Today, we have a conversation with Laney Hawes, a mother of four children who attends schools at Keller ISD.  She is also the co-founder of the TX Freedom to Read Project, which seeks to connect, support & mobilize parent-led groups fighting to protect students' right to read throughout the state. Her conversation is timely as Keller ISD's next school board meeting is on Thursday.

We will continue our regular program next week. Join our community Discord and attend our next 817 Gather on February 16th.

Ann and EJ sit down with Josh Lucas, an emerging star in Fort Worth who is running for Mayor in this election cycle. In this episode, we discuss the deaths occurring in the Tarrant County jail and the spread of Christian White Nationalism in Texas churches. Enjoy the discussion, and be sure to support Josh!

SHORT STORY #1: How what is going on in Keller ISD can impact Texas schools across the state.
- Stop the secrecy’: Keller ISD residents overwhelmingly oppose plan to split district
- Why a plan to split Keller ISD into two districts has trustees feeling ‘blindsided’
- Keller school board member calls Fort Worth community leader a ‘narcissist’ in emails
- Splitting Keller ISD in two? Fort Worth mayor opposes idea, hasn’t heard from district
- Laney Hawes Tweet

SHORT STORY #2: Texas selects its House leader and what it signals for local leaders when bullied by conservative PACs.
- Rep. Dustin Burrows voted Texas House speaker in blow to insurgent GOP movement
- Lonestar Left Post
- Chris Tackett Post

SHORT STORY #3: An odd ally joins the fight against Bill Waybourn due to another death under his leadership.
- Recent Tarrant County jail deaths unite groups from both sides of political aisle
- 31-year-old dies in Tarrant County Jail after suffering medical emergency, officials say

BIG STORY: Interview with Mayoral Candidate Josh Lucas

WINS AND LOSSES:

Ann:
👍 Transit mixers
👎 Star-Telegram App

EJ:
👍 Black entrepreneurs
👎 God not paying property taxes

This week, filing starts to put your name on the ballot in a local Texas election. We sit down with Tara Maldonado, a progressive candidate who ran three times for city council in Fort Worth. Ann and Tara share stories and perspectives that give average listeners a genuine look inside what it takes.

SHORT STORY #1: Censoring Art: Modern Exhibit Receives Backlash
- The Modern Releases Statement Regarding Removed Sally Mann Photographs in Fort Worth
- Don’t let critics censor Fort Worth photo exhibit because they see iniquity, not art

SHORT STORY #2: Why is Keller ISD Looking to Split their District?
- Keller school board now plans to keep public out of a meeting to discuss proposed split
- Splitting Keller ISD in two? Fort Worth mayor opposes idea, hasn’t heard from district
- Why a plan to split Keller ISD into two districts has trustees feeling ‘blindsided
- Parody ‘Alliance ISD’ Facebook page pokes fun at proposed Keller school district split

SHORT STORY #3: The 89 Legislation Starts Tomorrow! A quick brief on state politics
- Texas Legislature returns Tuesday. Leadership battles, divisive issues await lawmakers
- Texas Take Podcast

BIG STORY: Conversation with Tara Maldonaldo on What it Takes to Run for Local Office
- Attend her event

WINS AND LOSSES:

Ann
👎 - Fort Worth goes from a 100 to a 97 in inclusiveness to LGBTQ communities
👍 - Rail Project in Near Southside
EJ
👎 - Dallas Community gets time with their city manager candidates
👍 - ROSIE ALTERATIONS | FWAAMFEST MARCH 15

ATTEND THE 817 GATHER

Ann and EJ come back from the holidays, bursting into the new year with many new takes and concerns! Recent census data show Fort Worth is now the 4th largest city in Texas, surpassing Austin. The duo proceeds the show discussing ageism in politics after reports of Kay Granger's health get exposed by right-wing media. The big story is that Tim O'Hare finally speaks to the media.

SHORT STORY #1: Do Fort Worth People Have Two Lives?
Ann and EJ talk about how they have lives and communities outside of Fort Worth and wonder if others have this dip-in-dip-out approach to living here.

SHORT STORY #2: Fort Worth Becomes the 4th Largest City in Texas

SHORT STORY #3: Kay Granger Retires: Health Exposed by Right-Wing Media
- From the mayor's office to Capitol Hill, Kay Granger blazed a trail for Fort Worth politics
- American politicians are the oldest in the rich world
- Why people over the age of 55 are the new problem generation

BIG STORY: A Breakdown of Tim O'Hare's Rare Interview with the Media
- Interview with WFAA
- Will a MAGA Move in the Tarrant Tax Office Kick-off a Tom DeLay-style Partisan Gerrymander? 

WIN AND LOSSES

Ann:
👍 A new way to empower Fort Worth voices and increase government transparency
👎 FWR hiatus over the holidays
EJ:
👍 H-Mart Opens Summer 2025
👎 Miltary service increases terrorism | Veterans Get to Be Socialist

ATTEND AN 817 GATHER | SIGN UP HERE

Ann and EJ finish out the year talking about an important topic that brings together all the recent local news into one big question -- Who controls the connectedness of Fort Worth? The show includes updates on Mercy Culture and recent updates on crucial development projects. Oh! How could we forget transit news from Ann!

SHORT STORY #1: How Did Mercy Culture Get Its Way?
- How Mercy Culture beat Fort Worth’s bureaucracy and politics to get its shelter built
- Fort Worth council member Chris Nettles responds to audio of him calling colleagues racist

SHORT STORY #2: Record Usage of Transit Options that are Not SOV!
- Demand for Fort Worth-area rideshare program booms
- Fort Worth passenger rail boom reflects Amtrak’s growth
- Trinity Metro teams with Lyft for $2.3M revamped Fort Worth bike share program

SHORT STORY #3: Development Projects Across the City
- Alliance development will add 4,000 homes and new Northwest ISD schools
- Tarrant agency takes first step toward selling 100+ acres to Panther Island developers
- JPS leaders set aside $303M to fund completion of $2.1B expansion, future initiatives

BIG STORY: Conversation about Who Controls Fort Worth's Connectedness?
- Alliance, 35 years later: How Ross Perot Jr.’s ‘grand vision’ changed Fort Worth forever

WINS AND LOSS:

Ann:
👍: Northside Community
👎: Death on Roads

EJ:
👍 JPS Honors Commissioner Brooks
👎 Conservative Stack Gets Covid Dollars

We've created a unique bonus pod to help you cope with yesterday's shenanigans. So many people inspired us yesterday, and we hope you hear allyship and frustration from your favorite Fort Worth podcast. For context, the city council approved Jay Chapa as city manager and granted Mercy Culture their exploitation center.

Join the 817 Gather 

Did you miss us?!? We are back with a full episode, including a conversation with councilmember Chris Nettles, who shares his authentic concerns about how the Mayor and council have hired the city's next CEO.

December 10th is going to be a historic council meeting. The council will vote on whether Jay Chapa will be our next city manager and whether Mercy Culture will get its exploitation center. Tune in and get active this week!

SHORT STORY ONE: Mercy Culture wants Fort Worth’s OK on housing for trafficking victims. But will it serve all?
- Ken Paxton vows to shut down Texas church's homeless ministry in new suit
- TAKE ACTION FOR OAKHURST

SHORT STORY TWO: Fort Worth council to vote on economic incentives for Bell manufacturing plant, Ariat expansion 

SHORT STORY THREE: Fort Worth council looks ready to hire Jay Chapa as first Hispanic city manager
- Closed interview

BIG STORY: A Conversation with Chris Nettles about the city manager hiring process
- statement

WINS AND LOSSES:

Ann:
👍 Elevated Bike Sharing and Expanded Rail
👎 School Bail Bond Process
- Data for EJ's education rant

EJ:
👍 Elon's callout to F-35s
👎 Dickies moves to California
-Texas' top 1%: Here's the new cutoff for elite earners: The cutoff for being in the top 1% in Texas jumped 24% since 2020
- Frisco BIG CITY plans!

Ann and EJ record the last episode of the month as we enter into Thanksgiving break. Before the recording, they had an in-person experience with listeners and friends called 817 Gather. In this episode, they talk about Elon Musk, Dr. Phil, and Mercy Culture.

SHORT STORY #1: Commute Times Increase in FW: The Solution? NOT ROADS

- Theft ring suspects accused of stealing nearly $300K in fuel at North Texas gas stations
- Nationwide criminal ring stole nearly $5 million worth of cars from DFW Airport, police say

SHORT STORY #2: Fort Worth has some of the highest property taxes in America

SHORT STORY #3: Mercy Culture heads to Council in December

BIG STORY: Conservative Media Loves Tarrant and Why Tarrant Isn't Turning Blue
- Musk steers X disputes to conservative Texas courts in service terms update
- PBR terminates contract with Dr. Phil’s Fort Worth media company after missed payments
- Why Tarrant Isn't Turning Blue
- Texas Democratic Party chair steps down after dismal election performance

WINS AND LOSSES

Ann:
👍 - 817 Gather
👎 - Voter Fraud Claims
EJ:
👍 - Leon Bridge's Day
👎 - Jake Paul Fight

Ann and EJ share their thoughts about the election results. They discuss what stood out, where they are concerned, and what we can do from here.

ELECTION REFERENCES
1. An Election Wrap-Up (Texas Focused) - Chris Tackett
2. County Results
3. The educated professional class is out of touch with America
4. Wisconsin young voters with to Trump by double digits
5. State of Apathy

WIN AND LOSSES

Ann
👎 Ozone levels
👍 Street Car

EJ
👎 T&P Tavern to Close
👍 Leon Bridges Tour in Fort Worth

The election is tomorrow. Ann and EJ analyze early voting data while also discussing important topics such as transportation and housing.

SHORT STORY #1: Election Day in Tarrant County: What to know, what to watch for and when we’ll get results

- Early voting up, mail ballots down compared to 2020 in Tarrant County voting

SHORT STORY #2:  The State of Fort Worth's Public Transit

- Lack of accountability plagues fatal Fort Worth 2021 pileup

SHORT STORY #3: How 11 Texas cities made housing unaffordable — and what's being done to fix it

- Rent expenses take up more than half of total income for 23% of Dallas households

- Fort Worth staff request $2.7B to fund roads, parks and more in 2026 bond program

- Mayor Mattie Parker's State of the City Address

BIG STORY: EARLY ELECTION RESULTS AND SENTIMENT FOR ELECTION DAY
- Texas Early Vote is DONE (Chris Tackett)
- Early Voting In Texas Hits 8.8 Million: The Battle For Election Day Begins
- Iowa Poll
- Kamala Harris 1B Surge

WINS AND LOSSES:

Ann:
👍 Fort Worth Report Community Journalism
👎 Colleagues condemn Tarrant County GOP leader for repeated use of slurs

EJ:
👍 817 Gather
👎 Trophy Club Patrioty City Propaganda