Today, the Austin Fire Department union will hold a vote of no confidence in the fire chief, Joel Baker, after accusing him of preventing rescue crews from assisting in Kerr County during the devastating Fourth of July floods. Plus, Gov. Greg Abbott added flood safety response to the agenda for the upcoming special session later this month. On today's Friday News Roundup, host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Hey Austin newsletter editor Kelsey Bradshaw and executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec to give you the latest developments following the catastrophic Central Texas Floods. We honor the Austinites who lost their lives, discuss why the floods were so deadly, and highlight the many ways Texans are showing up to help each other recover.

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In the early morning of July 4th, the National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning, but two hours later, the swollen Guadalupe River swept camp children out of their cabins at Camp Mystic. A wall of water then flooded the Hill Country and most of Central Texas, eventually killing more than 110 people, including dozens of children. Another 170 people are still missing, and the victims are strewn from Kerr County down to Sandy Creek. But flash floods are familiar to this area, known as “flash flood alley,” so why did the July Fourth floods catch so many off-guard? From missing warning systems to critical staffing gaps at the National Weather Service, spotty cell phone service and just plain complacency, veteran KXAN Meteorologist Jim Spencer joins host Nikki Davaughn to examine what could have gone wrong and how Texans can better prepare for the next flash flood. Late Wednesday, Gov. Greg Abbott announced that several flood-related items, including funding flood warning systems, are now on the agenda for the Texas Legislature’s upcoming special session.  

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If you’re among the half of all Austinites who rent, you may question the headlines screaming that Austin’s rents have been dropping for months, or that the city is becoming more “affordable.” Truth is, rents are still too high for many Austinites, in part because wages have not kept pace with prices. Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Shoshana Krieger, program director at BASTA, which stands for “Building And Strengthening Tenant Action,” to dig into the nuance of our local rental market, and share some tips that every renter in town should know. 

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The death toll continues to rise from the Fourth of July Central Texas flooding, and Camp Mystic is grieving the loss of 27 campers and counselors. But the main focus of today’s City Cast Austin episode is the massive 65% annual loss reported this year in our local Central Texas honeybee colony over last year, and it turns out, there’s a mite to blame. So, scientists now are experimenting with breeding bees that are mite-resistant — more specifically, that will bite off mite’s legs and kill them before the mites can kill the bees. So, what can you do to help the bees? Start your own hive? Wear light colors? Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Garett Slater, a lifelong beekeeper and the Honeybee Extension Specialist at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension to find out. 

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Historic rainfall in the Texas Hill Country over the Fourth of July weekend killed at least 67 people statewide, with many others still missing, including some from the all-girls sleepaway camp, Camp Mystic. After bombarding the Hill Country, the rushing floodwater in the San Saba, Llano and Guadalupe rivers kept wreaking havoc downstream, including in Austin, where at least four were killed and others were missing. Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 21 counties, and federal assistance is also on the way. Host Nikki DaVaughn and executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec hopped on the mic on Sunday to bring you the latest on what we know and how to help. 

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Nikki DaVaughn and all 12 other City Cast podcast hosts (from Boise, Chicago, DC, Denver, Houston, Las Vegas, Madison, Nashville, Philly, Pittsburgh, Portland, and Salt Lake City) compete head-to-head in a high-stakes showdown to answer the question that’s been burning up our company-wide Slack for weeks: which city is the best for a summer weekend trip? From naked bike rides to ‘the country’s best farmers market,’ pickle festivals to Elvis impersonators driving pink convertibles, our hosts are bringing the best of the best of what their city has to offer. Did your city win?

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What's up with all these robots in Austin? From Tesla's self-driving robotaxi rollout to a full-on cowboy robot roaming the streets, the city seems to be sprinting into the future, and we've got some thoughts. Host Nikki DaVaughn and executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec are popping in for a special midweek news roundup to talk robot takeovers, the stars of Yelp's Top 100 Food Trucks list (spoiler: Austin dominated), and what we're doing this July 4th. 

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The heat dome is here, and we hope your AC is working. Luckily for you, there are a bazillion things to do indoors this July, and we’ve got you covered right here. Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec and Stephanie Brown, an account executive at Giant Noise, to share their best tips and recommendations for what to eat in Austin this month, what to do right here in town (pop-up pirate bar, anyone?), and our favorite day-trips, for Austinites who need a break. And, as we promised, here are some links to previous episodes and Hey Austin coverage we mentioned in the episode: Where to celebrate the Fourth of July in Austin; how to have the best staycation in Austin ever; and our favorite summer snacks.

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For even more tips on how to make the most of July in Austin, check out Hey Austin’s take on what to do this month. 

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Just as soon as Texas lawmakers wrapped up the regular session, Gov. Greg Abbott surprised some by vetoing a highly contentious bill banning nearly all consumable hemp products and calling lawmakers back to hash it, and other bills, out once more. Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, a Democrat representing Austin, to find out what we can expect from the special session that starts July 21. Plus, Eckhardt shares Austin’s biggest legislative wins and losses from the regular session. A quick note: We asked other lawmakers representing Austin at the Texas Capitol for interviews, but only Eckhardt was available.

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Austin, we have a water problem. A new report from Austin Water showed the city lost 9.3 billion gallons of water last year due to leaky pipes. This news comes as we continue another month of drought and as Texas' water supply dwindles. On today’s Friday News Roundup, host Nikki DaVaughn chats with Hey Austin newsletter editor Kelsey Bradshaw and executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec to discuss it all. Plus, Governor Greg Abbott's latest special session, SXSW’s new plans for 2026, and what Kelsey is doing in Houston this weekend. 

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