but the past 10 years have witnessed an explosion of regional Mexican styles influenced by an array of culinary traditions and chefs who apply their creativity and craft to the form Below is a map of the 20 taco trucks and restaurants (some with multiple locations) serving the best tacos in Austin Restaurant Hall of Fame: Great tacos, Salsa Doña, strong collaboration set Tacodeli apart Chef Rene Ortiz’s three locations create tacos packed with a plate’s worth of complementary flavors and textures, like the grilled onion, cabbage, guacamole and cotija cheese with pulled achiote chicken of the El Santo, or the hazy hues of adobo shrimp with avocado salsa and pickled onions. Bonus points for the best queso in town. 915 N. Lamar Blvd. 1703 S. First St. 3600 Loop 360. fresaschicken.com 18. Vaquero TaqueroYou want juicy steak charred from the grill? You want to see an actual trompo spinning like a burnt orange beacon? You want thick, homemade corn tortillas and puffy flour versions? You want chopped nopales brightened with avocado crema and salsa verde like you might find on the streets of Mexico? You’ve come to the right place. 104 E. 31st St. 603 Sabine St. vaquerotaquero.com Restaurant Hall of Fame 2024: 'Hard labor' brought beloved Habanero Cafe to South Austin Maria Rios makes some of the best breakfast tacos in town — such as chilaquiles served with a trio of salsas — and her talents extend to a massive lunch and dinner menu featuring the citrus and spice of soft al pastor on bubbled homemade flour tortillas, and an alambre that combines steak and chorizo. Started as a trailer, Granny’s is now a brick-and-mortar location. 1407 E. Seventh St. grannystacosatx.com Related: 40 Best Bars in Austin list includes De Nada Cantina Ramen may be in the name of this Mexican-Japanese hybrid found inside the Hana World Market, but the tacos are just as good as, if not better than, the soup. The tortillas are draped with yakitori grilled items like lengua and chicken thigh. Start with the charred Spanish octopus and its nutty salsa macha and go from there. 1700 W Parmer Lane. ramendelbarrio.com They make one type of taco here, and they do it right. Beef, pork and peppers are cooked down across a broad disc pan, and the mixture is piled into tiny corn shells and topped with the acid and citrus of tomato, onion and lime juice. Small tacos, big flavor. 1319 Rosewood Ave. discadatx.com Beto Robledo’s little truck serves Mexico City-style street tacos in doubled up corn tortillas that are gone in a few bites. In addition to the perfectly salted and tender suadero, you’ll find funky (in the best way) longaniza, tender street meats like stomach and beef cheek, and a mushroom taco that pairs nicely with the earth and heat of salsa roja. 1108 E. 12th St. cuantostacosaustin.com Este (and Suerte*)There’s no better surf-and-turf taco combo in town than Este’s hulking masa-fried swordfish with its zippy hot sauce followed by a taco of paper-thin Wagyu ribeye and melted asadero cheese clinging to a homemade tortilla packed with tingly smoky sweetness provided by charred onions and tomatillo salsa the best steak taco in town might be found at the best seafood restaurant in town Review: Este's bold flavors make it one of Austin's best seafood and Mexican restaurants The duck carnitas taco and citrus-cured tuna tostada at chef Edgar Rico’s taqueria in East Austin quickly became modern Austin icons after the restaurant opened in 2019 The former for its richness and depth of flavor Duck fat is used to make lush refried beans that come slathered on the "enchilada Potosina taco." Filled with a chorizo-and-potato blend the unique taco serves as an homage to Rico’s family home in San Luis Potosi Those dishes, along with vegetarian tacos ranging from roasted cauliflower to butternut squash; Nixta’s nixtamalization program; and the work the restaurant has done in the community have led to praise from Food & Wine and Time magazines (among others). Nixta also serves a killer tasting menu that allows for even greater creativity (and indoor seating). 2512 E. 12th St. nixtataqueria.com This story has been updated to include the new address of Yellow Bell Tacos and and new name of Taqueria de Diez From 2019: Nixta Taqueria takes craft approach to some of city’s best tacos Related: 15 new Austin restaurants to try that have opened this year; plus 4 places we lost local leaders and Longhorns recently gathered at UT’s Hook ’Em House at Antone’s to hear from an esteemed panel about the opportunity for tech transformation in Austin when the right groups come together to reimagine the possibilities associate vice president of Discovery to Impact at The University of Texas and managing director of the UT Seed Fund Discovery to Impact serves as the ecosystem that connects UT innovators — and their groundbreaking research — to the resources they need to get their ideas out of the lab and into the world to have lasting impact When Mark asked the panel what makes Texas panelists agreed that there is a spirit of optimism and a culture of innovation in Austin and in the state of Texas that is unparalleled added that a great University sits at the heart of where some of the best entrepreneurial opportunities lie He explained that human capital is also more important than ever because of the pace of change and decision making that emerging technology brings The key is to bring together University talent entrepreneurs and industry in a way that can accelerate research commercialization to transform lives Breyer shared that it’s the seamless integration and sharing of ideas dean of the Dell Medical School and senior vice president for medical affairs at the University of Texas highlighted the medical complex the University is building with the concept of an immersive learning laboratory as an example It is a place of convergence where the University the private sector and education can come together not to just react to what is happening in health care but to be part of shaping it Lucchinetti  illustrated the significance of building a purpose-built hospital at the time of great transformation in information technology and the opportunity that holds for Austin and beyond She added that the University represents one of the most important trends in technology: bio convergence — the bringing together of AI engineering and computing to spur health transformations By bringing those component parts together health care leaders are able to transform how we think about tailoring treatments avoid disease and promote a longer and healthier lifespan Benefits of public and private partnerships can also be seen in the growing semiconductor industry in Texas As a co-founder and chief technology officer for the Texas Institute for Electronics (TIE) Sreenivasan discussed how TIE is playing a crucial role in semiconductor manufacturing and advanced electronics in Texas and the nation With 84,000 square feet of state-of-the-art clean room space in Austin TIE serves as a UT Austin-supported semiconductor consortium of state and local government preeminent semiconductor and defense electronics companies and national labs and nationally recognized academic institutions Sreenivasan described how TIE is building a fabrication facility (FAB) that can allow people to do low-volume early production of highly innovation systems but in a way that can be scaled up to commercialize it The FAB ecosystem allows people to come together and build the most advanced prototypes and then deploy them in real applications creating an ecosystem that allows people to innovate also comes addressing the future of artificial intelligence Panelists discussed how UT is already embracing the use of AI to develop next-generation technologies faster and economically across a range of fields whether that’s AI-enabled drug discovery it is exciting to imagine how AI coupled with medtech or humanoid robotics might change lives in the next five years— but one thing is certain: The innovation is happening in Texas and at The University of Texas at Austin Attorney General Ken Paxton on Monday accused Austin ISD of using materials to teach critical race theory His office filed a petition on May 1 seeking authorization to depose Superintendent Matias Segura and school board members as part of an investigation The AG's office alleges the district is using curricula related to the “The 1619 Project," which recenters U.S history around the impact of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans It was created by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill in 2021 that banned the use of “The 1619 Project” in Texas public schools and sought to restrict how educators talk about race and racism in the classroom Abbott and other Republicans said they wanted to prevent schools from teaching critical race theory which was developed in the 1970s and 1980s to examine the ongoing effects of racism on U.S In a news release the AG’s office said it was “made aware of an Austin ISD official making statements implying that they were using curricula and teaching material linked to the 1619 Project.” “My office has begun the legal process to depose Austin ISD leaders and we will fully investigate the district’s policies involving the teaching of illegal CRT curriculum to make sure state law is enforced,” Paxton said in a statement “I will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that Texas school officials are focused on helping students receive a world-class education The petition from the AG's office pointed to two "undercover interviews" Accuracy in Media conducted with two different Austin ISD employees in 2021 and 2022 The AG's office claims both interviews indicate the district may have an "unwritten policy" to get around the state's ban on teaching critical race theory Newsela gives teachers access to news-based articles as well as videos and the AG's office said some of the content available through the platform is linked to "The 1619 Project." Hawley’s subsequent promotion to the District’s Chief Officer for Organizational Transformation from November 2023 through March 2025 combined with her long history of promoting 'equity' in the District raise an even greater concern that her influence in reshaping the district may have entrenched an attitude of promoting Critical Race Theory while 'staying out of trouble with the Legislature' throughout the District’s policies and culture," the petition stated A spokesperson for Austin ISD said the district does not comment on pending litigation the advocacy chair for the Austin Council of PTAs who is running against incumbent John Cornyn in a Republican primary for the U.S is going after the district to win political points “Ken Paxton is running for Senate and both CRT — this nebulous term he uses to describe any anti-bigotry efforts — and his attacks on public schools are red meat to his ever-dwindling base," she said "This is nothing but a distraction and a waste of public resources." Hoffacker added the district has complied with requirements from the state “His investigation will find Austin has some of the most dedicated educators in the country,” she said a professor in UT Austin's College of Education said critical race theory is not taught in K-12 schools He added that Republican officials have not been able to clearly define what it is "There has been this attack on CRT in schools without really any evidence from any politicians that CRT is actually being taught," he said "This just looks like one more unwarranted attack that's just a public spectacle that will undermine public education even further." DeMatthews said Texas has more pressing problems to solve when it comes to education — from the teacher shortage to improving academic achievement and providing special education services "I think this is just one of a long line of embarrassing moves by the state of Texas to undermine its constitutional duty to provide a quality public education to every student," he said "It's unimaginable that this is where we're at." DeMatthews said elected officials should be focused on increasing state funding for public schools which have not seen an increase in the base level of per-student funding since 2019 Austin ISD is not the only district Paxton has accused of teaching critical race theory he filed a lawsuit against Coppell ISD outside Dallas KUT News has reached out to the AG's office for more details on the allegations and when Austin ISD officials and school board members could be deposed Correction: This story previously stated Paxton sued Coppell ISD last month You might have come across the many ways CapMetro can get you to Q2 Stadium — a sports venue that was intentionally built with very little car parking But would you like to work a little exercise into your commute to the game Austin FC offers bicycle valet parking on the east side of the stadium near the McKalla Station CapMetro Rail stop Simply present your bike at the valet and take a ticket Stadium staff guard your bike in the enclosed valet area while you enjoy the match Present your ticket after the game to retrieve your bike Getting there by pedal power is now safer than ever protected bike lanes have been added to Rutland Drive allowing access to the stadium from the south on McKalla Place which allows access from West Braker Lane (which also has bike lanes) from the north A new shared-use path (part of the ongoing Red Line Trail project) has been added alongside the railroad tracks off Braker for the final approach to Q2 Austin FC faces off El Paso Locomotive FC on Wednesday so wear bright/reflective clothing and use lights — it will be dark by the final whistle For the full array of mobility options to Q2 Stadium, please visit austinfc.com/stadium/mobility.  Mobility Matters takes you inside the Austin Transportation and Public Works Department adding bike lanes or installing new signals our goal is to move people around Austin safely and efficiently 'This was a big win': Riley's 8th career multi-HR game powers Braves past LAMay 5th ATLANTA -- made sure the Dodgers exited Atlanta knowing that despite their dominance in this year’s season series they still have reason to keep an eye on the Braves who could spend the following weeks and months reasserting themselves as legit World Series contenders Riley’s second multi-homer game of the young season backed Bryce Elder’s strong start and allowed the Braves to snap a three-game skid with a 4-3 win over the Dodgers on Sunday night at Truist Park The victory prevented Los Angeles from sweeping the six-game season series but this was a big win,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said Riley hit a two-run shot against Dustin May in the first inning and added another against the Dodgers starter in the third The Braves third baseman’s eighth career multihomer game provided an early cushion for Elder who allowed two runs and four hits over five innings Right-handed reliever Daysbel Hernández retired each of the four batters he faced and closer Raisel Iglesias notched three strikeouts including two with the tying run at third base the Braves exited this series feeling much better than they did when they exited Dodger Stadium on April 2 having just opened the season with a seventh straight loss They have gone 15-11 since then and they have won 10 of their past 15 games “I think this is a really good ballclub here,” Riley said “We’ve shown it at times and we’ve struggled at times But this is something to build off of to get that confidence that we can compete with the best.” Asked before the game about the Dodgers’ great depth Snitker pointed out the defending World Series champions also get great production from their collection of stars Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman might be the game’s top trio and cleanup hitter Teoscar Hernández ranks among the league leaders with nine homers is activated from the injured list near the end of this month Marcell Ozuna and Matt Olson to give Atlanta its own high-quality quartet Acuña was the 2023 National League MVP and Olson hit 54 homers that same year Ozuna ranks among the game’s top 10 players in OPS since the start of 2023 And Riley was bidding for a fourth straight 30-homer season before his 2024 season ended with a fractured hand suffered in August Riley has traditionally been a slow starter He spent this season’s first month swinging and missing more frequently than he has in the past The 31.7 percent strikeout rate he carried into Sunday was noticeably higher than the 24-25 percent rates he produced over the past few seasons Riley finds himself having hit .292 with eight homers and a .847 OPS through 33 games when he ended the 0-7 season-opening road trip having gone 3-for-27 with 11 strikeouts He has hit .336 with a .949 OPS in the 26 games that have followed this has been one of the better starts to my career,” Riley said Riley hit a career-high 38 home runs in 2022 and he followed that with 37 homers the following season Could he finally reach the 40-homer mark this year he ‘s currently on pace to hit 39 homers and this is around the time he has often started to get hot Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball Even though he missed most of May last year with a sore oblique he still has homered once every 15.5 at-bats in the season’s second month he’s just a few days into what has traditionally been a good month a month during which he has homered once every 12.7 at-bats “When he’s using that gap-to-gap approach like that “We know what he can do when he gets hot.” MLB Trade Rumors By | May 4 Cox’s big league resume consists only of 35 2/3 innings of 4.54 ERA ball with Kansas City in 2023 so it is a little surprising to see him land a guaranteed deal offering a surefire 40-man roster spot isn’t an uncommon tactic if a team wants to outbid others to land a player with limited or even zero MLB experience The Braves might’ve also had a built-in advantage since Cox is from Macon so he’ll now get to play in his home state A fifth-round pick for the Royals in the 2018 draft Cox is changing organizations for the first time in his pro career His 2023 debut season in the Show came to an early and unfortunate end after he tore his ACL during a September game though he was able to make it back to action by mid-April 2024 and 15.2% walk rate in 55 Triple-A innings last season and 10.9BB% in 12 2/3 frames with Omaha this year Atlanta Braves Transactions I wonder if he’ll ever wear a Brooklyn Billion Dodgers jersey I’m just glad we haven’t had the usual play-on-name jokes …. Log in Register MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball Register ATLANTA — Since the Braves moved to Atlanta in 1966 they’ve never been swept in a season series by the Los Angeles Dodgers Austin Riley and Bryce Elder helped to make sure that streak remained intact and Elder pitched five strong innings in a 4-3 win as the Braves averted series and season sweeps by the Dodgers including an opening-week sweep in Los Angeles The Braves snapped a three-game losing streak and ended the Dodgers’ seven-game winning streak in the series finale at Truist Park Atlanta also ended its seven-game skid against L.A with its third win in 13 games against the Dodgers since the beginning of last season and we played good defense and were able to put it away It’s great for the momentum going in tomorrow against the Reds.” When the series at Dodger Stadium ended April 2 The teams have identical 15-11 records since Atlanta has accomplished that despite erratic offense the PED suspension of Jurickson Profar and a couple of key pitching injuries they would’ve finished 0-6 against the Dodgers this season and had a record closer to the Colorado Rockies’ MLB-worst 6-28 than the Dodgers’ 23-11 Los Angeles is already 17 games ahead of Colorado in the NL West with just over one-fifth of the season completed and a lot of the credit went to Riley and Elder who has struggled mightily but struck out the last three batters after giving up a leadoff single in the ninth inning including the last two with a runner at third This is the way.#BravesCountry pic.twitter.com/wExyMCBIyQ — Atlanta Braves (@Braves) May 5, 2025 Plenty of Braves fans wanted Elder to be DFA’d not long ago they’re glad team officials didn’t feel the same way about the right-hander who was charged with four hits and two runs in five innings Sunday Elder has pitched at least five innings in five of his past six starts — six innings three times — and the Braves have won each of his past four He’s 2-0 with a 3.18 ERA in his last three starts after posting a 7.20 ERA in his first three my stuff was kind of trending in the right direction,” Elder said “And I think it’s still trending in the right direction and I’m kind of seeing (results) a little more than I was and I think it’s going to keep getting better.” I think Baldy (rookie catcher Drake Baldwin) called a heck of a game Elder struck out the side in the first inning — Shohei Ohtani Freddie Freeman — and retired the first eight before an Austin Barnes two-out double in the third Ohtani followed with a walk before Elder induced an inning-ending groundout from Betts “Bryce stepped up big,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said his command all of a sudden was getting a little shoddy it shows what he’s capable of when he’s in the strike zone.” After the Dodgers got a single and a Max Muncy RBI double with one out in the fourth to trim the Riley-fueled lead to 4-1 Elder retired the next five before giving up a walk and a Freeman single to start the sixth Pierce Johnson replaced Elder and retired the next three with an RBI groundout driving in L.A.’s second run Elder was pressed into big-league duty by the Braves after Reynaldo López went on the injured list with shoulder inflammation after one start López had an arthroscopic “cleanup” procedure and will likely be out until at least September Spencer Strider is also sidelined indefinitely with a hamstring strain Since the Braves added no starters in the offseason after losing Max Fried and Charlie Morton to free agency and starter Ian Anderson wasn’t anywhere near where the team hoped during spring training the performances by Grant Holmes and Elder have been “huge” factors in the Braves’ improvement since their 0-7 start Elder’s last two starts before Sunday were quality starts of six innings or more with just three earned runs or fewer has one such start; it came in his last game when he pitched more than five innings for the first time this season The Braves’ offensive turnaround this season has mirrored that of Riley the third baseman who’s strengthening his bid for a third NL All-Star berth in four years after missing it during his injury-plagued 2024 season The All-Star Game will be in Atlanta this year Riley had two-run homers off Dodgers starter Dustin May in the first and third innings after Alex Verdugo’s leadoff walk in the first and leadoff single in the third It was Riley’s eighth career multi-homer game and second this season; the other was April 14 at the Toronto Blue Jays It'd been about 30 minutes since Austin's last dinger so he was due tbh#BravesCountry pic.twitter.com/56YdioEdhq — Atlanta Braves (@Braves) May 4, 2025 three RBIs and a .468 OPS in the first nine games Riley has seven homers and 21 RBIs in the past 24 games He has hit .343 during that stretch with an OPS approaching 1.000 It’s just the strikeouts (that have) been the biggest thing that I’m not really liking — and everything will just kind of build off of it it’s probably one of my better starts in my career Riley raised his season totals to eight homers and 24 RBIs Riley is the RBI leader and ranks second in homers behind the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Eugenio Suárez including four homers in one game against the Braves The Dodgers have the most stars and the best record in baseball but they also have the same record as the Braves since the season’s second week That’s despite Atlanta’s 5-13 start and some ugly stretches “I guess everybody knows what they did in the offseason and the previous years to get the team that they have,” Braves center fielder Michael Harris II said of the Dodgers before Sunday’s game Most pundits are picking the Dodgers to win another NL pennant and giving them a good chance to become the first repeat World Series champions since the Yankees won three consecutive World Series from 1998 to 2000 Is this the most well-rounded Dodgers team in recent memory I guess you could probably say that,” Snitker said “Their depth is probably as good as anybody’s in the game what they can do and how they can manage a season There’s no bumps in the road; those guys produce And that’s why they’re so steady and good.” When I mentioned (sarcastically) to Snitker that it was almost like the Dodgers had spent a ton of money on a lot of great players Which is why Sunday’s win felt bigger than just one game in 162 “I think this (Braves team) is a really good ballclub here But I think that’s something that you can build off of and just get that confidence knowing that we can compete with the best and go from there.” Even though the Braves were 0-5 against the Dodgers before Sunday Harris said before the game that he and the Braves believed they could compete with them “We still feel like we got guys here that can do the same thing and win games against teams like that,” Harris said “It wouldn’t be ideal to get swept by them twice but we’ve just got to go out there and play our game.” Said Snitker: “When you win a game like this too.’ And I think the whole club can take something away from that just to show us that we can play (with them) (Photo of Austin Riley and Alex Verdugo: Kevin C Austin-Travis County EMS said on Sunday that the missing paddleboarder from Lady Bird Lake was located by APD's Dive Team at around 12:35 p.m They were pronounced dead on scene just before 4 p.m Emergency crews responded to a water rescue on Lady Bird Lake near the Interstate 35 bridge after reports of a paddleboarder struggling without a life vest on Saturday Austin-Travis County EMS and the Austin Fire Department responded to the water rescue at around 6:10 p.m to 0 North I-35 Service Road Southbound at East Turn near East Avenue and Nash Hernandez Senior Road First responders are actively attempting to locate an adult who reportedly went underwater and did not resurface according to a tweet from ATCEMS at 6:36 p.m the operation had transitioned from a rescue to a recovery effort This is a developing story and will be updated with more information Texas — Austin police arrested four people on drug and weapons charges during a targeted operation in North Austin last week conducted Thursday by the Austin Police Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety focused on areas with high rates of violent crime and drug activity Officers monitoring the vicinity of Thurmond Street and North Lamar Boulevard observed what appeared to be open-air narcotics transactions at the Thurmond Heights Apartment Complex ALSO | Austin police investigate Sunday morning homicide in SE Austin charged with possession of crack cocaine and obstructing highway passage; Chaz Young unlawful carrying of a weapon and evading detention; Edwin Middleton charged with possession of crack cocaine and felon in possession of a firearm; and Kevin Abraham who was apprehended on an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon warrant Officers executed a search warrant at Harper's apartment and 9 grams of methamphetamine and fentanyl Additional charges are expected as the investigation continues quarter-sized hail and an isolated tornado are all possible for the Austin area on Friday as a cold front moving in could bring storms A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect for parts of Central Texas until 10 p.m. The Austin Independent School District has canceled all after school activities today “Heavy rainfall could lead to flooding and flash flooding,” NWS Meteorologist Chris Morris said It’s better to be a little late getting to your destination than risking your life or the life of a first responder coming out to get you in flood waters.” Water depth is not easy to judge on flooded roads Morris is urging folks to have multiple ways of getting weather updates Here are other places you can monitor any flooding and potential impacts: WWE legend "Stone Cold" Steve Austin has opened up about his WrestleMania 41 appearance and the crash that he had in the ATV on the way to the ring Austin was on hand to announce the attendance for night 2 of WrestleMania 41, with him making his entrance on an ATV. During one of the laps around the ring, Austin crashed his ATV into the barricade, which resulted in him abandoning it and entering the ring. During his appearance on "The Ariel Helwani Show," the Hall of Famer explained the reason behind the crash just a different throttle setup than what I'm normally used to just different throttle system because I'm pretty damn handy on a four-wheeler," said "The Texas Rattlesnake." There were worries that the fan who seemed injured when the ATV crashed into the barrier may file a lawsuit against WWE and Austin with Austin confirming that his pride was the only thing that was hurt I was embarrassed about it and I think everybody's okay You go out there and you want to give people the best show that you can and when you fall short of that Austin's crash came as quite a surprise as he handled such vehicles for years during his legendary run in WWE while he also recently raced on four wheels The crash into the barricade wasn't the only goof-up Austin had on that night as fan video captured him getting lost on the way the ring as he missed the ramp to get to the ring Before Jennifer Cobb became an electrician she worked as a receptionist in a doctor’s office in the Austin area She was making about $16 an hour and raising two boys She had to rely on government assistance to help make ends meet “Sometimes I didn’t know how my kids were going to eat,” Cobb said “I was having eviction notices put on my door My car almost got repoed a couple of times talking up the increase in pay and the opportunities to grow which offers free construction and infrastructure training including a program to become an electrician in just a few weeks she is still a journeyman electrician with Facility Solutions Group I put on my tools and get up there and do the work just as my apprentices do.” Skillpoint Alliance is one of the many partners the city is working with through the new Austin Infrastructure Academy The city set aside $5 million this budget year for the program a hub where Austinites can be connected to training for jobs in skilled trades like electrician The program also helps people find jobs in these fields Upcoming projects are expected to create 10,000 new jobs annually A study from local consulting firm CivicSol found that Austin would be short around 4,000 workers a year as these projects progress said the data helped the city realize something needed to change to help fill those jobs “If we were not thinking about how we were going to recruit and train and connect workers to employers differently said that meant removing barriers that prevent people from working — things like a lack of transportation and the money and time it takes to get trained “So if a young person comes in and the first problem they’ve got to attack is child care,” she said “then the first thing we need to do is connect them to the resources that are available to provide child care support.” Another piece of the puzzle is connecting people with jobs once they finish the training and get certified the city launched the academy with a career fair at Workforce Solutions Capital Area in North Austin Dozens of employers were on site to help people learn about job opportunities Dylan Russell was recruiting workers for Cleared Direct the company that manages the south terminal of the airport He spoke with people about the different jobs it offers from safety and security to building maintenance they don’t require a whole lot of experience,” Russell said “We have a very comprehensive training program So what we are looking for is someone who is reliable and consistent.” Stacy Morgan Torres attended the job fair with high hopes he had been working behind the bar at Rodeo Austin He turned to Workforce Solutions Capital Area and the Austin Infrastructure Academy for help “Now I have a career advisor who is going to be helping me,” Torres said and it’s something new that I would like to start doing.” There were lots of opportunities for people to consider including options for people who want to learn and work at the same time Austin Community College will play a huge role in offering those earn-to-learn opportunities Chancellor Russell Lowery-Hart said the college already offers programs that lead to degrees in skilled trades But now those programs will be integrated with the Austin Infrastructure Academy The academy will even have its own dedicated space at ACC’s Southeast Travis County campus “It will be a state-of-art $200-$250 million campus that will house all of these infrastructure programs,” Lowery-Hart said the campus will make space for union and employer partners to connect students with jobs and other resources like child care The Training and Technology Center at Skillpoint Alliance is a space for students to learn about skilled trades like electrical and HVAC Austin Mayor Kirk Watson promised to address issues around affordability But he says the city can’t do that if people don’t have the opportunities to make a living and thrive That’s where the Austin Infrastructure Academy comes in “We badly want to make Austin affordable for everyone,” Watson said “So that we can be a complete city and let people be able to afford to live here to stay here and raise their families here.” Cobb said her decision to switch careers has been life changing for her and her two sons – and that’s exactly what Watson hopes to replicate and she is on her way to becoming a master electrician she’s working as an electrician instructor I don’t wonder where my kids’ meals are coming from,” she said I don’t have to depend on the state anymore I don’t have to depend on anyone and my children know that they can count on their mom.” Watson said the goal is to do more outreach so more people are aware of programs at the academy. As the city faces an estimated $33 million budget shortfall next fiscal year future funding for the academy is uncertain Watson says the city is working with community partners to find ways to keep it going This story was produced as part of the Austin Monitor’s reporting partnership with KUT This story has been changed since publication to include the full name of “Workforce Solutions Capital Area.” And we’re honored you look to us for serious You know a strong community needs local and dedicated watchdog reporting Now will you take the powerful next step and support our nonprofit news organization The Austin Monitor thanks its sponsors. Become one See which district you live in The Austin Monitor is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit and nonpartisan news organization We are fully-local and cover the important issues and key decisions at the intersection between the local government and the community Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Austin has tons of great restaurants, but 10 of them are really on an inspired streak. The Restaurant of the Year nominees for CultureMap's 2025 Tastemaker Awards do more than make great food; they keep evolving and chasing the unexpected the Michelin Guide's Texas debut changed Austin's dining scene by awarding stars to seven Austin restaurants but Barley Swine and Hestia also got recognition in this historic group our winner will be the restaurant that our judges — a panel of past winners and editorial staff — hand select for a well-rounded the previous two Restaurant of the Year winners that have to wait to be eligible again Barley Swine is a nominee for Restaurant of the Year in 2025 Find out which nominee wins Restaurant of the Year on May 8 at the 2025 Tastemaker Awards party at Fair Market We’ll dine on bites from this year’s nominated chefs and restaurants and sip cocktails from our sponsors before revealing the winners in our short and sweet ceremony You can keep up with all the Tastemaker Award nominees in our special editorial series, then be sure to buy your tickets to see who triumphs let's raise a toast to our nominees for Restaurant of the Year: Barley SwineAmid conversations about the pretension of Austin’s food scene Barley Swine continues its commitment to fine dining in an approachable way Chef Bryce Gilmore is also now two years into operating River Field Farm finding his footing in a project that could last a lifetime — a real possibility as Barley Swine excels in its 15th year Craft OmakaseThis upscale sushi restaurant has only been open since December 2023 but it has already earned both a Michelin Star and a top-10 spot on Texas Monthly’s list of the best new restaurants of 2025 Craft Omakase’s signature 22-course menu takes guests on a sensory journey using the highest quality ingredients Dai DueThings have really heated up for Dai Due in the past year earning one of only two green stars awarded by the Texas Michelin Guide for sustainability plus recognition from the New York Times and USA Today but Dai Due stands out for its resourcefulness making wild boar a hot topic and giving South Texas credit wherever possible DipDipDip Tatsu-YaThis upscale omakase and Japanese hot pot restaurant puts a diner’s experience in their own hands but they’re set up for success with helpful staff demos and luxe ingredients A recent menu revamp added nabemono — which allows the ingredients to stay in the pot without overcooking — opening the experience up to people who want to leave the cooking to the pros Emmer & RyeThis longstanding farm-to-table restaurant on Austin’s iconic Rainey Street has kept locals coming back for more with its ever-changing culinary offerings and its extensive wine and cocktail menu Emmer & Rye’s sustainability practices – such as whole-animal butchery and house-made bread and pasta – earned it Michelin’s other Texas green star EsteThis instantly iconic East Austin eatery is renowned for its cold bar selections from its oysters topped with salsa negra to its shrimp aguachile Even while building one of the city's most celebrated daily dining services the Este team has been busy giving garden tours and planning an unending list of special events HestiaNamed after the Greek goddess of the hearth Hestia respects the classics but never gets complacent from sourdough ice cream to a variety of lactic acid fermented produce A new bar and a residency at Pershing have switched up the experience for both longtime fans and newcomers who can now enjoy the menu in a more casual capacity InterStellar BBQThis barbecue joint’s success has indeed reached the outer limits of the genre it was one of the first four barbecue restaurants in Texas to ever receive a Michelin Star Aside from the meticulousness needed to make great barbecue InterStellar also presents unexpected offerings like sorghum glazed duck LeRoy and Lewis BarbecueAnother Michelin Star-winner in barbecue LeRoy and Lewis built its legacy not only by perfecting its brisket-smoking technique but by embracing modernity with its non-traditional sides like kimchi A frozen Big Red sangria can round out the meal for a game-changing barbecue experience Nixta TaqueriaNixta Taqueria elevates the concept of counter service with innovative Mexican fare featuring unconventional ingredients The enchilada potosina taco has even won acclaim among Texas Monthly’s 50 Best Tacos in Texas Sweet-toothed Austinites can’t resist Nixta’s refreshing paletas for dessert The CultureMap Tastemaker Awards ceremony is sponsored by The Yuengling Company, Garrison Brothers Distillery, Hornitos, Texas Beef Council, PicMe Events, and more to be announced. A portion of the proceeds benefitsCentral Texas Food Bank Personal taste accounts for a lot, but a city's top chefs need to be plugged into the greater community. The Chef of the Year nominees for CultureMap's 2025 Tastemaker Awards all have a strong point of view that both expands on traditional cuisine and points the Austin scene to a well-rounded future Our judges — a panel of past winners and editorial staff — have chosen 10 busy nominees who have carved out special niches for their work and show no signs of slowing down Find out which will be crowned Austin's Chef of the Year this Thursday, May 8, at the 2025 Tastemaker Awards party at Fair Market We’ll dine on bites from this year’s nominated chefs and restaurants and sip specialty cocktails before revealing the winners in our short and sweet ceremony You can meet all of the 2025 Tastemaker nominees in our special editorial series, then be sure to buy your tickets now to see who triumphs let's send our compliments to our nominees for Chef of the Year: Distant RelativesPitmaster Damien Brockway first came to Austin to work for Uchiko in 2012 but his culinary journey led him to open his food truck Brockway draws inspiration from his African heritage for his signature barbecue while focusing on the Austin community by partnering with local farms and organizations Nixta TaqueriaAustin knows how important tacos can be and that's in large part thanks to Edgar Rico Not only does he make excellent tacos using local ingredients he is always representing Mexican cuisine to the masses Sometimes it's as the 2024 Michelin Guide Texas Young Chef Award Winner and sometimes it's as an ambassador for others doing similar work — often both at once LeRoy and Lewis BarbecueChampioning the concept of “new school barbecue” is only one facet of what makes pitmaster Evan LeRoy unlike any other chef in Austin His commitment to sourcing LeRoy and Lewis’ meat from ethically responsible Texas farms and his lifelong passion for barbecue are admirable traits in a high quality chef Suerte/EsteJames Beard Award-winning chef Fermín Núñez has gotten big recognition in recent years but he still maintains a down-to-earth attitude about his rise to fame He keeps his culinary skills fresh through hosting events and (of course) creating new dishes with exciting flavors Dai DueChef and hunter Jesse Griffiths is taking Texas cooking into the future while bringing sourcing back to its roots Griffiths won a James Beard Award for his cookbook on wild Texas hogs and followed up in 2024 with a book on wild turkey Wild game certainly isn't new for Texans but Griffiths has elevated it in gourmet dishes and invited urban Austinites back into the conversation Kareem El-Ghayesh got right into the spirit of Texas barbecue when visiting in 2012 His unexpected background contributed to a unique personal style highlighting ingredients like pomegranate seeds and lamb It looks like El-Gahyesh's career change unlocked some strong charisma El RavalPhilippines-born chef Laila Bazahm at once saved a pocket of Spanish culture in South Austin and updated it with her own worldly experience Having cooked in Barcelona with ingredients from nearby ethnic grocery stores she was well-prepared to continue seeking the unexpected here Bazam's collaborative attitude constantly brings fresh life to El Raval HolidayL'Oca D'Oro alum and “Pasta King” Peter Klein is an East Coast native who has been capturing the hearts of Italian-food-loving Austinites for a decade Opening Holiday alongside Erin Ashford and John DiCicco in 2023 served as a milestone for the trio who have found a coveted balance between impeccable dining and a welcoming neighborhood hang Store House Market & EateryWhen Sonya Coté moved east to Bastrop she could have become disconnected from Austin Now that she has the space to make true farm-to-table dining happen advocating for sustainability with the James Beard Foundation's policy team hosting chefs and musicians on her home turf CanjeTavel Bristol-Joseph is a busy man with an important new venture in San Antonio but we would be remiss to not recognize his work with Austin’s popular Caribbean restaurant Canje Whether he’s working behind the scenes in the kitchen or hopping in front of the camera to share his culinary inspirations this esteemed chef is making waves in the dining scene in Austin — and statewide Peter Klein is a nominee for Chef of the Year 05-05-2025PREMIUM Austin’s affordable housing pipeline outpaces all other U.S cities—but it still lacks adequate options for people in the lowest income brackets [Photo: Jeremy Doddridge/Unsplash] BY Patrick Sisson Builders have raced to erect housing for these new arrivals; Austin has seen a boom in market rate apartments in recent years—so much that it led rents to decrease after years of big jumps Austin’s affordable housing construction pipeline outpaces all other U.S. cities, according to research from Yardi Matrix the city delivered 4,605 affordable units—defined as properties that agree to limit rents as a condition of a tax credit or subsidy The research shows Austin will also deliver the most affordable units this year despite the California city having more than four times as many people with the forecast of units in the pipeline through 2027 showing Austin with 9,528 The final deadline for Fast Company’s Brands That Matter Awards is Friday, May 30, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply today. Fast Company & Inc © 2025 Mansueto Ventures Fastcompany.com adheres to NewsGuard’s nine standards of credibility and transparency. Learn More Austin ISD Superintendent Matias Segura said he saw two paths forward for three low-performing campuses including an internal school restart or partnering with a charter school AUSTIN, Texas — Delta Air Lines will introduce nonstop flights between Austin and Palm Springs beginning this fall According to officials with Austin-Bergstrom International Airport the new seasonal service will operate from November 8 offering travelers a direct connection the California city "We're so grateful to our partners at Delta for supporting our community's air service needs through another new nonstop route," said AUS CEO Ghizlane Badawi "This new destination expands travel opportunities for both business and leisure travelers and we are excited to offer more convenient options for our passengers." ALSO | Delta Air Lines to launch flights from Austin to Cancun this December The Saturday-only service will be operated by Delta Connection regional flight services local time and arrivals in Palm Springs at 1 p.m Return flights will depart Palm Springs at 12:07 p.m This route marks the first nonstop service between Austin and Palm Springs in over a year just in time for Palm Springs' peak fall travel season Delta recently announced several college football season nonstop flights from Austin for fall 2025 Georgia for University of Texas away games The airline will also offer nonstop service to Austin from Benton County The faults aren’t always obvious in the apartment complexes the city of Austin says fail to meet minimum health and safety standards Some have strong-curb appeal: bright advertisements promoting open apartments and well-kept gyms and pools visible from the road Residents can find themselves dealing with faulty water temperatures; heating and cooling issues; rats; cockroaches; and bedbugs many of which are clustered in parts of North and East Austin are in the city of Austin’s Repeat Offender Program It was created by the Austin City Council in 2013 to track and penalize rental properties found routinely in violation of city code Such infractions include pest and vermin infestations; accumulations of trash and debris; and structural issues that are not addressed quickly city auditors recommended a full overhaul of the program city code department officials say ensuing litigation from the owner of one of the properties on the list has put on hold making many of the key changes “Though well-intended,” the program was unable to ensure renters were living in properties that met “minimum health and safety standards,” the audit found That’s largely because it did not adequately incentivize rental property owners to remedy code violations and it did not escalate cases from the worst offenders which challenges the state and federal constitutionality of the program A federal judge in March sided with the city and tossed out the case But the owners of Mueller Flats apartments Attorneys for FBCC did not respond to the American-Statesman's request for comment on the ruling or the appeal a spokesperson for the city’s Development Services Department said the “inspection team is still responding to all complaints and completing yearly inspections” and expects “to keep the current program in place for the foreseeable future.” some property owners — and at least one local elected official — say the program needs to be retooled to impose harsher penalties on the most problematic properties while establishing a graded scale for lesser infractions Nearly 90% of the 87 properties on the repeat offender list as of April 1 were in Council Districts 1 to 4 Most of that area falls in the Eastern Crescent a belt of traditionally economically disadvantaged and often nonwhite neighborhoods nearly 40% were in North Central Austin's District 4 a special project director at the Austin Tenants’ Council said the concentration in certain parts of town could be due to several factors word of mouth from tenants who have successfully worked with the code department and “slumlord behavior,” where landlords exploit tenants they perceive to be more vulnerable and less likely to speak out against poor living conditions “Those buildings fall into disrepair at a higher rate,” Downey Gallatin said a ramshackle walkway at a Southeast Austin apartment complex collapsed we hadn't really seen that type of event occur,” said Daniel Word an assistant director with the Development Services Department He said the incident highlighted for city leaders the dangers of deferred property maintenance partially prompted by the walkway collapse the Austin City Council created the Repeat Offender Program The complex on Burton Drive had been in a state of disrepair for some time. In the 28 months leading up to the collapse, city code officials had visited the property over 30 times but failed to notice the structural issues with the walkways inspectors found upward of 700 violations and condemned all 15 walkways on the property At the time, Statesman photographers at the apartment complex captured exposed wires an uncapped wastewater line and a broken wood board poking through a massive hole in the ceiling of an unoccupied first-floor unit The pregnant woman who lived on the second floor directly above that unit had to stack books under her couch and furniture to keep them level because the floor was sagging so bad The address associated with the property was not on the repeat offender list as of April 1 meaning it did not meet the program's violation criteria the 2020 audit found multiple faults in the program the city was not escalating the most severe cases Escalation can include referral to the city’s Building and Standards Commission, taking a property owner to municipal court or the city’s administrative citation program the city has the ability to suspend properties from renting out vacant units which directly affects a property’s revenue stream Among the other issues identified in the audit: Larger properties which take more time and resources to inspect were not paying a proportionate share of program fees Even the name of the program was considered problematic because of its negative connotation Properties in the program pay an annual registration fee according to the city’s Repeat Offender Program website City auditors recommended developing a voluntary incentives-based landlord program increasing enforcement and escalation of cases and redesigning the program to require registration of all rental properties in the city They also recommended an alternative fee schedule that more accurately reflects the higher costs needed to regulate larger properties In the years since the audit was published He pointed to the streamlining of the internal reporting process on how the city identifies properties that might qualify for the program (one of the problems mentioned in the audit) as well as work done to escalate more cases 25 properties have been suspended from renting out vacant units But Word said because of the active Mueller Flats lawsuit the city has held off on making some major changes outlined in the audit The owners argued in the original complaint filed in federal court in 2022 that the program was unconstitutional because it allows “the City to strip landlords of their reputations and rental income over code violations of any kind nor the landlords’ diligence in attempting repairs.”  Owners of the complex, which came under fire for living conditions and evictions on the heels of the February 2021 winter storm challenged actions from the city's Building and Standards Commission in state District Court that year A judge in 2022 nullified several winter storm-related violation enforcement orders The property remained in the program for other violations The owners later filed the federal lawsuit aiming to dismantle the program by challenging its constitutionality and seeking to permanently bar the city from having Mueller Flats in the program District Judge David Alan Ezra in a March 14 order sided with the city The owners appealed the decision to the 5th U.S the city would be sent back to the drawing board a rental property must reach what the city code department calls the “2-5-2 criteria": two or more violations in the last 24 months that were not resolved in a timely manner; five or more violations in 24 months regardless of whether they were resolved in a timely manner; or two or more citations in the last 24 months properties cannot be removed for at least two years unless ownership changes and all active violations are fixed within 90 days of the sale Properties are subject to periodic inspections and fees Both single-family and multi-family properties are eligible though no single-family homes were on the list as of April 9 according to a statement from the Development Services Department The Statesman visited several of the properties on the list and heard a variety of experiences from residents most of whom did not want to be named for fear of retribution Some said they had occasional issues like a lack of hot water but overall enjoyed living in the complexes Others had hair-raising stories of excessive pest infestations said there’s a divide among property managers he works with “I have property managers that really work with me that just want to find 100% compliance,” Cruz said “I have to be on top of them on a regular basis,” Cruz said meaning residents must alert the city to have an alleged violation inspected inspectors can issue a violation without a complaint if they find one at a property already in the program The most common code violations Cruz said he encounters are broken air-conditioning units several cases of rodent and cockroach infestations Cruz said sometimes people are living in “the worst” conditions he has ever seen but they ask him not to move forward with their case so they don't like to come forward because (they’re) scared of retaliation Some property managers have raised concerns about the way the program works claiming its requirements are unfair to responsible property owners and managers who are actively trying to remedy maintenance issues owner of Metric Property Management and past president of the Austin Apartment Association told the City Council at an early April meeting her first act after recently becoming the new manager of a property in the Repeat Offender Program pay fines and contact the assigned code enforcer and instead I got 70 violations dated two days later on a really nice little property slowing down service to residents and my chance to graduate from ROP,” she told the City Council in April were cosmetic in nature and did not pose an immediate health or safety risk to residents Hanes said she wants the city to stop code enforcers from "soliciting violations" from tenants at properties in the program that weren't reported to management and “clarify and standardize” inspection policies “It's very subjective depending on which enforcer you get,” Hanes said executive vice president of the Austin Apartment Association said the group supports a complaint-based program but is advocating for several changes to how it operates That includes differentiating the severity of code infractions and creating criteria that account for the size of a complex Nearly 40% of the 87 properties on the repeat offender list as of April 1 were in North Central Austin’s District 4 About 24% were in Central East Austin’s District 3 16% in Northeast Austin’s District 1 and around 9% in Southeast Austin’s District 2 Properties can have multiple violations active at the same time Others on the list as of April 1 had no active violations but must remain violation free for a set period of time before exiting the program said many of the issues stem from the properties' age: Sprawling complexes built in the 1960s 1970s and 1980s that were already on the decline “took a beating” during the 2021 winter storm it appears around 25%-30% of properties in the program are the worst offenders He thinks there needs to be a more thorough grading scale for violations that factors in things like the age of the property and number of units and that focuses efforts on the most serious offenders “We probably need a more focused ROP program that is targeting the worst offenders and really trying to go after them and hold them accountable,” Vela said helping other folks that are not being negligent – they're just struggling with an old apartment complex.” loyal reader Kathleen Bergeron dispatched this note: "When I was a youngster growing up in Austin — in the late '50s and early '60s — a local girl appeared several times on an afternoon TV show Carolyn Hester was trying to become a folk singer "She would later move to Greenwich Village and make a bit of a name for herself I was later able to chat with her at a gathering of folk music people in Virginia When the biographical movie about Bob Dylan Bergeron recalled Hester as a youth and later in life "Carolyn had an interesting connection with Dylan: She asked him to play harmonica on an album session," Bergeron wrote "and apparently it was there that he met John Hammond More From the Archives: From the Statesman archives: Walsh family keeps popping up in compelling Austin history The folk music revival that populated coffee shops and college campuses across the country during the late 1950s and early 1960s embraced her as the "Texas Songbird" or "Queen of the New York Folk Singers." Norman Petty produced her first album in 1957 Hester asked Dylan to appear on her third album for Columbia Records It was his first on-the-record studio recording Hester turned down a chance to join Peter Yarrow and Paul Stookey who instead drafted Mary Travers to form the super-folk group known as Peter A quick check reveals that a couple of dozen Hester recordings The American-Statesman archives show that Austin did not forget Hester — or Hester Austin — after she moved on to folk glory in Greenwich Village and beyond in the mid-1950s Here are a few samples reports about her return visits: 1966: "New Bag of Tricks: Carolyn Hester Back in Town" — "In the 11 years since she left her home town to become a full-time professional folk singer Carolyn Hester has come home six times to perform in concert In Austin for a four-night stint at the Eleventh Door where she opened Thursday night Hester packed the house with a whole new bag of tricks there were some famous songs so well identified with the auburn-haired singer-guitarist composer songs like 'Yarrow'' from Scotland and 'That's My Song,' but for the most part Miss Hester sang new songs Hester has come across a blues influence which is the most subtle and yet most exciting new development The new blues nuances in her oft-performed 'Summertime' were enough to make your hair stand on end." More From the Archives: From the Statesman archives: April 1961 wildfire devastated Davenport Ranch 1969: "Folk Concert Lineup Adds Carolyn Hester Coalition" — Sporting a new electric look former Austinite Carolyn Hester will return to her home town as one of the headliners of a folk-oriented concert at Municipal Auditorium Internationally known for the past decade as a performer of traditional and contemporary folk songs Miss Hester has swung recently into the folk-rock column Her backup in this vein comes from a band led by her husband an accomplished instrumentalist who plays bass The Carolyn Hester Coalition has recently released an album on the Metromedia label making it the eighth nationally circulated LP for Miss Hester." 1973: "Carolyn Hester Returning to Austin for Folk Concert" — In her first hometown concert appearance in a number of years Carolyn Hester will come back to Austin to appear in concert with Peter Yarrow the Royal Light Singers and the Bluegrass Ramblers in 'An Evening from the Kerrville Folk Festival.' During the 1960s Miss Hester also returned to Austin to appear in concert with Gordon Lightfoot several of Rod Kennedy's KHFI-FM Summer Music Festivals and for three appearances at the old Chequered Flag folk club on Lavaca." For more insight into Hester's career and personal links to Austin, see the late Margaret Moser's profile, "Double-Barreled Beautiful," which was published in the Austin Chronicle on Dec Please send your tips and questions about Austin past to mbarnes@statesman.com they'll have a food option that's catcher-approved Just about a month ago, New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells began an Instagram page dedicated to his own personal burrito reviews in MLB cities. The page includes burrito reviews from New York City, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Tampa Bay and Cleveland. On Friday, though, the 25-year-old was presented with a different taste-test challenge. He tried three burritos to determine which he would name his favorite; it would be sold at Yankee Stadium as the "Wells Favurrito." Of the three options, he named a burrito filled with scrambled eggs, breakfast sausage, Maple City fries, cheddar jack cheese and chipotle aioli the Wells Favurrito. View this post on Instagram A post shared by New York Yankees (@yankees) The maple is a great touch," Wells said as he took a bite One of the other burrito options was filled with scrambled eggs cheddar jack cheese and fire roasted salsa The Wells Favurrito will be sold during day games in sections 110 Wells is hitting .206 with five homers and 17 RBIs Thorne Dreyer, Notes from the Underground: 77 Articles that Bring the Past to Life Its claims upon bohemianism and political resistance had a unique flavor it departed from the other protest-heavy places in one key respect: it was surrounded by Texas If left-wing prairie radicalism once prompted an Oklahoma socialist movement larger by proportional vote than anywhere else in the country prided themselves on their distinctive sensibilities And their responsibilities: by the middle 1960s Austin stood not far from major Army camps training young men to go to Vietnam the key connection of the working class and the antiwar movement This astounding book offers a record of the times far beyond the underground press that tanked by the end of the 1970s The Rag found new forms of communication after its print format death It operated for decades online and continues now as a radio feature from Austin with some of the old hands still at the wheels of information and insight The last regular journalistic piece here ends in 2014 but the “Rememberances” of the vanished comrades and the last salutes to Dreyer and his work offer some important addenda: people pass but the work continues The bulk of this very bulky volume is about radical journalism almost as much as about the world seen by the radical journalist a Texas boy and son of a prominent Houston newspaperman aspired to be an actor before turning to his life’s work in 1966 The very first pieces in the book establish the tone of his keen and also lean prose thereafter: confrontations of military and pro-war political authorities by young radicals on campus and off seen from the newspaper office as organizing center his journalism was a political project as it could hardly be for anyone in the commercial press He wastes no adjectives and indulges in no flowery prose and a great many are also fun to read or read again now Especially to be noted: a tale of Marines attacking SNCC workers and anti-war activists at Hermann Park in Houston; Dreyer’s unique coverage of the massive March on the Pentagon; “A Comprehensive View: The Movement and the New Media,” and finally Dreyer describes the rise of the underground press from a few papers into a national network of hundreds of local efforts some highly sophisticated in every professional respect except….financed by nobody in particular hawked by volunteers in public venues (starting with the campus) and staffed by amazing amateurs who nevertheless taught themselves to create the most lively and compelling journalism of the age Not since the Yiddish-language press of the 1890s had radical papers carried poetry on the first page Never had a leftwing paper boasted such new and rebellious Dreyer made himself an insider in the small crowd that created the Liberation News Service a shoestring operation that circulated important journalism and entertaining features free of charge each week The Rag boasted comic artist Gilbert Shelton and his Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers by the 1970s-80s a hit across large parts of Europe A graduate school dropout who found his way to San Francisco (where he published and largely drew my own initial entry into comic art the underground newspaper counterpart in Houston He met and interviewed the day’s radical celebrities NFL star Dave Zirin and inevitably Texas’s own Kinky Friedman Building a community of protest around itself managed to survive military-style assaults upon its headquarters by the KKK and others and ended only in the political exhaustion of the staff the great virtue of all the Texas Left was to move on find newer generations more usually organized around culture than politics as such had a bohemian neighborhood by the 1970s-80s most especially but not only musicians and singers has faced extreme gentrification from incoming capital creating an urban world in which low rents and lazy bohemian afternoons seem to be part of urban memory Six people were injured after an explosion collapsed a two-story house in Texas and damaged more than 20 neighboring homes A blast inside the two-story house was reported shortly before 11: 30 a.m. local time on April 13, according to the Austin Fire Department At least 23 neighboring houses also were damaged Fire officials worked to extinguish small spot fires by the collapsed debris Two people were inside the house when it exploded One was in critical condition and the other in serious but stable condition Austin Fire Department Division Chief Wayne Parrish confirmed at a news conference Another person in a neighboring home also was critically injured Two firefighters also received minor injuries during rescue operations The explosion brought down power lines and left the area without electricity Travis County utility company Pedernales Electric Cooperative worked to restore power Parrish said at a news conference that the explosion an "isolated incident." The Travis County Fire Marshal will be lead investigator in the search for a cause "At this point we don't believe that there will be any criminal investigation," Parris told reporters Parrish said the blast was heard as far as Georgetown we have accounted for everybody that was in all of the residences We are on a temporary standdown waiting for excavators to come to help us do more large debris removal," he said (This story was updated to add new information.) By Jordan Roberts News That’s a wrap on the 2025 SXSW Conference & Festivals from our Austin community and around the globe creatives stepped into different worlds across tech From Hollywood heavy-hitters to indie film legends, the Film & TV Festival rolled out the red carpet with provocative dramas Nine days of screenings kicked off with the opening night film concluding with Daniel Minahan’s On Swift Horses as the closing night film At the Film & TV Awards, we honored the winners of the 2025 Jury and Special Awards which included Narrative Feature Competition winner Slanted; Documentary Feature Competition winner Shuffle; Independent TV Pilot Competition winner Stay tuned for the 2025 Audience Awards Winners coming soon We look forward to seeing you again March 12–18, 2026 in Austin, TX for the 2026 SXSW Conference & Festivals We are excited about the plans for SXSW 2026 With the Austin Convention Center closing down for three years we believe it’s a great opportunity to put new ideas into action A shorter SX gives attendees more of a chance to be here for the entire run and Music Festival all taking place concurrently over seven days everyone will have the chance to experience the whole of SXSW This gives music fans an opportunity to enjoy seven nights of showcases instead of the six we’ve had for last several years It also allows us to continue the work the Music Festival programmers have done over the last decade in paring down the numbers of showcasing artists while spreading the shows out over a greater part of the event This creates a more curated experience for attendees and artists while retaining the discovery that the music festival is known for We also know that post-pandemic attendees want more personalized experiences and we’re excited to explore new ways to bring people together Buy next year's badge at this year’s special low rates during our SXSW 2026 Presale through April 18 BUY NOW SXSW 2025 was filled with ample opportunity to explore, learn, discover, and leave inspired. We hope you enjoyed each exciting moment IRL, URL, and even in XR. Cozy up in your SXSW Merch and rewind SXSW 2025 We'll keep the SX hits coming across the socialverse. Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, Bluesky, and TikTok. 🍪 Stay tuned for updates on 2026 participation opportunities and more event information throughout the year. Explore SXSW News and subscribe to SXSW Event Updates By Kate Smith By SXSW Staff Writer By Nina Gloria Sign up to receive the latest announcements Privacy Policy | Trademark Guidelines | Terms of Use | Copyright Notice DALLAS — Texas lawmakers could imperil the future of public transportation in two of the state’s largest urban areas Republican legislators are entertaining proposals to sap hundreds of millions of dollars from Dallas Area Rapid Transit, the state’s largest public transit system, and thwart the voter-approved expansion of public transportation in Austin known as Project Connect Texas Republicans have long been wary of investing in public transit given the state’s cultural ties to oil and gas and automobiles — and have long pursued ways to undercut the state’s urban areas Here’s what the proposed legislation would do North Texas legislators want to reroute 25% of the sales tax revenue collected by DART which serves Dallas and 12 neighboring cities toward a “general mobility program.” Those cities could then draw upon those funds to pay for projects like building sidewalks and roads and installing traffic signals Transit agency officials say such a move would be catastrophic costing DART more than $234 million in the upcoming fiscal year That loss would spur deep service cuts and layoffs More than 125,000 people would completely lose access to bus and light rail service including vulnerable residents like seniors and lower-income families the agency would collect less in rider fares and lose federal funds further compounding budgetary problems and creating a downward spiral “I think this is the end of DART if we do it,” board chair Gary Slagel said at a recent DART meeting discussing the legislation “I don’t know how we survive if we do this.” Some cities have sought to reduce how much in sales tax revenue they pay into the transit agency complaining that they don’t benefit in proportion to how much they contribute contributed $109 million in sales tax revenue to the system in 2023 but received about $44 million worth of investment DART officials have said the EY survey doesn’t capture the full financial benefit transit service brings to member cities The disparity has undergirded those cities’ push to establish the mobility program which proponents said is modeled on a similar program in Houston “Plano is not looking to leave DART,” said Andrew Fortune Plano’s director of policy and government relations “We are interested in a transit system that is going to work not only for our residents but also the visitors and the employees who come to our city Our hope is that this bill will not only protect against inequities like what we've experienced but it will help us make a better transit solution and ultimately help those who need to move from place to place in Plano and to connect to the region as a whole.” In an attempt to appease those cities’ concerns and convince them to stop pursuing the legislation the DART board voted in March to create its own general mobility program — though using 5% of its sales tax revenue Such a plan would still prompt service reductions and budget cuts though not as deep as those prompted by the legislation Regional transportation planners warn cutting DART’s funding so drastically will hamper mobility across the entire Dallas-Fort Worth region worsen air quality and throw a wrench in public transit plans for next year’s FIFA World Cup a commuter rail line that runs between Dallas and Fort Worth plays a central role in the region’s plans to ferry soccer fans to and from matches at AT&T Stadium in Arlington DART projects a 25% cut in its sales tax revenue would wipe out its ability to fund the rail line the Fort Worth area’s transit agency which co-owns and -operates the line have said they would not be able to pick up the cost “This could not be occurring at a worse time,” said Michael Morris transportation director for the North Central Texas Council of Governments Lawmakers once more have taken aim at how Austin plans to pay for Project Connect a multibillion-dollar public transit plan that includes light rail Austin voters in 2020 approved a hike in city property taxes to pay for the plan and create the Austin Transit Partnership a local government corporation set up to build the light-rail system the partnership receives city property tax revenue to help secure loans needed to fund construction Texas Republicans have taken issue with that funding mechanism and resurrected legislative efforts to kill it at the state level The funds are generated from the portion of Austin’s property tax rate that funds maintenance and operations or "M&O." Attorney General Ken Paxton has argued that those dollars can’t be used to pay for debt and has contested the mechanism in court A pair of bills authored by state Rep. Ellen Troxclair, a Lakeway Republican and former Austin City Council member, and state Sen. Paul Bettencourt The legislation would effectively get rid of Project Connect’s funding plan by outlawing the mechanism approved by voters Taxpayers could also sue to stop the city from collecting property taxes used to fund the project if a court finds the project now “materially deviates” from how it was initially pitched — a nod to how planners reduced the project’s scope in the years after voters first approved it “We don’t mix M&O tax revenues with debt and we don’t allow them to be mixed through a third party,” Bettencourt said earlier this year Taxpayers deserve transparency and that’s not transparency.” Austin transit officials have defended the project and argued that the funding mechanism is legal “Austin voters overwhelmingly approved this transformative project that will reduce travel times spur the development of much-needed housing and generate jobs and state-wide economic benefits,” Greg Canally “The need for more local investment in our transportation infrastructure will only increase as our state and community continue to grow.” Tickets are on sale now for the 15th annual Texas Tribune Festival Texas’ breakout ideas and politics event happening Nov TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase Choose an amount or learn more about membership When Elon Musk pitched Austin on Tesla he promised his massive car factory would be accompanied by an equally huge investment in the local environment According to a report The Texas Newsroom obtained through a public records request, Tesla’s “riverfront eco-park” will include hike and bike trails a waterfront and a Tesla expo and sports complex with soccer part of an annual report submitted to county economic development officials last week estimates 20,000 households will “benefit” from the park The company repeatedly describes the proposed plant as an "ecological paradise." There is no timeline laying out the project’s completion. Bloomberg first reported the new details about the park. situated inside the county but outside Austin’s city limits opened in 2020 and serves as the company’s global headquarters Model Y Teslas and Cybertrucks are produced there In the report’s “green building initiatives” section the company states that it has built a 500,000-gallon rainwater collection system and replaced 42 acres of invasive species with native vegetation Mock-ups of the park show a footprint that would snake along the Colorado River from the Hornsby Bend Bird Observatory to Austin’s Colony the plan is proposed to have 25 miles of new walking trails 18 miles of new biking trails and a 31.5-acre “outdoor workplace” for Tesla employees and a 290-acre public waterfront greenspace The park’s “frameworks,” according to the report include: expand habitat and improve biodiversity activate the riverfront with inclusive recreational space measure and showcase sustainability performances While the report highlights the company’s effort to build one of the “most sustainable and productive clean energy manufacturing facilities in the world,” the factory has also been hit with fines for environmental and safety violations Last year, The Wall Street Journal reported the Gigafactory had dumped toxic pollutants into the environment for months The report acknowledged there were more than 1,100 reported injuries and one death in 2024. Victor Joe Gomez Sr., an electrician, died at the Tesla manufacturing plant on Aug. 1. Tesla was recently fined nearly $50,000 for safety violations after he died The company’s investment in the gigafactory tops $5 billion the company created more jobs across every category than planned with 21,191 people working for the company and about half of them living in the county you’ve surely seen plenty of NFL Draft grades but the issue with many of them is that they are subjective based on the grader’s pre-draft beliefs about the prospects and don’t account for all of the variables in play Most are based purely on the players drafted and how they will fit into a team’s roster and scheme And while those are certainly important pieces of the puzzle positional value isn’t talked about nearly enough in post-draft analysis and if teams can find a star player at a premium position they’ll be paying him far below market value for four to five years That’s a huge deal when general managers are tasked with trying to build competitive rosters by maximizing every dollar they spend against the salary cap if teams pick a star player at a non-premium position they lose out on the potential for adding surplus value Trades also seem to get lost in the shuffle of post-draft analysis and they are a huge part of the value equation Teams gain and lose a ton of value during the draft as they slide up and down the board our goal today is to put everything together (player value positional value and trade value) before grading each NFL’s team performance in the draft You can read more about our process at the bottom we assigned a dollar value to each draft slot Think about the rookie wage scale for each draft pick the first pick has a total contract value of almost $49 million while the 32nd pick has a value of just under $15 million Our trade analysis accounted for the value gained or added based on the picks traded The next step is grading the actual player picked which we’ll do by comparing their draft slot to where he finished on our consensus big board if a player is drafted higher than his consensus board placement that’s considered a “reach” and a loss of value To calculate which positions hold the most value we took the current top-10 salaries for the position determined by the NFL free agency market to quantify how each position is valued compared to the league average edge rushers have a top-10 average annual value of $27 million whereas running backs come in at $12 million This is the league telling us which positions it values most We can apply that adjustment to each pick’s value 3 has considerably more value than a running back would have if picked in the same spot A more thorough explanation of our grading methodology can be found at the bottom of this story !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}}))}(); As mentioned above, owning more valuable picks is a sure-fire way to produce the best draft results, and the Giants didn’t disappoint. What’s interesting here is that they lost the equivalent of a fringe first-round pick by trading back into the first round for quarterback Jaxson Dart He was a reach from a consensus standpoint the upside of drafting a potential QB1 is immense Ward was technically a “reach” by our consensus board, but the value upside of drafting a quarterback with the No. 1 pick is tremendous the Titans selected premium position players with four of their first six picks and the two picks that weren’t at premium positions — safety Kevin Winston Jr and tight end Gunnar Helm — were viewed as “steals” on the consensus board The Panthers picked three of the first 77 players drafted and they went after premium positions with all three the Panthers almost exclusively took players who rated higher on the consensus board The Falcons had a top-five draft? Really? I don’t necessarily agree with it, but I understand how we got there. So, our formula saw their controversial trade back into the first round for James Pearce Jr as giving up the equivalent of a late first-rounder It starts with their selection of Jalon Walker who plays a premium position and was drafted below consensus I can’t get over how “same-y” they appear to be with each playing the same position and weighing less than 250 pounds I have concerns about how those players will fit together into the same scheme outside of passing situations It’s fair to question whether I should doubt the Lions’ draft strategy after the run they’ve been on the past few years four were considered reaches by our consensus board They also lost quite a bit of value in the trade market highlighted by their big move up for board for wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa They lost the fourth-most value in trades during the draft and the three teams below them either gained a first-rounder or had the chance to draft Travis Hunter Teams that avoid “reaches” on the consensus board put themselves in a much better position to succeed in the long term. The Saints reached on their first four picks, with two of those coming at non-premium positions, including ninth overall pick Kelvin Banks Jr, who we are grading as a guard even though New Orleans is going to try him at tackle first. If second-round quarterback Tyler Shough hits But the rest of the draft class’ potential brings down the positional upside of drafting a quarterback Well, if the Browns were the biggest winners, almost solely based on the return from their trade with the Jaguars, then it’s no surprise to see Jacksonville down here. Sure, Travis Hunter might be a unicorn and maybe he blossoms into a generational player but this is a steep price to pay for someone who’s never played an NFL snap especially one who doesn’t play quarterback by making additional trades to recoup some draft capital Miami only made two selections in the first 142 picks it isn’t shocking to see the Dolphins down here they reached for the players they took at Nos I think the consensus was criminally low on Kenneth Grant but the pick that doomed them was “reaching” for interior offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea with the 37th pick teams should stay away from reaching for players at non-premium positions We added this category after seeing how high (or low) other graders were on these three teams.  I might disagree slightly with the numbers here. The Packers benefited from drafting two wide receivers in the top 100 picks And with so many wide receivers on the roster already it’s fair to question how much value they’ll gain on the field if a team isn’t satisfied with its current situation it’s best to keep firing away at premium positions All eight of the Packers’ picks were at premium positions which is a big reason they rank so highly here There’s been plenty of love for Seattle’s draft, and while I don’t think it was bad, it wasn’t anything special, either. A lot of this grade depends on Nick Emmanwori’s impact on the defense so that makes his positional adjustment a little tougher to gauge you have to wonder about how it looks if he doesn’t hit Pair that pick with an interior offensive lineman in the first round and the ceiling on this class is capped for Seattle At first glance, the Chargers drafted five players at premium positions, which should have kept them out of the cellar. However, they paired two poor strategies together when it comes to securing long-term value in a draft. First, they picked a running back in the first round; second they consistently “reached” for players versus the consensus RB Omarion Hampton fits the Jim Harbaugh system The board also saw wide receiver Tre Harris and defensive tackle Jamaree Caldwell as reaches within the top 100 The overall process can be understood in terms of dollars Each player has a value that is transformed into dollars and each team has a salary cap that constrains how much it can spend in a given year which means that each pick’s “cost” is independent of the player or position that is drafted the first pick gets the same contract no matter who is selected Trades might be the simplest way to understand this The first pick has a value close to $49 million while the last pick has a value of under $2 million If a team traded the first pick for the last pick Each one has a spot on the consensus board and can be assigned pick values in the same manner as the draft picks themselves if a team drafted the 262nd player on the consensus board with the first pick And if it drafted the first player on the consensus board with the 262nd pick I do make some adjustments for players who fall from their consensus position That is largely because NFL teams are really good at what they do character and GPS-tracking data) than the public/consensus board and can make better decisions during the draft I penalize players who “fall” in the draft because that means multiple teams are passing on them if a player is taken above the consensus board that player does not receive an adjustment to his ranking as we only have evidence of one team having that player ranked above the consensus edge rushers are considered more valuable in the NFL market than running backs: The top running back makes around $20 million per year whereas the top edge rusher makes about twice that This process is applied to all positions and applied to the pick the player picked is not factored into the equation These three values are then combined and adjusted to where the league average of value gained/lost is $0 as not all teams can be winners in a specific draft (Photo of Roger Goodell and Mason Graham: Stacy Revere / Getty Images) Austin Mock uses advanced statistical models and simulations to predict outcomes and rate performances in the NFL, college football, MLB and other sports. Follow Austin on Twitter @amock419 Thousands of demonstrators marched down Congress Avenue to protest the Trump administration on Thursday Marchers gathered at the Texas Capitol and snaked down the street to Austin City Hall for a rally. The event was organized alongside the national 50501 movement — a coalition of protesters in all 50 states pushing back against Trump administration policies on everything from tariffs to the detention and deportation of migrants An organizer estimated as many as 3,000 people joined the march KUT reached out to the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Austin Police Department for a count but did not hear back before publishing time who chairs the board at Austin Mental Health Community said he didn't have time to make it to the four previous demonstrations organized by 50501 Cormie said the federal government cut a $24,000 grant to the nonprofit “just like that” last week That means some people “with real mental health crises” could go without services “I haven't been on a lot of marches because I'm busy taking care of people,” he said "But I ran into some people that were heading to the march today Cormie said the Trump administration and Elon Musk’s efforts to gut whole agencies at the federal level have left him and others working in the mental health space scrambling amid job cuts at Department of Health and Human Services. Outside City Hall, Cat Yuracka said she’s come to most Trump demonstrations in his second term. Yuracka was one of thousands who demonstrated outside a detention center for minors in Tornillo On top of that, Yuracka said she has a trans, teenaged grandchild. For years, Texas lawmakers have pushed to limit gender-affirming care for kids federal crackdown on protections for trans Americans “I'm terrified for her what kind of world she's going to be left with and [Lady] Gaga's not going to be around,” she said “I want [Trump] to know that the majority of Americans … did not vote for this.” City Council Member Mike Siegel said he’s heartened by the consistent demonstrations at the local level “I think right now what we're feeling here in Austin is that we can't count on the State Capitol for help,” he said “We can't count on the federal administration for help This story has been updated with more information (thanks Redditors!) the Austin City Limits Music Festival lineup — which officially arrives Tuesday at 9 a.m.— always feels like a guessing game the festival mailed out physical postcards to random former ticket purchasers with visual clues hinting at potential 2025 artists printed onto them More: Who will play ACL Fest 2025? Our lineup wish list includes Doechii, Lorde, Green Day If you weren't one of the few who received postcards in their mailbox You can find the postcards sitting near one of the registers at Waterloo Records on North Lamar but don't snatch all the cards before other people can place their wagers The second card shows a glass of neat whiskey a shirt pocket with four white daisies and the words "I would do it again." We all know it was Hozier who said "I think I'll take my whiskey neat" in the 2024 song "Too Neat," and the Irish singer took us to church in 2013 He did just play ACL both weekends in 2023 but the card does say "I would do it again." Update: Reddit users on r/aclfest noted that "I would do it again" is a line from Hozier's song “Francesca.” (We later learned she was pregnant at the time.) Update: Sharp-eyed Redditors have pointed out that the three amigos standing in front of the field of flowers actually points to Latin Mafia coming to ACL 2025 Another card was shared by a Reddit user on r/aclfestival. It shows a sun with an eye floating in space, a pair of black shoes dangling above the clouds, stars, a crown and the words "for the thrill of it." I'll bet money that this is Empire of the Sun, even though they are playing Waterloo Park in less than two weeks That line literally comes from their biggest hit "Walking on a Dream." including one we spotted on Instagram that hints at a Modest Mouse appearance The suspense is killing us for ACL 2025's lineup to drop on Tuesday at 9 a.m. but at least we can mull over these hints and make our best guesses in the meantime ACL Fest 2025 will be taking place October 3-5 and 10-12 at Zilker Park. Tickets go on sale tomorrow at noon, just after the lineup comes out. More information This story has been updated to add an image and a clarification Despite a promising regular season in which the Lakers secured the No they struggled to find consistency in the postseason One player who notably underperformed was Austin Reaves After a breakout regular season in which he averaged 20.2 points 5.8 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game on 46% shooting from the field and 37.7% from 3-point range Reaves was considered a strong candidate for Most Improved Player shooting 41.1% from the field and 31.9% from beyond the arc Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) His performances in games 4 and 5 were particularly concerning: He struggled to find his rhythm and contribute effectively on both ends of the floor It has since been revealed that Reaves was playing through a left big toe sprain during the playoffs an injury that typically requires 2–4 weeks of recovery Reaves reportedly "gutted it out" despite the injury but he wasn't walking on the affected foot during off days Reaves was expected to serve as the third offensive option behind LeBron James and Luka Doncic the combination of his injury and the team's overall struggles hindered his ability to fulfill that role effectively The Lakers' reliance on their star trio was evident but without consistent contributions from Reaves the offensive load became too heavy for James and Doncic to bear James' future with the team remains uncertain and the front office must address roster construction issues a period of rest and rehabilitation will be crucial to ensure he returns to full health His development remains a bright spot for the franchise and a healthy Reaves will be integral to the Lakers' aspirations in seasons ahead This afternoon, the Atlanta Braves announced the signing of pitcher Austin Cox to a MLB deal and optioned him to Triple-A Gwinnett The #Braves today signed LHP Austin Cox to a major league contract and optioned him to Triple-A Gwinnett Cox, 28, is a Macon, Ga. native and was a 5th round draft choice by the Kansas City Royals in 2018 The left-hander made his major league debut in 2023 pitching in 24 games before suffering a knee injury while covering first base in early September he collected 0.5 fWAR while striking out 22.1-percent of the batters he faced He’s had a high walk-rate through out his minor league career - walking almost 15-percent of batters last year and nearly 11-percent this year the Braves obviously saw something they liked in the 6’ 4” pitcher Cox had pitched in 11 games with Kansas City’s Triple-A team this season The team had an open spot on its 40-man roster so no corresponding move was needed Texas — The Austin Police Department is investigating a homicide after officers responded to an urgent 911 call Sunday morning in southeast Austin to the 5700 block of Hammermill Run in reference to a “shoot/stab/hotshot” call officers found a Hispanic man with visible trauma to his body ALSO| Paddleboarder goes missing on Lady Bird Lake, search shifts to recovery Officers immediately began providing medical aid until Austin-Travis County EMS and the Austin Fire Department arrived the victim was pronounced dead at the scene at 7:08 a.m Authorities believe this was an isolated incident and there is no known threat to the public The circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear The relationship between the suspect and the victim is also unknown This case is being investigated as Austin’s 24th homicide of 2025 Anyone with information is asked to contact the APD Homicide Tipline at 512-477-3588 or Austin Crime Stoppers at 512-472-TIPS It's Election Day in Texas, and voters who haven't cast an early or absentee ballot are heading to the polls to cast their votes. Austin and Central Texas voters will head to the polls Saturday to decide several city special elections and school bond issues Check back for live results and real-time data While you won't find results in Sunday's print edition you can expect to see the latest developments online Central Texas school board elections: Who is running? Meet the candidates before voting. — Statesman reporter Marley Malenfant contributed to this report bamboozled and led astray by the New York Yankees’ marketing team Have you ever watched a food commercial and immediately thought, “Wow. I need to go to this restaurant as soon as possible and order this?” That’s exactly what happened when Yankees catcher Austin Wells reviewed three different breakfast burritos on X — with the highest-rated one to be sold at Yankee Stadium day games cheddar jack cheese and a side of chipotle aioli This season, on his Instagram page Wells has been reviewing the breakfast burritos of all the MLB ballparks the Yankees visit so the team smartly leaned into a clever marketing opportunity with one of their young I’m not a food expert, but I may have the most stories on The Athletic related to food. I’ve reviewed everything from an iconic Atlanta strip club’s chicken wings to Yankee Stadium’s newest concession items The burritos Wells reviewed looked spectacular and filling The burrito that the Yankees are calling “The Wells Favvurito,” which I ordered before the Yankees’ 3-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday I reached out to the owner of Electric Burrito who grew up in San Diego and now runs the East Village spot that specializes in Southern California-style burritos to ask what makes a good breakfast burrito fried eggs — not fluffy eggs,” Thaboua said “You need a little acid in there from salsa or maybe a little lime juice that and scrambled eggs is where people screw up breakfast burritos It’s like a McDonald’s breakfast that cost like 50 cents back in the day.” The Wells Favurrito. Quite small. $12.28 pic.twitter.com/HuPdrYVNmh — Chris Kirschner (@ChrisKirschner) May 3, 2025 The Wells Favvurito debuted Saturday and costs $12.28 which would not be exorbitant for stadium food except it’s tiny and not remotely close to being filling and you’ll be searching for all of the breakfast sausage that was visible in Wells’ camera-ready version there may have been a total of five cut-up pieces of sausage that entirely lacked seasoning The eggs mirrored those powdered ones you’d find at a Fairfield Inn continental breakfast The potatoes were interesting in that they clearly had a maple syrup taste to them The tortilla was the biggest crime of the burrito It tasted as if it came straight out of the plastic wrapper eggs and potatoes could have been masked better by a better tortilla What made up for the blandness of the burrito was the side of chipotle aioli The burrito could be saved if the stadium lathers the chipotle sauce inside the burrito but a good burrito should not require a dipping sauce that turns into the highlight of the meal considering you’ll be hungry about 10 minutes later and I’m only speaking from experience here Yankee Stadium has several good concession options YES Network’s Jeff Nelson also tried the burrito and gave it a less-than-inspiring review “I’m glad it wasn’t a ‘flavvurito,’ because it didn’t have a whole lot of it,” Nelson said during Saturday’s game broadcast the picture of my burrito after the game and he agreed that it “looks nothing like my burrito.” He said he’ll have to put a word in with the higher-ups his name is attached to a mediocre burrito we’ve used the Yankee Stadium Concessions+ metric where the average rating is 100 just as it is for wRC+ or OPS+ a 125 YSC+ is 25 percent better than your average concession stand item which is not our favvurito: Chris Kirschner / The Athletic) The incident occurred on April 21 around 5:36 p.m ALSO | One arrested after stolen F-250 chase leads to crash with CapMetro bus, 2nd still at large Authorities say the suspect stopped in a lane of traffic damaged the victim's car and attempted to open the victim's door Police described the suspect as a Hispanic male approximately 40 years old with a thin build who may frequent the North Austin area The suspect was wearing a backwards red baseball cap at the time of the incident The suspect was driving a green 2002 GMC Envoy with distinctive features including a POW MIA cap on the dashboard Anyone with information is encouraged to submit an anonymous tip through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program by visiting austincrimestoppers.org or calling 512-472-8477 A reward of up to $1,000 is available for information leading to an arrest.