SUMMARY: The City of Austin released its fiscal year 2026 budget draft, proposing over $6 billion total, with a $1.5 billion General Fund focused on public safety funded mainly by property and sales taxes. City Manager TC Broadnax faces a $40 million budget gap due to reduced sales tax and shifts in land valuations. Mayor Kirk Watson indicated he might seek voter approval for a tax rate increase via a Tax Ratification Election (TRE), given state law constraints. The budget includes a 4% cost-of-living raise for employees and funding for homelessness services, parks, and rental assistance. The adoption process includes public input and council votes between July and August.

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SUMMARY: A farm worker, Jaime Alanís, died after falling 30 feet from a building during a large federal immigration raid at Glass House cannabis farm in Ventura County, California. Family members said he was texting them until the accident and was hospitalized with a brain injury before being taken off life support. The Department of Homeland Security stated Alanís was not in custody or being chased when he climbed onto the roof and fell. The raid, the largest single-day immigration crackdown in California history, resulted in about 200 arrests and the rescue of 10 migrant children. Protests erupted, with law enforcement using tear gas and responding to gunfire.

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SUMMARY: One week after deadly flooding in Kerrville, a vigil was held at the Wall of Hope to honor victims, with the death toll in Cur County rising to 103, including 36 children, and over 160 missing. Meanwhile, the Coast Guard crew from Corpus Christi, hailed as heroes, shared their stories of rescuing nearly 200 people, mostly at Camp Mystic. They recalled emotional moments, like comforting a frightened girl clutching her stuffed animal and giving Jolly Ranchers to others. Despite the trauma, they continue assisting ongoing rescue operations, embodying bravery and compassion amid tragedy.

Four Coast Guard officers performed rescues in the floods, saving nearly 200 people in dangerous conditions. They describe the memories.

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