City Cast Austin

The fight over Austinites’ vote in the city’s tax rate election is going full-force, with early voting already underway and thousands of dollars raised and spent by the two sides. In case you hadn’t heard, Austin City Council voted to ask you to pay more in property taxes in order to fund its $6.3 billion budget. The 5 cent increase per $100 valuation is set to bring in around $110 million. Yesterday, we dug into the case for the measure, known as Proposition Q. Today, host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Robin Rather of the Zilker Neighborhood Association to discuss the case against Prop Q.  Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter.  And don’t forget– you can support this show and get great perks by becoming a City Cast Austin Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm  Follow us @citycastaustin You can also text us or leave a voicemail.  Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE  Learn more about the sponsors of this October 23rd episode: Adios - Use code CITYCAST for 50% off

The fight over Austinites’ vote in the city’s tax rate election is going full-force, with early voting already underway and thousands of dollars raised and spent by the two sides. In case you hadn’t heard, Austin City Council voted to ask you to pay more in property taxes in order to fund its $6.3 billion budget. The 5 cent increase per $100 valuation is set to bring in around $110 million. To dig into the case for the measure, known as Proposition Q, host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Austin City Councilmember José “Chito” Vela. And, make sure you tune in tomorrow for the case against Prop Q.  Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter.  And don’t forget– you can support this show and get great perks by becoming a City Cast Austin Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm  Follow us @citycastaustin You can also text us or leave a voicemail.  Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE  Learn more about the sponsors of this October 22nd episode: Adios - Use code CITYCAST for 50% off

Whether you bleed burnt orange or not, there’s something for every Austinite around The University of Texas at Austin’s campus. From long-standing restaurants to brand new ones, trusty dive bars to groundbreaking concepts, and sights and sounds you did not know existed — we’ve got your guide to the UT campus area. Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Debra Hallum, co-owner of The 1972 Pub, the first women’s sports bar in Texas; and executive producer and fellow Longhorn Eva Ruth Moravec to talk about their favorite places to eat and drink, and what to see and do around UT Austin. Plus, they discuss good gathering spaces for groups, in case the Texas Campus Protection Act becomes effective again.  Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter.  And don’t forget– you can support this show and get great perks by becoming a City Cast Austin Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm  Follow us @citycastaustin You can also text us or leave a voicemail.  Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE  Learn more about the sponsors of this October 21st episode: Adios - Use code CITYCAST for 50% off Cozy Earth - Use code COZYAUSTIN for 40% off best-selling sheets, towels, pajamas, and more.

Earlier this month, the Austin Independent School District released a draft plan to close 13 schools to combat its $19.7 million budget deficit. With a final vote scheduled for Nov. 20, parents and community members are trying to make their voices heard before decisions are set in stone. On today's episode, host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Austin American-Statesman education reporter Keri Heath and Emily Poliakoff, whose son is a student at Ridgetop Elementary – one of the schools that might close – to discuss the district's plan, how it’s impacting families, and the bigger questions these closures raise about the future of public education in Austin. Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter.  And don’t forget– you can support this show and get great perks by becoming a City Cast Austin Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm  Follow us @citycastaustin You can also text us or leave a voicemail.  Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE Learn more about the sponsors of this October 20th episode: LBJ Presidential Library Adios - Use code CITYCAST for 50% off

Early voting starts Monday, and Austin voters have some big decisions ahead, including 17 Texas Constitutional amendments and a tax rate election. If that sounds like a total snooze, we get it – but don't sleep on it! On this week's Friday News Round Up, host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec and producer Elissa Castles to break down what’s on this year's ballot. Plus, the team chats about the plan to remove painted crosswalks in town to comply with a state order and avoid losing state and federal funding, and our weekend picks.  Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter.  And don’t forget– you can support this show and get great perks by becoming a City Cast Austin Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm  Follow us @citycastaustin You can also text us or leave a voicemail.  Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE  Learn more about the sponsors of this October 17th episode: LBJ Presidential Library The Texas Tribune Festival Babbel - Get up to 55% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST

Austin’s hospitality scene has been in the news, from the eight local hotels that kept their esteemed Michelin Keys, to the seven on Condé Nast’s readers choice list of the top 15 hotels in Texas. In today’s episode, host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Austin Monthly's Editor-in-Chief Madeline Hollern to talk about the best staycations for couples, families, groups, and more. While everyone’s tired of the summer temps by now, look on the bright side! At least it’s still warm enough to sit by a pool or river. We’ve got some of our favorites for that, too. This episode originally aired on June 3.  Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter.  And don’t forget– you can support this show and get great perks by becoming a City Cast Austin Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm  Follow us @citycastaustin You can also text us or leave a voicemail.  Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE  Learn more about the sponsors of this October 16th episode: LBJ Presidential Library The Texas Tribune Festival Babbel - Get up to 55% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST

From the stick-straight pines of Bastrop to an iconic dinner table in a room full of animal carcasses, Central Texas is home to dozens of creepy scenes on the silver screen. To celebrate scary movie season, host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by City Cast Austin contributor Eric Webb to dish on what’s filmed here, and our local horror film and TV stars. And heads up, several Austin venues are showing scary movie series right now, like the Paramount Theatre, AFS Cinema, Hyperreal Film Club, and the Alamo Drafthouse. Plus, would movies like “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” installments or Robert Rodriguez’s portion of “Grindhouse” be eligible for a Texas heritage grant boost under the state’s new film incentives requirements? Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter.  And don’t forget– you can support this show and get great perks by becoming a City Cast Austin Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm  Follow us @citycastaustin You can also text us or leave a voicemail.  Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE  Learn more about the sponsors of this October 15th episode: LBJ Presidential Library The Texas Tribune Festival Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST

Texas’ new “Campus Protection Act” is in full force, and with it comes lots of changes to protests at public colleges and universities in the state, just a handful of years after those rights were enshrined in another law. Meanwhile, new state committees have been established to study free speech on campuses, teachers and staff at Texas public schools are under fire for comments on social media, and the Texas Attorney General has launched an undercover operation targeting “leftist terror cells.” To better understand how free speech in Austin is changing under the Trump Administration, host Nikki DaVaughn and executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec are joined by JT Morris, senior supervising attorney for the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), and the lead attorney in a federal lawsuit challenging the new act.   Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter.  And don’t forget– you can support this show and get great perks by becoming a City Cast Austin Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm  Follow us @citycastaustin You can also text us or leave a voicemail.  Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE  Learn more about the sponsors of this October 14th episode: LBJ Presidential Library The Texas Tribune Festival Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST Cozy Earth - Use code COZYAUSTIN for 40% off best-selling sheets, towels, pajamas, and more.

At the end of Friday last week, AISD announced a plan to close 13 school campuses at the end of the school year in an effort to address its $19.7 million deficit. The proposed closures come amid years of declining student enrollment and as the district faces a looming threat of a state takeover. On this week's Friday News Roundup, host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec and Hey Austin newsletter editor Kelsey Bradshaw to break down what these potential school closures mean for the community and for the future of public education in Austin. Plus, the team dives into the highs and lows of ACL weekend one and shares the electric news about the new business moving into the old Austin American-Statesmen's building.  Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter.  And don’t forget– you can support this show and get great perks by becoming a City Cast Austin Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm  Follow us @citycastaustin You can also text us or leave a voicemail.  Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE  Learn more about the sponsors of this October 10th episode: Wise New Waterloo - Trick Hat Workway LBJ Presidential Library The Texas Tribune Festival

A recent report by home security company Vivint concluded that Austin had more ghost sightings last year than almost any other city. And honestly, we’re not surprised. From the moontowers to the Texas State Cemetery and so much more, Austin is full of haunting tales. Newsletter editor Kelsey Bradshaw hosts today’s conversation with Jeanine Plumer of Austin Ghost Tours for a virtual tour of Austin’s most haunted haunts. Plus, you’ll never guess what natural element Jeanine says bumps Austin to the top of that ghost list.  This episode originally aired on October 31, 2024  https://austin.citycast.fm/podcasts/why-water-is-crucial-for-austins-ghosts  Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter.  And don’t forget– you can support this show and get great perks by becoming a City Cast Austin Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm  Follow us @citycastaustin You can also text us or leave a voicemail.  Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE  Learn more about the sponsors of this October 9th episode: Wise New Waterloo - Trick Hat Workway LBJ Presidential Library