The El Paso Matters Podcast

Diego Mendoza-Moyers
  • 5.0 (8)
  • News
  • Updated Biweekly

To go deeper on the most important news stories affecting El Paso, Texas, El Paso Matters reporter Diego Mendoza-Moyers and guests dive into topics relating to the Borderland from politics and economics to education, healthcare and the environment.

  1. 2d ago

    El Paso County is planning major renovations at Ascarate Park. Here's what to know.

    El Pasoans recently got a first look at the wide-ranging renovations El Paso County is planning for Ascarate Park, the region's biggest park. El Paso County Commissioners have tried for years to find ways to clean the lake, improve fishing and add new amenities at the park. Plans have shifted in recent years, but the county is now planning to deploy $31 million in voter-approved bond funds to elevate the park with new features to be completed by 2029. You can read our reporting on the Ascarate Park renovation project at elpasomatters.org.

    23 min
  2. Two trustees resign amid financial turmoil at El Paso's biggest school district. What comes next?

    Jun 10

    Two trustees resign amid financial turmoil at El Paso's biggest school district. What comes next?

    Trustees overseeing El Paso Independent School District voted to declare financial exigency last week after the district's leaders discovered a $52 million hole in EPISD's budget. Afterward, two elected trustees resigned. On this episode of the El Paso Matters Podcast, education reporter Claudia Silva and CEO Bob Moore discuss the situation EPISD is in, what the trustees' resignations means and what to expect for the district going forward as EPISD prepares to lay employees off and put a bond election to voters later this year. You can read Bob and Claudia's reporting at elpasomatters.org.

    48 min
  3. EPISD is in the middle of a financial disaster. Here's what to know

    May 22

    EPISD is in the middle of a financial disaster. Here's what to know

    El Paso's largest school district is experiencing a financial disaster weeks after the district's former finance chief resigned and district officials discovered she was withholding the truth about EPISD's finances and budget overruns. El Paso Matters education reporter Claudia Lorena Silva talks through how EPISD got here and what comes next for the public school district. You can read Claudia's reporting at elpasomatters.org.

    26 min
  4. More bad demographic news for El Paso

    May 19

    More bad demographic news for El Paso

    New Census data show the city of El Paso saw a significant population decline between 2024 and 2025. El Paso Matters CEO Robert Moore discusses his reporting on El Paso's population trends, what declining population figures mean for the Borderland and what local leaders can do in the face of a declining population. You can read Bob's reporting at elpasomatters.org.

    43 min
  5. How government lapses delayed a response to a measles outbreak in El Paso

    May 8

    How government lapses delayed a response to a measles outbreak in El Paso

    Lack of communication and coordination between different levels of government led to confusion and delayed a response to contain the measles outbreak in the El Paso area. El Paso Matters Health Reporter Priscilla Totiyapungprasert joins the El Paso Matters Podcast to discuss her investigative reporting on how the government response increased the risk of measles exposure in El Paso. You can read Priscilla's reported at elpasomatters.org.

    21 min
  6. How a secretive data center deal could transform El Paso

    May 5

    How a secretive data center deal could transform El Paso

    Nearly seven months after elected officials in Doña Ana County approved a large tax break for the massive and controversial Project Jupiter data center campus, New Mexico journalist Heath Haussamen joins the El Paso Matters Podcast to talk about his reporting on the lack of transparency and ongoing questions about Project Jupiter's water usage, electricity consumption and economic impact on the Borderland. You can read Heath's reporting at haussamen.com.

    52 min
  7. Artificial intelligence has arrived in the classroom. What does that mean for education in El Paso?

    May 1

    Artificial intelligence has arrived in the classroom. What does that mean for education in El Paso?

    AI technology that would have seemed like magic to students a generation ago is now in use in classrooms every day in El Paso. But whether students benefit from using artificial intelligence for schoolwork remains an open question. On this episode of the El Paso Matters Podcast, education reporter Claudia Lorena Silva discusses her reporting on how students are using artificial intelligence in El Paso schools, the different approaches to AI across districts and what the upsides and risks are of widespread AI use in education. You can read Claudia's reporting at elpasomatters.org.

    20 min
  8. A beaver... in the desert? The story of how a visitor made an El Paso wetlands park home.

    Apr 9

    A beaver... in the desert? The story of how a visitor made an El Paso wetlands park home.

    In early 2019, a trail camera captured a beaver sitting at the Rio Bosque wetlands park at dawn. It wasn't the first time the park's managers had seen signs of a beaver at the park -- a kind of sanctuary for wildlife in El Paso's urban landscape -- but it's the first time a beaver made the park it's home and began developing beaver dams and changing the park's landscape. El Paso Matters reporter Priscilla Totiyapungprasert joins the podcast to share her experience reporting on El Paso's celebrity beaver. You can read Priscilla's reporting at elpasomatters.org.

    19 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

To go deeper on the most important news stories affecting El Paso, Texas, El Paso Matters reporter Diego Mendoza-Moyers and guests dive into topics relating to the Borderland from politics and economics to education, healthcare and the environment.

Information

  • Creator
    Diego Mendoza-Moyers
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    38
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © El Paso Matters 2024
  • Show Website
    The El Paso Matters Podcast

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