🟪 Vice President JD Vance expected in Austin Monday as City warns of road closures, delays (CBS Austin)

🟪 St. John Site development update approved, advancing mixed-use plans with over 500 new apartments (Community Impact)

🟪 Austin studying program to boost both preservation and development (Austin Business Journal)

🟪 Austin rents dropped over 7% since last year, but families on tighter budgets are still struggling (KUT)

🟪 Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico courts Jasmine Crockett voters in Dallas (KERA)

🟪 ICE officers set to deploy to airports as delays mount, border czar Homan confirms (NPR)

🟪 Trump’s reaction to Mueller’s death: ‘Good, I’m Glad.’ (New York Times)

🟪 Trump’s changing course on Strait of Hormuz strategy raises questions about US war preparation (Associated Press)

READ ON!

☀️ Client Spotlight: Food delivery app Wonder targets Austin amid Texas expansion (Austin Business Journal)

A New York-based food delivery service plans to expand its operations to Austin next year.

Wonder, a mealtime platform, is targeting Texas as part of its recent expansion efforts, according to an announcement. This marks the company's first move outside of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, with San Antonio, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston and Austin as select markets.

The platform combines delivery, pickup, dine-in, meal kits and chef-driven food into one experience across its physical locations and app services.

Customers are able to order from several acclaimed chefs and restaurant brands, including Bobby Flay Steak, Marcus Samuelsson's Streetbird, Di Fara Pizza and Texas-based Tejas Barbecue… 🟪 (READ MORE)

🏛️ Tomorrow, 3.24 @9AM: Austin Council Work Session.

Items to watch:

🟪 A resolution initiating amendments to City Code Title 25 (Land Development) to create new zoning districts that will allow for a range of small housing types such as townhomes, cottage courts, and small-scale multi-unit residential uses (also known as “missing middle housing”) and new zoning districts that will allow for developments that mix residential and commercial or civic uses (also known as “mixed-use”); and to amend existing Land Development Code provisions and administrative barriers to better facilitate missing middle housing and mixed-use development.

🟪 A public hearing and an ordinance amending City Code Chapter 25-10 (Sign Regulations) to authorize larger signs in the public right-of-way that include electronic images, light, and off-premises advertising and waiving City Code Section 25-1-501 (Initiation of Amendments).

✅ Vice President JD Vance expected in Austin Monday as City warns of road closures, delays (CBS Austin)

Vice President JD Vance is expected to visit Austin on Monday, and the City says that his arrival will impact traffic and shut down roads through Tuesday evening.

The City of Austin says residents can expect road closures on Monday morning between the airport and Cesar Chavez Street downtown, saying the Vice President is "expected to visit" Texas' capital city.

Street closures on Cesar Chavez street between Red River and Brazos Streets are expected to last overnight, the City says.

Residents are asked to plan alternative routes to avoid delays and to avoid parking along any part of the route. The City says that some public transportation options may be adjusted to accommodate the closures.

Additionally, the Federal Aviation Administration issued flight restrictions in Austin for Monday and Tuesday, which more information can be found on here… 🟪 (READ MORE)

✅ St. John Site development update approved, advancing mixed-use plans with over 500 new apartments (Community Impact)

Changes to plans for the St. John Site affordable housing redevelopment were approved in March, moving Austin and its building partners closer to groundbreaking on the long-vacant North Central Austin lot.

“My constituents have been waiting for this for way too long," said council member Chito Vela, who represents the area. "It’s going to be a big win for the city, it’s going to be a big win for the neighborhood. And it’s going to be advancing our housing goals, our parks goals, so many issues that this touches.”

The city previously acquired a pair of commercial lots at 7211-7309 N. I-35 that were intended to house new public safety facilities. Plans for the 19-acre property in the St. John neighborhood later changed at the request of residents and City Council, who eventually set a new vision calling for the site to become a "mixed-income, mixed-use district" with a large share of affordable housing, public open space and local retail options… 🟪 (READ MORE)

✅ Austin studying program to boost both preservation and development (Austin Business Journal)

The city of Austin is studying how to enact a policy that would allow developers of some properties in town to transfer some of their unused entitlements to other properties. 

The city is in the midst of conducting a feasibility study for the creation of a Transfer of Development Rights program that could be a tool to help preserve historic properties in areas of Austin targeted for high density.  

A TDR program would let historic properties in “sending zones” to transfer unused entitlement capacity to other properties in “receiving zones” that would allow those other properties to make use of additional entitlements to add density. A program like this is meant to discourage development in areas ripe for preservation and encourage development in areas where it is wanted.

It was recommended in Austin's 2024 Equity-Based Preservation Plan that the city create a TDR program to support the preservation of smaller downtown buildings and historic areas of the city that could be targeted for increased density. 

Cities such as Seattle and New York City have TDR programs… 🟪 (READ MORE)

✅ Austin rents dropped over 7% since last year, but families on tighter budgets are still struggling (KUT)

Austin’s monthly rent continues to decrease as the city leads the way in rent relief since costs peaked in 2022, according to a new report.

Newly released data from realtor.com shows monthly rent dropped more than 7% year-over year. As of Feb. 2026, the median asking rent was $1,357 for an apartment of any size. That is about $100 less than last year and $300 less than the peak of $1,659 in Sept. 2022.

Experts attribute the falling rents to an uptick in new apartments and a decrease in the number of people moving to Austin.

Joel Berner, an Austin-based senior economist with realtor.com, said rents in the Austin area surged in 2021 and 2022 as more people with flexible, remote work situations moved here. To accommodate the demand, developers started building.

“What happened was there was a lot more supply added to the market in the last couple of years and demand slowed down considerably,” Berner said. “We’ve seen a little bit of a slower migration into Austin in the last couple of years than we did during the post-pandemic moving frenzy of 2021 and 2022.”… 🟪 (READ MORE)

✅ Musk announces $20B Terafab chip plant to start in Austin as AI ambitions escalate (Austin Business Journal)

Elon Musk announced late Saturday inside the Seaholm Power Plant that his much-anticipated $20 billion Terafab will be start here in Austin. It ends a week of speculation after the billionaire SpaceX and Tesla Inc. founder teased the project in an announcement on his social media platform X.

Musk said the fabrication plant – a joint venture between Tesla, SpaceX and X parent company XAi – will start with a smaller advanced technology site near the Tesla gigafactory but did not outright specify a long-term location. The "Terafab" will result in the production of 1 terawatt of compute annually. That's about 100 million to 200 million artificial intelligence chips, which will be used to power Musk's products, from his self-driving vehicles to his Optimus humanoid robots to rockets – and eventually advance Musk's ultimate goal of multi-planet civilization.

He said all the current fabrication facilities on Earth only produce about 2% of what he would need across all of these projects. And while he credited current chip suppliers, which will soon include Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. in Taylor, they are not growing at a rate fast enough. That means they won't have the chips if they don't build the Terafab – "so we're gonna build Terafab," Musk quipped to the audience, which included Texas Gov. Greg Abbott… 🟪 (READ MORE)

✅ Q&A: Meet the candidates for Round Rock mayor (Community Impact)

Learn about the two candidates running for Round Rock mayor in the May 2 election.

Candidates were asked to keep responses within 50 words, answer the questions provided and avoid attacking opponents. Answers may have been edited or cut to adhere to those guidelines, or for style and clarity.

Candidates are listed in alphabetical order. Incumbents are identified with an asterisk.

Election day is Saturday, May 2, with early voting starting April 20 and running through April 28. The last day to register to vote is April 2… 🟪 (READ MORE)

✅ Corpus Christi’s water shortage threatens billions in investment, city leaders say (KIII ABC)

Corpus Christi’s water crisis is no longer just about drought restrictions or conservation, city leaders have said it is now threatening the region’s economic future and is costing the Coastal Bend billions of dollars in lost investment. Major companies that once showed interest in building in Corpus Christi are now putting projects on hold or walking away because the city cannot guarantee a long term water supply. City officials said the economic impact is enormous. Corpus Christi City Councilman Roland Barrera said the city has already missed out on massive projects tied to industries that require large volumes of water. “I have heard numbers as high as $20 billion,” Barrera said.

Many of the successful projects secured by the Corpus Christi Regional Economic Development Corporation were landed before 2020 when the city still had excess water capacity to offer new industry. That advantage has largely disappeared said the councilman. Barrera said one example involved interest from Google, which explored building operations in the region but required about three million gallons of water per day. “That’s the type of project we’re talking about,” said Barrera. To try to boost supply, the city has drilled new wells along the Nueces River.

Even with those wells, officials said it may not be enough to meet long term demand. Some projections show local reservoirs could approach critically low levels as soon as next year if drought conditions continue. City leaders are also pushing forward with plans to build a seawater desalination plant, which could provide a more reliable water source in the future. However, until a long term supply is guaranteed, companies remain cautious about making large investments in the area… 🟪 (READ MORE)

✅ Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico courts Jasmine Crockett voters in Dallas (KERA)

Texas Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate James Talarico made an appeal to voters of Rep. Jasmine Crockett at a Dallas County Democratic Party convention in Southern Dallas. Talarico’s speech comes as Democrats try to build up their coalition after a fierce Texas Senate primary election that was the most expensive primary in American history and drove record turnout.

“I did not generate this historic turnout on my own. I did it with my friend and your champion, Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett,” Talarico told the crowd at the Inspiring Body of Christ Church. “To the congresswoman's supporters: I know I wasn't your first choice, but I hope to earn your trust and earn your support.” His comments came after Eve Williams, a local business owner, told attendees to vote for Talarico if they voted for Crockett in the primary.

“Some stood with Jasmine, others stood with Talarico, and that's exactly how democracy is supposed to work,” Williams said. “Primaries are where we compete, but November is where we decide. And if you don't make that shift from competition to coalition, we lose more than an election. We lose momentum. We lose representation.” The convention was the first ever countywide Dallas County Democratic Party inaugural convention follows massive statewide Democratic turnout.

A March 19 internal poll for Talarico’s campaign shows him narrowly beating either of his potential Republican candidates, Sen. John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton, who will face off in a May 26 runoff election. Dallas County's Republican Party does not have plans to host a similar local convention, but encourages its members to participate in local events and the Texas GOP Convention in Houston June 11-13… 🟪 (READ MORE)

✅ ICE officers set to deploy to airports as delays mount, border czar Homan confirms (NPR)

President Trump said he is sending Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to U.S. airports as some air travelers face longer security lines due to the partial government shutdown.

"On Monday, ICE will be going to airports to help our wonderful TSA Agents who have stayed on the job," Trump posted on social media Sunday.

The Trump administration has blamed Democrats for the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, which has entered its sixth week and paused paychecks for Transportation Security Administration workers.

"This pointless, reckless shutdown of our homeland security workforce has caused more than 400 TSA officers to quit and thousands to call out from work because they are not able to afford gas, childcare, food, or rent," Acting Assistant DHS Secretary Lauren Bis told NPR in an email… 🟪 (READ MORE)

✅ Trump’s reaction to Mueller’s death: ‘Good, I’m Glad.’ (New York Times)

President Trump on Saturday celebrated the death of Robert S. Mueller III, the former F.B.I. director who was tapped as a special counsel to investigate Russia’s efforts to meddle in the 2016 presidential election and tip the result in Mr. Trump’s favor.

“Robert Mueller just died. Good, I’m glad he’s dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people!” Mr. Trump wrote on social media, minutes after Mr. Mueller’s passing was announced.

The president has been known to disparage foes after their deaths, including the director Rob Reiner, drawing criticism from friends and critics. His coarse remarks on Saturday capped a yearslong grudge against Mr. Mueller, whom he accused of leading a “witch hunt” against him in his first term. His words were a stark contrast to statements issued by his predecessors.

“Bob dedicated his life to public service,” former President George W. Bush said, praising Mr. Mueller’s combat record and stewardship of the F.B.I. after Sept. 11, 2001. Mr. Mueller helped prevent “another terrorist attack on U.S. soil,” Mr. Bush added.

Former President Barack Obama, who asked Mr. Mueller to stay on for two more years as F.B.I. director, said in a social media post on Saturday that it was Mr. Mueller’s “relentless commitment to the rule of law and his unwavering belief in our bedrock values that made him one of the most respected public servants of our time.”

Mr. Mueller, a Vietnam War veteran and Purple Heart recipient who led the F.B.I. for 12 years, had long enjoyed bipartisan favor until he was appointed in 2017 to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 election and any ties between Moscow and members of Mr. Trump’s campaign… 🟪 (READ MORE)

✅ Trump’s changing course on Strait of Hormuz strategy raises questions about US war preparation (Associated Press)

At war with Iran, President Donald Trump is cycling through an increasingly desperate list of options as he searches for a solution to the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz. He has jumped from calls to secure the waterway through diplomatic means to lifting sanctions and now escalating to a direct threat against civilian infrastructure in the Islamic Republic.

Trump and his allies insist they were always prepared for Iran to block the strait, yet the Republican president’s erratic strategy has fueled criticism that he is grasping for answers after going to war without a clear exit plan. On Saturday came his latest attempt, via an ultimatum to Iran: Open the strait within 48 hours or the United States will “obliterate” the country’s power plants.

Trump’s aides defended the threat as a hard-edged tactic to press Iran into submission. Opponents framed it as the failure of a president who miscalculated what it would take to get out of a geopolitical mire.

“Trump has no plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, so he is threatening to attack Iran’s civil power plants,” said Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass, adding: “This would be a war crime.”

“He’s lost control of the war and he is panicking,” said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., responding to Trump’s post.

Over the course of about a week, Trump has repeatedly shifted his approach on the crucial waterway for global oil and gas transport. There is growing urgency for Trump as soaring oil prices rattle global markets and pinch American consumers months before pivotal midterm elections… 🟪 (READ MORE)