3+ week, 5+ day ago (171+ words) This fall, Texans are weighing big fiscal decisions, both statewide and in your backyard. On Nov. 4, Travis County voters will decide on whether Austin should approve a 20% city tax rate tied to a $6.3 billion budget. If passed, a homeowner with a $500,000 property could owe about $300 more annually in city taxes; if rejected, their increase would likely be around $100. Austin voters will also decide whether to raise the city's property tax rate to support a $6.3 billion budget the City Council approved in August. The council's proposed rate " 57.4 cents per $100 of taxable property value " exceeds the state's cap on revenue growth by about 5 cents, triggering a tax rate election. Results are gathered by Hearst Newspapers from local election departments. Races are called by newsroom editors. Originally published on Nov. 4, 2025 7:00 a.m. Voter Guide 2025: What's on the ballot in Austin? Your guide to Austin's tax…...

5+ day, 7+ hour ago (471+ words) A'Tesla robotaxi, left, and a'Waymo autonomous vehicle ply a residential street in Austin in July. Unlike its biggest automated vehicle competitor, Tesla has redacted the narratives in the reports of its seven robotaxi incidents in Austin so far this year. When he'presented the Cybertruck in 2019, Tesla CEO Elon Musk gave the world the perfect reason to take his big promises with a big grain of salt: "Well, maybe that was a little too hard," he said through an awkward laugh after a Tesla employee shattered the "bulletproof" driver's side window with a steel ball.' Now Musk wants to put fully driverless robotaxis on Austin streets by the end of the year. But state officials and the public should demand more'information verifying the robotaxis' safety before Musk is allowed to remove human safety monitors from the vehicles. As the American-Statesman's Karoline…...

1+ week, 20+ hour ago (399+ words) The safest way to thaw a turkey takes several days, so it's important to plan ahead of your Thanksgiving dinner. Holidays are stressful enough without worrying over thawing your Thanksgiving turkey. Timing is everything, and we've got you covered. Depending on the size of your bird, you might need to start thawing it several days before the holiday" or risk a last-minute scramble. Here's what the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends. Thawing a turkey in the refrigerator is the safest way to prepare for your Thanksgiving feast, but it requires some planning. Allow about 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds of turkey in a refrigerator set at 40F or cooler. To avoid cross-contamination, place the bird in a sealed container" never directly in a drawer, even if you plan to disinfect after. Here's how early you should begin refrigerator thawing based on…...

3+ week, 8+ hour ago (472+ words) U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz didn't mince words or try to thread the rhetorical needle to avoid offending either side when he denounced the antisemitic remarks made by white supremacist and occasional conservative influencer Nick Fuentes during a recent interview with Tucker Carlson. But then, on Wednesday " one day after Democrats had a strong showing in the off-year elections that saw the party win by large margins in the governors' races in New Jersey and Virginia and in the contest for mayor of New York City " Cruz shifted his focus. Like many prominent Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, he zeroed in on New York. In doing so, Mamdani presented himself as the newest target for the GOP, which quickly branded him "the new face of the Democratic Party." "Their party today is communist and jihadists and extremists," Cruz said in a…...

1+ week, 6+ day ago (438+ words) FILE " Austin-based trucking startup AI Fleet is laying off nearly 60 employees after the sudden loss of a key supplier. AI Fleet Inc., an Austin startup with a tech-driven approach to trucking, is laying off nearly 60 employees after the sudden loss of a key supplier. The layoffs affect 56 workers based at the company's headquarters at 200 E. Sixth St. including long-haul and regional drivers and office employees assigned to Texas operations, according to a notice filed with the Texas Workforce Commission. In a letter dated Nov. 5, CEO Marc El Khoury said the company "experienced a sudden and unexpected loss of a key supplier" on Oct. 31, prompting the board to vote Nov. 2 to downsize operations."This event occurred too recently and too unexpectedly for us to provide the 60-day notice that the WARN Act ordinarily requires," El Khoury wrote. Layoffs began Nov. 4 and were…...

3+ week, 5+ day ago (229+ words) It's Election Day in Texas. Voters across the state will soon be flocking to the polls to make their voices heard in a number of statewide referenda and local elections. Locally, voters will decide the fate of'Austin's Proposition Q tax-rate proposal, several area school-district initiatives, and seats on a few city councils and school districts around the area. VOTER GUIDE:'What's on the ballot in Austin? Polls open at 7 a.m. and will remain open until 7 p.m. Many Central Texas counties " including Travis, Williamson and Hays " participate in the state's Countywide Polling Place Program, meaning registered voters can cast a ballot at any poll in their county of residence. If you're heading to the polls today, be sure to check out the American-Statesman's interactive Voter Guide to research and save your selections on the proposed constitutional amendments and local races. The guide also…...

3+ week, 3+ day ago (549+ words) Rep. Gene Wu, D-Houston, protests redistricting plans before the hearing of the House Select Committee on Congressional Redistricting at the Capitol in Austin, Friday, Aug. 1, 2025. Texas Democrats can finally declare victory " in California. Voters in the Golden State on Tuesday overwhelmingly embraced a plan to redraw the state's congressional map to benefit Democrats, a'plan'Democratic'Gov. Gavin Newsom billed as a direct reprisal to Texas Republican's own efforts to give themselves more winnable seats at President Donald Trump's urging. State Rep. Gene Wu, the House Democratic leader who led a 15-day quorum break this summer to delay the Texas redistricting effort, said the dramatic action made Democrats nationwide tune in and fight back.' "We took an issue that is probably the most singularly boring issue in politics " redistricting and gerrymandering " and we made the nation care about it," Wu said in an…...

3+ week, 5+ day ago (349+ words) Travis County officials say 13 percent of registered voters cast a ballot during the two-week early voting period that ended Friday. Texas voters have a lot to decide on, including 17 proposed amendments to the state constitution and a controversial proposed tax rate hike in Austin." Election Day, or the general election, is Tuesday, Nov. 4. In the general election, voters will consider statewide constitutional amendments and local races, as well as vote in a special election"for the U.S. House. Texas voting hours on Election Day are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at polling places statewide. According to the official Texas voting site, counties participating in the Countywide Polling Place Program (CWPP) " also known as "Vote Centers" " allow residents to vote at any location within their county. Travis, Bastrop, Hays and Williamson counties participate in CWPP. If a county does not participate in CWPP, residents may only…...

3+ week, 1+ day ago (589+ words) Austin City Council Member Ryan Alter speaks to reporters at a watch party in support of the Proposition'Q Tuesday at the Brewtorium. Days after'an American-Statesman report revealed he had donated thousands of taxpayer dollars to nonprofit and advocacy organizations, Austin Council Member Ryan Alter said he's taking steps to "rebuild trust" with taxpayers. In a newsletter to constituents Friday morning, Alter said he would reimburse the city for several expenses identified in the Statesman's most recent investigation that ethics experts said towed the line.' "Although these items were approved by staff and are consistent with City policy, just because you can do something doesn't always mean you should," Alter wrote. "Out of my desire to help our community, I made choices that harmed the trust and reputation of city government. I accept responsibility for that " and I'm ready to do…...

3+ week, 2+ day ago (537+ words) Austin City Hall in downtown Austin" Mayor Kirk Watson is calling for an overhaul of Austin City Council's expense policies following months of American-Statesman reporting that has revealed questionable spending by city leaders " and days after Austin voters emphatically rejected a proposed city tax hike. The failure of Proposition Q on Tuesday has sent the city back to the drawing board to find millions in budget cuts, and inspired"several city leaders including Watson to coalesce"around the idea of a wholesale audit similar to one conducted by Houston that identified tens of millions of dollars in savings. As part of that effort, Watson said Thursday it was "also"important for the City Council to reform City Council spending, including but not limited to the criteria used for the type, the amount, and purpose of expenditures." "If we want to…...