nathanbernier.com. So you can view the same updates without having to visit X.com.
nathanbernier.com
Nathan Bernier | Transportation Reporter
Transportation reporting, KUT stories and selected field notes from Nathan Bernier.
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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Here's audio of the first part of today's hearing, which is not being live streamed by the court. cpa.ds.npr.org/s252/audio/2...
cpa.ds.npr.org
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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
You can read the Texas Original filling in the hemp case here. documentcloud.org/documents/28...
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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
In a statement to KUT News, Texas Original CEO Nico Richardson said, "Hemp dispensaries across the state are selling illegal marijuana products mislabeled as ‘hemp,’ with no medical oversight or safeguards."
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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Late last year, Texas Original opened the largest medical marijuana grow house in the state. The new 75,000-square-foot headquarters on FM 969 in Bastrop is almost ten times the size of their previous facility. texasoriginal.com/blog/texas-o...
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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
A not widely reported detail in the lawsuit by Texas hemp companies: Texas medical marijuana company Texas Original Compassionate Cultivation filed a brief siding with the state. kut.org/business/202...
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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Texas AG done with witness for now. Judge calls for 15 minute break. Next, plaintiffs' attorney will cross-examine Dr. Stevenson.
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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Texas AG: How frequently is DSHS seeking to inspect businesses under the new rules. Stevenson: Every two years would be our target. AG: Why would you inspect and test more frequently? Stevenson: To ensure they comply with the regulations and statutes.
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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Texas AG: If a business opened tomorrow, how long would it take for them to be inspected? Plaintiff: Objection, that calls for spectulation. Judge: Sustained
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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Texas AG: Do hemp businesses have to be inspected before they get a license? Stevenson: No AG: Are there any licensed businesses that have never been inspected? Stevenson: Yes
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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Texas AG: Prior to implementation of the new rules, how frequently was DSHS able to inspect hemp businesses? Stevenson: We had projected 11,000 combined and that would have taken 6 or 7 years to inspect each once.
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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Texas AG: How has the number of hemp retailers and manufacturers increased or decreased since March 31 of this year? Stevenson: I have a number for March before the rules, and a number for yesterday, and it has increased.
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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
AG: What does increasing number of hemp operators say about the number of tests DSHS needs to perform? Stevenson: "They should increase."
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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Texas AG: About how many hemp retailers and manufacturers are in Texas? Stevenson: "Combined, approximately 14,400" AG: How many inspectors does DSHS have to inspect those businesses? Stevenson: Seven
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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Texas AG lawyer is bringing up the websites of hemp companies suing the state and asking Dr. Stevenson to comment on their certificates of analysis. Stevenson says the reports include a "total THC" metric using the same formula used by DSHS (treating THCA as 87.7% Delta-9).
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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
AG: What is reported percentage of THCA? Stevenson: 79% (I didn't catch exact number) AG: By what method is total THC calculated? Stevenson: Liquid chromatography, specifying the total THC Includes the 0.877 conversion factor plus Delta-9 THC. So total THC combines those two.
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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Texas AG: What is the product name here on exhibit 8? Stevenson: "Passion orange guava" AG: "What is the date? Stevenson: 2-9-2026 AG: What is reported percentage of Delta-9 THC? Stevenson: 0.19% Delta-9
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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Texas AG: Have you ever made brownies before? Stevenson: "Yes, sir." Texas AG: Approximately what temperature did you bake them at? Plaintiff: Objection, your honor, we don't even know what kind of brownies these are. Judge: Overruled Stevenson: 350 to 375
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Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Apologies for any typos throughout my thread.
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