City Cast Austin

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...

For today’s episode, host Nikki DaVaughn sits down with Livestrong Foundation President and CEO Suzanne Stone to mark the 20th birthday of the cancer-fighting organization’s iconic yellow wristbands. And what will the next 20 years of treating cancer in Austin hold? The yellow band still costs $1 but changes are afoot, with survivability up, rising rates among young people, a new cancer hospital c...

Today on City Cast Austin, Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Hey Austin Newsletter Editor Kelsey Bradshaw and Eva Ruth Moravec for the Friday News Roundup. We’re talking about President Joe Biden’s upcoming visit to town, a $47.9 million grant coming Austin’s way from the Environmental Protection Agency, and where to find the majestic purple martins. We’d like to thank Tecovas, who makes our favori...

The city of Austin has been searching for a new police chief for a year, and it’s now down to two finalists. But does either one truly have what it takes to run the police department, which has gone through four others in just 17 years? Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Austin City Councilmember Mackenzie Kelly, a staunch public safety advocate who isn’t so sure we’ve found our next chief just yet....

Happy National Tequila Day! In today’s episode, host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by mixologist Sushmita Malakar to talk about how to best celebrate this amazing holiday. The two discuss how to mark National Tequila Day at home, with DIY infused tequilas, and Malakar’s invention, the “Austin Summer” cocktail; which local tequila brands you should try, and where to find Austin’s best margaritas.  We’d...

Elon Musk recently announced that he’s moving the headquarters for X, formerly known as Twitter, to Austin, joining other Musk enterprises already here. Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Asher Price of Axios to discuss — is Austin becoming "Musklandia?" Why is this city so attractive to the world’s richest person, and how does he fit in with Austin’s culture?  We’d like to thank Tecovas, who makes...

In today’s episode, host Nikki DaVaughn sits down with Danny Davis, who reports on the Texas Longhorns for the Austin American-Statesman, to talk about University of Texas sports. Recently, the university held a massive party to celebrate joining the Southeastern Conference, in which UT will compete with powerhouse football teams and deep-seeded rivalries. We dig into what the change really means,...