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
1
Police and fire union chiefs' reads on the runo...
The city’s police and firefighters’ unions both sat out the first round of voting, waiting until the field of 27 candidates for mayor in the May 3 city election was whittled to Gina Ortiz Jones and Rolando Pablos. The San Antonio Police Officers' Association backed Pablos ahead of the June 7 runoff while the San Antonio Professional Firefighters Association is not endorsing.
40 min
2
Reintroducing Ana Sandoval | ¡Nosotros!
The former councilwoman stepped down in 2023 to focus on a daughter who’s now 3, and Sandoval is back to her roots grounded in the environment.
47 min
3
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
4
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
5
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
6
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
7
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
8
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
9
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
10
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
11
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
12
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
13
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
14
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
15
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
16
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
17
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
18
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
19
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
20
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
21
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
22
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
23
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
24
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
25
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