Austin city officials held a Thursday morning press conference at City Hall to outline preparations for the upcoming weekend protests.
The briefing followed Monday’s anti-ICE demonstration, which concluded with the arrests of 13 individuals by Austin Police Department officers and Texas Department of Public Safety troopers.
Hands Off Central Texas has scheduled a protest on Saturday as part of a nationwide day of action.
“Austinites know how to peacefully protest. And I have faith and trust in our Austin Police and in Chief Lisa Davis … that she and the other officers will preserve the peace appropriately.” — Austin Mayor Kirk Watson
“We are prepared for protests this Saturday. You will see an increase in officers. Like the Mayor, I believe in Austin. I believe in our people.” — Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis
At Thursday’s news conference, Davis stated that officers no longer have bean bag munitions (like ones used by APD officers during unrest in 2020) but are equipped with pepper spray and tasers. She emphasized that law enforcement will employ targeted enforcement against agitators and violent offenders while ensuring peaceful protests can continue.
FOX7 Austin
KVUE-TV
Thursday’s press briefing with Mayor Watson, Chief Davis and others in its entirety:
KVUE-TV
Governor Greg Abbott is deploying National Guard to Texas cities ahead of planned demonstrations.
CBS Austin
CBS News
Austin police used pepper spray against demonstrators at Monday’s anti-deportation protests downtown after a small group of them defaced a federal building, refused to disperse and threw rocks at officers.
The charges against a local independent live streamer were dropped, according to both the individual and his attorney.
Hiram Garcia was originally arrested by the Texas Department of Public Safety for resisting arrest.
CBS Austin
The Texas State Preservation Board has approved Saturday’s protest at the Texas State Capitol.
KVUE-TV
The National Weather Service has released the details for the Hays County tornadoes, their survey team confirming that the damage sustained south of Wimberley was the result of not one, but two EF-0 tornadoes.
CBS Austin
Meanwhile, in San Antonio, at least five people have died and three are missing as heavy rainfall flooded the city early Thursday.
According to the San Antonio Fire Department, between 12:00 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. on Thursday, they responded to 70 calls for water rescues and 16 calls for “high water investigations.”
Photo: Austin American-StatesmanPhoto: Jessica Phelps/San Antonio Express-News
Some of those rescued had said that they’d been swept off an interstate access road by “sudden fast rising water,” adding that vehicles had been swept into a creek and carried downstream.
KSAT-TV
WOAI-TV
Austinites will start seeing Tesla’s newest autonomous vehicle, the robotaxi, driving around public streets, but safety concerns about the company’s self-driving software have some calling for the car to be taken off the road.
Tesla robotaxi test to see if it would stop for a child (test dummy)
KXAN-TV
Austin ISD is developing a turnaround plan for three failing middle schools – Dobie, Webb, and Burnet – which have received failing accountability ratings for multiple years, aiming to improve their academic performance and avoid potential state intervention.
Yesterday, community members, faculty and students rallied outside the school district’s headquarters in support of saving their campuses.
KVUE-TV
A man has been sentenced for the 2023 stabbing death of his roommate in Austin, then setting his home on fire to destroy the evidence. (CBS Austin)
The city’s Economic Development Department says it supported more than 27,000 jobs and distributed over $54 million in community investments during fiscal year 2024, according to its recently released annual report.
The 42-year-old Lavaca Plaza building downtown has changed ownership and could soon be demolished to make way for a high-rise tower. (Austin Business Journal)
Lavaca Plaza
The Stassney Lane Bridge at I-35 will be closed for two weekends beginning today, with the interstate’s main lanes reduced to one lane nightly in both directions between Solon Lane and Ben White Boulevard for beam adjustments as part of the I-35 Capitol Express South project.
KVUE-TV
Recent rainfall has brought multiple feet of relief to Highland Lakes, with Lake Travis and Lake Buchanan rising 4.5 feet and 2.5 feet respectively in the last 30 days.
CBS Austin
Jacob’s Well Natural Area closed to the public Thursday after minor flooding. The popular swimming hole has already been closed for the past three summers due to low flow. Before this week’s weather, the spring had zero flow.
Rain totals for Central Texas the past few days have been impressive, although some areas received much more than others.
FOX Weather
North Texas was hit hard by flooding as well.
CBS Texas
On average, 1,000 or 2,000 lighting strikes hit the ground during a storm. Thursday morning, 11,000 bolts of electricity were recorded in the San Antonio area. (My San Antonio)
Governor Greg Abbott faces a political dilemma with the $10.2 billion hemp industry, balancing economic interests against potential health concerns.
CBS Austin
A family member of General Richard Edward Cavazos said Thursday that plans by President Trump to revert the name of Fort Cavazos back to Fort Hood is “a slap in the face”.
KXAN-TV
See how your representatives in the Texas Legislature voted on this year’s major bills. A new interactive tool allows you to search how state lawmakers voted on the most consequential proposals debated during the session, which ended June 2. (Texas Tribune)
Attorney General Ken Paxton announced that he has filed suit against 23andMe, a California-based DNA testing company, over its plan to sell customers’ genetic information. (Texas Scorecard)
A study by Casino Context, analyzing National Park Service (NPS) data from 2007 to 2023, found that Big Bend National Park in West Texas has the highest summer fatality rate among U.S. national parks, with 1.55 deaths per 100,000 visitors. The leading cause of death was hyperthermia, driven by the park’s extreme temperatures, which often exceed 100°F. (Chron)
A Silver Alert has been issued for a missing 69-year-old woman last seen in Seguin.
KENS-TV
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott grants police broad authority to use “less lethal” weapons like rubber bullets and tear gas with minimal accountability, potentially emboldening officers to misuse these tools.
(Episode is from June 12, 2025)
Progress Texas Podcast
SPORTS
MLB: Victories for both the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers.
Josh Smith, Jake Burger and Wyatt Langford went deep in the first two innings and the Texas Rangers hit a season-high six home runs in a 16-3 romp over the Minnesota Twins on Thursday. It was the second time in the series the Rangers put up 16 runs. (Yahoo! Sports)
Major League Baseball
In Houston, Isaac Paredes hit a solo homer and Jose Altuve doubled twice and had two RBIs to lead the Houston Astros over the Chicago White Sox 4-3 on Thursday night. (Yahoo! Sports)
Major League Baseball
The Astros and Rangers both took two out of three in the respective series. Both teams play at home this weekend.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Four-star running back recruit Amari Latimer canceled his official visit to Texas and has instead decided to visit Georgia Tech next weekend. (Sports Illustrated)
