Austin, TX
Houston power politics, big changes in 2024 race: This Week in Texas Politics
Houston power outages; Kamala Harris campaign
FOX 7 Austin chief political reporter Rudy Koski and his panel of experts speak on this edition of This Week in Texas Politics
AUSTIN, Texas – This week saw big changes in the 2024 presidential race with President Joe Biden dropping out and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris, as well as the continued impact on the Houston area from Hurricane Beryl.
FOX 7 Austin’s Chief Political Reporter Rudy Koski and our panel of analysts take a look at This Week in Texas Politics.
RUDY KOSKI: This week in Texas politics, got presidential and also kind of got into the dirt, literally. Let’s get the headlines from our panel and we’ll start first with Brad Johnson with the Texan News. Brad, what’s your headline for the week?
BRAD JOHNSON/ TEXAN NEWS: How many more game changing events are on the horizon?
RUDY KOSKI: Annie Spielman with MainStreet Relations. What’s your headline?
ANNIE SPILEMAN/ MAINSTREET RELATIONS: Austin’s DECA announces historic $1 million small business loan fund.
RUDY KOSKI: Patrick Svitek with the Washington Post. What’s your headline?
PATRICK SVITEK/ WASHINGTON POST: Democrats have a likely new presidential nominee.
RUDY KOSKI: Top officials with CenterPoint went before the PUC Thursday and issued an apology. More hearings are promised. So do you think that this crisis remains an issue when the session starts?
ANNIE SPILEMAN/ MAINSTREET RELATIONS: I want to note two things here. You know, I don’t just think that the power companies will be front and center at the chopping block. We’re going to see leaders bring in the property and casualty insurance companies, front and center as well. Secondarily, I want to mention in 2021, the business community worked with the Texas Legislature to create a program that would create a temporary emergency loan program for small business owners. But the problem is, is that program was never funded.
RUDY KOSKI: A statehouse hearing was held this week on how to prevent hostile nations from buying Texas land. Brad, this was supposed to be more of a reboot of legislation that failed to pass in the past session. Then all of a sudden, it kind of morphed into a much broader issue on cyberattacks.
BRAD JOHNSON/ TEXAN NEWS: These issues all meld into one. It starts with the land purchases. It’s not surprising at all that it’s going to take that route. The biggest thing for me, though, is it’s this question of, on the land front, competing interests between national security and private property rights, the ability to sell your property to whom you want for how much you want. How do you find that balance? I really don’t know. That’s going to be a tough task for lawmakers.
VP Kamala Harris visits Houston
Vice President Kamala Harris made a stop in Houston at the American Federation of Teachers convention.
RUDY KOSKI: Vice President Harris brought her presidential campaign to Texas, speaking to a teacher union group there in Houston. But just before [her] going on and speaking, on Capitol Hill, House members passed a resolution condemning her work dealing with legal immigration. Regardless of how you know, you want to describe it, was she a border czar or not? And Patrick, even a few Democrats voted for that resolution, Henry Cuellar among them.
PATRICK SVITEK/ WASHINGTON POST: No, I wasn’t surprised to see some Democratic crossover support for that resolution. That issue is no doubt going to be one of Kamala Harris’s biggest political liabilities as she takes over the Democratic presidential ticket.
RUDY KOSKI: Earlier in the week, Texas Democrats, who are delegates to the party’s convention, that’s going to happen, later on in August, up in Chicago, jumped on the Harris bandwagon. And was it what does the business community want to hear when the DNC starts up?
ANNIE SPILEMAN/ MAINSTREET RELATIONS: You know, business owners want to hear if anything has or will change in regard to her talking points from 2020, when she ran for president and during her time in the Senate in regard to economic politics. Will she be Biden 2.0 or make her way economically?
How does Biden’s exit change the race?
So much has happened so fast since President Biden announced he would not seek reelection just days ago. In that time, Vice President Kamala Harris has catapulted to the front as the presumptive Democratic nominee
RUDY KOSKI: Brad, Texas Democrats think that maybe, just maybe, all this energy that Harris is generating could help them flip some statehouse seats and be a defense against school choice. What are you hearing?
BRAD JOHNSON/ TEXAN NEWS: I heard Republicans say yesterday, they think it’s possible they lose three seats in the House. That’ll be a problem for Republicans on the school choice front. Probably not the death knell, but it would be a difficulty. Also, that would significantly impact the Speaker’s race.
RUDY KOSKI: As for school choice, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick accused House Speaker Dade Phelan of not listing that topic as a top priority in a budget document leading up to the session. Feeling on Friday swung back, claiming there are hearings on education, have already begun. Annie, clearly, what we’re seeing, there’s not going to be a cooldown in August regarding this issue, right?
ANNIE SPILEMAN/ MAINSTREET RELATIONS: This is all kind of new territory. And I think this goes to show that when we go into next session, you know, it’s going to be really hard for, for groups to be trying to move their legislation forward.
Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee dies
U.S. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, who was known by many in Houston for her hard work and public service, passed away at the age of 74.
RUDY KOSKI: Now, a congressional seat is up for grabs. One that was held by, Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, who recently passed away. Former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner is among the names being tossed around right now as a possible successor. Patrick, what are you hearing up on Capitol Hill as who’s going to throw their hat in the ring on this one?
PATRICK SVITEK/ WASHINGTON POST: What’s fascinating here is it’s going to be, you know, the way that this election is going to be handled is is rather unique. We’ve seen it happen before in Texas, but it doesn’t happen all the time. But what’s going to happen is that the Democratic Party Precinct Chairs in Harris County are going to meet, likely in mid August, and select a replacement nominee. The governor does have the power to call a special election. But why give the Democrats won more seats that they currently now don’t have.
RUDY KOSKI: You can catch our longer discussion on the Fox7 YouTube page, but let’s wrap things up right now with one word, and we’ll start with Annie. What’s your one word for the week?
ANNIE SPILEMAN/ MAINSTREET RELATIONS: Deluge?
PATRICK SVITEK/ WASHINGTON POST: Kamala.
BRAD JOHNSON/ TEXAN NEWS: Patrick stole mine. I was gonna say Kamala, too. I’ll go with Feuding.
RUDY KOSKI: And that is This Week in Texas Politics.
Juneteenth celebrations are happening across the city this weekend. The events will mark the 161st anniversary of the day Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay to announce that more than 250,000 enslaved people in Texas were free. The announcement on June 19, 1865, came more than two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. June 19 — known as Juneteenth — became a federal holiday in 2021.
From historical bike rides to Austin’s annual parade, here are seven events taking place in Austin.
Annual Juneteenth FunRun, June 19
The city of Austin’s African American Cultural and Heritage Facility will host a fun run starting at 8:30 a.m. on Friday at East Martin Luther King Jr. Street and Leona Street, and concluding at Hargrave Street near the Millennium Youth Entertainment Complex. Participants will have one hour to complete the course. The route is the same as the parade through the African American Historical Cultural District that will start later that morning. Runners and walkers of all ages and levels can participate.
Central Texas Juneteenth Parade & Festival, June 19
The annual Juneteenth parade will take place Friday and begin at 10 a.m. at East Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Leona Street and will travel down to Chicon Street before turning on Rosewood Avenue. The parade will feature floats, live music and performers.
A Very Juneteenth Comedy Jam, June 19
The Velveeta Room, Austin’s longest-running comedy club, will have shows highlighting Black voices Friday night at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. The 18+ event will feature comedians like Freddy Do Less and Roderick McDaniel. Tickets for both shows are around $23.
Sistas Walk And Talk: Juneteenth Edition, June 20
Texas Sistas Society will host a 3-mile walk and talk Saturday at 515 S. Pleasant Valley Road starting at 7:45 a.m. Texas Sistas Society is an Austin-based community created for Black women and women of color. Attendees are encouraged to wear Juneteenth colors: red, yellow, green or black, and to RSVP ahead of time.
The Carver Kickback: Juneteenth Edition, June 20
The George Washington Carver Museum in Austin is dedicated to creating a “space where the global contributions of all Black people are celebrated.” The museum is hosting a free celebration from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday with barbecue plates, live music, vendors and activities for all ages.
Black Auteur Film Festival, June 20
The Black Auteur Film Festival, a nonprofit dedicated to uplifting Black filmmakers in Texas, is hosting its third annual film festival to showcase short films directed by Black Texans at AFS Cinema on Saturday. One filmmaker will win the $1,000 “Best of Fest” award, and attendees can enter a raffle for a chance to win Austin Film Society memberships and movie tickets. The festival runs from 2 to 5 p.m. Tickets are $14.
Juneteenth Social Ride, June 21
Black History Bike Ride, an Austin nonprofit teaching people about the city’s Black history through cycling, is hosting its seventh annual Juneteenth ride starting at the Haskell House on Saturday at 10 a.m. Austin-based historian Harrison Eppright will serve as the ride’s guide. Registration is required for all attendees. The event is free, but donations are encouraged.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Data analyst Corey Yeung created the ATX Running Guide to help runners find community across Central Texas. What started as a personal project has become one of Austin’s most comprehensive running resources.
Looking for a Run Club? There’s a Map for That
When Corey Yeung moved to Austin three years ago, he had a simple question:
“How many run clubs are actually out there?” The answer wasn’t easy to find. While several websites listed local groups, Yeung felt none offered a complete picture. So, he decided to build one himself. What started as a spreadsheet evolved into ATX Running Guide, a website and social media platform that helps runners discover clubs throughout the Austin area.
“The list would be more useful if it were a map and search tool,” Yeung said. “The Instagram page was simply a way to communicate those free resources to the community.”
Today, the guide covers running groups from San Marcos to Hutto and serves as a one-stop resource for runners looking to connect. In this episode of KXAN’S Plus Simple Health, Corey Yeung walks us through everything you need to know about the 200-plus running clubs in Austin.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Volts are off to a rough start in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League, but maybe a little home cooking can help them get right.
After playing their first five games on the road, the Volts open play at Dell Diamond in Round Rock at 6 p.m. Thursday against the Utah Talons, kicking off an 8-game homestand.
It’s the first season the Volts will call Dell Diamond home. In the league’s inaugural season last year, the original four teams competed with a touring schedule that included a stop at Dell Diamond. This is the first year that the AUSL, now a 6-team league, will play in home markets.
They have a roster peppered with local stars, including 2-time NCAA national champion middle infielder Leighann Goode from the Texas Longhorns. Aliyah Binford, a New Braunfels native, played collegiately for Ole Miss and former Texas State pitcher Jessica Mullins made an appearance in the Volts’ previous series against the Carolina Blaze.
Goode said there’s been a bit of a learning curve, but she credits her teammates for helping her adjust to the league.
“This group has brought me in and taught me stuff, taken me under their wings,” she said. “They’ve done an awesome job.”
Legendary Texas pitcher Cat Osterman is the team’s general manager, and the head coach is Texas State’s Ricci Woodard.
“We’re ready to rock and roll at home,” Woodard said. “I’m anxious to see what happens now that we get to play in our own place.”
Texas Tech pitcher NiJaree Canady, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 draft, joined the team last weekend after a brief contract holdout.
The Volts are 1-4 this season, picking up their lone win over the Oklahoma City Spark on June 10. They’ll face the Talons in a 3-game series, the Chicago Bandits for a pair June 23-24, and finish the homestand with a 3-game set against the expansion Portland Cascade on June 26-28.
Ryan Sanders Baseball, the organization that owns and operates the Round Rock Express, is an operating partner with the Volts and an investor with the AUSL.
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