817 Podcast - Fort Worth's Monday Morning Show – Details, episodes & analysis

Today, we have a deep and intimate conversation with Jarred Howard, CEO of the National Juneteenth Museum. We discuss how to celebrate Juneteenth in 2025 with NJM at their inaugural Freedom Vibes Festival. You can get your tickets now.

As usual, the pod has three short stories before the big story. We will update you on redistricting and how Fort Worth has amassed a million people, passing Austin!

Short Stories #1: Has Fort Worth become a Top 10 City?

- Monumental milestone: Fort Worth population officially exceeds 1 million

- Discord conversation about Tarrant County's growth

- Strong Towns

Short Stories #2: What to know about redistricting in Tarrant County

- Tarrant residents say their voices are going unheard in fierce debate over redistricting

Short Stories #3 Mayors and cities start standing up against redistricting

- Arlington Mayor raises concerns, calls for investigation of Tarrant County redistricting plan

- Fort Worth Will Propose a Resolution on Tuesday 

BIG STORY: Conversation with Jarred Howard with the National Juneteenth Museum

Wins and Losses

Ann:

👎 FW Council Meeting on the same day and time as the commissioners court

👍 Seeing family in California

EJ:

👎 Latino leaders lack strategy and are unaware of redistricting

👍 Get involved with the 817 Gather Community

This is a complete show, starting with the cancellation of six figures of NEA funding in North Texas. Mercy Culture breaks ground on its new center, and top county officials praise it. The big story is redistricting updates, and where does funding go in Tarrant and Texas?

COMMUNITY UPDATES:

Join the Discord

RSVP for the 817 Gather

SHORT STORY #1: North Texas arts groups have lost over $280,000 in NEA funding

- Fort Worth groups lose $110K in NEA funds to transform former KKK hall after Trump move

SHORT STORY #2: Mercy Culture Church breaks ground on shelter for human trafficking victims, with plans for more

- Mercy Culture backs church elder facing dueling reports on sexual misconduct allegations

SHORT STORY #3: Redistricting Updates: 

- Redistricting: Racial Discrimination in Tarrant

- This is not Democracy. It’s Manipulation

- Legal Letter from Texas Civil Rights Project, Southern Coalition for Social Justice, and ACLU Texas

BIG STORY: Tarrant Democrats Funding the Far Right

- Texas megadonor Alex Fairly joined forces with the GOP’s ultraconservative wing. He didn’t like what he saw.

WINS AND LOSSES:

Ann:

👎 State Legislative Session

👍 GREENPrint

EJ:

👎 Michael Crain

👍 Redistricting Collaboration

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Ale Checka, an award-winning public school teacher with 17 years of experience in FWISD, organized an opinion piece in the Star-Telegram to oppose Governor Abbott's Voucher Program. This voucher program aims to defund public schools while subsidizing private schools for privileged families. FWISD is already facing budget cuts and school closures, and this bill could exacerbate these challenges in our school communities. We are in the 9th inning, so Ale joins Ann and EJ to get us out of our seats and into the streets advocating for our public schools.

SHORT STORY #1: Steer FW Recap

-Fort Worth officials revamp plans for West 7th public improvement district after roadblocks

SHORT STORY #2: Mental Health Panel

SHORT STORY #3: Keller ISD updates

- City of Fort Worth pushes for public vote in Keller ISD split

- Keller ISD grapples with potential $12.4M deficit as new split details emerge

BIG STORY: We’re Fort Worth educators. Let us tell you how bad vouchers will be for schools | Opinion

- Fort Worth ISD seeks balance between community voice, data in school closure plan

WINS AND LOSSES:

👎 DART says legislation to reduce its funding would have 'devastating impact'

👎 Conservation Policy

👍 Fort Worth child care center avoids closure after outpouring of donations

EJ:

👎 Mercy Culture Measel Vaccination Rates

👎 Fort Worth-area event reveals how some conservative activists see Black history, culture | Opinion

👍 817 Gather Join Us | Discord Community

Jimmy and EJ nerd out about all the new economic data around jobs, real estate, and hotels, leading to a big story about Fort Worth's role in the metroplex. The guys also discuss the curfew and the expansion of the Tarrant Area Food Bank. Sources below:

SHORT STORIES

1. Tarrant Area Food Bank becomes an agricultural hub feeding nearly a half a million people (https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/crossroads-lab/article271588527.html)

2. Rosedale continues the $70M project, but when will we get a grocery store? (https://fortworthreport.org/2023/01/25/as70-million-rosedale-project-moves-ahead-residents-remain-concerned-about-grocery-store-homelessness/)

3.  Curfew and proposed C.A.R.E. planfor minors (https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/fort-worth/article271750177.html)

BIG STORY: DFW GDP growth and Forts Worth's brand in the metroplex

Texas Growth 
https://reader.dallasnews.com/infinity/article_popover_share.aspx?guid=183fd138-0508-45cc-9d48-214e4e2f6a93

Texas Water Fort Worth impact
https://reader.dallasnews.com/infinity/article_popover_share.aspx?guid=fda04c38-4572-421b-b7e7-9597f1c1f0fa

Texas Energy
https://www.wsj.com/articles/bidens-green-subsidies-are-attracting-billions-of-dollars-to-red-states-11674488426?mod=mhp

DFW homebuilding market
https://www.dallasnews.com/business/real-estate/2022/02/09/d-fw-grows-its-lead-as-the-biggest-us-homebuilding-market/

DFW hotel growth #1
https://www.dallasnews.com/business/economy/2023/01/27/hotel-business-surges-in-d-fw-and-texas-as-travel-recovers-and-pandemic-fades/

DFW job growth
https://www.dallasnews.com/business/jobs/2023/01/25/economy-on-fire-texas-adds-nation-topping-650000-jobs-in-2022/

Indian Americans in DFW
https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/article265152111.html

Asian Americans voting potential
https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/06/20/inside-the-battle-for-asian-american-votes

Fort Worth's city limits compared to other cities
https://twitter.com/UrbanFortWorth/status/1619436437233074176

WINS AND LOSSES

FWISD cancels $2.6M sex education curriculum: https://fortworthreport.org/2023/01/28/fort-worth-isd-drops-sex-ed-despite-2-6-million-purchase-of-materials-in-april/

White Settlement remains the name of the bridge: https://fortworthreport.org/2023/01/25/white-settlement-road-will-keep-controversial-name-after-council-scraps-plans-to-consider-change/

FW mini train is back: https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/fort-worth/article270815372.html

FWR gets $1.1 million in funding: https://fortworthreport.org/2023/01/24/fort-worth-report-receives-1-1-million-grant-from-american-journalism-project-to-ensure-long-term-sustainability/

On January 18th, candidates could file to run for city council, FWISD school board, and Tarrant Regional Water District. Jimmy and EJ discuss the new candidates and share updates on A&M and downtown developments.

The big story this week is about the legislative session. Mayor Mattie Parker joined mayors across the big city metros to advocate localized control and broadband access. FWISD created priorities that included more funding since the state has a 33 billion dollar surplus.

The boy's wins and losses include the impact of Frisco's Universal partnership and the economic impact the national championship had on the city. Enjoy!

Jimmy and EJ arrive back from the long break with fresh perspectives and predictions for the city in 2023. Learn who were last year's losers and winners and the significant trends impacting the city's future growth. There will not be a pod next week.

For the final episode of the year, we talk with a true Fort Worth evangelist Carlo Capua who is responsible for building a decades-long strategy for the city to thrive.  ENJOY!

EJ and Jimmy are back from a three-week hiatus and have some serious news to deconstruct as the trial of Arron Dean, the FWDP officer who killed Atatiana Jefferson in her own home, has been found guilty of manslaughter. 

The jury is expected to start deliberation today and determine Dean's punishment.

The guys break down their readings and unravel their opinions about such an emotional case for the city.