817 Podcast - Fort Worth's Monday Morning Show

We talk about map Anna, the upcoming bond election, and what we should know about our city council's trip to pitch FC Barcelona in this episode. The big story is Reata and where should the iconic steak restaurant go if they decide to leave downtown. EJ is joined by Ryan Tiglas, a long-time listener and friend of Jimmy's who will be out the next few weeks. It is also Fort Worth Reports ye...

The city council selects a map for redistricting. Jimmy and EJ went through the revisions and what were some challenges along the way. They then discuss the impact Senate Bill 1 is having on elections. The big story is a 'Zero and Hero' segment highlighting people who are doing good work and those who are harming the city's growth. Lastly, the guys finished with wins and losses. Her...

With March Madness in town, Jimmy and EJ discuss the idea of Fort Worth becoming a sports city. Several journalist in the area has wrote articles about this strategy for economic growth and if its a good one to grow a city. Tomorrow is the last public meeting for redistricting so the guys also go through the three versions of Map X that is being discussed. Join the 817 Gather Discord , donate to t...

Jimmy and EJ were in Austin for SXSW! Shout out to Visit Fort Worth for allowing us to be a part of their setup for the city at the Container Bar. Jimmy and EJ get right into discussing Mercy church's illegal involvement in politics, Texas Wesleyan's Hunger Strike,  and Sundance Square's new small business opportunity. During the big story, they spend time telling people around the...

Tarrant County's primary results are concerning and it shows how event the old-guard Republicans are threatened by Mercy culture. At a national and state level we are seeing how crucial Tarrant County is for both Republicans and Democrats. Beto and Abbott were here last week and Biden is coming on Tuesday.  We have a lot of updates as we prepare to head to SXSW next week! Join the 817 Gather...

This is a crucial week for us Fort Worthian... but with international news taking priority, we might miss the opportunity to make some real change. Jimmy and EJ talk about the upcoming redistricting meeting today (we thought it was on Thursday when recording the pod) and why you should vote Republican on Tuesday (including for Cary Moon if you are in his district). The big story is again economic...

Visit Fort Worth had their grand annual event last week, which led to Jimmy and EJ bantering about missing the shindig and if we should be celebrating in the first place. Based on the stories this week, the 817 tag team duo has some not-so-friendly opinions to get off their chest around economic development, our tourist obsessed economy, and redistricting. Join the 817 Gather Discord , donate to t...

Early voting has started! Jimmy and EJ discuss how to optimize your vote in March by taking advantage of Texas's open primaries. We also discuss the upcoming bond packages, including increasing salaries for the council and mayor.   Join the 817 Gather Discord , donate to the 817 Gather , and follow us on Instagram & TikTok .

CDFI Friendly Fort Worth expects to see up to $250 million in new CDFI lending over the next five years and Christina Brooks and her team are leading the launch. We sit with her to discuss her first two years in this brand new position as Chief Equity Officer of Fort Worth and also understand the basics of the CDFI application process. We start the pod with short stories and end the pod with an as...

Jimmy and EJ have a jampacked episode for listeners! This is a full episode where you want to stick around until the end.  They start with CTFI providing $200+ million funding to underrepresented Fort Worthians and then move into school board/ city redistricting. The big story is Panther Island and its boost from the federal government of $403 million.    Join the 817 Gather Discord , donate to th...

This week, EJ and Jimmy focus on a number of small stories from around Tarrant County, on top of reflecting on Colleyville being the center of international news on Saturday. The old KKK building on N Main looks at progress to become a safe space for Fort Worth, and with the announcement of Kent Scribner retiring, we look at what may be next for Fort Worth ISD.  Join the 817 Gather Discord , donat...

This week we have a jam-packed episode that includes a guest interview with Harrison Mantas. Harrison is a government reporter at Star-Telegram who joins us to hit an array of topics, including discussing the seven maps selected by the redistricting committee and upcoming agenda items for the city council. To participate in the next redistricting meeting, click here . Jimmy and EJ start the pod by...

Happy New Year to all of you who make us a part of your life! We appreciate you and are excited to continue to deliver a fresh perspective on the news in Fort Worth. The big story today is about the funding for roads and how North Fort Worth councilmen are fighting for projects when recent data shows that stretches of road where concentrations of people have been killed or seriously hurt in crashe...

WE ARE BACK!! Did you miss us? We have a lot to catch up on so we jump right in. EJ shares his perspective about Rivian. Jimmy leads us through several articles about property in the city and how we invest in affordable housing, community nature areas, and hotels. Here is a list of new restaurants to get excited for in 2022 -> https://www.star-telegram.com/entertainment/restaurants/eats-beat/ar...

Jimmy and EJ catch up after the holidays and share a lot of updates from the past two weeks. The big story was Palo Pinto Mountains State Park and Aaron Dean's lawyer trying to push the trial outside of Tarrant County. We also share why redistricting meetings were canceled in December and how no one was aware of Panther Island being drawn out of Kay Granger's district.  Join the 817 Gath...

Jimmy and EJ share updates on dates to participate in redistricting and the new city council schedule. Aaron Dean's trial is finally set but some believe the trial should be held outside of Tarrant County. The big story is about elites coming to Hotel Dryce and causing a ruckus. Join the 817 Gather Discord , donate to the 817 Gather , and follow us on Instagram & TikTok .

Jimmy and EJ find it ironic that the person in a position to lead District 4 after Careless Cary is a caretaker. The two sit down with Tara Wilson , an ER nurse who recently announced her campaign for the newly vacant city council seat. Before the conversation with Tara, the guys discuss Aggieland North and how Texas A&M plans to build a new $250M research campus in downtown Fort Worth. **Supp...

Jimmy and EJ's involvement in the city led them down interesting perspectives around redistricting and election results. EJ discusses interesting data from the Economist that supports Jimmy and his perspective on the struggle for progress in the city and America as a whole. Economist article EJ references through out the big story: https://www.economist.com/briefing/2021/11/06/the-democrats-s...

Jimmy and EJ start the pod ecstatic about the building of a National Juneteenth Museum. They also discuss councilmen Moon's future on city council as he explores state House District 93 state seat.  The big story is new data around who is moving to Tarrant County based on research done by Texas Real Estate Research Center at Texas A&M University. Join the 817 Gather Discord , donate to th...

This week, EJ and Jimmy break down everything you need to know about the November 2 election! Here is the link they are working off during the episode:  https://ballotpedia.org/Texas_Proposition_5,_State_Commission_on_Judicial_Conduct_Authority_Over_Candidates_for_Judicial_Office_Amendment_(2021) Join the 817 Gather Discord , donate to the 817 Gather , and follow us on Instagram & TikTok .

EJ sits down with two ecosystem builders to discuss the state of entrepreneurship in Fort Worth. We will discuss this white paper about Fort Worth's startup scene (http://startupfortworth.com) and how to participate in Global Entrepreneurship Week (https://gewfortworth.org/) next month! Join the 817 Gather Discord , donate to the 817 Gather , and follow us on Instagram & TikTok .

Jimmy is back and shares his takes on recent developments in Fort Worth while he was out. They discuss new information about the Evans & Rosedale development that makes this pod an important one to listen to. Join the 817 Gather Discord , donate to the 817 Gather , and follow us on Instagram & TikTok .

This is a robust episode as there were a lot of significant updates to get through this week. The main story discusses the new congressional maps and the impact they have on Fort Worth. The small stories get deep as EJ and Tony nerd out about real estate and the chase for Rivian in Fort Worth. They go down a long conversation around gentrification and why it is time for Texas to upgrade its image...

Jimmy is out so Tony joins the pod again to riff with EJ about several important stories that have happened in the last two weeks. Tarrant County will go through an election audit. The city budget is finalized. Redistricting is on the way. Who will get an additional seat? EJ and Tony share their perspective. District Map and Income Data: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19L9ZaiCUaxAbyx3Qnvm7gOcUzzq...

This week's guest is Kyle Walker, associate Professor of Geography and Director of the Center for Urban Studies at Texas Christian University. His research includes US immigration politics, the demography of cities and suburbs, and open data science. Check out his new book: Analyzing US Census Data: Methods, Maps, and Models in R Join the 817 Gather Discord , donate to the 817 Gather , and fo...