Progress Texas Podcasts

Latest Episodes:

Happy Hour 292: What Pride in Texas Takes, with the Texas Pride Community Foundation Jun 17, 2026

Show notes

It’s Pride Month, and here at Progress Texas we remember that pride is not just a parade, it’s a movement: and it takes resources! Joined by the leading statewide LGBTQ+ community foundation, the Texas Pride Community Foundation’s Chief Community Impact Officer, Robert Salcido Jr., discusses the importance of supporting LGBTQ+ community centers and grassroots organizations amid unrelenting attacks on queer Texans. We talked about exciting projects boosting community support, HIV/AIDS healthcare access and stigmatization, plus a breakdown on Texas policy and homophobic, transphobic culture wars.

Learn more about the Texas Pride Community Foundation at https://texaspridecf.org/what-we-do/.

Thanks for listening! Learn more about Progress Texas and how you can support our ongoing work at https://progresstexas.org/.

Daily Dispatch 6/17/26: Paxton Challenges Talarico...To A "Meat Off"? And More Jun 17, 2026

Show notes

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

At a moment of dire environmental and cost of living threats against everyday Texans, Ken Paxton has challenged James Talarico to a BBQ eating contest: https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2026/06/17/paxton-talarico-senate-campaign-texas-barbecue/90568148007/

Data centers make strange bedfellows as outgoing Republican Ag Commissioner Sid Miller plays nice with Democratic Ag Commissioner nominee Clayton Tucker: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/data-center-midterms-sid-miller-22291600.php

Governor Abbott pipes up in support of a group of gay-hating San Francisco Giants players, bragging that the Texas Rangers don't do Pride Night: https://www.chron.com/culture/article/greg-abbott-san-francisco-giants-pride-22308180.php

Progress Texas is the official media partner of the 2026 Texas Democraic Convention in Corpus Christi, and we're co-hosting a warmup happy hour on Thursday June 25 at The Goldfish: https://www.texasprogressivecaucus.org/2026_convention_happy_hour

We're hosting a live podcast taping on the environmental issues facing Texas this election year with the Northeast Travis County Democrats on Saturday June 20 at 12 noon at La Palapa in northeast Austin: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1RgQFygbpY/

Happy Hour 291: Vikki Goodwin, Democratic Nominee For Texas Lt. Governor Jun 16, 2026

Show notes

The Lieutenant Governor is by most measures the most powerful office in Texas' state government structure. With full control over the agenda of the state Senate, nothing gets through our legislative process without the Lt. Governor's approval - so, placing a Democrat in that position would signal a fundamental change in the Legislature's ongoing and intolerable reality.

Austin State Rep. Vikki Goodwin has been running for this critical office for the better part of a year - and Progress Texas has proudly endorsed her as a highly experienced and dedicated pro who would be perfect to help turn things around in Texas. The James Talarico race is important of course, and getting a lot of attention - but Rep. Goodwin's race (and that of State Rep. Gina Hinojosa for Governor) are of even more dire and direct impact in Austin, and are thus worth the attention of Texas voters looking for change.

Learn more about Rep. Goodwin's campaign at https://www.vikkigoodwin.com/.

Thanks for listening! Learn more about Progress Texas and how you can support our ongoing work at https://progresstexas.org/.

Daily Dispatch 6/16/26: Texas GOP Declares Muslims Unwelcome, And More Jun 16, 2026

Show notes

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

During last weekend's Texas Republican Convention, party leaders made it clear: Muslims are not welcome in their caucus, and as far as they're concerned, Muslims aren't welcome in Texas: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/06/15/texas-republican-party-convention-muslims-sharia-law/

...We talked to the Reverend Mara Richards Bim of Dallas about the aggressive nature of Christian elements within Republican politics these days: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/happy-hour-290-understanding-christian-nationalism/id1552998795?i=1000772854312

The continued MAGAfication of UT Austin continues with the firing of Debbit Hiott, general manager of KUT radio, who had recently tangled with UT brass over their interference with a radio station festival: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/06/15/debbie-hiott-kut-fired-ut-austin-festival/

Right wing erosion of our K-12 schools continues too: the Texas State Board of Education is about to vote on a new statewide reading index for third graders that includes Bible stories like Jonah And The Whale: https://www.houstonpress.com/news/state-board-to-consider-more-christianity-in-classrooms/

...We need more local school board reform like Cy-Fair ISD has enjoyed lately: https://progresstexas.org/podcast/special-live-pod-new-cy-fair-isd-board-members-life-after-maga

We're excited to see you in Dallas TONIGHT for our 16th anniversary celebration ! Make your reservation now:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://act.progresstexas.org/a/anniversary2026⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Happy Hour 290: Understanding Christian Nationalism, With Rev. Mara Richards Bim Jun 15, 2026

Show notes

At a moment when the Texas Republican Party is directly writing the destruction of the separation of church and state into their party platform, and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is announcing that Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico is "going to hell" because of his progressive Christian leanings, the current political conflict in Texas could rightly be defined as the Christian Nationalists against...well, against the rest of us.

Joining us to discuss this intensifying divide and to examine point by point how to counter your MAGA uncle's critiques of James Talarico's spiritual positions is the Reverend Mara Richards Bim, Justice & Advocacy Fellow at Royal Lane Baptist Church in Dallas. Learn more about Rev. Bim at https://www.mararichardsbim.com/.

Thanks for listening! Learn more about Progress Texas and how you can support our ongoing work at https://progresstexas.org/.

Daily Dispatch 6/15/26: Conservative Extremism On Full Display From Houston To San Antonio, And More Jun 15, 2026

Show notes

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Attempts to inspire unity at the Texas Republican Convention appear insufficient to mask the division among the GOP faithful, as the hardest of hardline elements take full control: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/06/14/texas-gop-convention-houston-2026/

...Lt. Governor Dan Patrick told the crowd that James Talarico is "going to hell": https://www.texastribune.org/2026/06/12/dan-patrick-james-talarico-go-to-hell-texas-senate-gop-convention/

...Page the Elephant sure wasn't havin' it: https://www.chron.com/culture/article/elephant-gop-convention-houston-22303184.php

Meanwhile in San Antonio, speakers at a women's Turning Point USA event advocated for women to willingly give up their right to vote: https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/at-turning-point-usa-conference-women-offer-away-their-right-to-vote/

Rejecting a candidate espousing Islamophobia, Frisco voters have selected a more moderate mayor who had urged a lowering of the temperature: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/13/us/frisco-texas-mayor-election-mark-hill.html

A judge in Massachusetts has rejected Ken Paxton's lawsuit against ActBlue, seeing it as political retaliation and a likely First Amendment violation: https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5920896-texas-ken-paxton-actblue-fundraising-lawsuit-halted/

We're excited to see you in Dallas for our 16th anniversary celebration on Tuesday June 16! Make your reservation now:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://act.progresstexas.org/a/anniversary2026⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Happy Hour 289 - Seawater Desalination In Texas: The Straight Story, With The Sierra Club Jun 13, 2026

Show notes

Between the Texas data center boom - and Corpus Christi on track to become the first modern city to run completely dry - access to fresh water is a top ticket item for Texans this election year, and also going into the next Legislative session in 2027.

Dr. Evgenia Spears, Water Program Coordinator for the Lone Star Sierra Club, joins us for a deep dive on the real state of our state's water supply - and in particular, how seawater desalination fits in as a possible solution. Turns out, even as desal is frequently framed as a panacea, it comes with tremendous costs, significant risks, and ethical dilemmas, especially surrounding access: is all of this about water for people, or is it for industry? It's hard to imagine a more important or existential conversation.

Learn more about Dr. Spears and her colleagues at the Sierra Club Lone Star Chapter at https://www.sierraclub.org/texas.

Thanks for listening! Learn more about Progress Texas and how you can support our ongoing work at https://progresstexas.org/.

Happy Hour 288- North D/FW Dem Nominee Kevin Burge Jun 12, 2026

Show notes

We've enjoyed getting to know veteran, intelligence expert and proud family man Kevin Burge this election season - he was one of the SIX Progress Texas runoff endorsees to secure his Democratic nomination - and in Kevin's case, by a whopping and record-setting 78%. Kevin Burge is now running hard in TX-24 (much of the northern section of the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex) to replace MAGA darling and zero-results Republican Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne.

Learn more about Kevin and his career from our talk with him back in April at https://progresstexas.org/podcast/happy-hour-257-dfw-congressional-candidate-and-pt-endorsee-kevin-burge.

Learn more about and support Kevin's campaign for Congress at https://www.burgeforcongress.com/.

Thanks for listening! Learn more about Progress Texas and how you can support our ongoing work at https://progresstexas.org/.

Daily Dispatch 6/12/26: The Old Guard Republicans Are Revolting, And More Jun 12, 2026

Show notes

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

As the Texas Republican Convention continues in Houston, the party's traditionalist wing is showing signs of resistance against the MAGA takeover of the GOP, including former Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley: https://spectrumlocalnews.com/tx/south-texas-el-paso/news/2026/06/11/former-gop-official-says-he-won-t-vote-for-paxton-in-ad

...And Senator John Cornyn: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/11/us/john-cornyn-interview-trump.html

...And longtime GOP operative and attorney George Hittner: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/outlook/article/1978-governor-primary-paxton-hill-briscoe-hittner-22299741.php

Ryan Seiders, one of the co-founders of YETI, is a co-owner of a huge ranch in the Big Bend that has been cooperating with federal efforts to build border walls in that sensitive region of Texas: https://www.marfapublicradio.org/news/2026-06-11/yeti-co-founder-among-owners-of-west-texas-ranch-facilitating-border-wall-construction

We're excited to see you in Dallas for our 16th anniversary celebration on Tuesday June 16! Make your reservation now:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://act.progresstexas.org/a/anniversary2026⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In Progress: The Trouble With The Karmelo Anthony Trial Jun 12, 2026

Show notes

When we talk about the basic American right of a trial by a "jury of our peers" - what exactly does that mean? And, do we believe that Karmelo Anthony received such a trial - one he was due by Constitutional right? We discuss.

Thanks for listening! Learn more about Progress Texas and how you can support our ongoing work at https://progresstexas.org/.

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