On this episode we speak with Niky Wooding, Esq about the importance of these midterm elections and your right to vote. We also discuss with her the journey as a black woman in the legal field and the challenges that come with it. Hip-Hop Facts this week include facts about Ice Cube, Johnny Gill, Madonna and more. Fresh’s Unpopular Opinion is that Houston is a better city at producing music than Austin.
education
Remembering labor and civil rights leader Dolores Huerta
Could control of the Lone Star State come down to turnout in smaller Texas cities? A look at dueling rallies in Lubbock and what they add up to.
Other stories we’re tracking: One of the most powerful offices in Texas is up for grabs yet seemingly far from the media spotlight. What’s at stake in the contest for Texas Land Commissioner and why it matters so much.
Nearly 2 million Texas voters land on the so-called suspense list. We’ll break the suspense over what that actually means.
Also, remembering labor leader and activist Dolores Huerta and her impact here in the Lone Star State.
And the strange, unsettling worlds of filmmaker Jane Schoenbrun.
City Council District 1 race, Travis & Williamson voter guides, Austin Film Festival
Election Day is less than a week away, and voters in districts across Austin are deciding who will represent them on City Council. The dais will include at least two new representatives next year, including the council member from District 1. More about the candidates vying to represent Northeast Austin.
We’re taking a look at the big races on the ballot in Travis and Williamson counties.
October is always busy in Austin, and the month is coming to a close with the 33rd annual Austin Film Festival. A sneak peek at the local filmmakers who are showcasing their works.
Lakeway seniors head to the polls, Hays County judge race, Texas House districts 45 & 52
We’re one week out from Election Day, and 30% of registered voters in Travis, Hays and Williamson counties have already cast their ballots. If you haven’t made it to your polling place just yet, don’t fret! We’ve got more information about contests for a pair of Texas House districts, 45 and 52.
We’ll also talk about Hays County, where voters are selecting a new county judge for the first time since 2018.
Residents at the Belmont Village senior living center in Lakeway aren’t letting cancer diagnoses and broken bones stop them from exercising their constitutional right. We join them for a trip to the ballot box.
When food goes beyond nourishment and becomes a form of resistance: the latest from the Tacos of Texas podcast.
James Talarico’s UT years, Dan Patrick’s rise to power, Age-friendly Austin
Austin state Rep. James Talarico is locked in a tight battle against Attorney General Ken Paxton to become the next senator from Texas. Before his time in the halls of the Texas Capitol, Talarico’s political career commenced on the University of Texas campus.
Dan Patrick is seeking his fourth term as lieutenant governor of Texas. The Republican incumbent is facing an unusually competitive race against another Austin state representative, Vikki Goodwin. We’ll tell you more about the power Patrick has built over nearly two decades in the state Capitol.
Austin’s earned a few nicknames over the years. But “age-friendly city” might not be the first that comes to mind.
Austin Signal is made possible by listeners like you. You can support our work by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org
This is Loud! w/ Steve Rifkind
On this ENTIRE episode we have a conversation with the legendary Steve Rifkind about him starting Loud Records, discovering Wu-Tang Clan, Mobb Deep, Big Pun, Three 6 Mafia and more. We also discuss his later success with discovering Akon, Three 6 Mafia winning the Oscar and navigating Hip-Hop in the early to late 90’s.
Texas women bring homegrown horror to ‘Beneath the Bluebonnets’
Record voter registration numbers point to what appear to be new records set in early voting. What do they tell us about the midterms in Texas?
Also, Meta blocks an Instagram account for a No Kings protest, stoking fears of online political shenanigans — or worse — from a major social media company. Omar Gallaga joins us with what’s known and what’s not.
The Standard’s Michael Marks on another sort of Cutoff: A favorite East Texas fishing spot now literally cut off to visitors. He’ll bring us the latest on a court fight by locals trying to regain access.
And in time for spooky season, tales of terror by Texas women writers. Editor Carmen Gray on “Beneath the Bluebonnets.”
Texas autism therapy program could lose its funding
Democrat Bobby Pulido is leading a poll in Texas’ Congressional District 15 that had heavily favored Trump. The district’s Latinos may be leaning even further left.
Some Texas school districts shifted toward a four-day school week during the pandemic. Now there may be legislation to discourage that.
Texas is considering doing away with a program meant to serve children across the state with autism. We’ll look at why the cut is on the table and what other options families might have.
Plus, confusion over whether permitting has continued for new Texas data centers despite the governor’s call for a pause.
And Texas filmmaker Meghan Ross takes us through the process of loss in the PBS docuseries “How We Grieve.”
‘Redemption’ explores faith and sisterhood on Texas death row
Early voting is underway. We’ll go over five things to watch for as Texans cast ballots in races that are too close to call.
Is the state of Texas trying to sell a beloved beachfront state park to Elon Musk?
Plus, how school cafeterias are coping amid rising costs and cuts to federal food assistance.
And why out-of-state colleges are increasing their effort to recruit students from Texas.
And author Lawrence Wright talks about his new book “Redemption: Faith, Justice, and Sisterhood on Death Row.”
Conflict Foods: How food and a detention center affect a small town in Texas
Tacos and food show up where people need them most especially in small towns outside detention centers. In this episode of Tacos of Texas, we head down to Dilley, Texas, near the South Texas ICE detention center, where families navigating detention are also navigating hunger, uncertainty, and dignity. Reports from inside describe food that’s often inedible, inadequate, or unsafe, leaving many families struggling just to eat. Outside those walls, Mexican restaurants, advocates, lawyers and organizers show up, serving tacos, warm plates, and kindness for families in transition. This episode is about conflict foods and what happens when the stress of having children and families detained in a detention center and the role food plays for these families. We also talk to organizers from the Free Families Pilgrimage and learn how history repeats itself, from the 1942 Japanese Internment Camps in Crystal City, TX to today’s detentions in Dilley, Texas.
https://www.americangateways.org/
https://www.mobilize.us/detentionwatchnetwork/c/end-child-and-family-detention/event/create
Latino horror anthology explores fears carried across generations
The border is secure, but there’s a border emergency. Why the difference between two GOP narratives? We’ll have a closer look.
The first in-person votes are being cast in the Texas midterms today as early voting kicks off. The Standard’s Michael Marks joins us with a look at the race for agriculture commissioner, and how one of the most talked-about issues has little to do with farm policy and more to do with eligibility.
Also: Beyond the horse race in the most closely watched contest on the Texas ballot. What are the issues driving voters to pick between Ken Paxton and James Talarico?
Just in time for the spookiest of seasons: A collection of horror stories from leading Latino voices in the genre is out now. Editor Cynthia Pelayo joins us to talk about “Something Followed Us Home.”
Roll Tide! w/ Lynn
On this episode we interview Austin rap artist Lynn about her journey from Alabama, Houston and now Austin and her place in the current female rap ecosphere. Hip-Hop Facts include facts about the movie Blade, Eazy E, Twista and more. Fresh’s Unpopular Opinion this week is that the majority of Los Angeles rap artists don’t blow up outside of California.
Big Bend border wall worker camps raise concerns in West Texas
A border wall cutting through Big Bend is on hold, but something connected to the wall still has many locals unsettled.
This week saw a debate between candidates hoping to represent what is geographically the biggest congressional district in Texas, and the stakes for both parties are high. Texas Public Radio’s David Martin Davies tells us more.
Also, the week in politics with the Texas Tribune.
Plus, the Texas Beachcomber on a big win for a special place south of the border.
Who has the best breakfast taco? The RGV? San Antonio? Texas Monthly’s taco editor sparks a Texas-sized argument.
And after a big loss for the formerly No. 1 Longhorns, what now?
What a Democratic governor could mean for Texas
The last time a Democrat served as Texas governor was decades ago. Is that about to change?
For years, politics-watchers have all but dismissed the prospect of a Democrat being elected governor in deep-red Texas. But polls suggest the closest gubernatorial race in recent memory between incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott and challenger Gina Hinojosa. Two veteran political analysts consider the potential implications of a political earthquake.
San Antonio files suit against the feds over a planned immigration detention center.
Also: Can you bully an AI chatbot? Tech expert Omar Gallaga sheds light on an ongoing debate.
Plus, Texas Monthly barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn on the future of a Bryan smokehouse more than a century old.
Petition to close Austin schools, APD’s use of force, Reuse on the Runway
Some parents at two Austin middle schools are running out of time in their effort to get the schools closed, a move to try and avoid a state takeover of the entire Austin Independent School District.
Austin Police characterize the fatal shooting this summer of an unarmed teen as a likely “suicide by police.” But some question the use of force, and argue APD should better handle mental health crises.
There’s still time to apply to vote by mail in the upcoming midterm election. What seniors need to know.
Plus: Meet a local designer turning waste into wearable art for an upcoming fashion show.
ACL FEST 2026!
On this episode we hit ACL Fest 2026 and interview hometown hero DJ Cassandra and international musician superstar, Rochelle Jordan about their ACL and musical experiences. Fresh flies solo for Hip-Hop Facts which includes facts about T.I., Outkast and more. Fresh’s Unpopular Opinion this week is about the feeling that ACL failed the hip-hop community.
New UT poll shows unusually tight statewide races
A new poll from the Texas Politics Project suggests the Republican winning streak in the Lone Star State faces its toughest test yet.
It’s cotton picking season in Texas. Scientists studying wild cotton and its ancestral origins hope older genetic traits could eventually strengthen the varieties farmers plant today.
And: One of the most durable sayings about Texas pride gets a reality check from commentator WF Strong.
Austin bond preview, Residences between San Antonio and Austin, New cookbook from Nixta owners
With early voting around the corner, you might be focused on the races for U.S. senator and governor, but several important local votes are happening — including a nearly $300 million bond proposition to help local libraries and parks.
Austin and San Antonio are growing closer together every day. We’ll get an update on home sales and housing developments in those counties just south of Travis.
Plus: The co-owners of Nixta Taqueria have a new cookbook that tells their families’ stories and how they’ve blended those traditional foods into their lives in America.
Bonds, ETFs, and the 75-25 Rule: Building Wealth at Every Age
Carl Stuart takes caller and text questions on capital gains and tax implications.
Voter registration backlog, No Wrong Door program, Jess Williamson at ACL
We’re just over a week away from the start of early voting, and Texas registrars are still working to process thousands of voter applications. The latest from Travis County’s effort to address the backlog.A new city initiative has a goal of connecting folks experiencing chronic homelessness with long-term supports, but some advocates are concerned about the involvement of law enforcement with such sensitive cases. More about this week’s discussion of the project.We’ll hear from Austin artist Jess Williamson. She performed at the first weekend of ACL Fest and told us about her new project. Did Taco Bell really steal the taco? Mando Rayo, host of the Tacos of Texas podcast, dives into the controversy, plus a taco talk happening this weekend.