
Texas Tribune TribCast
653 episodes — Page 1 of 14
The runoffs approach
The past and future of the Voting Rights Act in Texas
One on one with Sarah Eckhardt
Texas' looming data center fight
Greg Abbott battles the cities over working with ICE
One-on-one with Don Huffines
Anti-Muslim rhetoric in Texas politics

Assessing the school voucher rollout
In this week's episode, Matthew and Eleanor speak with Tribune K-12 education reporter Jaden Edison about who applied for Texas Education Freedom Accounts, what's next for the program and why many Muslim schools were shut out.

Inside Texas' massive ICE detention facilities
Texas' sprawling immigration lockups are serving as a national blueprint. What's life like for detainees?

Corpus Christi’s water woes
What does Corpus’ looming water crisis mean for the rest of the state?

Cornyn, Paxton, Trump and the heated U.S. Senate runoff
In this week's episode, we're joined by Mark Davis, host of The Mark Davis Show in Dallas-Fort Worth, to discuss whether Donald Trump will endorse pick a side in the John Cornyn-Ken Paxton runoff and what impact that would have.

TribCast Live: Breaking down the 2026 Primary
The 2026 Texas primary elections mark a pivotal moment in a state where many races are effectively decided long before Election Day. There are more than 18 statewide elected officials up for election, along with Texas’ members of Congress, state legislators, district-based judges and local elected officials.The morning after March 3rd’s election, TribCast co-host and Tribune law and politics reporter Eleanor Klibanoff spoke with a panel of political reporters about what the election results mean for the state going forward.

TribCast Live: Previewing the 2026 Texas Primary
The Texas Tribune is grateful for the support of our sponsors. Presenting sponsor for this TribCast Live event is Builders. Major sponsors for the program are Texas Matters and Raise Your Hand Texas. Please note that while sponsorship provides critical support for the Tribune, sponsors play no role in programming or the line of questioning for Tribune events.The 2026 Texas primary elections mark a pivotal moment in a state where many races are effectively decided long before Election Day. There are more than 18 statewide elected officials up for election, along with Texas’ members of Congress, state legislators, district-based judges and local elected officials.Leading up to March 3rd’s primary election, join TribCast hosts Matthew Watkins and Eleanor Klibanoff, along with a panel of experts, for a discussion of where the state’s most consequential races stand and what their outcomes could mean for Texas.

El Paso's alarming airport shutdown
In this week's episode, Matthew talks with Robert Moore, CEO of El Paso Matters, about the federal government briefly pausing air travel into El Paso. What does it say about the federal government, border security and the lives of El Pasoans?

The very online 2026 Texas primary election
TribCast is joined by Democratic strategist and content creator Olivia Julianna and political reporter Kayla Guo to unpack what all the recent social media drama means about the Democratic party

Is our grid all fixed?
In this week's episode, Matthew and Eleanor speak with Matt Boms about the Texas electrical grid's strong performance during the recent winter storm. Does that mean the problems of 2021 are behind us?

Will Venezuela impact Texas' oil industry?
TribCast dives into whether President Trump's plan to get U.S. companies to rebuild Venezuela's oil industry will have repercussions in Texas.

ICE in Texas
With immigration enforcement ramping up in Texas, Texas Tribune reporter Colleen DeGuzman and immigration attorney Paul Pirela join TribCast to discuss.

Can Texas zero out property taxes?
Eleanor and Matthew dig into the dueling proposals that seem to be teeing up a contentious property tax fight.

10 questions that will shape Texas politics in 2026
For this week's episode, Matthew and Eleanor look ahead in the new year to discuss Gov. Greg Abbott's power, Democrats chances and the issues that will dominate election season.

Republican Statewide Candidates
As the TribCast team takes a holiday break, we bring you this recording from The Texas Tribune Festival of interviews with three Republican candidates for statewide office.

One-on-One with James Talarico
As the TribCast team takes a holiday break, we bring you this recording of Matthew's interview with U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico from The Texas Tribune Festival.This episode is sponsored by SXSW.Be where the future unfolds at SouthbySouthwest 2026. Get your SXSW Innovation Badge now. Join the creatives shaping what’s next at sxsw.com/badges.

TEA and Texas education
The rise in state takeovers of school districtsTribune education reporters join TribCast to unpack the recent spate of state takeovers of school districts and what it says about our systems for measuring academic performance.

The 2026 Texas primary slate is set
With the candidate filing deadline behind us, TribCast digs into the musical chairs that awaits voters in 2026.

Did Texas quietly help its child care crisis?
In this week's episode, Matthew and Eleanor speak with K-12 education reporter Jaden Edison and early learning advocate David Feigen about the shortage of affordable child care in Texas and how the school voucher program may or might not help.

Redistricting goes to the Supreme Court
What congressional map will Texas be using for the fast-approaching 2026 midterms? It's up to the Supreme Court to decide.

Dade Phelan on the state of the GOP
In this week's episode, Matthew and Eleanor are joined live at The Texas Tribune Festival by former House Speaker Dade Phelan. He discusses his exit from elected office and his concerns about the state of Texas politics.

Kate Rogers on her ousting from the Alamo Trust
Kate Rogers joins TribCast to discuss her decision to resign from leading the organization that oversees the Alamo historic site amid political pressure

The neediest Texans are feeling the pain of the government shutdown
Texas Tribune reporters Terri Langford and Gabby Birenbaum join the Tribcast to discuss how Texans are coping with the loss of SNAP benefits, chaos at airports and rising health care premiums amid partisan fighting in Washington.

Unpacking the constitutional amendments on the ballot
Texas Politics Project’s Joshua Blank joins the TribCast to walk through the 17 constitutional amendments on the ballot this November

The Hunt is on in the GOP Senate primary
Matthew and Eleanor are joined by Tribune D.C. reporter Gabby Birenbaum and radio host Chad Hasty to unpack the three candidates vying to be the Republican nominee for Senate in 2026

Is Robert Roberson innocent?
In this week’s episode, the TribCast crew is joined by Tribune reporter Kayla Guo to break down the evidence in the Robert Roberson death penalty case.

Texas' new congressional map goes to court
In El Paso, a three-judge panel is hearing a legal challenge to Texas’ new congressional map. Eleanor and Matthew talk to voting rights expert Justin Levitt about the case.

Will the Texas renewable energy powerhouse survive?
This week, Matthew and Eleanor speak with Eric Goff, founder of an energy policy advising firm, about the growth of wind and solar power in Texas and whether it will continue after recent federal efforts targeting the industry.

Texas' changing congressional delegation
TribCast talks with Washington correspondent Gabby Birenbaum about how redistricting and retirements are set to reshape the state's representation in D.C.

The Campus Free Speech Wars
Free speech on college campuses has reemerged as a hot-button issue in the wake of a firing at Texas A&M and the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

Texas is replacing the STAAR test
In this week's episode, Matthew speaks with Tribune reporter Sneha Dey and the Commit Partnership's Bridget Worley about the changes to the state's standardized test, whether the new tests will make anyone happy and the educational philosophy driving state leaders.

Sid Miller's THC entanglements
In this week’s episode, Matthew and Eleanor speak with Texas Tribune reporter Kate McGee about her recent investigative reporting into Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller and his staff. Why did Miller hire a political aide for a top agency position after the aide pleaded guilty to commercial bribery? What did Miller's staff tell investigators about his growing of hemp?

Is Texas protecting its campers from future floods?
In this week's episode, Matthew and Eleanor talk to Texas Tribune climate reporter Emily Foxhall about the emotional pleas Camp Mystic parents made to state lawmakers and analyze the proposed new laws in response to the Kerrville floods.

The Dems returned. What happens next?
Texas Tribune politics reporters Kayla Guo and Renzo Downey join the TribCast to forecast what will happen in the second, extra-special special session, now that the Democrats have returned from their quorum break.

Will 13 Democrats be expelled from the Texas House?
For this week's episode, Matthew and Eleanor ask University of Houston law professor David Froomkin to help them break down the legal cases seeking to expel 13 Democrats from the Texas House. Does fleeing the state to break quorum equate to abandoning office?

How long can Texas Democrats hold out?
In this week's episode, Matthew and Eleanor speak with state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, D-Austin, about her and her colleagues' decison to flee the state, the potential financial and criminal penalties and her opposition to the state's proposed new congressional map.

What's next for the Republicans?
We discuss how the Republican ticket is shaping up? Can you still view the primaries as establishment v. grassroots?

What's next for the Democrats?
We discuss how the Democratic ticket is shaping up in Texas. Will Beto, Allred, Talarico and Castro all run against each other?

Texas' redistricting gamble
Matthew and Eleanor are joined by Kareem Crayton, from the Brennan Center for Justice, to look more closely at Texas' rare midcyle redistricting.

Floods in the Hill Country
In this week's episode, Matthew and Eleanor are joined by Matt Lanza, a meteorologist from Houston, to discuss the deadly Texas floods. How did they happen? Could people have been better warned? And what can keep this region safe in the future?

A very unusual Supreme Court term
The TribCast gang is finally reunited, and joined by Georgetown Law Professor Steve Vladeck to recap the big cases and unresolved questions from the U.S. Supreme Court's recent rulings.

A special legislative session is coming
This week, we run an emergency episode to discuss Gov. Greg Abbott vetoing Texas THC ban and calling a special session. Will redistricting end up on the agenda?

TribCast Live: North Texas and the Legislative Session
This week, we run an emergency episode to discuss Gov. Greg Abbott vetoing Texas THC ban and calling a special session. Will redistricting end up on the agenda?<img src="https://feeds.texastribune.org/link/15711/17061985.gif" height="1" width="1"/>

TribCast Live: Education and the Legislative Session
How do Texas teachers grade the Texas Legislature's big education session? Listen to TribCast live from the Austin Central Library.