KSAT EXPLAINS

San Antonio has a system for catching trash along the San Antonio River -- a huge trash rake.

This KSAT Explains was prompted by a question from a viewer named Nat about how mail delivery works.

NEXTGEN TV will allow over-the-air viewers to get the benefits of streaming without downloading an app.

There are many Fiesta traditions, from swapping medals to staking a claim on a spot to see the Battle of Flowers Parade, but using the Rain Rock to keep a Night in Old San Antonio dry might be the most eyebrow-raising to people who don’t know the reason why.

The one hour time change is a challenge to the body’s naturally occurring internal clock, or circadian rhythm.

As if picking a plan wasn’t tough enough, you first have to decipher a long list of terms when it comes to health insurance coverage. The KSAT Explains Team put together a glossary to make that tedious task a little easier.

You might know diabetes has something to do with insulin and sugar. But none of it is sweet. Diabetes itself is not a deadly condition, but it can lead to other complications that can be.

Politics dominates just about everything these days, so it may seem like we’re always in campaign season. But there are many more moving parts when it’s a presidential election year. KSAT Explains.

In honor of Black History Month this year, KSAT Explains is highlighting three entities that work to preserve and share black history year round.

That one-fourth of a day we don’t acknowledge most years is accounted for in one full day every four years.

Earthquakes have increased exponentially in the last decade over the Eagle Ford Shale. What role does hydraulic fracturing play in the seismic activity and could San Antonio ever see a large earthquake?

Some renters have a tough time getting landlords or property managers to fix things. There’s help available to get it done.

The KSAT Explains team first began telling the stories of the people behind several San Antonio namesakes in August of 2023. We knew many more names were worth covering, so this is round two.

Air quality in San Antonio has slowly deteriorated as our population grows. What can be done about it and what's ahead?

After nearly nine months of questions about whether state lawmakers would move forward on a so-called school voucher plan, the KSAT Explains team decided to look at how public schools in Texas are funded.

Thousands of years of history are hard to sum up in one article on the internet, but here, the KSAT Explains team is breaking down some of the key conflicts that have transpired involving Israel, Gaza and its surrounding areas since Israel gained its independence in 1948.

Recent tensions between the San Antonio Police Department and the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office sparked by the shooting of six SAPD officers within a two-week span while in pursuit of suspects triggered this KSAT Explains.

The Explains team takes you inside labs at the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center to show you how blood is ‘manufactured’

The position of the Chief of School Safety and Security was created in the wake of the Robb Elementary School shooting.

You see names on local parks, landmarks, roads and more. So who were those people? KSAT Explains.

A third terminal is planned for San Antonio International Airport. It will have capacity for 17 more gates and will be situated next to the existing Terminal B on the northwest end of the airport’s current footprint.

No matter where you’re from or where you’re going, every driver deals with traffic lights. And it’s perhaps the biggest complaint? KSAT Explains traffic lights, how they are timed, and who controls them.

San Antonio sits at the crossroads of several different geographical regions, with the Balcones Escarpment being a main player in why South-Central Texas is the way it is.

State lawmakers made a deal in legislative "double overtime." But could it ultimately hurt public schools and cost Texans more in the long run? KSAT Explains.

KSAT Explains breaks down the rules or lack thereof, in some cases, that govern campaign contributions.

KSAT Explains the history behind Robb Elementary and the impact its namesake had on the Uvalde community and its students.

For those who can’t afford an attorney in Bexar County, the Bexar County Public Defender’s Office steps in. KSAT Explains more.

A handful of school bond proposals are often on the ballot each time local elections are held. Typically, they’re not the contests that get a lot of attention during campaign season, but they’re not insignificant races by any means. KSAT Explains.

Welcome to the age of digital tipping. But do you have to tip every time you're given the option?

Chat GPT is the latest tech innovation blowing people’s minds while simultaneously raising questions about ethics, critical thinking and originality. In this episode, KSAT Explains how it works and its ethical dilemmas.

We've visited numerous towns across South Texas and the Hill Country over the last decade to discover how they got their name. Here are some of the highlights from those stories.

College athletes can now get paid. And that’s changing the game no matter the sport.

After the snow and ice of February 2021 had melted and power and water service finally returned, catastrophe turned to criticism. Lawmakers and power providers have since gone to work in hopes that it doesn't happen again.

Segregation led to African Americans forming communities east of the San Antonio River. In this KSAT Explains, we explore how the city's East Side came to be.

There’s marijuana. Then there’s hemp. One is legal, one is not. But understanding why and what’s in each substance is a little hazier than that. KSAT Explains.

San Antonio is in prime location for pollen allergies from mountain cedar, Texas’ most misunderstood tree

Texas has had public school choice for decades, and the number of options is exploding. But some lawmakers are still trying to create private school choice options, while others are pushing against it.

Three numbers you hope to never need: 911. However, at that moment when you do, you’re not likely thinking about where that call is being answered or by whom.

Where does the water for San Antonio, which sits on the edge of the Chihuahuan Desert, come from? KSAT Explains.

The CDC says the most recent cases of fentanyl-related harm, overdose, and death in the U.S. are linked to illegally made fentanyl.

Ever wondered about what Port San Antonio is and its history in the Alamo City? KSAT Explains.

Every election season, the Latino vote is a term that is discussed, but what does that mean? Is the Latino vote a sleeping giant? In this episode of KSAT Explains, we compare the “red and blue” of Latino politics, break down common misconceptions, and discuss the emerging wave of more Latinos making their voices heard.

Meteorologists and weather experts in South Texas rely heavily on Doppler radar technology, but how does it work? How can a giant soccer-ball-shaped tower, known as the radome, detect clouds hundreds of miles away and send them to a computer as rain?

Some structures in the park date back to the 1700s but initial plans for restoration have been controversial

It’s a question that might start a household debate; what can be recycled and what can’t?

In this KSAT Explains, we breakdown what 5G means, what regulations are in place for the devices to be installed and what doctors are saying about the potential health risks associated with the technology.

Death is a topic hardly anyone enjoys discussing, but it’s a harsh reality that none of us can escape. For this KSAT Explains, our crew got a rare behind-the-scenes look into the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office to find out what happens when a body comes in with no trace of who they are.

Inflation is a term with a relatively simple definition, but dealing with it is far from easy. KSAT Explains.

You're told to speak up to prevent acts of violence. Alert someone when something seems... off. But if nothing illegal has happened- yet-who handles that information? And how?

As the American labor shortage drags on, more local employers are looking to hire people with past convictions. For those candidates, it's a second chance.

More than a dozen laws were passed in 2019 focused on school safety after the Santa Fe school shooting. KSAT Explains what is in those laws and what other measures state officials have taken since the laws were enacted.

Some Texas lawmakers who oppose red flag laws have argued that we already have laws that can force someone to give up their guns, so why do we need more, and is that accurate? KSAT Explains.

Honey Creek Spring Ranch is regarded as an area of ecological importance and is home to endangered to threatened species.

There is no shortage of sun during a south Texas summer, so why don’t we harness that energy to power our homes and businesses? The good news is, we are.

Experts weigh in on what they believe could slow down and prevent the ongoing gun violence in this week's KSAT Explains episode.

In this episode of KSAT Explains, Charles Clifton Andrews, Jr. shares his recollections as part of the History Harvest with the San Antonio African American Community Archive and Museum

Gas prices have hit record highs in Texas and around the country, so it begs the question: “how can we lower prices?” KSAT Explains.

Lake Waco was the first Texas lake to get rid of the species, but can the same technique be used in other lakes?

In the aftermath of the leaked document signaling the U.S. Supreme Court is likely to overturn its landmark decision on Roe v. Wade, there has been much discussion about trigger laws.

A KSAT Explains viewer wanted to know why San Antonio has so much trash dumped along roads. It turns out it’s a tricky question to answer.

San Antonio's first in-depth local streaming program has been honored with a national award recognizing the work of KSAT's talented team of journalists.

Musicians have been on strike since late 2021 as two sides struggle to agree on how to keep the San Antonio Symphony alive

Dig into illegal street racing, roadside dumping & more with the KSAT team on Tuesday, March 22 at 7 p.m.

The Southwest National Primate Research Center, part of the Texas Biomed campus on the West Side, is home to the largest captive baboon colony in the world.

The aquifer is the primary source of water for millions of us around South Central Texas and the Hill Country. Its health and future affects us all.

Honey Creek Spring Ranch is regarded as an area of ecological importance and is home to endangered to threatened species.

'KSAT Explains: Esports in San Antonio' available to stream on-demand now.

In this episode, we’re taking a look at what San Antonio is doing to become a big player in this new arena, and the benefits this sport can offer student athletes, professional players and the San Antonio community as a whole.

We dive into the difference in how the U.S. handles asylum seekers versus those who cross the border illegally and try to go undetected.

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A sneak peek at the topics that will be on KSAT Explains next year.

In the latest season of KSAT Explains, the team explored topics ranging from homeless encampments to highway expansion and more.

The KSAT Explains team breaks down what you need to know about protective orders and shares the incredible stories of two domestic violence survivors.

In this episode, we’re hearing directly from some of the local scientists behind crucial COVID-19 research that’s been done during this pandemic.

One year since KSAT Explains first covered Los Courts, we make a return to dive into what's changed, what hasn't and how it's affecting the residents who call Alazan Courts home.

In this episode of KSAT Explains, we take a look at the plans to ease traffic on Loop 1604 and Interstate 35, and why they’re being met with pushback.

In Episode 38 of KSAT Explains, we take a look San Antonio's taco scene: the history, evolution and importance to our city's culture and identity.

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of 9/11, we hear from local first responders, veterans and educators about what's changed in the last two decades.

Christian Assistance Ministry is working to help Neville get back to Zimbabwe to be with his family.

In this episode of KSAT Explains, we took a closer look at the debate over encampments by talking to people experiencing homelessness and those fighting every day to help them change that.

Thrive offers assistance with education, employment, mental health, life skills, medical care, legal care, and aftercare

Hundreds of displaced children in Texas have fallen through the cracks of the foster care system, but there are local organizations working to make sure some of those children have a safety net as they age out.

This episode examines how a state foster care system with 15,000 children is supposed to work, the ways it’s currently failing and what you can do to help.

It’s been six months since the deadly February winter storm left millions across the state without power for days, and many questions about what went wrong remain unanswered. The KSAT Explains team and the Defenders have been closely following the fallout of the storm. We take a look at four things we've learned so far.

Airing at 9 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 17: A special collaboration between KSAT Explains and the Defenders

Senate bills 2 and 3 were heralded by Texas Gov. Abbott as the antidote to February’s deadly power outages. Here’s what they do.

Let us know what topic you want the KSAT Explains stream team to tackle next.

On Tuesday at 7 p.m., the KSAT Explains team will host author Chris Tomlinson for a live discussion about the myths and truths about the story of the Alamo.

To mark the anniversary, our team is sharing some of the biggest takeaways that have stuck with us since we launched in June 2020.

In the heart of downtown San Antonio there is a nightclub that’s been a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community for the past 40 years.

It’s been more than a year since a disturbing video clip showing a Minneapolis police officer killing George Floyd sparked a national movement.

In this episode, we’re taking on the basics of cryptocurrency, answering questions around the origins, uses, security and future viability of this technology.

The KSAT Explains team dives into why we celebrate Fiesta with royalty and medals.

Meteorologists Kaiti Blake and Sarah Spivey break down the science behind hail.

The KSAT Explains team examines how artists and venues have stayed afloat during the pandemic.

Proposition B is not the only aspect of the negotiations between the city and police union that made for a nasty, public battle.

The KSAT Explains team examines what Prop B would and wouldn't accomplish if passed.

A local man has amassed a large collection of advertisements and memorabilia from local breweries.

KSAT Explains: San Antonio as a major brew town

In mid-February, Texas was hit with a winter storm unlike any we’ve seen in years. In the wake of that storm, Texans are left with many questions.