City Cast Austin

Are we still suffering from a loneliness epidemic, like the U.S. Surgeon General declared in 2023? Well, the experts on friendship that we talked to say, kinda. While things may be getting better, Austinites are experiencing a sort of social atrophy — our social muscles aren’t working as well as they did pre-pandemic. So, to help you get back in friendship shape, host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by E...

Austin has long been represented in Congress by Democrats. But now that the Texas House Democrats are back and the second special session is officially underway, it’s only a matter of time before the new redistricting maps are adopted, splitting Travis County into several Republican districts and one Democratic one. The move all comes at the behest of President Donald Trump, but are Texas Republic...

Tesla’s Robotaxis are here, and Waymo just expanded its footprint in town from covering 37 square miles to covering 90. But it’s not like autonomous vehicles here are anything new — a decade ago, this is where the first fully autonomous car ride took place, and then-Mayor Steve Adler declared Austin the “Kitty Hawk of driverless cars.” Today’s guest, Dan Weinstock, has been riding in Waymos since...

It took Austin police 50 minutes to track down and arrest Ethan Nieneker, the gunman in Monday's deadly North Austin Target shooting. Could Flock Safety license plate readers have helped catch Nieneker sooner? Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis says yes, but others argue the drawbacks outweigh the benefits. On this week's Friday News Roundup, Executive Producer Eva Ruth Moravec is joined by MySA digit...

For many Americans, money is tight right now. But fear not, Austinites — there is still plenty to do on the cheap in this city, and the City Cast Austin team is here to tell you all about it. We’re shelling out our best tips for the cheapest breakfast tacos, heartiest affordable lunches, best dinner deals, our favorite happy hours for food and drink, and things to do for fun that are low-cost or f...

On Monday afternoon, Ethan Nieneker, a 32 year old male, opened fire in a North Austin Target parking lot, killing three and injuring others. Nieneker had previous encounters with the Austin Police Department and a record of mental health issues. On today's episode, executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec chats with Police Chief Lisa Davis to break down how the shooting unfolded and later with Tabetha...

Recently, the Austin Aquarium got slapped with a rare warning from the United States Department of Agriculture for unsupervised interactions between animals and humans that went awry. The incidents themselves took place a couple of years ago, around the time that Austin’s Animal Advisory Commission formed a working group to examine aquariums. And, while the commission recommended that Austin City...

This week, Austin City Council will adopt next year’s budget, and all signs are pointing towards a tax rate election. Sales taxes aren’t what they used to be, federal cuts have hit the city’s bottom line, and employment costs continue to rise, all contributing to the $33.4 million deficit that isn’t going away anytime soon. Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Amy Stansbury of The Austin Common to get...

This week, Texas House Democrats fled the state, breaking quorum in an effort to block a vote on redistricting. In response, Republican lawmakers have threatened legal action and have even called on the FBI to track them down. On this week's Friday News Roundup, host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Hey Austin newsletter editor Kelsey Bradshaw and executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec to break down the p...

Two new state laws have caused major changes at Texas’ public universities, just as loads of cash has been channeled to new institutions claiming a more “anti-woke” approach to education. As a result, professors have left The University of Texas at Austin, reports today’s guest, Brant Bingamon, in the Austin Chronicle. He joins host Nikki DaVaughn to talk about the $100 million School of Civic Lea...

The State of Texas just set a new execution date of Oct. 16 for Robert Roberson, convicted of killing his two-year-old daughter in 2002. Last October, the Supreme Court of Texas stepped in to stay his execution at the last minute, after state lawmakers raised questions about his potential innocence, but then lifted the stay one month later, clearing the way for this new execution date. For today’s...

After Democrats fled Austin in order to keep the Texas House from taking up redistricting, Gov. Greg Abbott threatened to remove them from office and suggested they might be committing bribery by fundraising to cover $500-a-day fines. Still, the Democrats have declared the special session is over and appear to be well-resourced enough to back that up. Executive Producer Eva Ruth Moravec is joined...

The violent deaths of four teenagers in an Austin yogurt shop in 1991 forever changed the city, and Austin’s collective trauma is on full display in a new HBO documentary series, “The Yogurt Shop Murders.” Over the years, detectives have tried to find the killers, and two people were even convicted – but later released after being cleared by DNA. Still unsolved, the killings of Amy Ayers, 13; Eliz...

Austin is once again in the national spotlight, as Texas lawmakers work to create the five new Republican congressional districts President Donald Trump requested. But will they succeed? On today’s Friday News Roundup, host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by KXAN’s Grace Reader and executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec to talk about the effort to redistrict Texas, why the City of Austin is clashing with fi...

We’ve made it to the dog days of summer, and they are long. Yet unlike most other years, this August, Austin is looking green and gorgeous thanks to our very rainy July. In our monthly guide to August 2025 in Austin, host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec and Nicolai McCrary, senior staff writer at The Infatuation, to share our picks for sights to take in (in the air-...

Since the July 4th flooding in Central Texas and the Hill Country, volunteers have shown up in droves, at first overwhelming the extensive flooding scenes. Even though officials told folks to not just show up, hundreds of people did, both in and around Kerr County, and in Austin-area Sandy Creek. In this two-part episode, host Nikki DaVaughn first hears from Dayna De Hoyos, who lives in Comfort an...

A tax rate election is getting more and more likely, as Austin City Council members seem less interested in cutting services in order to adopt a budget that balances out a $33 million deficit. But Austin City Council Member Paige Ellis has another proposal: Charge Austinites a fee for parks, an idea that could bring in $5.4 million. Ellis joins host Nikki DaVaughn to explain her proposal, and go o...

A special session is underway at the Texas Capitol, where lawmakers have a list of 18 items to address in just 30 days. While regulating THC products used to be at the top of the list, that all changed after the July 4th floods, and folks want answers and solutions to prevent similar tragedies from happening again. Plus, lawmakers are voluntarily taking on redistricting, to appease President Donal...

Everyone's talking about Austin-area Rep. James Talarico after the Democrat's interview on the Joe Rogan Experience was published this week. And, everyone wants to know: Will he throw his hat in the ring for Sen. John Cornyn’s seat in D.C.? Host Nikki DaVaughn discusses on today's Friday News Roundup, joined by Hey Austin newsletter editor Kelsey Bradshaw and executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec. P...

For lots of Austinites, the swag one gets for donating to our local NPR station, KUT, is a status symbol. Grackle-adorned totes and socks are practically a currency — this city loves the news station and its sister station, KUTX, which often showcases Austin musicians. But do Austinites love KUT enough to save it? The station is trying to raise $1.2 million to shore up what it lost when Congress r...

Yes, we just saw record-breaking rainfall that brought more rain to Austin in July than we typically see throughout an entire summer. And yes, the reservoirs that hold Austinites’ drinking water are 95% full for the first time since 2019. But that still doesn’t mean you can water your lawn every day — or that the city can take a break from fixing its hundreds of miles of leaky pipes. Host Nikki Da...

Newsflash: Things are expensive, and retailers are hiding costs related to inflation and economic unknowns everywhere they can. Fear not, Austinites, we have a solution for you. This city is full of secondhand stores, vintage popups, clothing swaps, and other opportunities to buy things used. So where do you start? Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by expert thrifter Paula Cox, and Hey Austin newslett...

The world’s richest man may not have the same power he once had in the White House, but Elon Musk has become quite powerful in Austin, at the seat of Texas government. Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Lauren McGaughy, an investigative reporter and editor with the Texas Newsroom, based at KUT, who covers Musk and recently wrote about his secret emails with Gov. Greg Abbott, his fight with West Lake...

This week, Austin City Manager T.C. Broadnax unveiled his proposed $6.3 billion budget, which aims to shore up the city's deficit while avoiding a direct call for a tax-rate election. But will it work? Some city leaders are skeptical. On this week's Friday News Round Up, host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Hey Austin newsletter editor Kelsey Bradshaw and executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec to tell yo...

From morning sets in coffee shops to cumbia yacht rock popups, Austin has a DJ for every interest. Host Nikki DaVaughn caught up with her favorite one, DJ Chorizo Funk, to get the inside scoop on the best venues and events in town, and the do’s and don’t’s every party attendee needs to know.  Learn more about the sponsors of this July 17th episode: Visit Port Aransas Bandera County Convention & Vi...