Texas Tribune TribCast

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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?

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.

We discuss how the Republican ticket is shaping up? Can you still view the primaries as establishment v. grassroots?

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

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

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?

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.

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?

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"/>

How do Texas teachers grade the Texas Legislature's big education session? Listen to TribCast live from the Austin Central Library.

Texas legislators took big strides to strengthen our water and grid systems this session. Will it be enough? Texas Tribune reporters Alejandra Martinez and Carlos Nogueras Ramos join the pod to discuss.

In this week's episode, Matthew and Eleanor talk with politics reporter Jasper Scherer about education funding, the effort ban THC and how conservative priorities are sailing through the legislative session in Texas this year.

Big shakeups at the top of Texas’ major universities, and major legislative changes on the way to boot. Three current and former Tribune higher ed reporters overwhelm Eleanor with information.

Urban affairs reporter Josh Fechter, and Emily Dove join the pod to talk about how the legislature is moving the needle on housing costs, zoning restrictions and property taxes.

As we embark on the month of May, the gang recaps the big topics so far - vouchers, water, immigration and THC, among others - and the work left to be done.

What the hell is happening at the Texas Lottery? Local lottery expert/Texas Tribune night reporter Ayden Runnels takes us inside.

It’s the insurgents versus the incumbents in the biggest Senate showdown in years. We dig into the details.

With schools being a top issue this legislative session, we zoom in on one important constituency: teachers. How will the proposed pay raises affect them? What has the impact of hiring more uncertified teachers in recent years? And how are they feeling overall about their jobs?

Legislators will attempt to clarify the abortion bans, while also further cracking down on pills. And, the first post-Dobbs arrest!

Current status of marijuana laws and the fight to regulate - or ban - THC products

What does the space industry want from the Texas Legisature?

It’s the five year anniversary of COVID, and Texas is facing measles, avian flu and increased vaccine hesitancy. What have we learned?

Things are about to significantly speed up under the dome, but there have been no shortage of fireworks so far. We’ll recap what’s already happened and what’s to come. We’ll also bid adieu to James.

In this week's episode, Matthew speaks with University of Texas at Austin professor Sherri Greenberg about attempts by state lawmakers to protect Texans from the dangers of artificial intelligence and the blowback it's creating by some Republicans and people in the tech industry.

On this week's episode, we talk about the one-year anniversary of the Panhandle wildfires and how prepared Texas is for various natural disasters.

On this week’s episode, the gang digs into the hot issue of the session: school vouchers, featuring public education reporter Jaden Edison

How the federal government is running with Texas’ playbook on immigration

Looking at Abbott's state of the state speech and his role in the legislative session.

On this week's episode, we recap the week's news and interview an expert on the state's need for water infrastructure investment.

On this week’s episode, the crew talks Trump’s inauguration, the Texans in the new administration and what it’ll all mean for Texas.

On this week’s episode, the team dissects the first day of the legislative session and the vote for the next speaker of the House.

The Texas Tribune’s politics podcast returns with a look at the race for House speaker, the future of school vouchers and other major legislative issues this year.

After a year-plus hiatus, The Texas Tribune's political podcast is back forthe 2025 legislative session.

The Texas Tribune put this podcast on hiatus in August 2023 due to staffing changes in the newsroom. The TribCast was The Texas Tribune's weekly political podcast, hosted by Matthew Watkins and featuring a rotating cast of editors, reporters and other guests.

In this week’s episode, we discuss the changes at Houston ISD after a state takeover in June.

In this week’s episode, we discuss two cases at Texas A&M University that raised questions of academic freedom — and the fallout that ensued.

In this week’s episode, we discuss the half-million people booted from Texas’ Medicaid rolls and the state’s deployment of razor wire and buoys along the border in Eagle Pass.

In this week’s episode, we discuss the winners and losers — politically and financially — after lawmakers approved an $18 billion tax cut bill.

In this week’s episode, we speak with The Texas Tribune’s climate reporter Erin Douglas about why it’s been so hot in Texas and examine the long-term implications as climate change shifts the entire range of Texas heat upward.

In this week’s two-topic TribCast, we discuss the U.S. Supreme Court blocking the consideration of race in college admissions and the dangerous heat inside Texas prisons this summer.

In this week’s episode, energy expert Doug Lewin discusses how wind and solar power are supplying an increasing amount of power in Texas whether state leaders like it or not.

In this week’s episode we check in with radio host Mark Davis and politics reporter Patrick Svitek about the GOP intraparty fighting over property taxes and Ken Paxton’s impeachment.

In this week’s episode, we discuss the arrest of Austin developer Nate Paul, what it might say about Ken Paxton’s impeachment trial and whether it makes Paxton more vulnerable to criminal prosecution.

On this week’s episode, we speak to the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s James Quintero, who has been at the center of the debate over property taxes this week.

On a special live episode, we discuss the impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton and lawmakers' inability to reach an agreement on property taxes.