KUT, KUTX, PBS Funds On the Line: On top of the arts organizations losing federal dollars this week, President Donald Trump also did what he said he would with national media. He signed an executive order last week to end federal funding for NPR and PBS stations throughout the country. That order is being challenged in the courts, but if it holds up, public media stations in Austin could lose millions of dollars in annual funding, KUT reports. The head of PBS summed it up this way: “the President’s blatantly unlawful Executive Order, issued in the middle of the night, threatens our ability to serve the American public with educational programming, as we have for the past 50-plus years.”
ACL Lineup Slaps: In good news, the Austin City Limits lineup for 2025 did not disappoint. We’ve got Sabrina Carpenter, Hozier, Doja Cat, Doechii, and the Strokes (and the Strokes aren’t even touring!) The rest of the C3-presented festival lineup offers some gems from past and present: Cage the Elephant, T-Pain, Empire of the Sun, and Passion Pit represent the best of the 2000s and 2010s on both weekends, while Pierce the Veil rep pop punk and the freshly reunited Rilo Kiley play Weekend 2. Other notable names include Maren Morris, Mk.gee, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Modest Mouse (Weekend 1), Wet Leg, King Princess, Japanese Breakfast, Car Seat Headrest (Weekend 2) and many mooore. Read more online.
Abbott Threatens Funding Cut Over Gaza Resolution: In San Marcos, City Council members listened to hours of public comment over a Gaza ceasefire resolution – a symbolic show of support for Palestinians. The resolution failed on a 5-2 vote, and members of the audience shouted “coward” and “shame” at San Marcos City Hall, KUT reports. But it wasn’t just a local story. In an April 29 letter sent to San Marcos Mayor Jane Hughson, Gov. Greg Abbott said he would terminate all existing grants with the city if the resolution passed. “Anti-Israel policies are anti-Texas policies,” he wrote.
Paxton Launches AISD Investigation: Attorney General Ken Paxton is doing a classic Paxton move, investigating Austin ISD for allegedly teaching critical race theory. The office wants AISD’s superintendent and board members to be deposed. The AG’s office announced this week that they had been “made aware of an Austin ISD official making statements implying that they were using curricula and teaching material linked to the 1619 Project,” a book that looks at American history with slavery at its center.
Cornyn Preps for Battle: The Texas Tribune reports that Sen. John Cornyn’s newly revealed picks for his reelection campaign team suggest “he is digging in for a serious fight” against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is running against him. The team includes former Trump campaign pollster Tony Fabrizio and campaign manager Andy Hemming, a former senior adviser for Gov. Greg Abbott’s 2022 campaign.
Upping Property Taxes: Speaking of losing funding, the city of Austin is facing a big ol’ deficit. A tax rate election looks likely in November, which means we’ll get to vote on whether to increase property taxes. Back in 2019, the state passed a cap on the yearly percentage cities could increase property taxes by without an election. That cap is 3.5%. The city has stuck to that since 2019, but this is the first year that the city has faced a deficit, the Austin Monitor reports.
Dubious Jailer Decision: The Hays County sheriff posted to Facebook this week, admitting that the office kept a jailer employed for nine months knowing he was under criminal investigation for child sex abuse. The Caldwell/Hays Examiner reported this is the second Hays County jailer arrested for a felony in the past two weeks.
Well, Sure, They Would Say That: SpaceX is gonna shoot off a ton more rockets in Texas now. As KUT’s Lauren McGaughy wrote dryly, “the Federal Aviation Administration on Tuesday said there would be no significant impact to the environment if SpaceX increases launches at its Starbase facility from five to 25 times a year.” That is, as long as SpaceX takes some steps to protect the local area. Meanwhile, SpaceX employees living around the South Texas launch site voted to create a new city a few days earlier.
Limiting Grid Growth: Texas is gonna need a lot more energy in the years ahead. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which operates the state’s grid, predicts the state’s energy needs will roughly double in six years. State Sen. Phil King, R-Weatherford, has proposed legislation that would limit the number of big new businesses that can plug into the grid, The Texas Tribune reports.
Mo’ Mosquitos Than Befo’: Austin Public Health experts say an active mosquito season is upon us, and some of these bad boys have West Nile virus. In 2024, West Nile was detected in 101 mosquito pools, KUT reports. So what’s the virus avoidance vibe? Wearing loose-fitting clothing that covers arms and legs, using DEET insect repellent, and draining standing water.
Quote of the Week
“Any patriotic American should want to see an American company’s success on the global stage, especially over compromised Chinese competitors.”
– The State Department responding to The Washington Post over reports that countries can avoid tariffs by approving Musk’s Starlink
This article appears in May 9 • 2025.