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Texas and the greater DFW area were featured in the Economist magazine. It was the main story and filled with tons of information. Jimmy and EJ break down the essential points and why Texas is leading in more than just oil, guns, and bbq.Short Stories:1) FWISD leaked conversation about cutting jobshttps://fortworthreport.org/2023/03/15/job-cuts-in-fort-worth-isd-could-include-campus-staffs-according-audio-of-closed-meeting/2) FW City Council considers giving $1.5M incentive  to new video game company  https://fortworthreport.org/2023/03/17/fort-worth-city-council-to-consider-giving-1-5-million-incentive-for-video-game-company-new-office/3) FW Chamber splits into two orgs. Is that a good thing?https://fortworthreport.org/2023/03/15/abbott-pushes-new-economic-incentives-states-business-climate-in-fort-worth-address/Big Story: Texas Economist Magazine Featurehttps://www.economist.com/briefing/2023/03/16/texass-latest-boom-is-its-biggest-yethttps://www.economist.com/leaders/2023/03/16/why-america-is-going-to-look-more-like-texashttps://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-03-15/10-top-cities-where-100-000-salary-goes-the-furthest#xj4y7vzkgWinsLGBTQ+ Community Health Fairhttps://www.instagram.com/p/Cpv43P2rLFW/Texas Bill to Allow Groceries to Sell Alchoholhttps://fortworthreport.org/2023/03/18/texas-bill-pushes-ready-to-drink-cocktails-to-be-sold-in-grocery-and-convenience-stores/LossesTrain postponedPlaying nicehttps://fortworthreport.org/2023/03/18/not-all-city-council-candidates-promise-to-fight-fair-heres-why/

SHORT STORIES: Education Recap Dr. Ramsey's first six months at FWISD: https://fortworthreport.org/2023/03/08/six-months-on-the-job-fort-worth-isd-superintendent-addresses-major-issues-in-public-education-and-offers-solutions/ Fort Worth ISD to eliminate and change admin jobs in reorganization: https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/education/article273026525.html FWISD 22,000 GED program: https://fortworthreport.org/2023/03/05/were-changing-lives-fort-worth-isd-to-serve-22000-in-adult-ed-program-this-year/ https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-population-growth-remains-sluggish-despite-uptick-this-year-11671723045 BIG STORY: Is it a development or density problem? Alliance Texas Surpasses: $111B in Economic Impact https://www.fortworthtexas.gov/news/2023/3/alliancetexas East Fort Wirth: https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/fort-worth/article272592710.html Gateway Park - https://fortworthreport.org/2023/03/09/opportunity-for-a-win-gateway-park-could-soon-see-millions-in-public-private-investment/ Efficient Transit System: https://fortworthreport.org/2023/03/11/plans-for-a-more-efficient-bus-system-along-east-lancaster-hit-a-speed-bump/ Study finds the struggle to the city's development process: https://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news/2023/03/09/fort-worth-development-real-estate-council.html LanCarte Commercial Reaches 100 % Occupancy at 314 S. Main spot.: https://fwtx.com/news/building-on-the-near-southside-at-full-occupancy/ WINS AND LOSSES Jimmy Win: https://fortworthreport.org/2023/03/08/new-group-aims-to-bring-fort-worth-entrepreneur-community-out-from-under-the-radar/ EJ Win: https://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news/2023/03/07/carhartt-fort-worth-distribution-center.html Jimmy Loss: https://fortworthreport.org/2023/03/06/a-26-million-dilemma-fort-worth-solicits-feedback-on-future-of-fort-worth-community-arts-center/ EJ Loss: https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/crime/article272985445.html

Fort Worth is making some progress with two affordable housing projects.  Jimmy and EJ discuss both projects in the big story.Short Story 1: District 7 candidate makes Wokelandia gamehttps://www.star-telegram.com/news/politics-government/article272628203.html#storylink=cpyShort Story 2: The city is looking to change how council member proposals are approved for the agendahttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/13-decrease-in-violent-crime-%2411m-in-housing-for-homeless/id1579328171?i=1000602691785Short Story 3: City vows to listen and revamp comprehensive planhttps://fortworthreport.org/2023/02/28/fort-worth-vows-to-listen-as-it-revamps-comprehensive-plan-communities-of-color-are-skeptical/BIG STORY: Affordable HousingFort Worth offers $11 million to buy Southwestern Seminary dorms for homeless families: https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/fort-worth/article272637518.htmlThe troubled hotel in Las Vegas Trail will be renovated for homeless familieshttps://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/fort-worth/article272711765.html#storylink=mainstage_card5* First-time buyers made up the smallest share of sales on record last year, at 26%, even as home values started to cool, according to the National Association of Realtors.** Before the pandemic, about a third of first-time homeowners relied on a gift or loan from families or friends for at least part of their down payment, said Zillow’s Olsen. That increased to about 40% in 2021, she said. Meanwhile, the number of young adult buyers with an co-borrower over the age of 55 has spiked since 2021,  according to Freddie Mac. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-03-02/will-home-prices-fall-first-time-buyers-face-a-costly-housing-market?leadSource=uverify%20wall*** Few Americans lived on the streets in the early post-war period because housing was cheaper. Back then, only one in four tenants spent more than 30% of their income on rent, compared with one in two today. The best evidence suggests that a 10% rise in housing costs in a pricey city prompts an 8% jump in homelessness.https://www.economist.com/leaders/2019/12/18/how-to-cut-homelessness-in-the-worlds-priciest-cities**** Everything you think you know about homelessness is wronghttps://noahpinion.substack.com/p/everything-you-think-you-know-aboutWinsJimmy: UTA architecture bridge student projectEJ: Community Frontline MuralLossesJimmy: Texas politicsEJ: Fort Worths misalignment on being a fiscally responsible city

Jimmy and EJ break down each council seat and share their insights and thoughts on who is in the hot seat and who is cruising to remain in power. The guys dive into the new retail data and discuss Fort Worth's strategy to bring residential living to the urban core.  They also discuss Chief Noakes's oversight committee and Tim O'Hare's removal of mandatory bias training for Tarrant County employees. Below are a few of the stories discussed in this week's episode:SHORT STORY 1Fort Worth City Council member’s 82-year-old mother shot in her north side home:https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/crime/article272592271.htmlSHORT STORY 2Fort Worth’s retail real estate market is thriving, even as rents increase:https://www.star-telegram.com/news/business/article272516864.htmlSHORT STORY 3Panther Island Gets Fort Worth's Biggest Share of Infrastructure Fundinghttps://fortworthreport.org/2023/02/20/panther-island-gets-fort-worths-biggest-share-of-infrastructure-funding/* Bloomberg article on Manhattenhttps://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2023-manhattan-work-from-home/BIG STORYHere are the 30 Candidates Running for Fort Worth City Councilhttps://fortworthreport.org/2023/02/17/here-are-the-30-candidates-running-for-fort-worth-city-council/EJ's Winhttps://www.facebook.com/events/837414440659135/?acontext=%7B%22ref%22%3A%2252%22%2C%22action_history%22%3A%22[%7B%5C%22surface%5C%22%3A%5C%22share_link%5C%22%2C%5C%22mechanism%5C%22%3A%5C%22share_link%5C%22%2C%5C%22extra_data%5C%22%3A%7B%5C%22invite_link_id%5C%22%3A897527908047978%7D%7D]%22%7DEJ's Losshttps://fortworthreport.org/2023/02/17/here-are-the-30-candidates-running-for-fort-worth-city-council/Jimmy's Win1) https://fortworthreport.org/2023/02/23/human-resources-software-company-donates-50000-to-national-juneteenth-museum/2) https://fortworthreport.org/2023/02/24/how-a-150k-grant-will-speed-up-makeover-of-east-fort-worths-broadcast-hill/Jimmy's Losshttps://www.star-telegram.com/news/politics-government/article272559745.html

Last week the Fort Worth report hosted a panel discussion called the Fort Worth Way. Alex Jimenez who was a part of the panel joins us to give an expanded view on the topic.The event was happening at the same time the city announced$50 million in an additional cost for city hall and Visit Fort Worth hosted its echo chamber bruncheon around tourism. The Unexpected City trailer (https://youtu.be/nMxDgjY1Wqw)

In recent news, Texas Christian University announced Daniel Pullin as their new president. President Pullin began his new position on Feb. 1, supporting 12,000+ students. Pullin's background is in business, entrepreneurship, and innovation so Jimmy and EJ get to discuss the future of TCU but also the complete ecosystem we call North Texas. Enjoy!

This is the FIRST two interview episode and we are excited to give you timely news on the topics you care about most! Our first guest is Councilmember Jared Williams, who is leading the front on eliminating the curfew ordinance in the city. We also talk about his C.A.R.E. for Minors plan, which helps us holistically support our youth.  The second interview is with someone we have been excited to get on the show for a long time! Austin James is the producer/founder of Now.Town (HTTP://www.now.town), a local news publication that updates the community with urban development projects that are coming around the city. His writing and research focus on construction, transportation, and land use. We are fortunate to have Austin doing this work as Fort Worth is the fastest-growing large city in America. Make sure to follow him on Twitter and sign up for his news alerts.

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 STORIES1. 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 metroplexTexas Growth https://reader.dallasnews.com/infinity/article_popover_share.aspx?guid=183fd138-0508-45cc-9d48-214e4e2f6a93Texas Water Fort Worth impacthttps://reader.dallasnews.com/infinity/article_popover_share.aspx?guid=fda04c38-4572-421b-b7e7-9597f1c1f0faTexas Energyhttps://www.wsj.com/articles/bidens-green-subsidies-are-attracting-billions-of-dollars-to-red-states-11674488426?mod=mhpDFW homebuilding markethttps://www.dallasnews.com/business/real-estate/2022/02/09/d-fw-grows-its-lead-as-the-biggest-us-homebuilding-market/DFW hotel growth #1https://www.dallasnews.com/business/economy/2023/01/27/hotel-business-surges-in-d-fw-and-texas-as-travel-recovers-and-pandemic-fades/DFW job growthhttps://www.dallasnews.com/business/jobs/2023/01/25/economy-on-fire-texas-adds-nation-topping-650000-jobs-in-2022/Indian Americans in DFWhttps://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/article265152111.htmlAsian Americans voting potentialhttps://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/06/20/inside-the-battle-for-asian-american-votesFort Worth's city limits compared to other citieshttps://twitter.com/UrbanFortWorth/status/1619436437233074176WINS AND LOSSESFWISD 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.htmlFWR 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. 

Now more than ever, we need to support our local journalists as their employer McClatchey provides zero compromises to their poor wages and work conditions. Here is the link to donate to support journalists, as they may have to strike to make a point on how important local news is to the city. https://www.gofundme.com/f/fort-worth-newsguild-strike-fund?utm_campaign=m_pd+share-sheet&utm_medium

EJ and Jimmy get together to breakdown the election results.Reference for rantsAfter the midterms, America and its democracy look stronger American policy is splitting, state by state, into two blocs https://www.economist.com/interactive/briefing/2022/09/03/american-policy-is-splitting-state-by-state-into-two-blocs America’s black upper class and Black Lives Matter https://www.economist.com/united-states/2020/08/22/americas-black-upper-class-and-black-lives-matter Inside the battle for Asian-American votes https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/06/20/inside-the-battle-for-asian-american-votes Less than half of US children under 15 are white, census shows https://www.brookings.edu/research/less-than-half-of-us-children-under-15-are-white-census-shows/ Race and finance: America’s segregated banking sector https://www.ft.com/content/e63cbe88-6d46-4119-9067-e10a926c61c2 U.S. Christian majority could fade in coming decades, models find https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/07/30/most-common-age-among-us-racial-ethnic-groups/

Jimmy and EJ break down election data and what their concerns are moving forward. They also discuss the rise in crime in West 7th, Las Vegas Trail, and Stockyards rezoning.Come hang with the boyz at Hotel Dryce today from 6 pm to 8 pm.

We are back from a two-week hiatus with a special interview with Shawn Lassiter.  She is a former science teacher and TX06 candidate who leads BRAVE/R Together, a nonprofit focused on transforming communities of color that deal with systemic inequities. Her team of localized ambassadors and United Way Tarrant County will be hosting the inaugural 76104 Phoenix Festival celebrating the greatness in communities such as Historic Southside, Morningside, and Hillside. The 76104 Phoenix Festival will be a two-day event that includes a dinner, a morning 5K run, a farmers market, and an evening celebration with local artists.The event is free to attend, and you can learn more at https://bravertogether.org/phoenix.This episode also includes three short stories and our wins and losses for the week! 

We made some inaccurate comments on this week's pod that we felt we needed to correct. See you in two weeks!

It was a slow news week, but the Fort Worth Report and the Star-Telegram provided some concerning updates about the city manager's relationship with Sasha and Ed Bass. How deep does this relationship go, and did the city council do enough?We will be out for the next two weeks and miss you all.