Headlines

Austin FC released new renderings this week of the Major League Soccer club's planned home stadium at McKalla Place near the Domain, set for groundbreaking this September. City Council last week approved a zoning change that allows the new stadium to reach 130 feet in height to accommodate the roof design, as shown here.

See Ya Later: AISD principal accused of discriminating against immigrant parents has resigned. Gabbie Soto, principal of Andrews Elementary since 2018, allegedly told parents they could not attend a field trip or serve as campus PTA officers because of their immigration status. Soto has called the allegations "false."

¡Dale Austin FC! MLS fans around the city frantically spammed the Austin FC website Wednesday morning as deposits for the team's inaugural 2021 season opened up. The refundable deposits will place fans in a queue to be put toward purchasing season tickets in late 2019 or early 2020.

Go Big, Cowan: Former AISD school board trustee Julie Cowan was named co-chair of the Texas Parents PAC, where she'll help voters identify state office candidates who support public education. Cowan said continuing school finance gains made during this Lege session and preventing school choice vouchers are among the top priorities TPPAC will be looking for in candidates.

Emmis Stations Sold: A chapter in Austin media life ends this week as locally owned Sinclair Telecable buys out Emmis Communications' ownership stake of the eight-station group descended from the original LBJ radio empire. The Sinclair brothers will rebrand the stations to their new Waterloo Media Group.

Power Flex: The lege session may be over, but the pettiness lives on. The Statesman reported that Lt. Gov. Patrick blocked Senate floor press access for longtime journalist Scott Braddock of the Quorum Report after Braddock tweeted criticism of Patrick's staff. Meanwhile, press passes were granted to the media arm of Empower Texans, who has donated heavily to Patrick's political campaigns.

State Election: On Saturday, San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg was narrowly re-elected to his second term, while state Rep. Eric Johnson, D-Dallas, secured a strong victory in the Dallas mayoral run-off. Johnson succeeds term-limited Mayor Mike Rawlings.

Cruel and Unusual: The Trump administration is canceling English classes, legal aid, and recreational activities for unaccompanied immigrant children held in federal shelters. The cruel and unusual administration says they're cutting programs "that are not directly necessary for the protection of life and safety."