State Sweeps Left City in the Dark: Gov. Greg Abbott ordered 48 homeless encampments in Austin be cleared by state troopers and the Texas State Guard, reported KXAN; the state claims the sweeps resulted in the removal of 3,000 pounds of debris, the seizure of 125 grams of narcotics, and the arrest of 24 repeat felony offenders. The governor’s office said the initiative is ongoing, but on Tuesday, Austin leaders revealed they were not notified by state agencies of the operation and that it in fact interfered with the city’s own already-scheduled operation “focused on connecting the displaced to social services,” the Statesman reported. “I am disappointed today because some of what we’re seeing with regard to addressing people living homeless is, frankly, not how it’s supposed to work,” said Mayor Kirk Watson.
Is FEMA Icing Out Kerr County? An Oct. 16 Texas Tribune report determined that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has denied or not advanced most of the aid applications of Kerr County flood survivors. Nearly half of applications hadn’t been reviewed past the initial stage yet; of those applications that did advance, only one-fifth were deemed eligible for financial help by the agency. In contrast, other counties also impacted by flooding but with fewer applications and less extensive damage have received a higher proportion of approvals from FEMA – $37 million so far. Trump – who began construction this week on a $200 million ballroom at the White House – has said that he wants Americans to “wean off of FEMA” and that the government should “give out less money” to states recovering from disasters.
City, County Officials Declare Wildfire Risk: Mayor Kirk Watson and Travis County Judge Andy Brown announced Monday that they both signed disaster declarations as a wildfire prevention effort. This comes after two fires broke out on Sunday and were contained by the Austin Fire Dept., the Austin Monitor reports. Mayor Watson urged the public to be prepared for wildfires in their neighborhoods and to sign up for Warn Central Texas, an emergency alert system. “Austin now ranks fifth in the nation in the number of homes facing wildfire risks,” Mayor Watson said, as he warned about dry conditions.
“Ideological Differences”: On Sunday, Gov. Greg Abbott confirmed in a post on X that UT-Austin’s senior vice provost for academic affairs, Art Markman, was fired because of “ideological differences,” according to KUT. In the post, Abbott said, “Texas is targeting professors who are more focused on pushing leftist ideologies rather than preparing students to lead our nation. We must end indoctrination and return to education fundamentals at all levels of education.” Markman, who has been a professor of psychology at UT for 27 years and in the provost’s office since 2021, told KUT he will remain a faculty member in the College of Liberal Arts. Markman is also the co-host of the long-running KUT News program Two Guys on Your Head, which explores human behavior.
Tackling Climate Change Close to Home: The Austin-San Antonio region has been selected as the next hub for the Climate Resilient Communities Accelerator, a two-year program led by the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES). The goal is to coordinate efforts across government, schools, businesses, nonprofits, and neighborhoods to address growing climate threats.
Grand Prix Agrees to Park It Long-Term in Austin: On Sunday, the Circuit of the Americas and Formula 1 announced that the United States Grand Prix will stay in Austin through the 2034 season. In a press release, Formula 1 President & CEO Stefano Domenicali thanked the city, state, and Gov. Abbott for their support of the event. “As Formula 1 continues to grow and thrive in the United States, we are proud to extend our partnership with Bobby Epstein and his outstanding team in Austin, as well as with Governor Abbott, whose leadership has been instrumental in supporting the sport’s development in Texas and beyond,” Domenicali said. Red Bull driver Max Verstappen claimed his fifth victory at last weekend’s race in Austin and now ranks third in F1 drivers’ standings.
Flood Insurance Pilot Program: The city is partnering with Del Valle Community Coalition on a pilot program that will provide up to $2,000 in financial assistance to Austin homeowners to obtain or maintain flood insurance for one year. The Flood Insurance Assistance Program aims to support residents in high-risk flood areas by reducing financial barriers to coverage.
Wheatsville Bags Expansion Plans: CultureMap reports that the Wheatsville Co-op will not move forward with plans to open new stores in Hyde Park and Allandale. The expansion, which was announced in July and meant to replace the Co-op’s Guadalupe store when it closes next year, is no longer “financially viable.” General manager Bill Bickford said they remain open to other options, but don’t expect to find suitable real estate before the Guadalupe store’s lease expires. Instead, they plan to focus on keeping their remaining location on South Lamar going strong.
Transit Plan 2035: CapMetro’s board of directors voted Monday to majorly overhaul its transit system, reports KUT. Transit Plan 2035 lays out steps to launch a light rail line in 2033 and gradually shrink bus routes from 61 to 55 while also running remaining lines more frequently and into the night and adding more east-west connections.
Trash Compact: At press time, UT still had not publicly announced whether it will agree to a 10-point “compact” presented by the Trump administration, which guarantees funding to universities that agree to conservative action items regarding DEI, admissions, and campus culture. So far, seven of the nine schools offered the deal have rejected it.
GOP Social Media Strategy – Shitposting and Deepfakes: President Trump responded to Saturday’s nationwide No Kings rallies by posting an AI-generated video of himself as a fighter pilot wearing a crown, dumping feces all over protesters. The National Republican Senate Committee also used artificial intelligence to falsely depict Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer saying on camera about the shutdown that “every day gets better for us” – a quote pulled from a print interview Schumer gave Punchbowl News explaining why he thinks the Dems’ strategy of focusing on health care is working. A Republican spokesperson shrugged off concerns about the use of deepfakes in politics: “AI is here and not going anywhere. Adapt & win or pearl clutch & lose.”
Rocking in the New Year: The Red River Cultural District announced the return of Free Week, the annual admission-free, all-ages celebration of live music. The winter fest is set for Jan. 9-10; organizers are accepting applications now for Austin-based artists, bands, and DJs to perform in paid gigs at more than 10 Downtown venues.
Quote of the Week:
“I don’t like big crowds, but I hate fascism even more.”
Protest sign at Saturday’s No Kings rally
This article appears in October 24 • 2025.