Support During the Shutdown: 3.5 million Texans are poised to lose SNAP benefits on Nov. 1 due to the ongoing government shutdown; at press time, Senate Republicans were expected to block an emergency bill to fund the federal program, which provides food purchasing support to low- and no-income families, including more than 1.7 million children. Central Texas Food Bank and other local hunger relief organizations have already mobilized to support government workers who’ve missed paychecks due to the shutdown, and now they’re expanding those efforts to support SNAP recipients in need. See CTFB’s website to find out about assistance, including added distribution sites. On that subject, now would be an excellent time to make a donation or volunteer your time at your preferred food pantry. 

All Aboard … Maybe? After decades of failed efforts to get a passenger rail between Austin and San Antonio off the ground, the Travis County Commissioners Court on Tuesday approved $125,000 to fund a study that will look into the possibility of such a project, KUT reports. The hope is that the rail could offset traffic on I-35, currently mired in a years-long expansion, and service a booming population between the two cities, expected to grow from the current 4.5 million up to 7 million by 2030. 

No fires or grilling allowed at any city park, greenbelt, or preserve Credit: Getty Images

A Very Dry Fall: September was the fifth-driest in Austin’s history, and now it’s the second-hottest October. Usually the two months constitute a rainy season for Central Texas, but put together, CBS Austin meteorologist Avery Tomasco told KUT that it’s our driest start to fall ever, with only 0.08 inches of rain so far when we should be seeing five inches. Wednesday, the city issued a burn ban in all Austin parks, greenbelts, and preserves until the threat of wildfire subsides.

Immigration Enforcement Ramping Up in Austin: ICE is picking up more people from Austin-area jails as the Trump administration continues to reshape immigration policy, The Texas Newsroom reports. Federal immigration officers come to the Travis County Sheriff’s Office sometimes twice per day, said a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office. Records requests also reveal that more people are facing deportation for routine run-ins with police. Sheriff’s offices across Texas will soon be required to partner with ICE under a new state law that extends immigration enforcement authority to local law enforcement. 

Sarah Eckhardt Credit: Eckhardt for Congress

Eckhardt Launches U.S. House Campaign: State Sen. Sarah Eckhardt said Monday she’s running for Congress in the newly drawn 10th District, a seat held by retiring Republican U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul. In her campaign announcement, Eckhardt emphasized that the district – redrawn by Republicans to now span 13 separate counties – is “the result of the national redistricting war – and as a result, we’re in one of the most diverse districts in the entire state, both economically and culturally.” 

Tovo, Hendricks Kick Off Statehouse Runs: The candidate shuffle continues, with prominent Dems announcing runs to replace reps who’ve launched higher office campaigns. On Monday, former Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo threw her hat in the ring for HD 49, the district Gina Hinojosa is vacating to run for governor. Meanwhile on Tuesday, labor organizer and first-time candidate Jeremy Hendricks officially launched his campaign to succeed exiting HD 50 Rep./U.S. Senate hopeful James Talarico with the backing of prominent Austin politicos Lloyd Doggett, Greg Casar, Kirk Watson, and Vanessa Fuentes.  

Sixteen Crosswalks and Murals at Risk: Austin Transportation and Public Works sent a memo to Mayor Kirk Watson and City Council on Monday disclosing 16 crosswalks, murals, or street markings that could be noncompliant with the Texas Department of Transportation’s SAFE ROADS initiative; they include children’s art projects and a mural memorializing victims of the 2013 Onion Creek Floods. Three crosswalks were painted in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration and will be allowed to fade away, KUT reports. Some Austinites are opposing the order as Gov. Abbott called for all artwork that conveys “social, political, or ideological messages” to be removed, targeting the rainbow crosswalk at Fourth and Colorado streets and the “Black Artists Matter” mural on 11th Street. The mayor has since asked the city traffic engineer to seek a special exemption from TxDOT, but is not hopeful about the outcome. The mayor has also proposed the creation of a task force on the use of public spaces. 

Volunteers at the Carter Work Project at Whisper Valley Credit: Habitat for Humanity International

Building Stronger Communities, One House at a Time: On Monday, Austin Habitat for Humanity welcomed members of President Jimmy Carter’s family for the groundbreaking of this year’s Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project. Over the course of its 40-year history, the program has built, renovated, or repaired nearly 4,500 homes in 14 countries while raising global awareness for the urgent need for affordable, sustainable housing. This year’s project is a five-day build, expected to wrap Friday, of 25 homes in Northeast Austin’s Whisper Valley community, touted as the first fully geothermal neighborhood in the country. 

Hazard Drives Another Tesla Recall: AP News reported that Tesla is recalling over 63,000 Cybertrucks from model years 2024-2026, due to some headlights being too bright and possibly distracting. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says Tesla has no reported collisions related to the issue, but federal regulators are investigating recent collisions and traffic safety violations with Teslas in Full Self-Driving mode. A previous recall in March pulled nearly all Cybertrucks off the road for the risk posed by an exterior panel. Last week, Tesla reported a fourth straight decline in quarterly profit.

Updated AISD Consolidations Release Friday: The Austin ISD Board of Trustees added an extra work session on the districtwide consolidation plan for the evening of Oct. 29, ahead of their previously scheduled consideration of the plan Oct. 30. The district will then release the updated consolidation plan on their website on Oct. 31, saying they will take into account feedback received from AISD parents over the last few weeks. AISD’s rushed effort to close schools and evade a district takeover by the Texas Education Agency is happening alongside last week’s announcement that TEA will take over Fort Worth ISD and replace the locally elected district administration with state management, the second-largest district to have its local control stripped after Houston ISD in 2023.

Paxton Sues Over Tylenol: In a direct parroting of the White House’s scientifically dubious declaration that Tylenol causes autism and ADHD in children when taken by mothers during pregnancy, Attorney General Ken Paxton sued pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson this week for “deceptively marketing” the drug to expecting mothers despite the “known dangers,” praising the Trump administration and invoking its Make America Healthy Again slogan in the Oct. 28 press release. 

A pro-Prop Q mailer from the Love Austin PAC

… and Investigates Prop Q Campaign: Paxton also decided to insert himself into our city’s debate over Prop Q, a polarizing proposed property tax increase to support homelessness initiatives, parks, libraries, essential public safety services, and more. Paxton announced on Oct. 24 that he will investigate the “potentially illegal fundraising scheme” to pass Prop Q, a campaign led by the Love Austin PAC, specifically citing the housing nonprofit organization Foundation Communities’ reported pledge of $25,000 toward the campaign. Nonprofits aren’t legally barred from supporting a ballot proposition, the Austin American-Statesman Editorial Board called the move “an abuse of power” in an op-ed that pointed out nonprofits aren’t legally barred from supporting a ballot proposition. 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Nobody likes being stuck on I-35, and it’s going to get worse.”

Travis County Commissioner Brigid Shea on the proposed Austin/San Antonio rail line, which could ease congestion on Texas’ least-liked interstate highway

Credit: BrigidShea.com

This article appears in October 31 • 2025.

A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.