“The State of Texas stands ready to deploy all necessary personnel and resources, including Texas Department of Public Safety troopers, to uphold law and order across our state. Peaceful protests are part of the fabric of our nation, but Texas will not tolerate the lawlessness we have seen in Los Angeles. Anyone engaging in acts of violence or damaging property will be swiftly arrested and held accountable to the full extent of the law.” — a spokesperson for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott
“Do not become a tool in someone else’s production of chaos.” — Austin Mayor Kirk Watson
Austin city officials, the APD and Texas Department of Public Safety have preparations in place for this evening’s planned demonstration at the State Capitol.
The main protest is called “No Kings, Kick Out the Clowns: A Day of Resistance & Ridicule”. The organizers describe it as “a nonpartisan, peaceful, creative, wildly satirical grassroots street circus” with the message “No Kings in America.”
The “No Kings” demonstrations will coincide with the President Trump’s birthday and a military parade marking the Army’s 250th anniversary.
The protest is part of a broader nationwide movement, with several “No Kings” protests planned in the Austin area and around the country. Similar protests are planned in the Lone Star State in Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, Houston and across South Texas and West Texas.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson:
Full statement from the Austin Police Department:
“The Austin Police Department fully supports and upholds the constitutional right to peacefully assemble and the freedom of the press,” Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said. “As always, our priority is to ensure the safety of all individuals present, including demonstrators, bystanders and our officers. It is the responsibility of the Austin Police Department to preserve the peace and protect life and property.”
There will be an increased presence of officers to assist with community safety and traffic management on Saturday.
Event organizers have indicated they will be making announcements throughout the protest to keep attendees informed of the agenda, anticipated ending time and important safety reminders. These announcements will also include guidance encouraging people to exit the grounds safely upon the conclusion of the event in an orderly manner.
Please note that the Capitol grounds will close promptly at 8 p.m. All attendees will need to exit the area before or at that time. Individuals are strongly encouraged to plan ahead:
- Identify a safe, reliable way to leave the area.
- Expect heavy vehicle and pedestrian traffic before, during, and after the event.
- Consider shared transportation, biking, walking, or CapMetro, which will be running additional routes and extended service to accommodate increased demand.
We also want to reiterate that unlawful or violent behavior initiated by agitators will be addressed accordingly. Anyone engaging in actions that threaten public safety or target members of the community or law enforcement will be held accountable.
We are committed to working with the community, organizers, and members of the press to ensure a peaceful and safe assembly.“I encourage and trust the people of Austin to let their voices be heard peacefully and in the right way. This is Austin. We’re passionate and have strong points of view about human rights and protecting our democracy,” Mayor Kirk Watson said. “We also have a strong tradition of gathering to express our opinions in the capital city of this state. We know how to celebrate our democracy without participating in chaos.”
Governor Greg Abbott has called Texas National Guard members to be present in case they are needed.
Austin city officials say the governor’s deployment of the National Guard is unnecessary.
How the Texas National Guard trains for protests and what they’ll bring:
A federal judge ruled Thursday that President Donald Trump cannot deploy national guard troops to protests in California, just hours after Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced his plan to send thousands of guard members to anti-Trump demonstrations statewide. However, the court’s decision in the ongoing California case will not affect Abbott’s deployment in Texas. (Austin American-Statesman)
After Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the deployment of more than 5,000 Texas National Guard troops across the state ahead of mass, anti-Trump protests, internal memos obtained by the Austin American-Statesman reveal military leaders are scrambling to find and train enough personnel for the mission. (Austin American-Statesman)
Preparations for this evening’s protests come after Monday’s anti-ICE protest at the Capitol, where thirteen people were arrested and officers fired tear gas into the crowd. Four APD officers were injured.
Charges against two of the thirteen people arrested during Monday night’s unrest downtown have been dropped.
The Caldwell County Democratic Party claims the county judge threatened arrests over the party’s “No Kings”-themed parade float in today’s planned parade in Lockhart.
Severe flooding in Bexar County has tragically claimed the lives of 11 people. Intense storms swept through the San Antonio area on Thursday morning dumping as much as seven inches of rain in a short period of time. Authorities report that at least two people remain missing.
New details have emerged concerning the cars swept away by flood waters along the Loop 410 access road where most of the victims died. (My San Antonio)
A one mile stretch of flooding that turned deadly. (My San Antonio)
One San Antonio leader is calling for “bold and practical action” to prevent such incidents from happening again.
A man was arrested after threatening a CapMetro bus driver and stabbing another victim at a bus station in Austin earlier this week. These were two different occurrences on the same day. (Fox7 Austin)
Meanwhile, CapMetro’s new police officers will begin patrols on Monday.
Lockhart Police identified and arrested a man connected to a series of overnight burglaries in a residential neighborhood east of U.S. 183. Several pieces of evidence, including surveillance footage provided by residents, were key in the identification of 17-year-old Carlos Hernandez of Lockhart. Police also conducted a search warrant at Hernandez’s residence, which led to the discovery of additional evidence. (Lockhart Police Department)
A Travis County inmate who died was reportedly not sent to a mental health facility after a court order.
The waitlist for state hospital beds in Texas decreased from 2,571 in December 2022 to 1,687 in June, due to new state hospitals, the forensic support team program and filling 1,500+ full-time positions.
This week’s Crime Watch from Fox7 Austin:
Austin firefighters rescued a man stuck in a sewer drain in South Austin Friday morning.
The Austin Parks Foundation is set to celebrate the first anniversary of the Zilker Eagle mini train this weekend.
It’s been nearly a year since the deadly shooting during a Juneteenth Festival in Round Rock. Safety is on the minds of many as the event kicked off Friday for the first time since the shooting.
The Waterline tower is about 70 stories high now, making it the tallest structure in Austin. It’s in the Rainey Street neighborhood downtown, across the street from the convention center. When it tops out at 77 stories, it will be the tallest building in Texas
Waterline will be about 20 feet taller than the 1,002-foot-tall JPMorgan Chase Tower in Houston, which has reigned as the tallest tower in Texas. Waterline is expected to be the 24th tallest building in the U.S. once finished.
The structure will have office space, hotel rooms, apartments plus shops on the lower levels.
Expected completion is by the end of next summer. (Austin Business Journal)
The city of Austin will receive $1.6 million from the Federal Agency of Emergency Management (FEMA) as reimbursement for debris cleanup following the 2023 ice storm. (KVUE-TV)
A tornado in Hays County early Thursday caused significant damage to trees and outdoor structures, with some areas requiring several weeks for full recovery.
WEATHER
There were no new measles cases to report in Friday’s update from the Texas Department of State Health Services. The total number of cases linked to the West Texas outbreak stayed at 744. (Texas Depaetment of Health Services)
State health officials have issued a stark warning to local public health departments across Texas: prepare for a potential $119 million reduction in federal funding by the end of this month. The impending cuts could significantly hamper the state’s ability to detect and prevent the spread of diseases, with vital programs for HIV, diabetes, vaccine outreach, and emergency preparedness hanging in the balance. (Texas Tribune)
A controversial guaranteed income program in Harris County has been dealt its final blow after the commissioners court voted to divert the funds to other initiatives.
According to the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office, two men were found unresponsive while performing routine checks of water tanks.
Texas Senator Ted Cruz discusses President Trump’s deportation policy and the “big beautiful bill”.
(Episode from June 13, 2025)
For over 50 years Ray Benson has been championing Western swing as the frontman of Asleep at the Wheel. From their formation in West Virginia in 1970, Benson and his band moved to Oakland, then finally to Austin in 1974 to become the torchbearers for a style nearly lost to time.
Two Denton County residents are in jail following a massive retail theft bust this week.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, $636,000 was seized and about $1 million in stolen merchandise was recovered. (CBS News)
A 42-year-old woman from Texas has been arrested for allegedly threatening an Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) agent. (My Texas Daily)
Florencio Frencho Garcia, a Texas Ten Most Wanted Sex Offender, was apprehended Thursday in West Texas.
The Texas Department of Public Safety, during Operation Lone Star, discovered over two dozen illegal immigrants crammed inside a box truck during a crash investigation in Live Oak County. (Texas Department of Safety)
Thousands of undocumented students who grew up in Texas now face college tuition costs that are more than twice what other state residents pay. (Texas Tribune)
SPORTS
MLS: Austin FC will be back at home tonight when the VERDE & Black take on the New York Red Bulls at 7:30 p.m. CT at Q2 Stadium. (Austin FC)
MLB: For the second night in a row, both the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers were victorious.
In Houston, Jose Altuve and rookie Jacob Melton drove in three runs each as the Houston Astros jumped on Chris Paddack early and cruised to a 10-3 win over the Minnesota Twins on Friday night. (Yahoo! Sports)
Josh Smith homered and scored all three Texas runs in his fifth consecutive two-hit game to help the Rangers beat the Chicago White Sox 3-1 on Friday night. (Yahoo! Sports)
The Rangers and Astros resume their perspective series today.
Earlier in the podcast section, we highlighted an interview with Ray Benson.
Benson and Asleep At The Wheel performed at ACL Live last year.
Here’s their entire set:
