Austin Signal

April 17, 2026

Gov. Abbott threatens Austin funding over ICE policy

Gov. Greg Abbott is threatening to cut off more than $2 million in state grants for the City of Austin because of police policies on cooperating with federal immigration authorities. This follows Attorney General Ken Paxton launching an investigation into the same policies. City of Austin leaders got their first peek at the budget forecast […]

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April 16, 2026

Camp Mystic ordered to preserve damaged cabins

Water use for Tesla’s Giga Texas out far beyond East Austin jumped more than 200 million gallons in two years. That’s raising concerns about whether Austin can fulfill its long-term water conservation strategy as plans for a new semiconductor plant could push demand even higher. Sam Stark, Austin Current’s government reporter joins us to talk […]

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April 15, 2026

Parents of missing Camp Mystic girl push to prevent camp’s reopening

The parents of a girl still missing from Camp Mystic, a Christian girls’ camp where 27 people died during last summer’s deadly floods in the Texas Hill Country, are asking a judge to prevent the camp from reopening this summer. We’ll have the latest from the Travis County court room. A private disagreement between local […]

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April 14, 2026

How is Texas preparing for more data centers?

Though construction of data centers in Texas has garnered plenty of opposition from residents, plans are still moving forward to bring more of these facilities to Central Texas. But just how many? And how soon? Those questions and more were part of a recent hearing held by state leaders. Austin’s parks are a favorite amenity […]

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April 13, 2026

Smokable hemp products legal again in Texas — for now

It’s legal again for Texas businesses to sell smokable forms of hemp. New state rules that went into effect in March had effectively outlawed these sales, while raising fees on the businesses who carry them. We’ll delve into the state of the Texas hemp market. The state board of education gave preliminary approval to a […]

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April 10, 2026

Federal court weighs decision over air conditioning in Texas prisons

Ahead of the coming summer heat, a federal court is considering whether air conditioning should be provided in all Texas prisons. We’ve been following the case that’s been happening in Austin over the past couple of weeks. There are new changes to SNAP, the benefits that help low-income Texans purchase food. That assistance can’t be […]

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April 9, 2026

SAFE Alliance cuts could shutter shelter, programs for abuse victims

The SAFE Alliance is preparing to make millions of dollars in cuts starting this summer. This could include closing a downtown shelter and the end of services that provide additional housing assistance for people leaving abusive situations. After public outcry over the unexpected demolition of former East Austin cafe, Cenote, the developer of the property […]

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April 8, 2026

From headliners to homegrown acts, Moontower Comedy Fest brings the laughs

Over the last year, Texas Republicans enacted regulatory and legal changes, completely altering life for noncitizens in the state. Many of these changes were put forward in the state Legislature, where they failed. Now, these changes are being made a reality outside of the normal legislative processes. We talk with Eleanor Klibanoff, the law and […]

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