On this episode of the El Paso Matters Podcast, reporter Diego Mendoza-Moyers speaks with Andy Vargas, a veteran of the tech and finance industries and a managing partner of the El Paso-based investment firm No Border Ventures. Vargas has been critical of the subsidies local governments granted Meta in exchange for the tech giant developing a data center in Northeast El Paso. He offers his thoughts on the deal and his own vision for economic development in the borderland. You can read Diego's reporting on data center developments in the El Paso region at elpasomatters.org.

Nov. 18 is now Eddie Guerrero day in El Paso, Texas, a celebration of the native El Pasoan's life and impact on wrestling fans worldwide. El Paso Matters editor -- and WWE superfan -- Pablo Villa joins the El Paso Matters Podcast to talk about Guerrero's legacy and how the regional lucha libre scene carries on today. You can read Pablo's feature on Eddie Guerrero at elpasomatters.org.

The natural gas utility Texas Gas Service wants to raise El Paso household gas bills by around 25 percent. El Paso Matters reporter Diego Mendoza-Moyers talks through different aspects of the rate request. You can read Diego's reporting at elpasomatters.org.

Voters in Socorro Independent School District rejected a ballot proposition during the Nov. 4 election that would have provided more revenue for the cash-strapped district. The decision could affect how SISD navigates its way out of a financial bind and whether it can avoid a state takeover. El Paso Matters education reporter Claudia Silva joins the podcast to discuss why voters rejected Proposition A and what it means for the future of the school district. You can read Claudia's reporting at elpasomatters.org.

As Texas voters prepare to decide on a ballot proposition in early November that would allocate $20 billion to shore up the state's water supply, El Paso Water Vice President Gilbert Trejo joins the El Paso Matters Podcast for a wide-ranging discussion on the water situation in El Paso. You can read El Paso Matters' coverage of water issues in El Paso at elpasomatters.org.

Meta Platforms, the technology giant that owns Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, is building a $1.5 billion data center project in El Paso. Public anxiety about data centers and their water and electricity usage has escalated in arid communities throughout the southwestern U.S. like El Paso. El Paso Matters journalists Diego Mendoza-Moyers and Pablo talk about the resources the data center will use, the city's incentive deal with Meta and how the project will impact El Pasoans' utility bills. You can read Diego's reporting at elpasomatters.org.

The city of El Paso will hire a new director for the city's animal services department likely early next year. The next director will be the sixth person since 2015 to lead the department, which has faced public criticism along with leadership turnover over the last decade. El Paso Matters Senior Reporter Elida Perez discusses the challenges the department has faced and the search for a new leader. You can read Elida's reporting at elpasomatters.org.

Unlike the other major metro areas in Texas, El Paso is more spreading out than truly growing. And new projections published this week by Texas’ state demographer show, even in the most optimistic scenario, our population is likely to grow at a much slower pace than it did in the 1990s or in the 2000s. Bob Moore, the founder and CEO of El Paso Matters, joins the podcast to talk about his reporting on El Paso's stagnating population growth and what the city's elected officials can do to staunch the outflow of people from El Paso and reverse the city's demographic trends. You can read Bob's reporting at elpasomatters.org