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September 8, 2025

✅ Today's BG Reads include:

🟪 Austin is spending $1 million on a new logo meant to evoke city's hills, 'violet crown skies' (KUT)

🟪 Austin ISD to host meetings on closures as 12 more schools are flagged for failing grades (KUT)

🟪 Study reveals elevated levels of tire and road microplastics in Austin’s reservoirs (Austin Monitor)

🟪 Flanked by grieving families, Gov. Abbott signs camp safety, flood protection bills into law (KUT)

🟪 Texas Rep. James Talarico to launch Democratic primary bid for U.S. Senate (Texas Tribune)

🟪 Trump threatens Chicago with apocalyptic force and Pritzker calls him a ‘wannabe dictator’ (Associated Press)

🟪 South Korea charters plane to fly home over 300 workers detained by ICE at Georgia Hyundai plant (NPR)

🟪 Why it’s the toughest time to be searching for work in America in years (Washington Post)

READ ON!

[CITY OF AUSTIN]

🏛️ [NEW] City Memo: Short-Term Rental Regulations – Upcoming Action Item (Development Services Department)

🏛️ City Manager Executives and Advisors Staff Visual Chart

🏛️ City of Austin Org Chart (as of July 2025)

💰 2026 City of Austin Bond - Public Input

ℹ️ 2025 Essential Resources for Navigating the City of Austin

[AUSTIN METRO NEWS]

✅ Austin is spending $1 million on a new logo meant to evoke city's hills, 'violet crown skies' (KUT)

The city of Austin is rebranding for the first time.

On Thursday, the city unveiled a new logo that will be added to its website, social media profiles and other city materials. The green and violet logo takes on the shape of an A with Austin written underneath.

The rebranding will cost the city more than $1.1 million.

Jessica King, the city's chief communications director, said the logo reflects the hills, rivers and bridges that connect people. The colors were inspired by "the city’s violet crown skies and the green canopies of parks and trails," officials said.

“We deliberately chose a mark that reminded us of movement to reflect how welcoming, flexible and resilient this community and our employees are,” King said. “And it’s important to remember that this cohesive brand is more than a logo – it’s a reflection of who Austin’s local government is and how it is represented. We are one Austin – and it is important that we present ourselves in a unified way.”

Not everyone is on board with the new look… 🟪 (READ MORE)

✅ Austin ISD to host meetings on closures as 12 more schools are flagged for failing grades (KUT)

A dozen schools in the Austin Independent School District will need to close or make significant changes after receiving three consecutive failing grades from the state.

The Texas Education Agency ratings were released last month. Austin ISD saw some improvements from last year, but roughly one third of the district’s 116 campuses still had unacceptable ratings.

In a letter sent to Austin ISD officials, the TEA said dozens of schools will need to submit plans to the state detailing how they will improve student outcomes. Twelve schools are required to submit plans by mid-November and implement them as soon as they are approved. Those plans could include major staffing changes and an infusion of new programs.

The 12 schools are Winn Montessori School, Barrington, Dawson, Linder, Oak Springs, Pecan Springs, Sanchez, Widen and Wooldridge elementary schools and Bedichek, Martin and Paredes middle schools… 🟪 (READ MORE)

✅ Study reveals elevated levels of tire and road microplastics in Austin’s reservoirs (Austin Monitor)

A study from the University of Texas indicates a higher concentration of microplastics at the mouths of Austin’s major urban tributaries, like Shoal and Waller creeks. The majority of particles found in samples had tire and road origins, compared to lower numbers of plastic fibers or fragments broken off of other plastic products.

Last week, Dr. Brent Bellinger, who is the conservation program supervisor with the Watershed Protection Department (WPD), discussed the presence of microplastics in Austin’s reservoirs during an annual update to the Environmental Commission.

Scientists are still determining the full health impact of microplastics in waterways. Some companies have removed intentionally-created microplastics like exfoliant beads in skincare from their products, but particles are unintentionally sloughed off of everyday plastic or rubber materials as a result of friction. In waterways, microplastics have the potential to accumulate… 🟪 (READ MORE)

✅ Georgetown ISD aims to grow career, technical education offerings to improve post-graduate success (Community Impact)

Georgetown ISD is looking to continue expanding its career and technical education program.

The district may begin providing courses in entrepreneurship, cybersecurity, networking and building trades, Wes Vanicek, chief of construction and future readiness initiatives, said at a Sept. 2 board workshop.

This comes as the district has adopted a goal to increase the percentage of graduates meeting criteria for college, career and military readiness from 79% in June 2025 to 90% by June 2026.

In case you missed it

GISD opened a $97 million Future Ready Learning Complex last school year to expand its career and technical education opportunities, according to previous Community Impact reporting. The new center doubled the district's capacity for some high-demand programs, such as cosmetology and culinary… 🟪 (READ MORE)

✅ Round Rock residents weigh in on potential downtown zoning changes (Community Impact)

Round Rock residents provided feedback to the city's Planning & Zoning Commission Sept. 3 on proposed changes to the city's downtown area.

Members of the public were invited to provide feedback at the commission meeting, which included a public hearing on proposed updates to the city's downtown district.

As reported by Community Impact, the proposed amendments to Round Rock’s zoning would expand the downtown boundaries, increase the density allowed on Mays Street and Round Rock Avenue, and provide for taller buildings in certain parcels of downtown, among other changes.

Brad Dushkin, director of planning and development services, said at the hearing that the proposal comes from a desire to provide more diverse dining, retail and entertainment opportunities to residents in the downtown area… 🟪 (READ MORE)

[TEXAS/US NEWS]

✅ Flanked by grieving families, Gov. Abbott signs camp safety, flood protection bills into law (KUT)

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed sweeping new measures on Friday aimed at tightening youth camp safety and strengthening the state's flood preparedness. The legislation was crafted in direct response to the July 4 weekend floods that left more than 130 people dead.

The bills, which passed during the state Legislature's second special session, mark the most sweeping camp safety regulations in decades.

During Friday's ceremony at the governor's mansion in Austin, Abbott was flanked by children and families still grieving loved ones lost in the floods. The governor said the new laws were meant to spare others from the heartbreak they had endured.

"Through these laws, we're doing more than just changing campgrounds in Texas," Abbott said. "We're changing the future for our children and their families."

One measure, the Heaven's 27 Camp Safety Act, bars cabins in floodplains unless they meet strict standards. It also requires camps to have state-approved emergency plans, regular evacuation drills and disaster alert systems, and mandates rooftop exits for cabins in high-risk areas.

Lawmakers approved nearly $300 million to boost flood preparedness, including $200 million to match federal disaster aid, $50 million for local grants to purchase flood warning equipment and $28 million to improve weather forecasting. A companion bill adds youth camp oversight, creating a safety team, enforcing stricter camper-to-counselor ratios and allowing state inspections… 🟪 (READ MORE) 

✅ Texas Rep. James Talarico to launch Democratic primary bid for U.S. Senate (Texas Tribune)

Texas Rep. James Talarico will announce Tuesday he's jumping into the race for U.S. Senate, according to two people familiar with the plans who were granted anonymity to discuss them.

Politico and CNN reported the plan earlier Friday.

Talarico will be the second high-profile Democrat to enter the race.

Talarico, a rising star among Texas Democrats, has made a name for himself through a string of viral social media moments that show him drawing on his Christian faith while he spars with Republican colleagues and conservative media hosts, covering topics like school vouchers and Texas’ new policy of requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms. His videos on TikTok regularly earn millions of views, and he notched a coveted appearance earlier this summer on Joe Rogan’s top-rated podcast shos.

A former public school teacher and nonprofit director, Talarico, 36, has served in the Texas House since 2018, representing North Austin and parts of Pflugerville and Round Rock, where he grew up. He hopes to one day become a pastor, earning his master’s degree in theological studies last year from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.

Talarico will join former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred and former astronaut Terry Virts in a closely watched Democratic primary that might still generate more candidates. Former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke of El Paso and U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro of San Antonio have flirted with joining the race… 🟪 (READ MORE) 

✅ Professors want to leave Texas because of tense political climate, survey says (Texas Tribune)

Many Texas professors are looking for jobs in different states, citing a climate of fear and anxiety on their college campuses due to increased political interference, according to a recent survey conducted by the American Association of University Professors.

The survey interviewed nearly 4,000 faculty across the southern U.S., including more than 1,100 from Texas. About a quarter of the Texas professors said they have applied for higher education jobs in other states in the last two years, and more than 25% said they soon intend to start searching for out-of-state positions. Of those who aren’t thinking of leaving, more than one-fifth said they don’t plan to stay in higher education in the long-term.

“Morale is down,” said one Texas faculty member at a public four-year university in a written response. “Friends have lost contracts for no discernable [sic] reason. We live in fear of using the wrong word. We self-censor. We do not have academic freedom.”

The top reason faculty cited in the survey for wanting to change jobs was the state’s broad political climate. In Texas, faculty have criticized new state laws banning diversity, equity and inclusion programs in universities; requiring university governing boards to establish policies on granting and revoking tenure; and limiting faculty’s role in crafting courses and hiring colleagues. Other reasons included salary and academic freedom concerns, the survey found… 🟪 (READ MORE) 

✅ How Democrats pressured U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett to step aside for the next generation (Texas Tribune)

When Republicans unveiled a new congressional map shrinking the number of Democratic districts in Texas, Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett was quick to announce he would run in the sole Austin-based district.

Doggett, a formidable incumbent with three decades in Congress, was planting a flag with the hope that his Austin counterpart Rep. Greg Casar would stay in his current district despite its new boundaries favoring Republicans. But Doggett’s move unexpectedly set off a powerful coalition that worked publicly and privately to support the younger congressman.

Three weeks after Doggett dug in on the promise to run again, he changed his mind, opting to retire at the end of his term and support Casar’s candidacy — a move that spared Democrats an expensive primary.

Doggett, 78, still believes he would have beaten Casar in a head to head, and he stands by his position that his colleague should have run in the newly-drawn Congressional District 35, a majority-Hispanic district in San Antonio and outlying counties that bears the same number as Casar’s current district but has little overlap with his constituents. But he realized in August that a race between the two of them would have been damaging… 🟪 (READ MORE) 

✅ Why historians are closely watching the hotel workers strike at Hilton Americas-Houston (Houston Chronicle)

Historians can’t remember the last time hotel workers went on strike in Texas. That means the ongoing strike at the downtown Hilton Americas-Houston, where workers walked out on Labor Day to push for higher wages, is not just rare. Its outcome could have serious repercussions. “This does set a precedent,” said Thomas Alter, professor of U.S. and Texas history at Texas State University. “It happens to be the hotel workers in Houston, but the eyes of Texas are upon them.” There was a time when Texas saw hundreds of labor strikes every year, often involving thousands of workers each. That time was nearly a century ago, before organized labor’s power weakened nationwide. Workers face particular challenges in Texas, where right-to-work laws give management a legal edge and where anti-union sentiment has deep roots.

“Houston, Texas, and the South more broadly really became a bastion of anti-unionism” starting in the late 1800s, said Chad Pearson, a labor historian at University of North Texas. Industrial leaders of the time flocked to the state, fleeing strong unions in the Northeast and Midwest, he said. “Texas is not a state where the politics are friendly to workers, so it’s a rather bold move on the part of the workers at the Hilton,” said Nancy Beck Young, a U.S. history professor and director of the Center for Public History at the University of Houston.

The striking Hilton workers, represented by Unite Here Local 23, are halfway through a planned nine day strike that lasts until Sept. 10. They have held daily pickets outside the hotel, which is connected to the George R. Brown Convention Center, in their push for a $23-an-hour minimum wage and better working conditions. The strike has drawn support from area Democrats, including U.S. Reps. Al Green and Sylvia Garcia, and state Reps. Gene Wu, Jolanda Jones and Jon Rosenthal. The workers’ willingness to take such an unprecedented step, even in Texas, could speak to a working class at its wit’s end, the historians said. “Working people and unions have been pushed to the edge, and there’s nothing left to give,” Alter said. He characterized low-income Americans as a “sleeping giant,” just waking up… 🟪 (READ MORE)

✅ Trump threatens Chicago with apocalyptic force and Pritzker calls him a ‘wannabe dictator’ (Associated Press)

President Donald Trump on Saturday amplified his promises to send National Guard troops and immigration agents to Chicago by posting a parody image from “Apocalypse Now” featuring a ball of flames as helicopters zoom over the nation’s third-largest city.

“‘I love the smell of deportations in the morning,’” Trump wrote on his social media site. “Chicago about to find out why it’s called the Department of WAR.”

The president offered no details beyond the label “Chipocalypse Now,” a play on the title of Francis Ford Coppola’s dystopian 1979 film set in the Vietnam war, in which a character says: “I love the smell of napalm in the morning.”

In response to the post, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat, called Trump a “wannabe dictator.”

Trump on Friday signed an executive order seeking to rename the Defense Department the Department of War, after months of campaigning to be considered for the Nobel Peace Prize. The renaming requires congressional approval.

The illustration in Trump’s post shows him against a backdrop of the Chicago skyline, wearing a hat matching that of the movie’s war-loving and amoral Lt. Col. Kilgore, played by Robert Duvall… 🟪 (READ MORE)

✅ Trump tramples Congress’s power, with little challenge from G.O.P. (New York Times)

The Pentagon barred the senior Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee from making an oversight visit to a military spy agency. Armed forces off the coast of Venezuela began a military campaign against alleged members of a drug cartel without any authorization from Congress, and without notifying key members. The White House informed Congress it planned to use a rare maneuver to skirt a vote and cancel nearly $5 billion in foreign aid funding that lawmakers had already approved, the latest escalation of its campaign to undercut the legislative branch’s spending powers. And just a month after senators had confirmed her, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health secretary, ousted the director of the Centers for Disease Control. He also put forward changes that would effectively restrict access to Covid-19 vaccines, after pledging to senators during his own confirmation hearings that he would not make it more difficult. The Trump administration continues to erode the power of Congress, trampling on its constitutional prerogatives in ways large and small.

Through it all, Republicans in charge have mostly shrugged — and in some cases, outright applauded — as their powers, once jealously guarded, diminish in ways that will be difficult to reverse. In recent weeks, G.O.P. leaders have looked on passively as the president has fired a litany of agency leaders whom senators worked for weeks to confirm, from the C.D.C. to the Internal Revenue Service to the Federal Reserve. And they have shown little appetite for challenging the administration, even as a few have expressed occasional displeasure about the consequences of their decisions earlier this year to swallow their reservations about some of his nominees and confirm them. “We have confirmed a vaccine denier,” Senator Peter Welch, Democrat of Vermont, lamented during a hearing last week featuring Mr. Kennedy. “On tariffs, we’ve given up our constitutional responsibility.

On appropriations, we’re bending the knee to an administration that is rescinding and deciding what to spend and what not to spend, despite the way our law, in a bipartisan way, was passed.” “We cannot cede power,” Mr. Welch added. “There are consequences.” For nearly a century, Democratic and Republican presidents alike have sought to amass more power, particularly to conduct foreign policy and military operations, and with a few exceptions, succeeded in chipping away at congressional influence. What is different now is the degree of disdain Mr. Trump has shown for Congress — and the willingness of G.O.P. leaders to defer to him even when it means undercutting their coequal branch of government… 🟪 (READ MORE)

✅ South Korea charters plane to fly home over 300 workers detained by ICE at Georgia Hyundai plant (NPR)

South Korea's foreign minister is considering a trip to the U.S. to meet with the Trump administration after hundreds of South Korean nationals were arrested in Georgia this week at an electric vehicle battery plant.

"We are deeply concerned and feel a heavy sense of responsibility over the arrests of our nationals," Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said at an emergency meeting in Seoul, according to the national Yonhap News Agency.

He said South Korean President Lee Jae Myung called for all-out efforts to swiftly resolve the matter, Yonhap reported, "stressing that the rights and interests of South Korean nationals and the business operations of South Korean companies investing in the United States must not be infringed upon."

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested 475 people, most of them South Korean nationals, in a raid Thursday at a massive electric vehicle battery plant under construction in Ellabell, Ga., near Savannah. The plant is a joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution… 🟪 (READ MORE)

✅ Why it’s the toughest time to be searching for work in America in years (Washington Post)

It’s the toughest time in years to be searching for work in America. New data last week showed a fourth month of tepid job growth and propelled joblessness to its highest level since late 2021, when the economy was still recovering from the effects of the covid-19 pandemic. Now, as companies wrestle with inflation, economic uncertainty and trade policy whiplash, many are shredding payrolls and shifting tasks to artificial intelligence while pulling in higher profits. And some executives are pointedly broadcasting sizable layoffs as wins, a sign they’re making workforces leaner and more efficient.

Hardly any corner of the economy is untouched by jobs cuts and slowdown: Employment in all goods-producing industries slumped in August, with the deepest losses coming from manufacturing and mining. The service sector was racked by steep layoffs in business and professional services and IT.

Meanwhile, job vacancies are shrinking as employers hold fire on hiring, data show. Factor in dimming consumer sentiment — which hit a three-month low in August — and conditions are ripe for labor market gridlock, said Bill Adams, chief economist for Comerica Bank in Dallas, leaving the economy “operating in low gear.” Employers added 22,000 jobs in August, well below expectations, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday, pushing the unemployment rate up to 4.3 percent.

Meanwhile, job postings fell across nearly every sector compared with a year ago, with the steepest declines recorded in child care, community and social service, scientific research, retail, and hospitality, according to the employment website Indeed. Administrative roles such as human resources and accounting also posted double-digit declines. “While the pace of layoffs has picked up somewhat, the hiring rate remains quite low,” said Mike Fratantoni, chief economist and senior vice president of research at Mortgage Bankers Association. “It is increasingly difficult for those laid off, and for new entrants into the job market, to find a position.”… 🟪 (READ MORE)

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