Texas Tribune TribCast

From Senate to Railroad Commission, TribCast dives into the most contentious races we'll be watching on May 26

In this week's episode, Matthew speaks with Texas Tribune politics reporter Alejandro Serrano and Houston Chronicle reporter Abby Church over Gov. Greg Abbott's treat to pull more than $200 million in law enforcement funds from Houston, Dallas and Austin unless their police start cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

In this week's episode, Matthew speaks with the Republican nominee for comptroller about his plans for office, waste in state government and his relationship with Gov. Greg Abbott.

Rep. Salman Bhojani, one of the first Muslim state legislators, joins TribCast to talk about the backlash his community has experienced in state government and the GOP primaries.

In this week's episode, Matthew and Eleanor speak with Tribune K-12 education reporter Jaden Edison about who applied for Texas Education Freedom Accounts, what's next for the program and why many Muslim schools were shut out.

Texas' sprawling immigration lockups are serving as a national blueprint. What's life like for detainees?

What does Corpus’ looming water crisis mean for the rest of the state?

In this week's episode, we're joined by Mark Davis, host of The Mark Davis Show in Dallas-Fort Worth, to discuss whether Donald Trump will endorse pick a side in the John Cornyn-Ken Paxton runoff and what impact that would have.

The 2026 Texas primary elections mark a pivotal moment in a state where many races are effectively decided long before Election Day. There are more than 18 statewide elected officials up for election, along with Texas’ members of Congress, state legislators, district-based judges and local elected officials.The morning after March 3rd’s election, TribCast co-host and Tribune law and politics reporter Eleanor Klibanoff spoke with a panel of political reporters about what the election results mean for the state going forward.

The Texas Tribune is grateful for the support of our sponsors. Presenting sponsor for this TribCast Live event is Builders. Major sponsors for the program are Texas Matters and Raise Your Hand Texas. Please note that while sponsorship provides critical support for the Tribune, sponsors play no role in programming or the line of questioning for Tribune events.The 2026 Texas primary elections mark a pivotal moment in a state where many races are effectively decided long before Election Day. There are more than 18 statewide elected officials up for election, along with Texas’ members of Congress, state legislators, district-based judges and local elected officials.Leading up to March 3rd’s primary election, join TribCast hosts Matthew Watkins and Eleanor Klibanoff, along with a panel of experts, for a discussion of where the state’s most consequential races stand and what their outcomes could mean for Texas.

In this week's episode, Matthew talks with Robert Moore, CEO of El Paso Matters, about the federal government briefly pausing air travel into El Paso. What does it say about the federal government, border security and the lives of El Pasoans?

TribCast is joined by Democratic strategist and content creator Olivia Julianna and political reporter Kayla Guo to unpack what all the recent social media drama means about the Democratic party

In this week's episode, Matthew and Eleanor speak with Matt Boms about the Texas electrical grid's strong performance during the recent winter storm. Does that mean the problems of 2021 are behind us?

TribCast dives into whether President Trump's plan to get U.S. companies to rebuild Venezuela's oil industry will have repercussions in Texas.

With immigration enforcement ramping up in Texas, Texas Tribune reporter Colleen DeGuzman and immigration attorney Paul Pirela join TribCast to discuss.

Eleanor and Matthew dig into the dueling proposals that seem to be teeing up a contentious property tax fight.

For this week's episode, Matthew and Eleanor look ahead in the new year to discuss Gov. Greg Abbott's power, Democrats chances and the issues that will dominate election season.

As the TribCast team takes a holiday break, we bring you this recording from The Texas Tribune Festival of interviews with three Republican candidates for statewide office.

As the TribCast team takes a holiday break, we bring you this recording of Matthew's interview with U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico from The Texas Tribune Festival.This episode is sponsored by SXSW.Be where the future unfolds at SouthbySouthwest 2026. Get your SXSW Innovation Badge now. Join the creatives shaping what’s next at sxsw.com/badges.

The rise in state takeovers of school districtsTribune education reporters join TribCast to unpack the recent spate of state takeovers of school districts and what it says about our systems for measuring academic performance.

With the candidate filing deadline behind us, TribCast digs into the musical chairs that awaits voters in 2026.

In this week's episode, Matthew and Eleanor speak with K-12 education reporter Jaden Edison and early learning advocate David Feigen about the shortage of affordable child care in Texas and how the school voucher program may or might not help.

What congressional map will Texas be using for the fast-approaching 2026 midterms? It's up to the Supreme Court to decide.

In this week's episode, Matthew and Eleanor are joined live at The Texas Tribune Festival by former House Speaker Dade Phelan. He discusses his exit from elected office and his concerns about the state of Texas politics.

Kate Rogers joins TribCast to discuss her decision to resign from leading the organization that oversees the Alamo historic site amid political pressure

Texas Tribune reporters Terri Langford and Gabby Birenbaum join the Tribcast to discuss how Texans are coping with the loss of SNAP benefits, chaos at airports and rising health care premiums amid partisan fighting in Washington.

Texas Politics Project’s Joshua Blank joins the TribCast to walk through the 17 constitutional amendments on the ballot this November

Matthew and Eleanor are joined by Tribune D.C. reporter Gabby Birenbaum and radio host Chad Hasty to unpack the three candidates vying to be the Republican nominee for Senate in 2026

In this week’s episode, the TribCast crew is joined by Tribune reporter Kayla Guo to break down the evidence in the Robert Roberson death penalty case.

In El Paso, a three-judge panel is hearing a legal challenge to Texas’ new congressional map. Eleanor and Matthew talk to voting rights expert Justin Levitt about the case.

This week, Matthew and Eleanor speak with Eric Goff, founder of an energy policy advising firm, about the growth of wind and solar power in Texas and whether it will continue after recent federal efforts targeting the industry.

TribCast talks with Washington correspondent Gabby Birenbaum about how redistricting and retirements are set to reshape the state's representation in D.C.

Free speech on college campuses has reemerged as a hot-button issue in the wake of a firing at Texas A&M and the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

In this week's episode, Matthew speaks with Tribune reporter Sneha Dey and the Commit Partnership's Bridget Worley about the changes to the state's standardized test, whether the new tests will make anyone happy and the educational philosophy driving state leaders.

In this week’s episode, Matthew and Eleanor speak with Texas Tribune reporter Kate McGee about her recent investigative reporting into Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller and his staff. Why did Miller hire a political aide for a top agency position after the aide pleaded guilty to commercial bribery? What did Miller's staff tell investigators about his growing of hemp?

In this week's episode, Matthew and Eleanor talk to Texas Tribune climate reporter Emily Foxhall about the emotional pleas Camp Mystic parents made to state lawmakers and analyze the proposed new laws in response to the Kerrville floods.

Texas Tribune politics reporters Kayla Guo and Renzo Downey join the TribCast to forecast what will happen in the second, extra-special special session, now that the Democrats have returned from their quorum break.

For this week's episode, Matthew and Eleanor ask University of Houston law professor David Froomkin to help them break down the legal cases seeking to expel 13 Democrats from the Texas House. Does fleeing the state to break quorum equate to abandoning office?

In this week's episode, Matthew and Eleanor speak with state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, D-Austin, about her and her colleagues' decison to flee the state, the potential financial and criminal penalties and her opposition to the state's proposed new congressional map. 

We discuss how the Republican ticket is shaping up? Can you still view the primaries as establishment v. grassroots?

We discuss how the Democratic ticket is shaping up in Texas. Will Beto, Allred, Talarico and Castro all run against each other? 

Matthew and Eleanor are joined by Kareem Crayton, from the Brennan Center for Justice, to look more closely at Texas' rare midcyle redistricting.

In this week's episode, Matthew and Eleanor are joined by Matt Lanza, a meteorologist from Houston, to discuss the deadly Texas floods. How did they happen? Could people have been better warned? And what can keep this region safe in the future?

The TribCast gang is finally reunited, and joined by Georgetown Law Professor Steve Vladeck to recap the big cases and unresolved questions from the U.S. Supreme Court's recent rulings.

This week, we run an emergency episode to discuss Gov. Greg Abbott vetoing Texas THC ban and calling a special session. Will redistricting end up on the agenda?

This week, we run an emergency episode to discuss Gov. Greg Abbott vetoing Texas THC ban and calling a special session. Will redistricting end up on the agenda?

How do Texas teachers grade the Texas Legislature's big education session? Listen to TribCast live from the Austin Central Library.

Texas legislators took big strides to strengthen our water and grid systems this session. Will it be enough? Texas Tribune reporters Alejandra Martinez and Carlos Nogueras Ramos join the pod to discuss.

In this week's episode, Matthew and Eleanor talk with politics reporter Jasper Scherer about education funding, the effort ban THC and how conservative priorities are sailing through the legislative session in Texas this year.

Big shakeups at the top of Texas’ major universities, and major legislative changes on the way to boot. Three current and former Tribune higher ed reporters overwhelm Eleanor with information.