Reporting Texas
News and features from UT-Austin's School of Journalism
bySheldon Munroe
Hundreds of protesters gathered outside Austin City Hall on Tuesday — one year to the day after President Donald Trump’s inauguration for his second term — to denounce ICE deportations and demand that the city stop cooperating with federal immigration enforcement.
“It is super important that we come out and use our First Amendment right to protest and petition,” said protest organizer Sophia Mirto.
byErika González
As Senate Bill 12 takes effect, drag performers and organizers in Austin are adjusting their shows, venues and creative choices amid changes to state law and its implementation.
The law, recently upheld by a federal appeals court, restricts certain drag performances deemed “sexually explicit,” particularly those held in public spaces or in the presence of minors. Venues face fines of up to $10,000, while organizers or performers could be charged with misdemeanors.
“Even saying that I do drag is something I think twice about now, at work, at family events, walking around the city,” drag king Sir Maxim said. “I don’t know who might see me as a ‘villain’ or a ‘pervert.’ ”
bySamantha Rubin
University of Texas students Monday urged administrators to reject the Trump compact on higher education and to stop a possible consolidation plan of the College of Liberal Arts they say could erase ethnic studies, women’s and gender studies and several language departments. “When I arrived at UT as a freshman, our campus looked completely different,” […]
byErika González
At 4 a.m., Yeni Renderos’ alarm went off, just like every other day. Half-asleep, she made coffee, woke her 16-year-old daughter and drove her to school before climbing into her truck, “Rosendo,” as she affectionately called it. For 10 years, that routine had defined her life in Houston, driving to construction sites, convinced her life was finally moving forward.
But that Monday was different. Renderos’ boss called to confirm what she feared most: “You can’t keep working, Yeni, she recalled him saying. “The rules for commercial licenses have changed.”