Splash pad tragedy highlights contamination in Texas waters

byAngelica Ruzanova

With a 3% survival rate, Naegleria fowleri infections, usually attributed to water contamination, are rare, affecting fewer than 10 people in the U.S. annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But Josiah McIntyre’s case highlights a larger, systemic issue. Water contamination is a growing risk across Texas, and some communities face a […]

Author Shea Serrano Is Changing the Game for Independent Publishing

bySarah Gonzales

There wouldn’t be a Halfway Books if Shea Serrano had never inspected his royalty statement in the mailbox. Serrano, a critically acclaimed writer and journalist from San Antonio, thought he was receiving “free money” when he opened the check for his New York Times best seller “The Rap Yearbook.” But when Serrano sat down and […]

Trump’s Latino Support Erodes Since Election, Poll Finds

byMichael Karlis

Latinos in Texas and elsewhere – a demographic credited with helping Donald Trump win a second term – are starting to turn on the president as consumer confidence plunges and recession fears rise, according to new polling released this week. 

Amid Crisis in Veterans Care, Texas Embarks on a ‘Psychedelic Revolution’

byMichael Karlis

The staggering number of veteran suicides, combined with Texas’ large population of former service members, has led the state to becoming what some experts are calling the center of the “psychedelic revolution.”
A slew of bills in the Texas Legislature have garnered broad, bipartisan support, including House Bill 3137, which would mandate the largest appropriation of public funds for psychedelic research in U.S. history.

In a Booming City, ‘Making a Place Where We Would Want to Hang Out’ Keeps the Lights On

bySarah Gonzales

When four longtime friends maxed out their credit cards and depleted their savings accounts nine years ago to open a bar, they had no idea who would turn out to see their vision become a reality.
“The goal, the whole time as we were getting things going, is just making a place where we would want to hang out, and I mean that’s still kind of our MO,”  Mike Sanchez said.
Those four friends named the place The Little Darlin’, a South Austin staple off William Cannon Drive — one of a handful of beloved dive bars that define their neighborhoods and manage to hang on as other bars and restaurants come and go.

Reporting Texas TV – April 25, 2025

Journalism students at the University of Texas at Austin produced their final newscast for the Spring 2025 semester. Our mission is to empower students with hands-on journalism experience while providing our audience with insightful coverage of campus events, local news, and issues that matter most. By fostering a collaborative environment, we cultivate the next generation […]

Multiple Crimes on UT Austin Campus Connected to One Repeat Offender

byGracie Kirschner

Some students at the University of Texas are concerned about their safety after a man accused of being a “violent offender” was arrested and released from jail three times in three days.  One of those students, Caden Ruder, was a victim of those on campus assaults. He said he was walking home from class in […]

Culture Shock: An Events and Entertainment Committee Gives Us a Glimpse into the Foundation of Event Planning

byAriel Doss

At the University of Texas at Austin, Campus Events and Entertainment (E+E) began wrapping up the spring semester Monday with an event hosted by Culture Shock. “Soulful Splatters”’ was a gathering dedicated to building soulful connections through food, music, art and community. “We talk about different current events, we usually play a game…we usually end […]

Taking Back Earth Day: Students Rally Against Climate Change

byEden Shamy

Students Fighting Climate Change reclaimed Earth Day this year by rallying against fossil fuels at the University of Texas at Austin. “Climate action now!” protesters chanted as they marched through the heart of campus, cutting through the crowds at UT’s Earth Day fair on Speedway.  A year ago, the group petitioned the university to divest […]

Why UT Austin Is Becoming a Breeding Ground for Student Startups

byGiorgy Ruiz

Forget everything you thought you knew about college side hustles. At the University of Texas at Austin, entrepreneurship isn’t just an extracurricular — it’s embedded in the campus culture. From late-night food pop-ups to full-blown business ventures, students aren’t waiting until after graduation to start chasing big ideas. Take senior Michael Kobrosky, for example. What […]

The Trojans Push for the Playoffs

byGrabiel Silva

For the first time since the 2022 season, the Anderson Trojans are heading back to the postseason. The Trojans have won 15 of their last 16 games and are currently 20-6 on the season. They have also clinched the District 24-5A title with a perfect 11-0 district record with one more game to go.  “It’s […]

The Masters Tournament Sparks a Surge in Local Golf Activity Across Austin

bySantiago Ortiz

As millions of fans tuned in to the 89th Masters Tournament this April, the excitement didn’t stay confined to Augusta National. For many, the event marks a huge return to the course For University of Texas student Aidan Pro, the Masters was all the motivation he needed. “After watching Rory win last week, I drove […]

UT Students Embrace “Children’s Day” on the Main Mall

byNicholas Pantaleoni

Finals may be around the corner but on the main mall it looked more like recess than review week.  Students gathered around the University of Texas tower for Children’s Day, an event centered around unleashing students’ inner child. Aside from an inflatable obstacle course, organizers provided cotton candy and gift bags with throwback snacks in […]

Texas Softball Looking to Carry Regular-Season Momentum Into the Postseason

byLuke Lawhorn

Texas softball has just two series left in the regular season and is looking to carry its winning rhythm into the postseason, which begins in fewer than two weeks. The Longhorns will travel to Norman to face rival No. 4 Oklahoma this weekend before returning home to play Kentucky in the regular-season finale on Thursday. […]

Lunches for Texas Students Expected to Suffer After USDA Pulls Plug on Local Food for Schools Program

byMadeline de Figueiredo and Rebecca Butler

The Local Food for Schools initiative was set to distribute $660 million to state agencies in fiscal 2025, aiming to help schools and child care facilities buy locally grown food in 40 states.

At Anti-Trump Rally, Less Chanting and More Organizing

byMichael Karlis

Organizers said more than 1,000 demonstrators descended upon the Texas State Capitol over the weekend to protest against what some experts say is the Trump administration’s increasingly authoritarian rule.  Saturday’s protest, organized by the 50501, Hands Off! and Resist Austin movements — three grassroots campaigns aiming to prevent “plutocrats” from “undermining the rule of law”  […]

A Conference on UT Campus for ‘Pro-Natalists’ Draws Ire

byAlex Lamb

In April 2024, state and local police cracked down on University of Texas students protesting Israel’s invasion of Gaza, following calls for intervention by university administrators. As with protests on other college campuses, university and political leaders accused the pro-Palestinian protesters of antisemitism.
Almost a year later, one of the same groups involved in those protests, the Austin Chapter of Students for a Democratic Society, took part in another protest — this time to oppose the presence of alleged neo-Nazis and eugenicists at a conference held on the UT campus. The activists highlighted what they called a disconnect between the treatment of two groups accused of connections to antisemitic views

‘I Am Gonna Scribe the Beauty of This City I Grew Up In’: Austin’s First Poet Laureate Vows to Tell Hard Truths

byShunya Carroll

  As he was inaugurated as Austin’s first poet laureate, Zell Miller III said last week that he will use the platform to promote literacy and tell the hard truths of the city’s history. “I am gonna scribe the beauty of this city I grew up in,” Miller said during a ceremony at the Austin […]

Mimicking Nature – Prescribed Fires in the Texas Hill Country

byAngelica Ruzanova

The fire station at Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge resembles a cross between military barracks and a dorm room. Dusty cans labeled “dehydrated water,” unlaced boots a few sizes too big, and an untuned guitar clutter the space. Engine Captain Caleb Thyer calls nearby homeowners to issue an important notification. A prescribed burn is planned […]

Reporting Texas TV – April 17, 2025

Journalism students at the University of Texas at Austin produced their fifth newscast for the Spring 2025 semester. Our mission is to empower students with hands-on journalism experience while providing our audience with insightful coverage of campus events, local news, and issues that matter most. By fostering a collaborative environment, we cultivate the next generation […]