ENside Politics

A weekly podcast that breaks down how politics works, and often doesn't work, in San Antonio. Metro Editor Greg Jefferson and Express-News reporters question politicians and other newsmakers about what they're up to in our name.

News
Politics
26
How we got to Gina Ortiz Jones vs. Rolando Pabl...
Host Greg Jefferson and City Hall reporters Megan Rodriguez and Molly Smith talk about voters' rejection of City Council members running for the top job, the Year of the Outsider and what's ahead in the June 7 runoff.
32 min
27
The latest on the mayor’s race as Election Day ...
Host Greg Jefferson and opinion editor Josh Brodesky discuss why early voting numbers are so weak and what went into the San Antonio Express-News Editorial Board's endorsements in the mayor's race.
29 min
28
Are voters shocked by sheer number of mayoral c...
Host Greg Jefferson and City Hall reporters Megan Rodriguez and Molly Smith talk about who's up and who's down in the race for mayor and City Council.
32 min
29
Pelaez's big move in mayor's race — and what i...
Host Greg Jefferson and City Hall reporters Megan Rodriguez and Molly Smith talk about who's up and who's down in the race for mayor and City Council.
38 min
30
Turbulent times for public schools. This nonpro...
Host Greg Jefferson and Daiana Lambrecht, executive director of Futuro San Antonio, discuss how the potential dissolution of the U.S. Department of Education and a school voucher program could affect public education in the Alamo City.
37 min
31
A peek into the Greater San Antonio Chamber's l...
Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce President Jeff Webster talks about San Antonio’s mayor’s race, the chamber’s annual SA to DC lobbying trip and Project Marvel.
39 min
32
Texas Education Agency takeover seeks an end to...
Podcast host Greg Jefferson and education reporter Melissa Manno delve into the school district's decades of dysfunction and what the Texas Education Agency is doing about it.
27 min
33
Does D.C. have something to learn from San Anto...
ENside Politics host Greg Jefferson and City Hall reporter Molly Smith talk with UTSA pollster Bryan Gervais about the upcoming city elections, a recent polling controversy and the virtues of local politics -- at least as opposed to poisonous national and state politics.
48 min
34
A deep dive into the San Antonio's sprawling bi...
ENside Politics host Greg Jefferson and reporter Richard Webner talk with Harley Hubbard, the city's project manager for the bike network plan, about the effort to add 1,890 miles of bicycle routes to San Antonio streets. The cost: between $3 billion and $8 billion.
32 min
35
Nelson Wolff on city elections, lyin' SOBs and ...
On this week's ENside Politics, retired Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff sizes up major candidates for San Antonio mayor, the Gordian knot that is Project Marvel and the fear of losing the Spurs to another city.
53 min
36
What's ahead for S.A.? City Hall shakeup, immig...
ENside Politics host Greg Jefferson, City Hall reporter Molly Smith and political consultant Laura Barberena discuss what 2025 has in store for San Antonio politics.
48 min
37
2024’s biggest scandals in San Antonio politics...
Greg Jefferson and reporters Megan Rodriguez and Brooke Park discuss what they consider to be the biggest controversies this year at City Hall and the Bexar County Courthouse.
48 min
38
Is there anything to S.A.-to-Austin rail talk? ...
ENside Politics host Greg Jefferson and transportation reporter Richard Webner sort out what's real and what's not in current talk about developing commuter rail between San Antonio and Austin. They also discuss the city's decision to hire a controversial tech company to run parking operations at San Antonio International Airport.
23 min
39
Abortion-rights advocates want more city dollar...
City Hall reporters Molly Smith and Megan Rodriguez talk to Laura Molinar of Sueños Sin Fronteras and Ariana Rodriguez of Jane's Due Process about San Antonio’s Reproductive Justice Fund and what they hope to see from the mayoral contenders.
41 min
40
Remembering Howard Peak, parsing John Courage's...
ENside Politics host Greg Jefferson, City Hall reporter Molly Smith and political consultant Laura Barberena discuss the late Mayor Howard Peak's legacy, the potential downtown Spurs arena, and how Councilman John Courage's decision to withdraw will recast the 2025 race for mayor.
53 min
41
COPS-Metro leaders: No tax dollars for ‘playgro...
COPS-Metro's Sonia Rodriguez and Father Jimmy Drennan talk with ENside Politics host Greg Jefferson and reporter Molly Smith about their group's concerns about the Missions stadium deal and the budding plan for a Spurs arena at Hemisfair dubbed 'Project Marvel.'
47 min
42
The latest on Southwest Airlines' beef with San...
ENside Politics host Greg Jefferson and Express-News reporter Megan Rodriguez talk with airline analyst Keith Debbage about how the Dallas-based airline's fight to get gates in the city's glitzy Terminal C might play out.
38 min
43
Teri Castillo on how San Antonio drops the ball...
The West Side councilwoman talks with ENside Politics host Greg Jefferson and City Hall reporter Molly Smith about the planned Missions baseball stadium and the apartment complex it will wipe out.
40 min
44
Reporters' roundtable on Trump's, and his party...
ENside Politics host Greg Jefferson and Express-News reporter Ed McKinley, Brooke Park and Molly Smith discuss the GOP blowout in state and local races. They also parse the fate of City Council's proposed raise and the removal on pay and tenure caps on the city manager.
32 min
45
Our experts talk Cruz versus Allred and other e...
Political consultants Eddie Aldrete and Laura Barberena tell ENside Politics host Greg Jefferson why Colin Allred isn't rushing to embrace Kamala Harris -- and why Sen. Ted Cruz isn't talking much about Donald Trump.
56 min
46
Philanthropist Gordon Hartman says "vote yes" f...
Gordon Hartman, a philanthropist and tri-chair of the PAC that's running the "vote yes" campaign for six city charter amendments, talks with ENside Politics host Greg Jefferson and City Hall reporter Molly Smith about why voters should eliminate pay and tenure restrictions on San Antonio's city manager.
51 min
47
Gina Ortiz Jones goes after Texas justices over...
The two-time Democratic nominee in Congressional District 23 runs a political action committee that's targeting three Republican justices seeking re-election to the Texas Supreme Court over ruling on the state's near-total abortion ban. She talks with host Greg Jefferson and reporter Megan Rodriguez about her organization's efforts to take out justices Jimmy Blacklock, John Devine and Jane Bland in November's election.
48 min
48
San Antonio fire union president: We’ll fight e...
Joe Jones, president of the San Antonio Professional Firefighters’ Association, told ENside Politics the union is coming out against a city charter amendment to take back salary and tenure restrictions on San Antonio’s city manager. Jones also talked with host Greg Jefferson and City Hall reporter Molly Smith about the union’s new contract and firefighters’ concerns about a Venezuelan gang that’s allegedly trying to get a foothold in San Antonio.
48 min
49
San Antonio small business owners: From mean tw...
San Antonio restaurateurs Jody Bailey and Chad Carey talk with host Greg Jefferson about the damage city street projects often inflict on small businesses -- and a new political action committee they’ve helped organize to make sure it’s a big issue in next year’s municipal elections.
53 min
50
San Antonio voters like caps on city manager, n...
Voters will decide Nov. 5 on a pay increase for City Council and whether to remove pay and term restrictions on the city manager. A new poll by the UTSA Center for Public Opinion Research show voters aren't fans of either proposition. San Antonio political consultants Eddie Aldrete and Laura Barberena join ENside Politics host Greg Jefferson hash out the survey's results -- and a few of its shortcomings.
38 min