Texas Tribune TribCast

Texas Tribune TribCast

TribCast is a weekly political podcast hosted by Matthew Watkins and Eleanor Klibanoff, and featuring a rotating cast of editors, reporters and other guests. The TribCast is returning as a limited-run weekly series during the 2025 legislative session.

Episodes

Dade Phelan on the state of the GOP

November 18, 2025 • 44 mins
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.
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Kate Rogers on her ousting from the Alamo Trust

November 11, 2025 • 43 mins
Kate Rogers joins TribCast to discuss her decision to resign from leading the organization that oversees the Alamo historic site amid political pressure
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The neediest Texans are feeling the pain of the government shutdown

November 4, 2025 • 31 mins
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.
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Unpacking the constitutional amendments on the ballot

October 28, 2025 • 45 mins
Texas Politics Project’s Joshua Blank joins the TribCast to walk through the 17 constitutional amendments on the ballot this November
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The Hunt is on in the GOP Senate primary

October 21, 2025 • 38 mins
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
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Is Robert Roberson innocent?

October 14, 2025 • 37 mins
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.
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Texas' new congressional map goes to court

October 7, 2025 • 44 mins
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.
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Will the Texas renewable energy powerhouse survive?

September 30, 2025 • 39 mins
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.
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Texas' changing congressional delegation

September 23, 2025 • 36 mins
TribCast talks with Washington correspondent Gabby Birenbaum about how redistricting and retirements are set to reshape the state's representation in D.C.
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The Campus Free Speech Wars

September 16, 2025 • 35 mins
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.
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Texas is replacing the STAAR test

September 9, 2025 • 42 mins
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.
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Sid Miller's THC entanglements

September 2, 2025 • 36 mins
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?
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Is Texas protecting its campers from future floods?

August 26, 2025 • 36 mins
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.
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The Dems returned. What happens next?

August 19, 2025 • 38 mins
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.
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Will 13 Democrats be expelled from the Texas House?

August 12, 2025 • 40 mins
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?
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How long can Texas Democrats hold out?

August 5, 2025 • 33 mins
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. 
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What's next for the Republicans?

July 29, 2025 • 41 mins
We discuss how the Republican ticket is shaping up? Can you still view the primaries as establishment v. grassroots?
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What's next for the Democrats?

July 22, 2025 • 44 mins
We discuss how the Democratic ticket is shaping up in Texas. Will Beto, Allred, Talarico and Castro all run against each other? 
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Texas' redistricting gamble

July 15, 2025 • 47 mins
Matthew and Eleanor are joined by Kareem Crayton, from the Brennan Center for Justice, to look more closely at Texas' rare midcyle redistricting.
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Floods in the Hill Country

July 8, 2025 • 40 mins
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?
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