Kailey Hunt joined the KUT newsroom in July 2022, covering Williamson County.
Prior to joining the KUT newsroom, she worked at the “Corpus Christi Caller-Times,� covering public safety and breaking news, and interned in a local TV newsroom covering local and state politics. She also did a stint at the U.S. State Department.
An eighth-generation Texan, Kailey graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a degree in International Relations and Global Studies with a minor in Arabic (and was a member of the women’s rowing team!).
Connect with Kailey or email her with a news tip.
What are you listening to these days?
My reporting often takes me to different cities and towns in WilCo, which requires a lot of driving. It’s during these commutes in my car that I do most of my “listening� these days.
Lately, I’ve really enjoyed listening to the “â€� show with Jason and AGÕæÈË°Ù¼ÒÀÖ Kelce. I’m not a huge Philadelphia Eagles or Kansas City Chiefs fan (How ‘bout them Cowboys?), but I really appreciate the brothersâ€� sense of humor and insights into the NFL.
I also frequently find myself tuning into KUT News. It’s a good opportunity to catch up on local news and hear what my colleagues have been working on. I also really enjoy tuning into statewide and national shows like the “� and WAMU and NPR’s �.�
Read anything interesting lately?
Right now I’m in the process of reading “� by Peter Hessler. The book follows Hessler’s experience as a foreign correspondent for “The New Yorker� in Cairo during the Arab Spring. It also includes lots of history about Egypt and its archaeological sites, which I love (fun fact: I considered becoming an archaeologist before I entered journalism).
Next on my list to read is “� by Ali Hazelwood. I was first introduced to Ali’s romance novels after moderating a panel with her at last year’s Texas Book Festival. It’s a nice change of pace from some of the other types of readings I do, and I really enjoy that much of her writing centers on women in STEM fields and academia.
What are you loving about WilCo lately?
It sounds really cheesy, but the thing I love about WilCo the most right now is having my family nearby. My parents and most of my siblings still live in Leander, which is where I grew up and went to high school. I’m really close with my family, so having the opportunity to drop in for a visit or home-cooked meal any time I want is amazing.