Texas in Focus

On this week's road trip special episode, Matthew is joined by Kansas State Representative Christina Haswood, who represents House District 10 in the Kansas Legislature. Representative Haswood is one of the youngest legislators in Kansas history and is currently running for a seat in the Kansas Senate. In the interview, Rep. Haswood discusses her path to elected office at a young age, Kansas' repu...

On this week's episode, Matthew welcomes Lauren Ashley Simmons, the Democratic nominee in District 146 of the Texas House of Representatives. Simmons is a first-time political candidate who made headlines in May when she defeated incumbent State Representative Shawn Thierry in a contentious primary runoff election. In the interview, Simmons discusses her news-making victory, her disagreements with...

On this week's episode, host Matthew Reyna previews the 18th annual Dallas International Film Festival. In the first segment, actor and director Jake Allyn joins the program to discuss the world premiere of his new movie, Ride. In the second segment, actresses Amberlee Colson and Laura Campbell talk about their directorial debut: the short film Play Date. In the final segment, ABC News producer To...

On this week's episode, host Matthew Reyna welcomes two guests in separate segments. In the first segment, Fredericksburg (TX) City Councilwoman Emily Kirchner joins the program to discuss how Texas Hill Country cities are preparing for the Monday, April 8 total solar eclipse. In the second segment, amateur boxing official Shawn Craddick discusses what lessons he's learned after one year working a...

On this week's episode, host Matthew Reyna welcomes two great guests in separate segments. In the first segment, Dr. Bryan Gervais, the Director of UTSA's Center for Public Opinion Research, joins the program to discuss how the new polling center aims to inform Bexar County voters ahead of the 2024 election. In the second segment, Lubbock Compact's Adam Hernandez discusses how his organization man...

On this week's episode, Texas State Representative Eddie Morales joins the program to discuss the state and federal response to the migrant surge at the Texas-Mexico border. Rep. Morales was first elected to serve House District 74 in 2020, and his district includes more than 700 miles of the border. In the interview, Morales discusses the state seizure of Shelby Park, Governor Abbott's defiance o...

On this week's episode, Texas Senator Judith Zaffirini joins the program to discuss her trailblazing career in public service. On January 1, 2024, Senator Zaffirini became the Dean of the Senate, a title reserved for the longest-serving member—she is the first woman Dean in the Texas Senate's history. In the interview, Zaffirini discusses her career, why she feels bittersweet about breaking glass...

On this week's episode, Eddie Garcia, President of the South Texas Amateur Boxing Association (STABA), joins the program to discuss his outlook for local amateur boxing in 2024. Garcia was elected President of STABA in 2023 and previously served four years as Vice President of the organization. In the interview, Garcia discusses his roots in boxing, how judges and referees should respond to critic...

On this week's episode, former Houston City Councilwoman Amanda Edwards joins the program to discuss her campaign for Congress. Councilwoman Edwards is challenging incumbent Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee for the Democratic nomination in Texas' 18th Congressional District. In the interview, Edwards discusses why she's running, how her race has changed since she announced her candidacy, and the i...

On this week's episode, former Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff joins the program to discuss his new book  95 Power Principles: Strategies for Effective Leadership in Local Government . In addition to his two-decade tenure as county judge, Wolff served in the Texas House, the Texas Senate, and as Mayor of San Antonio. In the interview, Wolff discusses how San Antonio has changed during his career,...

On this week's episode, Derrick Fox, President and CEO of the San Antonio Bowl Association, joins the program to discuss the 31st Valero Alamo Bowl. Fox has worked on the Alamo Bowl since its debut game in 1993. In the interview, Fox discusses this year's top-15 showdown between Oklahoma and Arizona, how conference realignment is reshaping the Alamo Bowl, and if San Antonio is a future destination...

On this week's episode, Dr. Mike Flores, Chancellor of the Alamo Colleges District, joins the program to discuss AlamoPROMISE. Dr. Flores has led the Alamo Colleges since 2018 and is the first Hispanic chancellor in the district's history. In the interview, Flores discusses Alamo Promise's potential to combat generational poverty, how community colleges fared during the 88th Texas Legislature, and...

On this special edition episode, Trinity University's star quarterback Tucker Horn joins the program to discuss the start of the NCAA Football Division III Playoffs. A fifth-year senior, Horn has led the Tigers to a 9-1 record and is the reigning Southern Athletic Association Offensive Player of the Year. In the interview, Horn previews the Tigers' first-round playoff game against Hardin-Simmons,...

On this special edition episode, University of North Texas radio personality Zac Babb joins the program to discuss the state of the UTSA-UNT football rivalry. For nearly a decade, Babb has served in multiple on-air roles for UNT's Athletics Department. In the interview, Babb previews this weekend's installment of the rivalry game and discusses the future of both programs in the American Athletic C...

On this week's episode, freelance journalist Kaley Johnson joins the program to discuss the state of local newsrooms. Over the course of her burgeoning career, Johnson has spent five years at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, including most recently as the Seeking Justice reporter, and served as the Vice President of the Fort Worth News Guild. In the interview, Johnson answers questions about what new...

On this week's episode, State Representative John Bryant (D-Dallas) joins the program to discuss the third special session of the 88th Texas Legislature. Representative Bryant has served as a state legislator, Congressman, and U.S. Ambassador during his multiple decades in public service. In the interview, Rep. Bryant responds to questions about why he re-entered politics, his thoughts on Governor...

On this week's episode, Joe Jaworski joins the program to discuss the impeachment trial of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Jaworski is the former mayor of Galveston, Texas, and was a Democratic candidate for Attorney General in 2022. In the interview, Jaworski answers questions about the nature of the accusations against Paxton, why the Texas House impeached Paxton, and what Texans lose by havi...

On this week's episode, Gabe Fleisher, Author of the Wake Up To Politics newsletter, joins the program to discuss the opening days of the presidential primary season. In the interview, Fleisher answers questions about the August GOP debate, the state of President Joe Biden's re-election campaign, and the unconventional history of his newsletter Wake Up To Politics.    Congress returns to a "pretty...

On this week's episode, Dallas lawyer Cassandra Hernandez joins the program to discuss her campaign for Texas House of Representatives. Hernandez is running to replace State Representative Julie Johnson in House District 115. In the interview, Hernandez discusses the state of politics in Texas, her thoughts on the most recent legislative session, and the person that inspired her to run for elected...

On this week's episode, San Antonio City Councilwoman Sukh Kaur joins the program to discuss her agenda for the city. Councilwoman Kaur discusses her recent election victory, solutions for businesses affected by construction on the St. Mary's Strip, and what it means to represent downtown San Antonio during a period of development and revitalization for the region.   The work begins for a brighter...

On this week's double episode, host Matthew Reyna marks the beginning of the 2023 San Antonio Film Festival by hosting a panel discussion with the festival's founder Adam Rocha and South Texas filmmaker Rodrigo Moreno-Fernandez, who directed the short film  Strings .   The second half of this week's episode features an interview with Jack Lee, Assistant News Editor at The Battalion , Texas A&M's i...

On this week's episode, State Representative James Talarico joins the program to discuss the recently concluded special sessions of the Texas Legislature. Representative Talarico discusses reports of atrocities committed by state troopers on the southern border, if Texans can be proud of the work of the Legislature, and what his political future looks like.   He's Deeply Religious and a Democrat....

This week's episode is the second in the summer break series. Maine State Senator Mattie Daughtry joins the program to discuss her efforts to push statewide paid family and medical leave across the legislative finish line. The interview also includes Senator Daughtry's travel recommendations, advice for young people running for office, and a conversation about the state of the culture wars in blue...

This week's episode is the first in the Texas in Focus summer break series. Councilor Victoria Pelletier, who represents Portland, Maine's second district on the city council, is our guest on the program. Councilor Pelletier discusses the most pressing issues facing Portland, the struggles that working-class people face when running for office, and her best recommendations for visitors.   Councilo...

On this week's episode, San Antonio City Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez joins the program to discuss the city's opportunities and challenges. Topics mentioned in the interview include the ongoing South Texas heat wave, how to juggle being a young person and an elected official, and Councilman McKee-Rodriguez's priorities for his second term at City Hall.   McKee-Rodriguez speaks his mind regardl...