Ann and EJ present three short stories and an interview with Cowtown Democrats President Geoffrey Hyder, who will host the new Texas Democrat Party Chair, Kendall Scudder, on April 15th! Enjoy the episode, and we apologize for the audio, as we had to move into an outdated studio. We will be better in the future!

SHORT STORY #1: Measles Exposure in Tarrant County

- RFK Jr. Heads to Texas Kid's Funeral Who Dies from Measles

- Tarrant health officials issue warning about possible measles exposure in Grapevine 

- Tarrant County Public Health lays off staff amid nationwide federal funding cuts

SHORT STORY #2: Fort Worth Way Obsessed with Literacy Feels Sketchy

- This new Fort Worth advocacy group wants every elected leader focused on literacy

- Fort Worth ISD shifts $22.7M to support renewed literacy focus. Here’s how

SHORT STORY #3: Fort Worth Council Candidates Financing Reports Are In: What do we see?

- Fort Worth City Council candidates raise $1M ahead of May 3 election

BIG STORY: Interview with Geoffrey Hyder

WINS AND LOSSES

Ann:

👍 Community Design April Schedule

👎 Going to State Legislature to fight for crumbs

EJ:

👍 Bills that support freedom of religon

👎 HB44

Democrats have been making gains across the country in special elections, but what does that mean for Tarrant County, where our GOP Judge is looking to rezone the county in his favor and the Tarrant Democratic Party can barely afford rent? Ann and EJ analyze the city, county, and state situation and believe hope exists. Be a part of the hope and attend a Gather. Join our Discord.

SHORT STORY 1: Legacy Downtown Wells Fargo Bank Moves to Clearfork

SHORT STORY 2: Parents sue Trinity Valley School, allege sexual abuse cover-up involving at least 16 girls

- Keller ISD

- Mercy Culture Prepatory

- FWISD apologizes to students

SHORT STORY 3: URGENT: The Texas 'Exceptions' Bill is a Trojan Horse

- The "Life of the Mother" Trojan Horse

BIG STORY: Where Do Fort Worth Democrats Go From Here?

- Democrats are winning special elections like it's 2018

- FWR panels are inequitable for rising young candidates

- Who is getting endorsed or supported by Texas True Project and Patriot Mobile?

- Tarranty County Judge Trying to Use Redistricting to takeout Dem Commissioners

- Kendall Scudder Elected Chair of Texas Democratic Party

- Texas Democrats select Kendall Scudder as state party chair

- Democrats no longer benefit from voter turnout

WINS AND LOSSES

Ann

👍 Art Fort Worth

👎 DART Funding

EJ

👍 Arlington

👎 Cary Moon is making a fake difference

Today, we sit down with the president and a lead organizer of the César Chávez & Dolores Huerta Committee of Tarrant County, Maricela Jimenez and Maria Morales, to discuss the upcoming March for Justice. If you want to join us, we will gather at 9:30 am at the JFK Memorial on March 29th. If you cannot make the walk, they also have a link to donate.

SHORT STORY #1: Fort Worth-based Texas refugee office receives $47M in paused funds after legal battle

- The government is actually spending more money

- US government spending has not slowed under Trump so far, data shows

SHORT STORY #2: Texas might make it easier to build smaller homes. Tarrant leaders are speaking out

SHORT STORY #3: What to know about attending a protest in Texas?

BIG STORY: Interview with César Chávez & Dolores Huerta Committee of Tarrant County Leader

WINS AND LOSSES:

Ann:

👎 Funky Town Fridge Nees Our Support

👍 Arts Forward Summit this Saturday

EJ:

👎 Another Death Under Waybourn's Leadership

👍 Council Panels Across Fort Worth are Coming Up!

COMMUNITY:

Join the next 817 Gather on April 13th

Join our Discord Server

Ann and EJ are guest-less this pod, which is the first in weeks! Ann attends a Mayoral panel where the last four mayors of Fort Worth talk about the past, present, and future of Fort Worth. This leads to the question: Is Fort Worth better today than pre-pandemic or post Betsy Price?

SHORT STORY #1: Keller ISD Remains One District

- Keller ISD abandons plan to split district into two, citing financial barriers

- ‘It’s not over’: Opponents of squashed Keller ISD split rejoice, but demand transparency

- Effort to divide Keller schools was sneaky to the end. How do we prevent a repeat? | Opinion

SHORT STORY #2: The Modern vs. Gateway Endorsed Politicians

- District attorney gets case alleging child pornography in Fort Worth museum exhibit

- Former Gateway Church pastor Robert Morris indicted on 5 charges of indecency with child

SHORT STORY #3: Federal Funding Impact on Fort Worth and Local Non-Profits

- As cuts continue, one study looks at how much each state relies on the federal government

- Catholic Charities Fort Worth expects to get $47M in paused refugee funds after suing feds

- ‘It’s disappointing’: North Texas food banks lose $2 million in federal funding cuts

BIG STORY: Is Fort Worth Better Today? TBD

- Dallas-Fort Worth no longer leads nation in population gain. Here’s where we rank

- DFW is growing leaps and bounds. But the biggest changes aren’t around Fort Worth

- Mayoral Panel

WINS AND LOSSES

Ann:

👎 US drivers log 3.28 trillion miles in 2024, setting new record

👍 Transit Mixer

EJ:

👎 50 Rottweilers and other dogs rescued in Watauga animal cruelty case

👍 Fort Worth eighth grader leads campaign to educate immigrant families

Community Updates

- Join Discord 

- Attend Gathers (April 20th)

Brandi Waller-Pace, the organizer and visionary behind Fort Worth's African American Roots Festival, joins us in the studio. She shares her motive for bringing such a curated experience to the city and how Fort Worth can be a destination for art and music that uplifts marginalized voices. As usual, we go through our short stories, wins, and losses!

SHORT STORY #1: Measles Outbreak: Where is our Health Director Brian Byrd?

- Tarrant County is preparing for measles: " Moderate to high likelihood of a case here
- Nate Schatzline Tempertantrum Attacking Bud Kennedy

- Nate Schatzline dangerous propaganda celebrating anti-vaxxers during a Measles outbreak in Texas

- Brian Byrd weak response to Measles

SHORT STORY #2:  Fort Worth proposes urban rail system emanating from downtown

SHORT STORY #3: Tarrant County Sheriff's son arrested in Arlington, accused of soliciting a minor

BIG STORY: Brandi Waller-Pace and the Fort Worth African American Roots Music Festival: March 15th

- Spotify list to get ready!

WINS AND LOSSES

Ann:

👍 Community Events

👎 The process for signing up to speak against vouchers

EJ:

👍 FWAAM FEST

👎 G$ Lil Ronnie

COMMUNITY LINKS:

Attend the March 16th Gather

Join our Discord Community

Ale Checka, an award-winning public school teacher with 17 years of experience in FWISD, organized an opinion piece in the Star-Telegram to oppose Governor Abbott's Voucher Program. This voucher program aims to defund public schools while subsidizing private schools for privileged families. FWISD is already facing budget cuts and school closures, and this bill could exacerbate these challenges in our school communities. We are in the 9th inning, so Ale joins Ann and EJ to get us out of our seats and into the streets advocating for our public schools.

SHORT STORY #1: Steer FW Recap

-Fort Worth officials revamp plans for West 7th public improvement district after roadblocks

SHORT STORY #2: Mental Health Panel

SHORT STORY #3: Keller ISD updates

- City of Fort Worth pushes for public vote in Keller ISD split

- Keller ISD grapples with potential $12.4M deficit as new split details emerge

BIG STORY: We’re Fort Worth educators. Let us tell you how bad vouchers will be for schools | Opinion

- Fort Worth ISD seeks balance between community voice, data in school closure plan

WINS AND LOSSES:

👎 DART says legislation to reduce its funding would have 'devastating impact'

👎 Conservation Policy

👍 Fort Worth child care center avoids closure after outpouring of donations

EJ:

👎 Mercy Culture Measel Vaccination Rates

👎 Fort Worth-area event reveals how some conservative activists see Black history, culture | Opinion

👍 817 Gather Join Us | Discord Community

Ann and EJ sit down with Jason Ballmann, who is running for city council District 3. Jason was a former council member in Marfa, Texas, and is currently a brand strategist at Texas Instruments. Fort Worth is growing fast, and we need leadership that puts people first, not just developers and big real estate interests. Jason shares how he has seen firsthand what happens when communities get priced out, neighborhoods lose their character, and working families struggle to keep up with rising costs. Growth should work for everyone, not just a select few in Fort Worth!

SHORT STORY #1: Health

- Deadly flu season: CDC reports more deaths from flu than COVID in recent weekly data

- Here's a look at 2023-2024 Texas kindergartens w/ <50% MMR vax rate. Notice the majority are private schools

- 21 Measles Cases Linked to Megachurch in Texas

- Texas Banned Abortion. Then Sepsis Rates Soared

- A third woman has died under Texas’ abortion ban as doctors reach for riskier miscarriage treatments

- A Woman Died After Being Told It Would Be a “Crime” to Intervene in Her Miscarriage at a Texas Hospital

SHORT STORY #2: Education

- Parents rally to save Fort Worth ISD schools from closure

- Here’s why the Tarrant County government is stepping up to help boost reading rates

- Fort Worth ISD community members call for policy to protect students from ICE raids

- 11-year-old Texas girl was bullied to suicide over family’s immigration status, mom says

SHORT STORY #3: Development

- Texas Leads the Build-to-Rent Boom

- Austin is no longer the Texas metro with the highest rent prices

- The gap between house and apartment rents in D-FW has never been bigger

BIG STORY: Interview with Jason Ballmann for District 3

WIN ANS LOSSES:

Ann:

👍 Youth 

👎 Federal Funding Cuts to Transporation

EJ:

👍 Jambaloo

👎 Dan Patrick Conservative Hollywood Bill

817 Gather:

Today, the 817 Pod community hears from Lara and Zephyr, two students at Keller High School who are part of the Keller Student Activism Organization. This grassroots movement was initiated by a small but determined group of students who have made their voices heard at recent board meetings and organized a school walkout to protest the board's proposal to split the school district into two parts. This plan is controversial and has garnered opposition from community leaders, who are presenting evidence to highlight the lack of transparency and the need for the people to have a say through a vote.

Follow and subscribe to stay informed on what is going on around you in Fort Worth, Tarrant County.

Ann and EJ sit down with a friend of the podcast, Katrina Carpenter, with Carpenter's Cafe. EJ and Ann riff on short stories, giving you all updates on election filers, federal executive orders, and the shenanigans in District 6. ENJOY!

SHORT STORY #1: Who has filed to run and events you should know about

- Who's running for Fort Worth City Council in 2025? Here are the candidates for the May 3 election

- Join us at the 817 Gather

- The Future of the City (EJ's moderating)

- Interested in Running for School Board Event

SHORT STORY #2: Executive Orders and DEI Bans Impact on FW

- Federal funding freeze stirs panic, confusion for Tarrant County Meals on Wheels

- Trump wants to end U.S. Department of Education. How would Fort Worth schools be affected?

- TCU's website boasted DEI as 'key to the university's mission.' Now that page is gone

- UTA creates a Task Force to be proactive

SHORT STORY #3: District 6 is a Dumpster Fire 

- Gyna Endorses MAGA

- Mia Hall gets Jared's staffer's endorsement

- Jared endorses a different Crowley School Board member

BIG STORY: A Candid Conversation with Katrina Carpenter

WINS AND LOSSES:

Ann:

👍 Events to mobilize

👎 Federal Executive Orders

EJ:

👍 Costco

👎 Stock Show

This week, the big story is a sit down with Chris and Mendi Tackett from See It. Name It. Fight It. Chris was a former school board trustee and an influential voice on CNN's Deep in the Pockets of Texas. He shares his expansive research and foresight since the show and his upcoming workshop for those interested in running for their community's school board. Mendi's experience is following the nuances around Christian nationalism in Texas and how we have to hold Republicans even more accountable beyond vouchers! This is a dynamic duo, which is why we have such a long show for you this week! 

For those newbies to the 817 Pod, we are a weekly show that does three short stories and one big story every week. The show ends with wins and losses from Ann and EJ! We look forward to seeing you back next Monday. If you want to join us in person and hang out with like-minded progressives, come to our 817 Gather. Can't make it in person? Join our Discord Community

SHORT STORY #1: Who is running in Fort Worth?

- Fort Worth council member Jared Williams rescinds reelection bid, leaving District 6 open

SHORT STORY #2: Trump's ICE in Schools impact local students and causes walk outs

- Fort Worth ISD investigates post inviting ICE agents to high school to arrest students

- Hundreds rally across D-FW to show support for immigrants, protest ICE raids

- High school students walk out of North Texas schools protesting immigration crackdown

- The Strange Triumph of a Broken America

SHORT STORY #3: Keller ISD Deserves a Vote

- Keller school board names interim leader, delays vote on superintendent’s resignation

- Study shows revenue projections for Keller ISD split; audit finds problems with budget

- ‘Let these people vote.’ Tarrant County commissioner speaks out on Keller ISD split

- ‘Return power to taxpayers’: A new Texas law would require an election to split Keller ISD

WINS AND LOSSES

Ann:

👍 Rosedale Community Public Art Project

👎 Patrick's Priorities for the 89th Legislative Session

EJ:

👍 MP Materials

👎 Trump Plane Crash