BIG STORY: Adwoa Asante, lawyer of Raunaq Alam, and Lydia Faith of Free Palestine Tarrant speak about the freedom of speech case right in Tarrant County and the far right leaders funded by Christian Zionists seeking to make an example of Raunag Alam.

@i_raunic

@freepalestine.tarrant

bit.ly/raunaqdefensefund

SHORT STORY 1: Reactions to Political Violence

• Conservative leaders urge action during Fort Worth march honoring Charlie Kirk
• Fort Worth, Arlington mayors sign declaration against political violence

SHORT STORY 2: People Power vs The People in Power

• Tarrant County commissioners pass tax rates after Democrats broke quorum last week
• Speakers denounce City Council discourse, call for unity in wake of Charlie Kirk death
• Judge to decide on efforts to stop Tarrant County electoral map after hours of testimony
• Goldman asks for input while protesters call for town hall

SHORT STORY 3: Dallas-Fort Worth is a leading data center market with a significant scale issue

WINS:

817 Podcast named Fort Worth Weekly’s Critic’s Choice for Best Podcast.

LOSSES:

$500M in federal funding delays could affect North Texas transit projects

Sculpting a legacy: West Fort Worth art gallery bids farewell after nearly 30 years

West Fort Worth theater’s cancellation of ‘Frankenstein’ production prompts questions

ACTIONS:

Tuesday, September 30 at 10am, City Council will vote to cut public comment meetings down to just 10 meetings for all of 2026.

Deadline to register to vote for the November election is October 6th.

BIG STORY: An Interview with Alisa Simmons, Tarrant County Commissioner Precinct 2.

Tarrant County’s Democratic commissioners skip meeting to prevent vote on lower tax rate

SHORT STORY 1: Charlie Kirk rally in downtown Fort Worth brings in far right extremist sponsors throughout the Metroplex.

SHORT STORY 2: Here’s how much Fort Worth’s fire department, new EMS will cost the city

SHORT STORY 3: North Texas nonprofits lost $127M in six months, mostly from federal sources, survey finds

WINS:

Leaders deny concrete batch plant at Fort Worth’s southside grain silos

City council budget passes, with no decrease in funding towards the arts.

Artes de la Rosa got a proclamation for 25 years of serving the arts (and a 15 year lease on the building).

LOSSES:

Most Fort Worth-area school districts see enrollment decline as charters, suburbs gain

FWISD plans teacher shake-up for 7 struggling schools, new reading lessons with Bible stories

Fort Worth’s growth, data centers drive soaring power demand

ACTIONS:

Watch Tarrant County Commissioner's Court

Special Commissioners Meeting
Monday, 09/22 • 10 AM Tarrant County Administration Building
100 E. Weatherford St.
Fort Worth, TX 76102

SIGN THE LETTER SHOWING YOU STAND WITH SIMMONS AND MILES

Sign up to speak at Fort Worth City Council on Tuesday, September 23rd in New City Hall, and share your comments at this link: y.gy/fwpublic

Big Story: Mayor Mattie Parker writes a letter drawing anger over a city councilmember's social media post quoting Charlie Kirk, and lowers the flags to half-mast at Trump's order.

Fort Worth council members decry political violence clash over now deleted Charlie Kirk post

Short Story 1: Fort Worth's biggest budget item is police

Fort Worth's Crime Control and Prevention budget rising 2.6% more than $138.9 million

Short Story 2: Tarrant County sheriff refuses to give briefings requested by Commissioner Simmons on jail deaths

Short Story 3: Pro-Palestinian activist gets 180 days in jail for North Texas church graffiti

@freepalestine.tarrant post

Wins:

Wesley & his wife are having a baby!

State of the Arts was a success.

JPS Health Network opens new psychiatric emergency center in Fort Worth

Trinity Metro builds focus on transit-oriented development

Fort Worth poised to spend $79 million on parks & green space preservation in 2026

Losses:

How much do Fort Worth council members spend on travel? City officials aren't sure

Actions:

September 16th - City of Fort Worth city council votes on 2026 budget

September 17th - Community Design Fort Worth's transit mixer at Acre Distilling at 4:30pm

September 20th - Trinity Metro's bus stop cleanup day at 7:30am

September 20th - Grassroots Organizers Summit at Dock's Bookshop at 3pm

September 21st - 817 Gather at Blanc Cowork & Studio at 10am

Join the 817 Gather Discord

This week we have a special episode with FWISD teachers Ale Checka & Ernie Morán as we discuss a possible Texas Education Agency takeover by Commissioner Mike Morath, and what life looks like for teachers these days after all the recent legislative changes from the state.

For more context on what's been happening, check out these articles:

From a cell phone ban to Ten Commandments posters, new state laws bring big changes to Texas schools

Texas education chief visits Fort Worth schools as state takeover looms

Cowtown Takeover: What Happens if the State Takes Control of Fort Worth ISD?

FWISD’s stalled progress sign that schools need state takeover, commissioner says

We'll be back next week with a regular episode of the 817 Podcast.

This week Ann Zadeh is out of town, so EJ & Wesley were joined by Chris Tackett.

BIG STORY: Chris Tackett of See It Name It Fight It talks about how Fort Worth votes blue, and spells out a playbook for how Fort Worth can become deeper blue to counteract gerrymandering on a couty & state level.

SHORT STORY 1: Nicole Collier held in Texas House Chamber & Texas Republicans pass gerrymandered redisticting maps.

SHORT STORY 2: Tarrant County dramatically reduces voting locations.

SHORT STORY 3: Eddie García tapped to be Fort Worth’s next police chief.

WINS:

‘Let’s ride!’: Fort Worth high school students to receive free transit rides from Trinity Metro

Trinity Railway Express to be upgraded for World Cup transportation

Fort Worth names new director for economic development, Jessica Rogers

New director at the Modern leans into museum’s future following national controversy

Fort Worth park memorializing Black lynching victim closer to being funded

LOSSES:

O’Hare: Anticipated TxDOT master plan ‘huge boon’ for Fort Worth-area economic development

Tarrant County Judge O’Hare calls on cities to run ‘business-minded’ governments

Fort Worth lands $761M AI supercomputer plants as Wistron selects Alliance

Tarrant faith leaders urge officials to condemn GOP chair’s anti-Muslim social media posts

ACTIONS:

What should Fort Worth spend $3B in taxpayer money on? Here’s how to weigh in

District 7: 6 pm Aug. 25 at Boswell High School

District 6: 6 pm Aug. 27 at Southwest High School Library

District 3: 6 pm Sept. 3 at LVTRise Community Center

District 4: 10 am Sept. 6 at Basswood Elementary School

District 11: 2 pm Sept. 6 at Eugene McCray Community Center

District 9: 6 pm Sept. 8 at University Christian Church

District 5: 6 pm Sept. 10 at the Fort Worth East Regional Library

District 2: 6 pm Sept. 11 at Northside Community Center

District 8: 6 pm Sept. 15 at the William M. McDonald YMCA

BIG STORY: Taylor Rehmet is a union leader running as the only Democrat in a special election jungle primary for Texas Senate District 9, which comprised roughly half of Tarrant County. The election is in November, going against 2 far right extremists.

SHORT STORY 1: Tarrant County Commissioners Court wants to reduce voting locations by 40%.

SHORT STORY 2: Fort Worth’s city budget proposal focuses on lowering taxes & cutting services.

Tarrant County proposed budget considers lower property tax rate & tighter budget.

SHORT STORY 3: Regional Transportation Council's Transit sub-committee is working on a plan to spend $217 billion in public transit infrastructure over the next 25 years.

WINS:

No Cuts to TRE

Confluence Program by the Conservation Alliance seeks to fund enviromental non-profits led by people of color.

Streams and Valley’s has a plan called confluence as well, and just hired a new executive director, Lauren Deen.

Millions for public art could go before Fort Worth voters in a 2026 bond

LOSSES:

Lost opportunities without the Community Arts Center

Fort Worth weighs the $58 million cost of graveling alleyways to tackle weeds Thankfully this is is not moving forward.

ACTIONS:

Donate Now -> Support Tarrant For Change

Let Tarrant County Commissioners Court know that you oppose reducing voting locations before the vote on Tuesday, August 19th.

Community Design Fort Worth has two in-person events this week. Transit Mixer on Wednesday August 20th from 4:30-6:30pm at Acre Distiliing and a Urban Design Talk on Design Justice Thursday, August 21st at 6pm at Texas Wesleyan University.

SteerFW's Civic Summit is Saturday, August 23rd from 10am - 3pm at Simpli.fi in the Stockyards. It's a half-day conference about the most pressing issues in our city. Buy your tickets here.

Beto O’Rourke is a former U.S. Representative, presidential candidate, and one of Texas’s most influential political voices. Known for his bold grassroots campaigns and unwavering commitment to democracy, Beto has inspired millions across the country with his advocacy for voting rights, gun reform, and public education. From his 2018 Senate run that galvanized a new generation of Texas voters to his relentless push for civic engagement through Powered by People, Beto continues to challenge the status quo and fight for a more inclusive, compassionate future. In this conversation, we go beyond headlines to hear what continues to fuel his mission and what he sees next for Texas and America. Check out his organization, Powered By People https://poweredxpeople.org/

Colin Allred is an American politician and former NFL player. He served as the U.S. Representative for Texas's 32nd congressional district from 2019 to 2025. Allred was born in Dallas, Texas, and raised by his single mother, who was his public school teacher. Today, we discuss his campaign and his strategy to defeat John Cornyn.

Learn more about Colin at https://colinallred.com/