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MENU WATCH

Austin Food Media Is Covering Tasting Menus and $15 Meals. Nothing in Between.

Eater, The Austin Chronicle, and The Infatuation all published spring dining guides the same week. The middle of the market didn't make the cut.

The New Texan staff · May 20

Edition of 2026-05-20

STADIUM EATS

La Barbecue Brings Its Michelin Star to Q2 Stadium — With an Asterisk

The Austin pitmaster is serving sandwiches from Section 137 this MLS season. Michelin stars follow restaurant addresses, not stadium stands.

The New Texan staff · May 20

Edition of 2026-05-20

STARBASE WATCH

A Worker Died. The Launch Held.

A SpaceX employee died at Starbase on May 19. An OSHA investigation opened. Forty-eight hours later, Starship launched on schedule.

The New Texan staff · May 20

Edition of 2026-05-20

ROLL CALL

Empty Desks, Empty Budgets: Immigration Enforcement Hits Austin Schools

Pflugerville is closing four schools. Austin ISD faces a $181 million hole. Immigration enforcement is draining the attendance rolls that fund both.

The New Texan staff · May 20

Edition of 2026-05-20

AG WATCH

Ken Paxton Lost in Court. It Didn't Matter.

In seven days last May, Ken Paxton extracted $10 million, sued a Muslim university, warned 130 cities, and gave a sheriff a deadline — without a single jury verdict.

The New Texan staff · May 20

Edition of 2026-05-20

SPREE TRAIL

One Stolen Gun, Ten Shootings, Three Kids

The gun used in Austin's ten-scene weekend spree was stolen from a shop the same suspects had already robbed once. The store owner confirmed it. No one in authority has addressed it.

The New Texan staff · May 20

Edition of 2026-05-20

ALERT WATCH

The Emergency Alert Went Out. Half of Austin Never Got It.

During a multi-scene shooting spree, Austin's emergency alert reached some South Austin residents and skipped others. The system was working correctly.

The New Texan staff · May 20

Edition of 2026-05-20

CURTAIN CALL

A Field Guide to Austin Theatre Companies

The 2025-2026 Austin Theatre Critics Award nominees come from six structurally different kinds of companies. A guide to telling them apart.

The New Texan staff · May 20

Edition of 2026-05-20

Culture

Bill Wise and the Austin Film Ecosystem He Held Together

One week after AFS screened a tribute to Bill Wise, Austin's film community is measuring what it lost — and what held the indie ecosystem together in the first place.

The New Texan staff · May 20

Edition of 2026-05-20

Sports

Longhorn Athletics by the Numbers, Spring 2026

Record donations, top-five baseball, a tennis runner-up — and a student ticket price that keeps climbing.

The New Texan staff · May 20

Edition of 2026-05-20

GRID WATCH

The Grid Feeds the Servers. The Aquifer Cools Them. Both Sent Bills.

Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller called for a data center moratorium. Corpus Christi drafted mandatory 25% water cuts. Austin began regulating industrial users. The Pentagon froze 54 wind projects. Five days. One bill.

The New Texan staff · May 20

Edition of 2026-05-20

VERDE WATCH

Five Years of Firings at Q2: Austin FC's Front Office Timeline

From Claudio Reyna to a double firing before noon, Austin FC has cycled through sporting directors, coaches, and stadium taco stands faster than most clubs change kits.

The New Texan staff · May 20

Edition of 2026-05-20

SCHOOL WATCH

Four Central Texas Schools Are Closing. Here's the Map.

Pflugerville ISD voted to close four elementary schools this week. Austin ISD is sitting on a $181 million deficit. Five campuses, mapped.

The New Texan staff · May 20

Edition of 2026-05-20

VERDE WATCH

Austin FC's Owner Problem: Who's Accountable After Five Years?

Austin FC has cycled through two coaches and two sporting directors in five years. Anthony Precourt hired them all — and hasn't explained his own role in the results.

The New Texan staff · May 20

Edition of 2026-05-20

LIST WATCH

Which Austin Restaurants Own Eater's Spring Rankings?

Eater Austin refreshed eight category lists this spring. A handful of restaurants landed on multiple — and a few lost their footing entirely.

The New Texan staff · May 20

Edition of 2026-05-20

STARBASE

SpaceX Has Seven OSHA Violations and a Dead Worker. The Launches Continue.

A SpaceX worker died at Starbase. The next Starship launch was 48 hours away. It held.

The New Texan staff · May 20

Edition of 2026-05-20

WADE WATCH

Two Safety Events, One Week, Zero Consequences

A Cybertruck driver jailed in a lake, a SpaceX worker killed at Starbase — two Musk companies, two safety events, 24 hours.

The New Texan staff · May 20

Edition of 2026-05-20

CODE OF SILENCE

Three Shootings, No Statements: Austin PD's Silence Week

A Starbase worker died, a federal jury ruled against Musk, and a Cybertruck sank in a Dallas lake — all in one week. Abbott, Cornyn, and Cruz said nothing about any of it.

The New Texan staff · May 20

Edition of 2026-05-20

WADE WATCH

Tesla Sold a Cybertruck That Can't Handle Water. A Texas Driver Found Out.

A Texas man drove his Cybertruck into Grapevine Lake to test Tesla's Wade Mode. He was arrested. Tesla has not commented.

The New Texan staff · May 20

Edition of 2026-05-20

GAVEL TALK

Duplex Down: Austin Tries Again to Make Missing Middle Matter

A zoning-heavy May agenda takes another swing at infill housing, locks in a decade of natural gas, and puts the City Manager on notice.

Reporting based on the official agenda for May 7, 2026  Austin City Council Regular Meeting · May 20

Edition of 2026-05-20