Joseph Leahy

Newscaster, Morning Edition

Credit Martin do Nasciemento / KUT

Joseph Leahy anchors morning newscasts for NPR's statewide public radio collaborative, Texas Newsroom. He began his career in broadcast journalism as a reporter for St. Louis Public Radio in 2011. The following year, he helped launch Delaware's first NPR station, WDDE, as an afternoon newscaster and host. Leahy returned to St. Louis in 2013 to anchor local newscasts during All Things Considered and produce news on local and regional issues. In 2016, he took on a similar role as the local Morning Edition newscaster at KUT in Austin, before moving over to the Texas Newsroom.   

Leahy has a master’s degree in journalism from Emerson College and a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Missouri. He grew up migrating almost annually with his parents and four siblings between rural northwest Missouri and the suburbs of Los Angeles. 

Ways to Connect

Sen. Cruz Returns To Capitol Hill Symptom-Free After Home Quarantine

By • Mar 18, 2020
Sen. Ted Cruz, seen at an election night party in 2018, quarantined himself after being potentially exposed to COVID-19
Julia Reihs / KUT

U.S. Ted Cruz was back in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, after spending nearly a week in self-quarantine at his Houston home. Though he did not get sick, the Texas Republican’s voluntary isolation underscored the gravity of the coronavirus outbreak that Congress and the White House are now seeking expansive measures to address.

San Jacinto And Trinity Streets Become Two-Way As Construction Ramps Up On Capitol Complex

By • Jun 27, 2019
Gabriel C. Pérez / KUT

More street changes are in the works for downtown Austin as construction ramps up on the Capitol Complex Master Plan. On Wednesday, the Austin Transportation Department converted 17th and 18th streets between San Jacinto and Trinity into two-way streets.

How Do Musicians Make The Cut For The Austin City Limits TV Series?

By • May 2, 2019
Austin City Limits is produced at the Moody Theater in downtown Austin.
Jorge Sanhueza-Lyon / KUT

Austin City Limits is in the middle of taping shows for its 45th season, which will begin airing on PBS stations across the country in October.

The eclectic mix of musicians invited each year to perform for the public television series prompted KUT listener Dana Harada to ask our ATXplained project:

How are musicians selected to record an ACL Live taping? Do they get paid?

A Dozen Austin Moontowers Cleared To Get Needed Steel Replacement Parts

By • Apr 23, 2019
Jorge Sanhueza-Lyon / KUT

Austin’s Historic Landmark Commission has approved using milled steel rods as replacement parts on 12 of the city’s iconic moontowers. 

Why Is MoPac Traffic So Much Worse Southbound In The Afternoon Than Northbound In The Morning?

By • Jan 10, 2019
Gabriel C. Pérez / KUT

Every weekday, hundreds of thousands of commuters flood Austin-area roads and highways with more traffic than they’re designed to handle. Some commutes are worse than others, depending on the time and where a driver is heading.

The Night Hawk's Final Flight: Diners Bid Farewell To A Piece Of Austin's Culinary Past

By • Jul 27, 2018
Gabriel C. Pérez / KUT

On Monday, Julie Brown heard a voice beckoning her to get a piece of pie.

She listened, stopping at The Frisco on Burnet Road and ordering a piece of coconut pie – just like her parents did when they first met decades ago.

Sandy Hook Parents Sue Conspiracy Theorist Alex Jones For Defamation

By • Apr 17, 2018
YouTube screenshot

Parents of two children killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre are suing radio show host Alex Jones for defamation.

Why Do So Many Self-Storage Places Keep Popping Up In Austin?

By • Apr 12, 2018
Gabriel C. Pérez / KUT

Ben Hamill was confused. Down the street from his house in Brentwood, a building was going up, and he and his wife couldn’t quite place what it was. It looked like an apartment or a condo, as far as they could tell, with floor-to-ceiling windows, some cubist-looking eaves and all the trappings of a typical condo. Then they put up a sign: STORAGE.

Austin Police Say A Series Of Package Bombs That Killed 2 Are Related

By , & • Mar 12, 2018
Gabriel C. Pérez / KUT

"We will leave no stone unturned," interim Austin Police Chief Brian Manley said today in response to three package explosions in Austin over the past 10 days. 

Federal Investigators Fault Pilot For Hot Air Balloon Crash That Killed 16

By • Oct 17, 2017
Paul Cochrum/Flickr

Federal regulators are calling for stricter requirements to fly hot air balloons after a crash near Lockhart last year that killed all 16 people aboard.

The National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday released findings and recommendations of its investigation into the July 30 accident in which a balloon operated by the Heart of Texas Balloon Ride company struck high-voltage power lines about 30 miles south of Austin.