Federal Shutdown Looms: What It Means for Austin and Texas
With the federal government set to run out of funding at midnight tonight, Texans are bracing for significant disruptions that could ripple through communities from Austin to the Rio Grande Valley.
Financial Impact on Texas Communities
Nearly $675 million earmarked for Texas projects hangs in the balance as Congress struggles to reach a funding agreement. These funds, secured by members of the Texas congressional delegation, were intended for critical infrastructure improvements, research initiatives, and community programs across the state.
In Austin specifically, the shutdown threatens projects championed by local representatives. Republican Rep. Michael McCaul of Austin secured $30.6 million for 15 projects in his district, all of which now face uncertainty. Statewide, the funding breakdown includes nearly $230 million through the Department of Housing and Urban Development for facility renovations and community centers, about $120 million for transportation projects, and approximately $80 million for local law enforcement agencies through the Department of Justice.
What happens during a government shutdown?
Federal Workers Face Uncertain Future
Federal employees across government agencies report feeling “terrified,” “disoriented,” and filled with anxiety as they face a possible shutdown that could lead to new rounds of mass layoffs. Texas, with its significant federal presence including military installations like Fort Hood, Fort Bliss, and Joint Base San Antonio, employs thousands of federal workers who could be directly affected.
Tens of thousands of federal employees would be furloughed and sent home without pay during a shutdown, while essential workers in public safety and national security would be required to report to work without pay. Once funding resumes, the government has guaranteed backpay for all federal employees, but the immediate financial strain on families remains a serious concern.
Services and Operations at Risk
Broad swaths of the federal government—from national parks to small business loans to taxpayer services—are set to go offline until lawmakers and President Donald Trump strike a funding deal. For Austin residents and Texas communities, this could mean closures of national parks, delays in passport processing, and interruptions to various federal programs that support local economies.
The Political Stalemate
Congressional leaders met with President Trump at the White House yesterday as Washington barrels toward a shutdown.
The negotiations remain contentious, with Democrats refusing to back a GOP bill to extend government funding unless Republicans negotiate with them over health care.
The Texas congressional delegation is divided on the issue. Republican Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz abstained from submitting earmark requests, with both having previously spoken out against earmarks and advocated to strip them from appropriations bills.
Their stance reflects a broader conservative skepticism about government spending, even as most Texas Republicans in the House have embraced earmarks in recent years.
Among House members, four Texas Republicans—Pat Fallon of Sherman, Craig Goldman of Fort Worth, Chip Roy of Austin, and Keith Self of McKinney—skipped earmark requests entirely, signaling their continued opposition to the practice.
Meanwhile, Democratic representatives from Texas, including Julie Johnson of Farmers Branch, have expressed concern about the impasse. Johnson warned, “We have a lot of disagreements in this budget right now. So all this funding is at risk”.
What Happens Next
LIVE FROM THE SENATE FLOOR
As the midnight deadline approaches, the fate of federal operations, employee paychecks, and hundreds of millions in Texas projects remains uncertain. The outcome of further White House meetings between congressional leaders and President Trump could determine whether the government stays open or enters what some analysts are calling an unprecedented shutdown scenario.
For Austin and Texas, the stakes are clear: jobs, services, and critical funding for community projects all hang in the balance as Washington races against the clock.
Austin Police Solve 34-Year-Old Yogurt Shop Murders Case
“It has been so long, and all we ever wanted for this case was the truth. We never wanted anyone to go to jail or be charged with anything that they did not do — vengeance was never it. It was always the truth.” — Barbara Ayres-Wilson, mother of victims Jennifer and Sarah Harbison
After 34 years, Austin police announced Monday they have identified the man responsible for the brutal 1991 murders of four teenage girls at a north Austin yogurt shop, marking a breakthrough in one of the city’s most haunting unsolved cases.
“After 34 years, the Austin Police have made a significant breakthrough in one of the most devastating cases in our city’s history. This unthinkable crime has weighed heavily on the hearts of our community, the families of the victims, and our detectives who have tirelessly pursued justice.” — Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis.
“Over three decades after a horrible crime took the lives of four teenage girls and changed Austin forever, our hearts haven’t healed. They’re still broken for the precious girls we lost.” — Mayor Kirk Watson
Lead detective Daniel Jackson revealed at a news conference that DNA evidence has linked Robert Eugene Brashers to the killings of Jennifer Harbison, 17, Sarah Harbison, 15, Eliza Thomas, 17, and Amy Ayers, 13. The girls were shot in the head, sexually assaulted, left nude and tied up, and the building was set on fire before the killer fled.
Brashers, who died by suicide in 1999 during a standoff with officers, cannot be prosecuted, but the identification brings long-awaited answers to the victims’ families.
WATCH THE ENTIRE NEWS CONFERENCE
The Breakthrough
Jackson, who took over the case in 2022, said the break came this past June when he began researching a spent .380 shell casing found at the crime scene. After submitting it to NIBIN (National Integrated Ballistic Information Network), investigators in July discovered a match to an unsolved murder in Kentucky with similar characteristics.
The critical DNA evidence came through advanced Y-STR (y chromosome) testing. In August, the South Carolina state lab found a match between DNA from the yogurt shop scene and a profile from a 1990 sexual assault and murder in Greenville, South Carolina — the profile belonged to Brashers. Austin police then retested Y-STR DNA found under Ayers’ fingernails, which directly matched Brashers’ profile.
Jackson noted that DNA also links Brashers to multiple unsolved murders and sexual assaults across the country throughout the 1990s. Before the yogurt shop murders, Brashers had served time in prison for shooting a woman and was granted parole in 1989.
Wrongful Convictions Acknowledged
The case has a troubling history of false arrests. In 1999, four suspects were arrested, with two confessing but later recanting. Two suspects who confessed were convicted of capital murder — one sent to death row and one to life in prison. However, their convictions were overturned on appeal due to constitutional errors, and both men were freed in 2009 when advanced DNA analysis pointed to another person.
An attorney for Michael Scott, who spent years in prison after a coerced confession, spoke about his client’s efforts to clear his name.
At Monday’s news conference, Travis County District Attorney José Garza addressed the wrongfully convicted men: “The overwhelming weight of the evidence points to the guilt of one man and the innocence of four. If the conclusions of APD’s investigations are confirmed, the Travis County District Attorney’s Office will take responsibility for our role in prosecuting these men”.
What happened to the four men originally accused of the Yogurt Shop Murders?
PODCAST
The latest episode of City Cast Austin examines how investigators connected the dots, the lasting impact this case has had on the community and what closure looks like after decades of unanswered questions.
Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis called the murders “one of the most devastating and haunting cases in the city’s history”.
The announcement comes amid renewed attention on the case following the release of an HBO documentary series last month titled “The Yogurt Shop Murders.”
Families Find Closure
The victims’ families also spoke out.
For friends close to the family, and for the Austin community, it’s a long-awaited sigh of relief. James Strickland, a friend of victims Jennifer and Sarah Harbison’s family, and Elaine Reagan, best friend of the girls’ mother, spoke with CBS Austin following the Austin Police Department’s press conference.
On Monday, former detective John Jones wore a green and white shirt for just the second time in 34 years — signaling long-awaited closure to the families of the four teenage girls killed.
Photo: Jay Janner / Austin American-Statesman
No injuries we reported after A Firefly Aerospace Inc. rocket exploded during ground testing Monday at the company’s facility north of Austin near Briggs.
Austin firefighters are set to receive higher pay and reduced work hours following a tentative agreement reached between the city and the Austin Fire Association (AFA).
The agreement will lower firefighters’ work weeks from 53 hours to just under 50.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson took to X yesterday to express his thoughts on the deal.
The City of Austin Housing Department announced on Monday that the Austin Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC) Board has approved over $46.1 million for eight affordable housing projects across Districts 1, 3, 4, 7, and 9. (CBS Austin)
The City of Austin is becoming a FEMA-approved Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) Alerting Authority. The new system gives the city more capabilities to alert Austinites quickly with emergency safety information, according to a press release.
The first round of test messaging began Monday afternoon.
The annual Austin-San Antonio Growth Summit is scheduled to take place over lunch on October 8 in San Marcos. The event typically attracts more than 500 business and civic leaders eager to network and is co-hosted by the Austin and San Antonio business journals. (Austin Business Journal)
About 20 people attended a court hearing at Williamson County’s courthouse annex in Georgetown on Monday to support a lawsuit against a proposed data center in Taylor. (KUT 90.5)
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport expects to see more than 35,000 department passengers for both Weekend One and Two of the ACL Festival, according to a news release from the airport.
For passengers in the terminals, there will be ACL-related entertainment.
THREE DAYS UNTIL THE 2025 ACL FESTIVAL
South Austin will see some construction work on I-35 overnight through Thursday.
Crews are preparing to spray a product for mosquitos in Leander after a trap tested positive for West Nile Virus in the area.
Travis County Emergency Services District 1 (ESD 1) crews responded to an 18.5-acre wildfire in Bastrop County on Monday.
WEATHER
…OZONE ACTION DAY…
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has issued
an Ozone Action Day for the Austin area for Tuesday, September 30.
Atmospheric conditions are expected to be favorable for producing
high levels of ozone air pollution in the Austin area today.
If required, the next Ozone Action Day will be issued by 3:00 p.m. this afternoon.
MONDAY’S HIGH / LOW TEMPERATURES
AUSTIN-BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
CAMP MABRY
Tropical Storm Imelda and Hurricane Humberto are still churning out in the Atlantic.
“As of today, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has suspended the issuance of certain commercial driver licenses (CDLs) in compliance with an emergency rule change by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)”. — Texas Department of Safety
The department is now suspending the issuance of non-domicile CDLs and all CDLs to non-citizens who are refugees, asylees or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients. This suspension also impacts the issuance of non-domicile commercial learners permits (CLPs) and CLPs for non-citizen refugees, asylees and DACA recipients. (Texas Department of Safety)
The new U.S. House district map in Texas will be the subject of a federal court hearing this week, just one month after Gov. Greg Abbott signed it into law.
State Rep. Jon Rosenthal, D-Houston, announced Monday that he is running for a seat on the Texas Railroad Commission — the powerful agency that regulates the state’s oil and gas industry — rather than seeking reelection in next year’s midterms. (Texas Tribune)
The Texas Education Agency‘s investigation into the social media comments of teachers following the assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk is drawing sharp criticism from legal experts and public education advocates. They denounce the probe, which the agency announced earlier this month would look into hundreds of complaints about inappropriate remarks made by educators regarding the conservative figure’s recent shooting death at a Utah college campus, as a “witch hunt” that disregards teachers’ free speech rights. (Texas Tribune)
In the weeks following Kirk’s murder, a wave of disciplinary actions has swept across Texas, particularly in public schools and higher education. As of Friday, the Texas Education Agency has received more than 350 complaints related to teachers and school staff who’ve reportedly commented on Kirk’s killing. (Texas Standard)
Miguel Angel Garcia-Hernandez, 32, has become the second victim to die after last week’s shooting at a Dallas ICE detention facility. He was shot at least eight times during the attack on September 24 and was taken to Parkland Hospital in critical condition.
The gunman in last week’s incident left behind notes that outlined a plan to target ICE officers, federal law enforcement officials said last week. (Texas Tribune)
Dallas ICE Facially Shooting Fuels Immigration Debate
Vice President J.D. Vance said the attack was the latest in political violence against the right, while President Donald Trump said the “radical left” is “out of control” and “causing the problem.”
Computer glitches between Bexar County and state that resulted in a backlog in the processing of 52,000 registered voters has been fixed.
County Judge Peter Sakai said all voters who meet voter registration deadlines will be able to vote on November 4. (Texas Public Radio)
In this episode of Smoke Filled Room, Tony Ortiz of Current Revolt joins Senior Reporter Brad Johnson to discuss the current state of digital media, the ethical questions and challenges surrounding political journalism, insights into the Texas political landscape, and more.
(Episode from September 29, 2025)
Health experts in Texas are urging flu precautions as events like Austin City Limits Music Festival and Formula One attract crowds. (KVUE-TV)
The United States Department of Agriculture announced a recall that impacts approximately 58 million pounds of corn dogs and sausage on a stick products sold at grocers nationwide, including H-E-B. (U.S. Department of Agriculture)
And several frozen foods are being recalled from Walmart and Trader Joe’s amid a listeria outbreak.
Houston City Council Member Letitia Plummer will host a “Community Meeting & Listening Session” on Buffalo Bayou public safety today in response to the discovery of 14 bodies in the bayous this year.
The August jobs report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed a weakening economy and a tough landscape for job seekers.
A Texas hiring expert weighs in on getting a job.
SPORTS
MLB: The Texas Rangers are parting ways with manager Bruce Bochy.
MLS: Austin FC aims to make history tomorrow night when the Verde & Black will host and play in the Club’s first-ever major tournament final. Austin faces Nashville in the 2025 U.S. Open Cup Final, with the winner set to raise the prestigious trophy and earn a berth in the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup. (Austin FC)
Austin FC’s VP Trennis Jones discusses the club’s deep connection to the Austin community and the team’s focus on long-term growth. They are building collaboration and cohesiveness to make a run for the playoffs, but they are also staying grounded and thoughtful.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Texas opens SEC action this weekend in Gainesville.
Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian said media coverage of college football is “more intense” than ever before, and he explained how he and his staff are helping players navigate it.
Texas Football Preps for SEC Opener @ Florida | LIVE | 9/30/25
In this episode of Texas Country Reporter, we hit the road to share three unforgettable Texas stories filled with tradition, craftsmanship, and community.
