Y'all-itics

Y’all-itics is the unofficial political podcast of Texas. Each week we’ll crack open an ice-cold Texas brew and explore a single hot topic affecting Texans. But this isn’t politics as usual. Y’all-itics doesn’t come from a fancy studio. We’re taking our podcast on the road to get past the soundbites and dive deeper into the issues that matter to y’all. Leave your labels at the door, this is a political podcast for all Texans… even the recent transplants!

News
Politics
Society & Culture
176
Race, Violence and Medicine
Race, violence and medicine. Those three words intersect in Dr. Brian Williams’ emergency room. Gun violence is more than a headline or political talking point for him. Dr. Williams sees the aftermath of it every day. What’s most concerning, he says, is ...
44 min
177
We’re Out of Houses in Texas
It is a seller’s market on steroids right now in Texas.  Healthy housing inventory is typically six months.  But some cities in Texas are down to days.  If you’re a seller, you’re likely receiving multiple offers, some significantly above asking.  If you...
48 min
178
The Fight To Vote or The Right to Vote
Election security?  Or voter suppression?  The rhetoric is heating up in Texas as the battle over election reform begins in earnest this week.  While there is a spate of bills lawmakers will consider, Senate Bill 7 is the granddaddy of them all.  Among o...
36 min
179
“Duct Tape Immigration Policy”
A Republican leader along the Texas-Mexico border calls the latest migrant surge a repetition of a crisis, the result of “duct tape immigration policy.”  The Democrat leading the oldest Hispanic civil rights organization in the U.S. calls it “Biden’s pol...
44 min
180
Bonus Podcast: Dr. Fauci’s Texas Report Card
On the day Texas returned to 100% occupancy and eliminated the mask mandate, Dr. Anthony Fauci sat down with WFAA reporter William Joy to provide his report card for the state.  And William joined a Jason for this bonus podcast to discuss that discussion...
27 min
181
Coastal Distancing, Big Expectations and Fainti...
Fatigue from COVID-19 and last month’s polar vortex are expected to drive millions of people to Texas beaches as spring break begins this week. Even though Governor Abbott is lifting the mask mandate and allowing businesses to return to 100-percent capac...
46 min
182
Texas is Losing 1,000 Restaurants Every Month
Call it the Texas restaurant massacre.  The industry has taken a beating during our year of pandemic lockdown.  In human terms, it amounts to 150,000 Texans who have lost their jobs.  And those restaurants that did survive took another hit during the his...
35 min
183
How the GOP Remembers… the Bill that Died Befor...
In our last episode, a former state lawmaker told the Jasons that Texas missed a golden opportunity six years ago to start planning for extreme weather events.  Current Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson explained how he thinks his bill would have helped prevent ...
22 min
184
The Bill That Died Before The Power Did
Texas lawmakers are meeting on Thursday in Austin – pledging to get to the bottom of the massive statewide power outages last week. But a former state lawmaker tells the Jasons that Texas missed an opportunity six years ago to start planning for somethin...
27 min
185
Emergency Podcast: ERCOT's CEO Talks to Y'all-I...
ERCOT called the Jasons super early on Tuesday to offer the first interview with CEO Bill Magness. He’s probably the most sought after newsmaker of the week in our state. Magness manages ERCOT, which is the Texas power grid. And millions of Texans are in...
26 min
186
They tripped. We froze.
We knew what was coming, so why were Texas electric utilities not ready for the severe winter weather? The widespread electric outages did not surprise energy experts in the state. In fact, history is repeating itself here. The issue that caused the wide...
30 min
187
Rooted: The Basic Right to Natural Hair
It’s hard to believe hair remains an excuse for discrimination in 2021, much of it rooted in racism.  Do a quick internet search and it won’t be hard for you to find the stories.  And this isn’t a one-size-fits-all problem as you can find victims all acr...
37 min
188
The Black Lawman 150 Years in the Making
It’s one of the most diverse counties in Texas. So, why then did it take 150 years for Fort Bend County to elect its second Black sheriff? And as Texas lawmakers begin to debate police reform, Sheriff Eric Fagan has his own ideas for it and wants the pub...
25 min
189
Key cards, COVID, and Kiwis
Contact Tracing.  The very phrase has been somewhat poisoned in the United States, where many of us tend to think of “big brother,” that the government is watching.  A company out of New Zealand says we have it all wrong and we should instead consider it...
33 min
190
29M People, 1.7M Doses.  The Hunger Games Rollo...
There are nearly 29-million Texans.  But as of January 25, 2021, after a month of distribution, fewer than 1.5 Million of those Texans have received a single dose of the vaccine.  Only 266,000 Texans have received both doses.  At that rate, it would take...
35 min
191
Forget Trump. The Lincoln Project Now Targets ...
**WARNING:  THIS PODCAST CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE   Let the warning above be your preview as to what the Lincoln Project now thinks about Senator Ted Cruz.  In this episode of Y’all-itics, co-founder Rick Wilson joins the Jasons to talk about how the gro...
26 min
192
Cutting Your Property Taxes in Half and Other T...
Even though this will be the pandemic session, other business will be on the table during the 87th Texas Legislature.  And is there a bigger complaint here in Texas than ridiculously high property taxes?  But what if we told you there might be a way to c...
45 min
193
Could the 25th Take Down the 45th?
That escalated quickly.  Following the insurrection at the Capitol, calls are growing for President Trump to possibly be removed from office by the 25th Amendment, an action unthinkable as recently as 48-hours ago.  But what is the 25th and how does it w...
24 min
194
Why does the GOP’s $100 Million Woman want to C...
On January 6, 2021, members of the Senate and House will meet to formally count the Electoral College votes for President.  While there have been some objections in years past, 2021 will be different. Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas, wants an independent commi...
27 min
195
An influential “Green Republican” in red Texas
Coming from a family that is one of the most well-known real estate developers in the state, Trammell S. Crow set out to build something of his own. Crow founded EarthX which the organization bills as “The largest annual exposition and forum showcasing i...
30 min
196
Equality in banking: Access to loans isn’t equa...
The statistic was startling. Twenty percent of all banks in Dallas County exclude all or parts of Southern Dallas. That means mortgages, business loans and access remain out of reach for many families and businesses south of Interstate 30. Problem is, th...
27 min
197
Can Your Boss Force You to Get a COVID-19 Vaccine?
The long, dark COVID winter experts have warned about is upon us.  But there’s also some light at the end of the tunnel, albeit faint and distant.  One drug manufacturer has already applied to the FDA for approval for its COVID-19 vaccine. Another compan...
29 min
198
Better Get Your Ship Together
Have you started your holiday shopping yet? An executive in shipping says he and his family are done because he’s worried the supply chain is too stressed and some gifts simply might not make it to you in time if you don’t buy soon. But the stressed supp...
41 min
199
Black Women Put Biden-Harris Ticket Over the To...
As Y’all-itics prepares to celebrate its one-year anniversary, the Jasons go back to the beginning in an effort to see what a Biden-Harris administration might mean for the black community.  In our 3rd episode, we asked the founder and CEO of Black Women...
51 min
200
Latino Voters Won’t Show Up to a Party They’re ...
Two out of three Latinos voted for Joe Biden last week. But counties along the Texas-Mexico border exposed a growing weakness for Democrats. Biden did not win as many votes there as Hillary Clinton did four years earlier. Just two years ago, Beto O’Rourk...
55 min