Austin City Council convenes this morning at City Hall with an 82-item agenda packed with major infrastructure, energy, and development decisions that could shape the city for decades to come.
Among the biggest-ticket items, council members will consider bond issuances totaling up to $2.35 billion — including up to $1 billion for the Walnut Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant expansion and up to $1.35 billion for the Convention Center expansion project. On the energy front, the council will weigh new agreements for renewable wind power and utility-scale battery storage, while also taking up a controversial proposal to implement natural gas-powered peaker generation units as part of Austin Energy‘s long-term climate plan.
Transit is also front and center: a key interlocal agreement with Austin Transit Partnership would advance the design phase of the Austin Light Rail system under Project Connect, with reimbursements of up to $36.7 million for utility work.
Land use will dominate the afternoon, with public hearings on a sweeping new citywide density bonus program, plus a consequential vote on whether to annex roughly 2,600 acres of eastern Travis County land known as “Dog’s Head” — a mixed-use development that would come with a 45-year development agreement.
The council will also take up housing tenant protections, floodplain variances, and a proposed new Native American and Indigenous Quality of Life Commission.
Public comment is scheduled for noon.
Wednesday was the third day of early voting for the Texas Primary runoff.
Travis County saw nearly the same number of ballots cast yesterday as they did Tuesday.
MONDAY: 7,206
TUESDAY: 10,021
WEDNESDAY: 9,466
(R) : 13,590
(D): 13,103
WILLIAMSON COUNTY
More than 17,000 early votes (3.81%) have been cast.
U.S. District Judge Jason Pulliam granted a petition for writ of habeas corpus Wednesday in the case of Austin ISD student Luis Fernando Cabrera, 18, ordering that he be released from custody no later than May 22.
The high school senior was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement earlier this month, days before his scheduled graduation.
The order also prohibits any removal or transfer of Cabrera while the detention order is in effect.
A small gathering of people assembled at Lamar and Rundberg in North Austin early Wednesday, the site of many recent ICE arrests, to protest the agency’s tactics and the current administration.
Two people have been arrested after the deaths of two dogs at a boarding and transport facility in unincorporated Kyle. The investigation into EZ Dog Stay and Play began in August 2024 after two dogs died while being transported by the business.
Also out of Hays County, authorities are investigating two storage unit burglary cases involving the same suspects.
Texas DPS troopers arrested a suspect on Sunday after a pursuit in Austin ended in the suspect’s vehicle crashing into a median and rolling over.
Leander police are looking for a man who displayed a firearm and threatened two juveniles at the 7- Eleven located at Hwy 183 and Sonny Drive in Leander early Saturday morning around 1:30 a.m.
An arrest affidavit is shedding new light on the weekend shooting spree in Austin that left four people injured and resulted in the capture of a 17-year-old and two younger juveniles.
Sean Fuentes was walking his dog on Janes Ranch Road when he was hit by gunfire. He is among the four victims who were injured during the shooting spree across Austin.
Fuentes’s sister is calling for the teenagers accused in the case to face serious consequences.
16-year-old Jonathan De La Garza was also shot.
Jonathan’s GoFundMe page.
Congressman Chip Roy is calling out Travis County District Attorney José Garza, saying his office is too easy on crime.
Meanwhile, local gun advocate Michael Cargill is saying he plans to sue local media outlets “that said and posted a story that the gun used in the shooting rampage in Austin came from Central Texas Gun Works“.
Gun safety advocates are calling for stricter policies to keep firearms out of minors’ hands after a teenager stole a gun from a South Austin gun store.
Austin police say there is no indication of foul play after a man fell from the seventh floor of an apartment building in West Campus early Sunday morning. (CBS Austin)
Lehman High School head baseball coach Jacob Kaase will not return next season amid investigations into “a potentially serious pattern of bullying” within the program, Hays Consolidated Independent School District officials announced Wednesday.
Career firefighters in Texas must complete a program from the National Fallen Firefighters Association every five years with the goal of reducing injuries and line-of-duty deaths.
Legal and political challenges continue to threaten Austin’s multibillion-dollar light rail project that voters approved in 2020. (Texas Tribune)
WEATHER
WEDNESDAY’S HIGH / LOW TEMPERATURES
AUSTIN-BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
CAMP MABRY
5-DAY FORECAST / AUSTIN, TEXAS
Firefighters in the Texas Panhandle are gaining the upper hand against a week of devastating wildfires — but the danger isn’t over yet. The Hunggate Fire in Randall County, which scorched more than 34,000 acres and destroyed homes near Canyon, is now fully contained.
Meanwhile, crews in Potter County are still battling the so-called ‘Stinky Fire’ near the Amarillo Landfill — now at 95 percent containment — after it threatened more than 300 homes and forced mandatory evacuations near Amarillo’s west side earlier this week.
2026 is shaping up to be a wildfire season for the ages.
President Trump’s endorsement of Texas AG Ken Paxton in the U.S. Senate race continues to make waves.
Meanwhile, House Democrats are in a mad dash to isolate Texas Democratic congressional candidate Maureen Galindo, who has said she wants to turn an ICE facility into a “prison for American Zionists.” (Axios)
Texas Railroad Commissioner Jim Wright is now in a runoff election with Bo French, a far-right candidate who has spoken more about Islam and diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, initiatives on the campaign trail than the energy industry, turning an often overlooked statewide race into a gauge on what it takes to win statewide office in Texas in 2026. (KUT 90.5)
Gov. Greg Abbott was in Deer Park on Tuesday, partly to campaign on behalf of Wright. (Houston Public Media)
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Tuesday launched an investigation into Meta’s smart glasses, citing privacy concerns.
TribCast looks into declining public school enrollment and other impacts of the federal immigration crackdown.
(Episode from May 19, 2026)
Texas suspended the nursing license of Camp Mystic’s health officer after findings tied to last year’s deadly flood disaster.
Weather warning systems are now being installed in the Hill Country to alert residents to severe weather dangers.
Food assistance enrollment in Texas fell 14% over the past year, mirrors a nationwide trend. According to advocates, this decline stems from strict new work requirements introduced by the Trump administration alongside growing deportation fears among residents. (Texas Tribune)
A group opposing proposed data centers in Temple says it will continue pushing for restrictions after failing to gather enough recall signatures.
New Braunfels is preparing for one of its busiest weekends of the year, with tourism officials expecting tens of thousands of visitors to flood the Hill Country river city as Memorial Day weekend kicks off the summer season. (My San Antonio)
Highways will be extra busy this holiday weekend.
SPORTS
NBA PLAYOFFS: The Western Conference Finals is tied 1-1 and heading back to San Antonio.
The Oklahoma City Thunder tied the Western Conference Finals against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night with a 122-113 win in Game 2. In order to win the game, though, the Thunder appeared to get away with several calls and non-calls.
Victor Wembanyama didn’t dominate in Game 2 the way he did in Game 1. But he was still impressive with 21 points, 17 rebounds, six assists and four blocks. He was 8-for-16 from the field, including 3-for-7 on 3-pointers. (Yahoo! Sports)
MLB: The Texas Rangers have won three of their last four games while the Houston Astros have dropped three of their last four.
Josh Jung hit a go-ahead single in the ninth inning, Ezequiel Duran and Jake Burger connected for back-to-back home runs, and the Texas Rangers rallied past the Colorado Rockies 5-4 on Wednesday. (Associated Press)
Joe Ryan matched his career high with 12 strikeouts over six innings, Ryan Kreidler hit a three-run home run and the Minnesota Twins beat the Houston Astros 4-1 on Wednesday. (Associated Press)
Both the Rangers and Astros have the day off today.
The 98th annual Austin Kite Fest 2026 was held last month at Zilker Park.
Let’s pack a lunch and hang out on the Great Lawn.
