City Cast Austin

The worst of summer is finally behind us, and at last, it’s cool enough to spend more than 10 minutes outside at any given time. We’ve decided that September is the month to explore what Austin has to offer, and we’ve got just the guide to help you do that. It’s also National Hispanic Heritage Month, and there are tons of ways to celebrate that, here, too. We’re talking about Viva Mexico, Centroam...

TGIF! It’s the Friday News Roundup, and host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Hey Austin newsletter editor Kelsey Bradshaw and executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec to talk about this week’s news. On the agenda: How to celebrate Labor Day weekend, what Austin and Travis County are doing to address the area’s food insecurity and food deserts, and unpacking what really happened when a drag brunch received...

Labor Day is approaching, and even though it feels like a sauna outside, tradition tells us it’s time to grill. Today, host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by the Cairo-born and Texas-trained pitmaster extraordinaire at KG BBQ, Kareem El-Ghayesh, to get all the tips to make your holiday meal a success. Plus, El-Ghayesh tells about the first bite of Texas barbecue in an understated Austin establishment in...

Being a professional musician in Austin is NOT what it used to be — today’s musicians have to juggle multiple gigs, often teach, and have to really work to carve out time to be creative. Today, host Nikki DaVaughn talks to Alex Marrero, a local musician and icon in the Latin fusion music scene, about how he does it all, from performing to teaching to voice artistry and radio show host. Plus, can r...

July in Austin was weird; surprisingly rainy, somewhat cool, even. But the summer slog continues, as our guest, CBS Austin Meteorologist Avery Tomasco, warns. In today’s episode, Tomasco joins host Nikki DaVaughn in recapping our lake-filling but not drought-busting July rainfall and this year’s hurricane season. Plus, Tomasco shares his feelings about the Farmer’s Almanac, “Twisters,” and Austin’...

It’s National Dog Day, and a perfect excuse to talk about everyone’s favorite Austinites: Dogs! It can be a ruff life for canines, but in Central Texas, we sure do love our pooches. To celebrate them, host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Luis Sanchez, the spokesman for Austin Pets Alive!, and executive producer and dog-lover Eva Ruth Moravec. We’re sharing our best tips for dog parents, including wher...

It’s the Friday News Roundup! Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Hey Austin newsletter editor Kelsey Bradshaw and Executive Producer Eva Ruth Moravec to discuss the latest news that caught City Cast Austin’s eye this week. On our agenda: Austin’s inescapable hairdryer-like heat, why Austin City Limits music festival organizers moved Chappell Roan’s set (or so we think), and the eviction of a longtim...

Austin City Council has adopted the budget for next fiscal year — and it’s a measly $5.9 billion. To fund it, the average homeowner is expected to see an increase in fees and taxes of $30 a month. And what will it be paying for? There are employee raises, police department increases, and new line items for addressing homelessness, increased money for maintenance at parks, and the Austin Animal Cen...

It’s a struggle to operate a live music venue in Austin — even despite the city’s tagline as the “Live Music Capital of the World.” In recent years, the local industry has been sucker-punched by rising real estate costs and property taxes, the COVID-19 pandemic, and Winter Storm Uri, not to mention dwindling crowds at hot outdoor summer concerts. But finally, local efforts are underway to keep Aus...

The newest sports team in Austin, the Austin Gamblers, has it all: Guts, Suspense, Heartbreak, Danger, and Cowboys. In today’s episode, host Nikki DaVaughn talks with Michael “Gman” Gaffney, the Gamblers’ coach and a Professional Bull Riders champion. The 3-year-old Gamblers is one of 10 teams who compete in the PBR Team Series, which comes to their home turf, the Moody Center, Aug. 23 to 25. List...

Austin is an old city — it was founded in 1837, then called “Waterloo” — but the ever-present cranes downtown are there to remind us it’s constantly in a state of change. And in recent years, especially, an influx of new Austinites has highlighted one growing pain: Housing. But must we tear down the old to make way for the new? What does a city lose when its architectural history is demolished? Pr...

TGIF! Today, host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Hey Austin newsletter editor Kelsey Bradshaw and executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec for the Friday News Roundup. On today’s list of stories to discuss: The City of Austin’s $5.9 billion budget, why Travis County Commissioners secretly allocated $115,000 to the District Attorney and the iconic Austin businesses that we’re praying for these days. Hey, d...

The largest public education system in Central Texas, the Austin Independent School District, educates 81% of Austin-area students and is the seventh-largest employer in the area. But why is it operating with a $78 million budget deficit, and what can the district do to climb out of their financial hole? Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Superintendent Matias Segura — himself a product of AISD scho...

Rumor has it that Major League Baseball has plans to expand by two new teams, and a pair of Austinites is hoping to woo the league to ATX. In today’s episode, host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by KXAN Reporter Grace Reader, who recently covered the Austin Baseball Commission’s efforts, to discuss the details, like: What would the team be named? And how much would this whole ordeal cost? (Spoiler alert...

This summer, Michelin announced that it is creating a Texas version of its acclaimed Michelin Guide, which rates restaurants and hotels. But recently, we learned just how much Visit Austin and others are paying to bring Michelin taste testers to the Lone Star State: $2.7 million over three years. Is it worth the hotel occupancy tax dollars? Host Nikki DaVaughn dishes on Michelin with Hey Austin ne...

On today’s episode of City Cast Austin, host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Lauren McGaughy, an investigative reporter and editor for the Texas Newsroom, to discuss a recent hearing over whether the lack of AC in Texas prisons amounts to cruel and unusual punishment. Only one-third of Texas’ 101 prisons are fully air-conditioned, and the state says it wants to air-condition them all, but needs the Te...

It’s the Friday News Roundup! And this week, since it’s August, we’re celebrating Pride month. Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Jeremy A. Teel, a local artist and activist, and Hey Austin newsletter editor Kelsey Bradshaw to talk about challenges and changes to Austin queer-friendly businesses, our favorite LGBTQ+ Austinites, and how we’re celebrating Pride month this weekend. And amid the news, l...

More than 1.3 million people live in Travis County, and contribute either as a renter or a property owner to Travis County’s massive budget. But how much do we know about what county commissioners are up to, like testing out a pilot program that could fill an enormous gap in mental health treatment and addressing opioid overdoses? And, why are Travis County voters going to be asked to pay more in...

For the second time in history, a woman has been named as permanent chief of the Austin Police Department. And incoming Chief Lisa Davis will have her hands full, as she addresses staffing and recruitment issues, a department of officers working without a permanent contract, and more. Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined today with Austin American-Statesman and KVUE Reporter Tony Plohetski, to discuss Da...

It’s taken years to unravel the unbelievable crime web woven by Erik Maund, heir to a massive Austin auto dealership, which resulted in the deaths of an escort and her estranged boyfriend in Nashville. After Maund and his co-conspirators were found guilty in federal court, reporter Katy Vine got to work with producer Anna Worrell on their now-released podcast series, “The Problem With Erik.” In to...

As Austinites wrap up their summer travel and students get ready to head back to school, nasty viruses are increasingly present to welcome folks home. Specifically, a new Omicron strain of COVID, and the measles, a few potential cases of which are already in town. To find out how we can stay healthy, host Nikki DaVaughn sits down with Dr. Desmar Walkes, Austin Public Health’s medical director and...

It’s the Friday News Roundup! For today’s episode, host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Hey Austin newsletter editor Kelsey Bradshaw and executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec to break down the week’s news. On our agenda: discussing the recent soaking Austin got from the rain gods, a new development that could help East Austinites fight gentrification, and our favorite local Olympian, Gabby Thomas.  We’d...

The dog days are officially upon us, and the start of school is still a few weeks away. But with budgets blown to cover summertime fun, how can an Austinite possibly survive here in August without going into (more) debt? Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Elissa Rozentuller and Eva Ruth Moravec to share some local knowledge on how to save money on back-to-school, how you can join the underconsumptio...

Today, City Cast Austin wades into the rumor mill to address the falsity that there is a serial killer responsible for bodies found in the past couple of years in Lady Bird Lake. Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by guest Zo Qadri, an Austin city council member whose district includes Rainey Street, about how the Rainey Street Ripper rumor got started, what’s actually causing people to die in Lady Bir...

Summertime in Austin usually means hot, dry days that leave our greenbelts and beautiful green spaces at high risk of wildfires. But this year, with all the rain we’ve had? Not so much. Even so, things could dry up in a flash. Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Deputy Chief Carrie Stewart of the Austin Fire Department to talk about how you should best prepare for a fire, and what the city is doing t...