City Cast Austin

July in Austin was weird; surprisingly rainy, somewhat cool, even. But the summer slog continues, as our guest, CBS Austin Meteorologist Avery Tomasco, warns. In today’s episode, Tomasco joins host Nikki DaVaughn in recapping our lake-filling but not drought-busting July rainfall and this year’s hurricane season. Plus, Tomasco shares his feelings about the Farmer’s Almanac, “Twisters,” and Austin’s own Glen Powell. We’d like to thank Tecovas, who makes our favorite Western wear in town, for being our exclusive launch sponsor. 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 National Dog Day, and a perfect excuse to talk about everyone’s favorite Austinites: Dogs! It can be a ruff life for canines, but in Central Texas, we sure do love our pooches. To celebrate them, host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Luis Sanchez, the spokesman for Austin Pets Alive!, and executive producer and dog-lover Eva Ruth Moravec. We’re sharing our best tips for dog parents, including where to find and request low-cost resources for pets, the many off-leash dog spots in ATX, and how you can foster a pet for a few hours, a few days, or longer. We’d like to thank Tecovas, who makes our favorite Western wear in town, for being our exclusive launch sponsor. 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 the Friday News Roundup! Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Hey Austin newsletter editor Kelsey Bradshaw and Executive Producer Eva Ruth Moravec to discuss the latest news that caught City Cast Austin’s eye this week. On our agenda: Austin’s inescapable hairdryer-like heat, why Austin City Limits music festival organizers moved Chappell Roan’s set (or so we think), and the eviction of a longtime East Side business and what it meant to the neighborhood. Plus, we talk about a new state policy blocking transgender Texans from changing the sex on their driver’s licenses. And make sure you stick around after the roundup for our Don’t Go Gently tip for this weekend. We’d like to thank Tecovas, who makes our favorite Western wear in town, for being our exclusive launch sponsor. 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 

Austin City Council has adopted the budget for next fiscal year — and it’s a measly $5.9 billion. To fund it, the average homeowner is expected to see an increase in fees and taxes of $30 a month. And what will it be paying for? There are employee raises, police department increases, and new line items for addressing homelessness, increased money for maintenance at parks, and the Austin Animal Center, and more. In today’s episode, host Nikki DaVaughn follows up on an earlier episode previewing the budget debate and is joined again by Amy Stansbury, editor-in-chief of The Austin Common.  We’d like to thank Tecovas, who makes our favorite Western wear in town, for being our exclusive launch sponsor. 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 a struggle to operate a live music venue in Austin — even despite the city’s tagline as the “Live Music Capital of the World.” In recent years, the local industry has been sucker-punched by rising real estate costs and property taxes, the COVID-19 pandemic, and Winter Storm Uri, not to mention dwindling crowds at hot outdoor summer concerts. But finally, local efforts are underway to keep Austin’s musical havens intact, and freelance reporter Chad Swiatecki joins host Nikki DaVaughn to talk about them all. Stay tuned for our special weekly segment, A Mile in Their Boots, featuring a bonus interview with Erica Nix, a self-described body positive ambassador. This is the first of five episodes we'll be doing about the music community in Austin, brought to you by our exclusive launch sponsor, Tecovas. Tecovas knows more than handmade boots and fine Western wear — they’ve got an ear for great music, too. From legends of the past to rising stars on the scene, they love supporting musicians and music fans right here in Austin. So if you’re headed for a good time on the stage or in the crowd, go in good boots from Tecovas.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 newest sports team in Austin, the Austin Gamblers, has it all: Guts, Suspense, Heartbreak, Danger, and Cowboys. In today’s episode, host Nikki DaVaughn talks with Michael “Gman” Gaffney, the Gamblers’ coach and a Professional Bull Riders champion. The 3-year-old Gamblers is one of 10 teams who compete in the PBR Team Series, which comes to their home turf, the Moody Center, Aug. 23 to 25. Listen to find out why you should become their next biggest fan. We’d like to thank Tecovas, who makes our favorite Western wear in town, for being our exclusive launch sponsor. 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

Austin is an old city — it was founded in 1837, then called “Waterloo” — but the ever-present cranes downtown are there to remind us it’s constantly in a state of change. And in recent years, especially, an influx of new Austinites has highlighted one growing pain: Housing. But must we tear down the old to make way for the new? What does a city lose when its architectural history is demolished? Preservation Austin’s Meghan King joins host Nikki DaVaughn to discuss. And make sure you mark your calendars to participate in their Legacy Business Month festivities in October. We’d like to thank Tecovas, who makes our favorite Western wear in town, for being our exclusive launch sponsor. 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

TGIF! Today, host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Hey Austin newsletter editor Kelsey Bradshaw and executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec for the Friday News Roundup. On today’s list of stories to discuss: The City of Austin’s $5.9 billion budget, why Travis County Commissioners secretly allocated $115,000 to the District Attorney and the iconic Austin businesses that we’re praying for these days.Hey, do you love making great podcasts, living in Austin, and think we sound fun to work with? Apply to be City Cast Austin’s producer. And, if you really love what you hear, write us in for Austin Fit Magazine’s best podcast of 2024. Stick around after the roundup for our Don’t Go Gently tip for this weekend. We’d like to thank Tecovas, who makes our favorite Western wear in town, for being our exclusive launch sponsor. 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 largest public education system in Central Texas, the Austin Independent School District, educates 81% of Austin-area students and is the seventh-largest employer in the area. But why is it operating with a $78 million budget deficit, and what can the district do to climb out of their financial hole? Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Superintendent Matias Segura — himself a product of AISD schools — to talk all things budget, back to school, and his goals for the district’s future. We’d like to thank Tecovas, who makes our favorite Western wear in town, for being our exclusive launch sponsor. 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

Rumor has it that Major League Baseball has plans to expand by two new teams, and a pair of Austinites is hoping to woo the league to ATX. In today’s episode, host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by KXAN Reporter Grace Reader, who recently covered the Austin Baseball Commission’s efforts, to discuss the details, like: What would the team be named? And how much would this whole ordeal cost? (Spoiler alert: BILLIONS.) Stay tuned for our special weekly segment, A Mile in Their Boots, featuring a bonus interview with Chris Harris, a local activist and organizer. We’d like to thank Tecovas, who makes our favorite Western wear in town, for being our exclusive launch sponsor. 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