City Cast Austin

Austin drivers have lots of reasons to despise our local toll road authority, TxTag, and the investigative team at KXAN knows all about it. Recently, reporters revealed that even after the dysfunctional authority admitted how bad it was and transferred authority to another agency, the problems continued. Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by reporter Matt Grant, who found that more than half of TxTag’s accounts were not transferred to the new authority. Grant also shares the potential changes that state lawmakers could make while in session, plus, hear how host Nikki DaVaughn would charge for driving on toll roads if she ran a tolling authority.  Learn more about the sponsors of this March 11th episode: Rodeo Austin Flyaustin Port Aransas 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.

An estimated one in seven of Austin’s short-term rentals is illegally operating, and City Council members are trying to change that. But those efforts have been underway for years, and have been largely unsuccessful, resulting in unfriendly legal rulings and bills filed at the Texas Capitol. Recently, council changed three regulations aimed to wrangle short-term rentals, but postponed enforcing two of the three changes until after the Texas Legislature leaves town. Sara Willa Ernst joins host Nikki DaVaughn in breaking down the changes, explaining how we got here, and digging into the actual problems. Learn more about the sponsors of this March 10th episode: Rodeo Austin Flyaustin Port Aransas 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 

The Texas Legislature is moving bills along, our state agencies are changing under the Trump administration, and there’s a ton going on in town this weekend. TGIF, y’all, it’s time for the Friday News Round Up. Host Nikki DaVaughn, executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec, and Hey Austin newsletter editor Kelsey Bradshaw are getting into some of the biggest news in town this week. We discuss how Gov. Greg Abbott is “Trumpifying” Texas, by requiring state employees — of which there are nearly 70,000 in Austin — to return to the office, and fired an employee who refused to remove pronouns from his email signature. We also get into an update on some bills that are stuck, progressing, and upcoming at the Texas Legislature. Plus, how are you celebrating International Women’s Day? We’ve got some ideas. If you enjoyed the interview with Austin Bergstrom's International Airport Public Information Office Division Manager, Kimmie Hey, learn more here!Learn more about the sponsors of this March 7th episode: Port Aransas Rodeo Austin 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 

Perhaps the most mysterious part of South by Southwest to many folks is the film and television portion — which gets underway this weekend. Did you know that local Austinites qualify for special discounts? Join host Nikki DaVaughn as she uncovers the mysteries of the SXSW Film and TV Festival with Eric Webb, a festival programming associate and film aficionado. With more than a decade of festivals under his belt, Webb shares all about Austinites-only discounts, the best way to get into screenings, and dishes on the celebrities that you can expect to see on the red carpet this year. Learn more about the sponsors of this March 6th episode: Port Aransas Rodeo Austin 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 

Philanthropic giving in Austin has been flat for the past few years on Amplify Austin, a 24-hour period of giving that this year features 750 local nonprofits. But what donors do this year will be a bellwether, according to today’s guest, Piper Stege Nelson, executive director of I Live Here, I Give Here, which puts on Amplify Austin. Nelson joins host Nikki DaVaughn to discuss why giving is seemingly stagnant in Austin, how Austinites could do better, and the new category of organizations in need of amplification this year. Learn more about the sponsors of this March 5th episode: Port AransasRodeo AustinWant 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

South by Southwest can be intimidating, overwhelming, and ridiculously expensive. But for today’s guest, Austinite Lisa Hernandez, if you’re shelling out for anything at SXSW, you’re doing it wrong. She joins host Nikki DaVaughn to chat about how to enjoy — and we mean truly enjoy — the festival for free, from the apps to download in preparation, to the accounts to follow, and all of our best tips and tricks. Anything is possible, and you never know what’s around the corner (or in the underground parking garage), as you’ll hear when they reminisce about their best free moments and do-not-miss traditions in a dozen-plus years of attendance.  Plus, if you enjoyed the interview with Rodeo Austin's Joel Anderson, learn more here!Learn more about the sponsor of this March 4th episode: Port Aransas Rodeo Austin 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 

Watching the California fires spread this year was scary — especially if you’re the assistant chief of the wildfire division in the fifth most at-risk city for wildfires in the country. Carrie Stewart is back with host Nikki DaVaughn to talk about what the firefighters who were dispatched to Los Angeles learned about what Austin should do right now, and how the fall fire season is looking for Central Texas. Plus, the easy steps you can take to harden your home so it’s less likely to catch on fire, if flames ever do get close, like: Join the hundreds of Austinites who’ve requested a structural ignition zone evaluation. Learn more about the sponsors of this March 3rd episode: Port Aransas Rodeo Austin 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 

We made it to Friday, y’all! Join host Nikki DaVaughn and executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec as we round up the news that caught our attention this week. We’re talking about how the Dallas Cowboys are bringing flag football to girls at Austin high schools, a new bill that Texas lawmakers are considering to restrict funding for public libraries that host so-called drag queen story hours, and the measles outbreak in West Texas that took a recent road trip to San Marcos and San Antonio. Plus, if you’re looking for something to do in town this weekend, we’ve got ideas. Learn more about the sponsor of this February 28th episode: Tecovas Rodeo Austin 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 

We all know that March means South by Southwest, or SXSW, in Austin. But there’s so much more than that happening around town. So, we’re focusing on all things un-SXSW for our March monthly guide. Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by her pal, multi-hypenate Aira Juliet, and executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec to talk about how to eat, work, and have fun away from the madness downtown. Plus, we’ve got some tips for surviving March in Austin, whether you’re festival-bound or not. For even more tips on how to make the most of March in Austin, check out Hey Austin’s take on what to do this month. Learn more about the sponsor of this February 27th episode: Tecovas Rodeo Austin 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 

We made it through the winter without any major power outages in Austin. So is it time you restore your faith in the Texas power grid? Frustratingly, it’s still complicated. The main culprit back in the 2021 blackout was natural gas-related power, and Texas is now making more renewable energy than any other state. So why are we investing more and more into natural gas? Host Nikki DaVaughn digs into it all with today’s guest, Mose Buchele, KUT’s senior correspondent covering energy and the environment, and the host of the latest season of The Disconnect, a podcast all about Texas’ power grid. Learn more about the sponsor of this February 26th episode: Tecovas Rodeo Austin 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