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🟪 UT in the midst of creating a new master plan for its land (Austin Business Journal)

🟪 4 Austin-area community leaders consider the future of data centers (KUT)

🟪 Austin's short-term rental crackdown is boosting tax revenue (Austin American-Statesman)

🟪 As the state targets cities over ICE policies, Austin considers next steps (KUT)

🟪 How the Voting Rights Act reshaped Texas’ electoral maps by empowering voters, candidates of color (Texas Tribune)

🟪 Dallas mayor slams City Council for ‘lip service’ amid budget woes (Dallas Morning News)

🟪 Can Texas A&M’s new president ease the political pressure? (Houston Chronicle)

🟪 U.S. debt tops 100% of GDP (Wall Street Journal)

✅ UT in the midst of creating a new master plan for its land (Austin Business Journal)

The University of Texas is figuring out how to evolve its real estate in Austin and how the school should grow in the decades ahead. 

The university has started a process to create a new master plan that will guide future growth and development for its various land holdings and campuses throughout Austin. UT is partnering with Sasaki Associates, an international design and planning firm, to help gather input and to create the plan.

The master plan will be different than past visions that mostly focused on UT’s main campus near downtown Austin. The new master plan will be more comprehensive with what’s happening surrounding UT’s real estate throughout Austin, said Brent Stringfellow, UT’s associate vice president for campus operations and planning. 

“What we're looking at is a much more dynamic environment,” Stringfellow said. “So we want to build a plan that's also a tool that allows us to inform decision making as the campus moves forward.”

Stringfellow said the current effort to create a new master plan won’t change any of the building or renovation efforts ongoing on UT’s campuses. The plan will instead shape the growth of the university over the next five to 25 years… 🟪 (READ MORE)

✅ 4 Austin-area community leaders consider the future of data centers (KUT)

Dozens of data center projects have been proposed across Central Texas, and how those projects shape the region’s land, economy and water resources will depend on how local leaders plan for their arrival.

But there is no consensus about what approach to take even among business leaders, Denise Davis, the board chair for the Austin Chamber of Commerce, said at the inaugural KUT Festival on Saturday.

Davis said the Austin Chamber is still trying to find its footing in the debate.

“I get that everyone has phones, and the average home has 20 devices, and I get that AI is powering everything, but I also have businesses that need electricity, and I need the grid to be reliable,” Davis said. “So I think it's to be determined where the chamber comes down on the issue.”

Davis was joined on stage by Bradley Dushkin, Round Rock’s director of planning and development services, Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra and Carrie D’Anna, a Taylor resident and community organizer.

Dushkin said data centers have the opportunity to provide cities relief in the form of “ginormous” property tax contributions as local politicians struggle to provide community services amid budget constraints… 🟪 (READ MORE)

✅ Austin council member calls ATP office lease wrong move, defends Project Connect oversight (KUT)

A proposed multimillion-dollar office lease for the agency building Austin's light-rail system was "not how we should be spending these dollars," a prominent Project Connect supporter said Saturday, arguing the controversy shows why elected officials need a role in overseeing the voter-approved transit plant.

Austin City Council Member Paige Ellis, who also sits on CapMetro's board, made the comments during a KUT Festival panel on Project Connect, the multibillion-dollar initiative to expand light-rail, commuter rail, bus service, Bikeshare and other transit options in Austin.

"For [Mayor Kirk Watson] to catch this coming to the ATP board and to say, this is not going to happen, this is not the best way to do this, is how a functioning system operates," Ellis said. "That's exactly how a transparent system should work."… 🟪 (READ MORE)  

✅ As the state targets cities over ICE policies, Austin considers next steps (KUT)

In some ways, Texas has provided a crystal ball for the rest of the country when it comes to immigration policy.

Before the Trump administration poured billions into immigration enforcement and built partnerships between local police and state and federal immigration agents, Texas was already doing it.

So, for those opposed to the deportation surge, Texas is worth paying attention to.

That was one of the takeaways from a panel Saturday at the KUT Festival.

“Here in Texas, we have kind of a four- to five-year head start when it comes to the rest of the country,” said Kristin Etter, the director of policy and legal services at the Texas Immigration Law Council. “We have operated a program called Operation Lone Star that has used state resources. So we have a model here in Texas for this police/ICE collaboration."

Another takeaway from the panel: In a state where much of the voting public and all state political leaders support aggressive immigration enforcement, opposition becomes local.

In liberal Austin, local leaders have tried to craft policies that would limit police partnering with ICE, but the governor took notice and the Austin Police Department had to soften one policy under threat of funding cuts.

City Council Member Zo Qadri said Austin still has tools at its disposal “to make sure that folks are protected and are safe.”

City Council Member José Velásquez pointed to millions in city funding for local immigration advocacy groups and the council’s support for Austin’s “safe to call” initiative as examples… 🟪 (READ MORE)  

✅ Austin's short-term rental crackdown is boosting tax revenue (Austin American-Statesman)

Austin officials say a sweeping overhaul of the city’s short-term rental regulations is beginning to show results, with higher compliance and a surge in hotel occupancy tax revenue as new enforcement tools come online.

In a recent memo to the mayor and City Council, Austin Development Services Director Keith Mars said recent changes to the city’s short-term rental, or STR, program are improving oversight and bringing more operators into compliance. 

The update follows City Council’s September 2025 vote to tighten STR rules after years of legal setbacks and uneven enforcement. At the time, city leaders described the issue as “thorny and difficult,” noting lawsuits had weakened earlier regulations and made it difficult to track or penalize illegal rentals. The new ordinance, paired with some other changes, shifted the city to a business-licensing model and, for the first time, imposed requirements on platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo.

Those rules require platforms to display license numbers, remove unlicensed listings and collect hotel occupancy taxes on behalf of hosts — changes aimed at addressing widespread noncompliance. City data last year showed about 94% of complaints involved unlicensed rentals.

The April 30 memo suggests those efforts are beginning to pay off… 🟪 (READ MORE)  

📝⏱️ Q2 2026 Survey: 5 minutes, 9 questions. Click here to share your input.

✅ How the Voting Rights Act reshaped Texas’ electoral maps by empowering voters, candidates of color (Texas Tribune)

In March, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick directed state senators to explore ways to close “gambling loopholes” that allow online prediction markets to operate in Texas, raising concerns that state elections and sporting events could be manipulated for profit.

Patrick’s directive was the first time a state leader officially acknowledged the existence of rapidly growing prediction markets, which let users wager on outcomes tied to anything from the weather to election winners and sports scores.

Most prediction markets didn’t operate in the U.S. before 2025.

Any attempts by the Texas Legislature to restrict prediction operators, however, would run into federal roadblocks as the Trump administration insists that oversight belongs to a U.S. agency, not the states.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has taken vigorous steps to retain exclusive regulatory oversight, suing to block five states from taking legal action against predictive markets, including a lawsuit filed Tuesday against Wisconsin.

Prediction market operators argue that state gambling laws don’t apply to them because users aren’t placing bets, they’re risking money on predictions — no different than other exchange-traded financial contracts that speculate on the future performance of commodities. Congress created the CFTC in 1974 to regulate futures trading… 🟪 (READ MORE)

✅ Dallas mayor slams City Council for ‘lip service’ amid budget woes (Dallas Morning News)

Mayor Eric Johnson on Sunday backed the city’s new cost-cutting measures, slamming City Council members who talk about restraint but approve “bloated” budgets and resist meaningful cuts. "Council members will pay lip service to fiscal responsibility, but when it comes time to vote, few are willing to follow through. Each has favored projects and programs to which they will tolerate no reductions," Johnson said in his weekly newsletter.

The newsletter marks Johnson’s first public comments on the budget, likely to stir tension from some council members who support the cuts and have called for a closer look at spending and how the burden is shared. Dallas officials are navigating a more than $30 million shortfall six months into the current fiscal year, driven in part by rising health care expenses and overtime costs. Last month, City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert told department leaders to limit costs immediately.

She also imposed a hiring freeze for most city jobs, halted nearly all overtime and banned unnecessary spending and travel. Departments must now spend money only on essential needs and delay or cancel anything else. Since then, council members have weighed in, some pushing to grow revenue and others calling for a review of payroll and a “top-heavy” workforce. Johnson said he hoped Tolbert’s cost-saving directive will serve as “a wake-up call” for the council to hone in on aggressive measures to rein in spending.

He said resistance to cuts makes it difficult to follow through, pointing to the library system in which the council approved branch closures but later resisted implementing them. In his newsletter, Johnson highlighted his budget record, voting against three budgets, calling to “defund the bureaucracy” and issuing a tax-cut challenge last year. He again urged council members to identify programs to cut alongside those they want to preserve. Protecting their own projects makes “meaningful spending restraint…impossible,” he said. Johnson is one vote on the council and does not control the budget, which is crafted by the city manager and approved by a majority of council members, including the mayor. The city is scheduled to meet this week for its first public discussion on next year’s budget… 🟪 (READ MORE)

✅ Can Texas A&M’s new president ease the political pressure? (Houston Chronicle)

Texas A&M regents are expected to vote next week on the flagship's third permanent president in five years — a high rate of turnover that may have led them to favor a sole finalist with insider and political know-how over a more traditional academic candidate, according to experts on college leadership. Longtime administrator Susan Ballabina could be named Texas A&M University's next president during a special board meeting Wednesday.

While some faculty hoped for a former professor to shield them from what they call attacks on academic freedom, experts say the regents chose Ballabina to bring stability to the office after political pressures toppled the prior presidents. "To have a president that can build trust among the faculty is just simply not a priority," said Jorge Burmicky, assistant professor of higher education leadership and policy studies at Howard University. "A president that can deal with the politics, the system-wide expectations, is far more important."

With over 30 years in administrative positions, Ballabina's resume does not include any classroom teaching, according to records obtained by the Houston Chronicle. She is the second recent pick to arrive at a high-profile Texas presidency without going through the ranks as professor: Last year, the University of Texas chose James E. Davis, a lawyer, to lead the flagship. Texas A&M University System officials did not respond to a request for comment. System leaders previously cited Ballabina's leadership style and "unparalleled knowledge" as reasons for her selection.

They also issued a press release boasting an "unprecedented level of support" for Ballabina, including a joint letter signed by the leaders of five of A&M's most influential cultural and alumni groups, including the Texas A&M Foundation, 12th Man Foundation, the Texas Aggie Corps of Cadets Foundation and the Association of Former Students.

As Texas A&M approaches its 150th year, this is a moment that calls for experienced, principled and steady leadership," the joint letter said. "We are confident Dr. Ballabina has the experience, character and commitment needed to lead Texas A&M into its next chapter while preserving the traditions, values and sense of purpose that have long defined this institution."… 🟪 (READ MORE)

✅ U.S. debt tops 100% of GDP (Wall Street Journal)

The U.S. national debt now exceeds 100% of gross domestic product, crossing a once-unthinkable threshold, on the way toward breaking the record set in the wake of World War II. As of March 31, the country’s publicly held debt was $31.265 trillion, while GDP over the preceding year was $31.216 trillion, according to data released Thursday. That puts the ratio at 100.2%, compared with 99.5% when the last fiscal year ended Sept. 30. That figure will likely climb for the foreseeable future because the federal government is running historically large annual deficits of nearly 6% of GDP, which add to the debt.

The government is spending $1.33 for every dollar it collects in revenue, and the budget deficit this year is projected at $1.9 trillion. That is little changed from 2025 as Republicans’ tax cuts kick in before their spending cuts take effect. The final tally will depend on Iran war spending, tariff refunds and the strength of the economy.

By itself, the milestone doesn’t mean much. There isn’t a special level where debt goes from problematic to catastrophic. And the ratio might bounce around in coming quarters as tax receipts come in, tariff refunds go out and GDP fluctuates in response to inflation and revisions. Still, the triple-digit mark is a potent symbol of the fiscal stresses on the U.S. that have been building for decades. Lawmakers in both parties have expressed alarm but given priority to tax cuts and spending increases with clearer short-term political benefits.

“We’re headed toward uncharted territory,” said Marc Goldwein, senior vice president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. “There’s no magic of 100% vs. 99%, but it’s a scary place to be.” The debt-to-GDP ratio is economists’ preferred metric for how much the country’s borrowing weighs on the economy. As it rises, debt consumes resources that could be used more productively elsewhere. The government also becomes more sensitive to interest rates as debt grows. One in seven dollars of federal spending now goes to interest. A 0.1 percentage-point interest-rate increase would cost $379 billion over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office… 🟪 (READ MORE)

✅ Inside Spirit Airlines’ failed ‘Hail Mary’ to the Trump administration (CNN)

Winding down a major US airline is a complicated business. Doing so when the president of the United States hints it could be saved adds another layer of complexity. Wracked with financial trouble, Spirit Airlines had filed for bankruptcy for the second time in August 2025. Months later, the conflict with Iran had driven up fuel prices and made its financial position even more untenable, putting it on the brink of closure. For weeks, Trump administration officials were in talks with the bargain airline on the possibility of a $500 million bailout package.

The proposal would effectively give the government control of the overwhelming majority of Spirit’s shares. President Donald Trump publicly suggested that he would be on board “if we can get it at the right price.” “They have some good aircrafts, some good assets, and when the price of oil goes down, we’d sell it for a profit,” he told reporters in the Oval Office last month.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick met with Trump to lay out the options, according to two sources familiar with the meeting, which prompted some internal division among the president’s team. Lutnick, one source familiar with the deliberations told CNN, “was pushing” for a deal, with a second source familiar suggesting that he argued it would be a political win for the administration. But there were reservations about the possibility of a bailout from officials including Duffy, Trump deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, and members of the White House counsel’s office, a third source familiar with deliberations told CNN.

Those included concerns about pumping money into a company with a bad financial record, two of the sources said. The?idea of a bailout for a single airline also sparked backlash from both the airline industry and among Republicans in Congress. Previous bailouts have been in support of all US airlines, not a single carrier or group of airlines. And those rescue packages were in response to a paralyzed industry, like when passengers were afraid to fly in the wake of terrorist attacks or a pandemic, not because of increased costs and losses… 🟪 (READ MORE)

✅ Why almost everyone loses—except a few sharks—on prediction markets (Wall Street Journal)

Kalshi and its competitor Polymarket advertise themselves as life-changing tools for regular people—implying everyone has a fair chance to score.

“I was about to be unable to pay my rent, but I got two years of rent through Kalshi’s predictions,” gushed one woman in a Kalshi ad on TikTok. But for most users the reality is nothing like that. Instead, casual traders are bleeding cash while a small number of sophisticated pros—including trading firms with access to vast streams of data—eat their lunch, according to a Journal analysis of platform data and interviews with traders. On Polymarket, the Journal found, 67% of profits go to just 0.1% of accounts.

That means less than 2,000 accounts netted a total of nearly half a billion dollars. The Journal analyzed 1.6 million Polymarket accounts that have traded since November 2022. There are at least 2.3 million total accounts on the site.

On Kalshi, too, losers vastly outnumber winners. Spokeswoman Elisabeth Diana said there are 2.9 unprofitable users for each profitable one based on data from the past month. She said the number is subject to change as the exchange grows. The company doesn’t make public comprehensive data on users’ profits and doesn’t share its total number of users. Total trading volume on both platforms has rocketed to $24.2 billion in April, up from $1.8 billion a year earlier, according to analytics firm The Block. Proponents say the markets don’t count as gambling, and that they harness the wisdom of crowds to accurately predict future events. Federal Reserve research shows Kalshi is an effective tool to forecast economic trends… 🟪 (READ MORE)