Austin Signal

June 22, 2026

Water samples from Austin’s Colony exceed limits for heavy metals

A new study from UT Austin found several water samples collected from the Austin’s Colony neighborhood in far East Austin exceeded regulatory guidelines for lead and other heavy metals. For decades, residents in the area have been at odds with its water provider, a for-profit company. The Austin Independent School District board voted in favor of more […]

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June 19, 2026

Juneteenth in Austin: Black History Bike Ride Documentary, Book Festival Preview and Reflections on Freedom

It’s Juneteenth, and it’s time for another trek through town for the Black History Bike Ride. The organization has been hosting the event for a few years now and a new documentary has been made highlighting the mental and physical journey of the ride. We’ll sit down to chat with the filmmaker about the project. […]

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June 18, 2026

Capital Factory founder Joshua Baer dies in plane crash

Joshua Baer — founder of the tech investment company Capital Factory and described as the “godfather” of the Austin startup scene — died in a plane crash this week on his way back to Austin. We’re learning more about the crash, the investigation and about Baer’s larger impacts here. Summer break is well underway for the Austin […]

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June 18, 2026

Austin ISD improves STAAR scores as Spanish speakers fall behind

Students in the Austin school district outperformed state averages in most courses during the recent round of STAAR testing, with some scores surpassing pre-pandemic levels — but there are still groups of students falling behind the state standard. How the district is planning to address that. It’s been a rough few years for the craft brewing […]

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June 16, 2026

What next after UT Austin fires KUT head Debbie Hiott

KUT Public Media General Manager Debbie Hiott was fired Monday by leadership at UT Austin. The dismissal followed a dispute ahead of KUT’s inaugural festival in May and comes at a time when public radio stations across the country are dealing with mounting financial and political pressures. Today, the university named an interim general manager […]

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June 15, 2026

Floodgates opened amid heavy rain in Austin area

Flooding this morning in the Austin area caused road closures and a water rescue and even necessitated the lifting of floodgates on the Colorado River. As the city of Austin tightens the strings on its upcoming budget, nonprofits are bracing for even more cuts. Austin Current’s Sam Stark chats with us more about the groups […]

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June 12, 2026

Round Rock girls flag football team plays for state title

Plans to put a border wall in the Big Bend region have been taking shape, and a co-founder of the outdoor brand YETI is connected with a ranch involved in those plans. Some Taylor residents are proposing an ordinance aimed at creating stricter regulations for data centers in the city. What they’re asking for. The Austin airport […]

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June 11, 2026

How to protect your pets from New World screwworm

With confirmation of cases of the New World screwworm in Texas, plenty of focus is on the potential impact on the state’s cattle industry. But they’re not the only animals vulnerable to the parasite. We’ll have some prevention tips. Texas Republicans dominated the primaries by going all-in on the MAGA movement. Now they have to […]

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