City Cast Austin

On today’s Friday News Roundup, host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Kelsey Bradshaw, our Hey Austin newsletter editor, and executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec to talk about these freezing temperatures we’ve been having, and how the city plans for inclement weather. Other news on the agenda: How you can help count Austin’s unhoused population, the latest on the plan to reopen Sixth Street to vehicular traffic on weekends, and our weekend plans. 

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Austin’s food scene has been getting some major attention lately, but Nadia Chaudhury, former Eater Austin editor who’s now editing Eater Northeast, has been on the pulse of it for 10 years. In today’s episode, she shares her 2025 hopes and dreams for Austin restaurants and chefs, as she and host Nikki DaVaughn predict the next (and former) food trends, the celebrities that will blow up our dining scene, what Aaron Franklin is going to do next, and more. 

In this episode, we erroneously implied that Veracruz didn't have a brick-and-mortar restaurant. Thank you to listener Lisa H. for setting us straight! There already is one, in Mueller. We're sorry, and we love you, Veracruz!

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Basketball star, Shark Tank alumnus, comedian, entrepreneur, and so much more, Fran Harris, is fully focused on one thing right now: Bringing a Women’s National Basketball Association team to town. The time is now, she argues, and the WNBA is looking to expand. But what would the team be called? And who might be their superfan? Tune into Harris’ interview with executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec to find out. 

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Austin’s crazy growth has slowed down, and in some cases even gone negative, with black and Hispanic Austinites, particularly with kids, moving to the suburbs. But there’s so much more to our city’s demographic changes, and who these newcomers are (spoiler alert: Not Californians!). City Demographer Lila Valencia joins host Nikki DaVaughn to dispel your assumptions about who’s been moving to town, who’s been shipping out, and who’s been having babies. Plus, Valencia shares her predictions for Austin’s future growth, in the new year and beyond. And, stay tuned for an interview with Better Way Blood Testing’s founder and COO.

If you enjoyed the interview with Better Way Blood Testing's Founder, Chief Operating Officer, and Chairman, Eric Olson, learn more here.

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Host Nikki DaVaughn checked in with Travis County Judge Andy Brown to find out how the county is spending the voter-approved tax increase for childcare, and when residents can access help. Plus, they discuss a decline in accidental opioid overdose deaths, the potential of a commuter train between San Antonio and Austin, why District Attorney Jose Garza needs his own security budget, and how the county is preparing for the Texas Legislature. 

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For our first Friday News Roundup of 2025, we’re looking ahead instead to make some predictions that may be a little self-fulfilling. Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by newsletter editor Kelsey Bradshaw and executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec to tell you who we’d like to interview this year, what we’d like to chat about as a team, and the stories we predict we’ll be coming back to cover over and over again. Oh, and if you’re curious about the demographics report we mentioned on City Cast Austin’s guests, it’s here.

Learn more about the sponsor of this January 3rd episode: Tecovas

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You might think that things have slowed down now that the holidays are behind us, but even during this slower month, there are a bazillion things to do in Austin. Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Austin Monthly editor Madeline Hollern and executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec to talk about what to do this month (don’t miss Free Week!!), where you should eat, and what to drink, whether you’re partaking in Dry January or not. 

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

Learn more about the sponsor of this January 2nd episode: Tecovas

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New Year, New Austin? City officials estimate there are roughly $25 billion worth of construction improvements currently underway in Austin, projects that will dramatically change the way people move around this growing town. Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Kelsey Thompson, a transportation reporter at KXAN, to discuss the big projects that will impact our area’s planes, trains, and automobiles. Plus, just how much patience will Austinites need to have in this next decade of transformation? 

This episode originally aired September 19, 2024.

Learn more about the sponsor of this December 30th episode:

Tecovas

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If you're sick of explaining to your family why you're still single, start blaming Austin. Despite our city skewing young, with a median age of 34, and with great weather most of the year and an endless list of things to do, it’s a dating dead zone. But why? Host Nikki DaVaughn peeled back the layers of dating suckiness with Rose McMackin, a writer who penned a story for Austin Monthly Magazine, “Why Is Austin Dating So Cursed?”  

This episode originally aired September 12, 2024.

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Dead bodies keep on popping up in Lady Bird Lake. Another one was just found on Friday, and while the police say there is no evidence of foul play, that might not convince your conspiracy theorist uncle or crime junkie best friend. Not sure how to tell them the truth about the supposed “Rainey Street Ripper?” City Cast Austin has got you covered. Host Nikki DaVaughn and Zo Qadri, an Austin city council member whose district includes Rainey Street, dig into how the Rainey Street Ripper rumor got started, what’s actually causing people to die in Lady Bird Lake, and how Qadri is addressing some major safety concerns in Downtown Austin. 

This episode originally aired on July 31, 2024, but the sentiments still hold true. 

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