On this week’s TribCast, Emily talks with Evan, Jolie and Patrick about the Republican who came out on top in Tuesday’s Texas Senate special election, how conservatives reacted to Gov. Greg Abbott’s cautious consideration of a “red flag” gun law and the latest polling numbers in the Ted Cruz-Beto O’Rourke U.S. Senate matchup.
Michael Rey de Leon
Michael Rey de Leon served as technical director and audiovisual engineer for Studio 919, as well as providing on-location support for The Texas Tribune’s remote event series. Michael Rey joined the Tribune in 2018 after spending years in the field working for organizations including MTV, SXSW, CBS and the University of Texas at Austin. A sixth-generation Texan with familial roots in the Rio Grande Valley, Michael Rey is also an accomplished multi-instrumentalist who has worked with a myriad of recording artists. When he’s not wrapping cables, Michael Rey dedicates his time to his family, cooking and curating an extensive collection of musical instruments.
TribCast: Looming family reunification deadlines and moldy state office buildings
On this week’s TribCast, Emily talks to Evan, Patrick and Emma about Texas’ mold-infested state health services building, whether the feds will meet a court-ordered deadline for migrant family reunifications and why some Republican statewide officials have no incentive to debate their Democratic opponents.
TribCast: More fundraising headlines, Texas GOP reaction to Trump and Russia, SD-19 special election
On this week’s TribCast, Patrick talks to Ross, Aman and Evan about the latest campaign finance reports, how Texas Republicans reacted to President Donald Trump’s summit with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and the July 31 special election for Senate District 19.
TribCast: Democrats make it rain in some key races
On this week’s TribCast, Patrick talks to Evan, Ross and Neena about Democrats’ impressive fundraising in the U.S. Senate race and some congressional contests, as well as about the latest developments in the family separation crisis at the Texas-Mexico border. Senate hopeful Beto O’Rourke also joins the show to discuss his second-quarter fundraising numbers.
TribCast: The latest on the shifting immigration crisis
On this week’s TribCast, Emily talks to Evan, Patrick, Marissa and Emma about the politics at play in the ongoing border crisis and how countries with striking similarities to Texas have brought down their maternal mortality rates.

