City Cast Austin

The Texas Legislature is still in town, and while one lawmaker tried to get the state to take control over the city’s government, there was unanimous opposition. Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Hey Austin newsletter editor Kelsey Bradshaw and executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec to dig into the “District of Austin” proposal on this week’s Friday News Roundup. Plus, we discuss an iconic Austin festival’s move out of town, a new affordable housing concept underway at an East Austin historic church, and our weekend picks. Finally, we remember Texans Carlton Carl and former Austin mayor Carole Keeton, both of whom died this week.  Learn more about the sponsors of this March 28th episode: Tecovas Visit Port Aransas Zach Theatre Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter. Follow us @citycastaustinYou can also text us or leave a voicemail. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE 

For one Austinite, this city was crucial to the fight for Women’s Rights in the 1960s. So decades after her activism helped desegregate dorms at The University of Texas at Austin and secure women’s reproductive rights, it’s been difficult for her to watch abortion access disappear. So what gives author Alice Embree hope, and how is she working on making things better for women and other Texans years later? Embree joins host Nikki DaVaughn to share her experiences and advice for today’s campus activists in this special episode for Women’s History Month. Learn more about the  sponsors of this March 27th episode: Tecovas Visit Port Aransas Zach Theatre Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter. Follow us @citycastaustinYou can also text us or leave a voicemail. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE

Travis County District Attorney José Garza is in hot water after his office was found to have missed a 90-day deadline to indict suspects on felony charges in several cases. Reporter Tony Plohetski first brought the issues to light when he reported on two suspected murderers who were released on low bonds from jail — but as Plohetski tells host Nikki DaVaughn, the problems didn’t stop there. Elsewhere in Texas, prosecutors told Plohetski Garza’s issues were “the stuff of nightmares.” We dig into the concerns of mismanagement at the office, whether they indicate that Garza is, indeed, “soft on crime,” and what could come next. Learn more about the sponsors of this March 26th episode: Tecovas Visit Port Aransas Zach Theatre Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter. Follow us @citycastaustinYou can also text us or leave a voicemail. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE 

How well do you know Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez? As the top cop in charge of the county jail, Hernandez has improved the sheriff’s office’s response to mental health issues and is getting a national lifetime achievement award in May honoring her career in law enforcement. Hernandez invited host Nikki DaVaughn to her office for an interview about the sheriff’s office’s biggest challenges, plus, sidebar for a bit on the sheriff’s unexpected hobby. Learn more about the sponsors of this March 25th episode: Tecovas Visit Port Aransas Zach Theatre Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter. Follow us @citycastaustinYou can also text us or leave a voicemail. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE 

As the days on the Texas Legislative calendar tick away, lawmakers’ pace of work is speeding up — and they’re still keeping at least one eye on Austin. While the bill to turn Austin into the “District of Austin” probably won’t go far, one that would ban all consumable hemp products in the state has already passed the Texas Senate. Other legislation targets Project Connect, short-term rentals, and strangely enough, “furries,” or dressing up like animals, in Texas schools. Host Nikki DaVaughn checks in with KUT’s Blaise Gainey for a legislative update. Learn more about the sponsors of this March 24th episode: Tecovas Visit Port Aransas Zach Theatre Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter. Follow us @citycastaustinYou can also text us or leave a voicemail. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE 

It’s been a week, but we’re still talking about the horrific crash on Interstate 35 that killed five and injured several others, and we’ve got an idea for getting tractor-trailers like the one that crashed off the highway-that-will-be-a-construction-zone for the next 10 years. Plus, you may have seen the news that South by Southwest is condensing its various festivals into one shorter, seven-day spree next year, cutting the music-only weekend. But did you see the rivaling hot takes in Texas Monthly and Rolling Stone? We talk about those big stories and our weekend picks on this week’s Friday News Roundup, recorded at Trick Hat Workway, with host Nikki DaVaughn, Hey Austin newsletter editor Kelsey Bradshaw, and executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec. Learn more about the sponsors of this March 21st episode: Tecovas Visit Port Aransas Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter. Follow us @citycastaustinYou can also text us or leave a voicemail. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE 

Is it just us, or were the crowds at South by Southwest smaller this year? We spent days galavanting around town, and have some opinions. So, we’re bringing you our thoughts on the unexpected, the overrated, the beloved, and our big picture hot-takes from SXSW 2025, with host Nikki DaVaughn, Hey Austin newsletter editor Kelsey Bradshaw, and executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec. And in case you missed any of our festival coverage, catch up on episodes with local takes on SXSW music, the film and television festival, and what it brings to the city’s tourism economy. Plus, read up on the plans for the new Austin Convention Center here. Learn more about the  sponsors of this March 20th episode: Tecovas Visit Port Aransas Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter. Follow us @citycastaustinYou can also text us or leave a voicemail. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE

Some might say that our city’s slogan, “Keep Austin Weird,” is outdated. But for those who coordinate OUTsider Fest, weird — otherwise known as out of the mainstream — is the target participant. The festival’s artistic director, Laura Gutiérrez, joins host Nikki DaVaughn in talking about the role the festival plays in Austin’s LGBTQ-plus community, as well as the importance of her work as an associate professor and an associate dean at The University of Texas at Austin.  Learn more about the sponsor of this March 19th episode:TecovasWant some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter. Follow us @citycastaustinYou can also text us or leave a voicemail. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE 

New population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau show that the Austin metro area is now the 25th most populated in the country. But that metro area stretches from Round Rock to San Marcos. So what’s happening within Austin’s city limits? Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by City Demographer Lila Valencia to dig into our local population changes and what they mean. Learn more about the sponsors of this March 19th episode: Tecovas Visit Port Aransas Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter. Follow us @citycastaustinYou can also text us or leave a voicemail. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE 

Before Austin City Council took off on Spring Break, it took several actions to address quality of life issues, like boosting the city’s inventory of “missing middle” housing, addressing how we maintain our public art, recommitting to transparency in meet-and-confer processes, and more. Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by The Austin Common’s Amy Stansbury to get into council’s latest actions — plus unpack what Mayor Kirk Watson means when he warns of “budget asteroids” in Austin’s future. Learn more about the sponsors of this March 18th episode: Tecovas Visit Port Aransas Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter. Follow us @citycastaustinYou can also text us or leave a voicemail. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE