The El Paso Matters Podcast

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.

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.

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.

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. [https://haussamen.com/]

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 [https://www.elpasomatters.org].