Trump administration officials will gather alongside top Biden-era national security figures this week at a private retreat in northwest Austin to plot how to shore up American strength.

Why it matters: The off-the-record bipartisan talks come as Washington remains deeply divided and at a time of geopolitical and technological upheaval.

Driving the news: Roughly 200 invite-only attendees are expected at the second annual Endless Frontiers retreat, co-hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations, the University of Texas, Texas A&M University and Rice University.

What they're saying: The three-day retreat is deliberately held in Austin, not Washington or Silicon Valley — a signal, organizers say, about the relationship-driven event.

• "We felt that this needed to be a whole nation effort to renew the foundations of American strength," Jordan Blashek, co-chair of Endless Frontiers, tells Axios.

Between the lines: Endless Frontiers was created to convene experts in tech, finance, academia and policy in small group conversations, says Rush Doshi, co-chair of Endless Frontiers and director of the Council on Foreign Relation's China Strategy Initiative.

• "There's a sense in both parties that we need to take bolder steps to be able to fix not just what's going on abroad but, more critically, what's going on at home," Doshi says.
• Just three conversations will be on the record.

Zoom in: This year's Trump administration roster includes deputy trade representative Rick Switzer; Ben Black, CEO of the U.S. International Development Finance Corp.; and Jacob Helberg, Under Secretary of State for economic affairs.

• Last year's keynote address came from Michael Kratsios, Trump's chief science and technology policy adviser.

On the other side of the aisle is former Biden national security advisor Jake Sullivan and former director of national intelligence Avril Haines, among others.

The speaker lineup also includes Kennedy Space Center director Janet Petro, former Secretary of Defense James Mattis, former NASA administrator Dan Goldin, former U.S. Rep. Will Hurd and former U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.

• Entrepreneurs and CEOs will also be in attendance, including leaders of Austin-based Icon, Anduril, Saronic, Palantir and Impulse Space.

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With the gyrations in the oil market resonating at our corner gas stations, here's how to make your tank last longer.

Why it matters: We got used to relatively affordable gas in recent years — and some of those cost-saving habits may have slipped.

• Now, with prices rising again as uncertainty over the Iran war lingers on, those small decisions are back in focus.

🛒 Plan your routes. Instead of making multiple trips — grocery store, home, then back out again — try to combine errands into one route to cut down on fuel use.

🛞 Check your tire pressure. Under-inflated tires reduce fuel efficiency

🚙 Lighten your load and don't carry unnecessary things in the trunk. Extra weight in your car can burn more gas.

⛽️ Don't wait until your tank is empty. Filling up earlier gives you flexibility to avoid pricier stations.

📍 Use your maps app. Many apps show gas prices so you can compare.

💵 Carry cash. Some gas stations charge less per gallon for cash than credit.

🏁 Drive more smoothly. Rapid acceleration ("lead foot") burns more fuel.

Readers, share your tips. How do you try to conserve gas? Reply to this email.

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🪹 The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and Austin Wildlife Rescue worked to remove Athena's remaining owlet from its nest and into an incubator after it showed little signs of movement. (Wildflower Center)

• Athena, Austin's official owl ambassador, has been nesting at the Wildflower Center every year for at least 14 years.

🚦 The Oak Hill Parkway Project is nearly complete. A commuter from Dripping Springs can now drive to downtown Austin without stopping at a traffic light. (KXAN)

🚗 Tesla has expanded its robotaxi service to Houston and Dallas. (Tech Crunch)

💧 Georgetown voters will decide whether the city should sell a portion of its public water system to a private water provider. (KUT)

Add airport parking to your list of things that are getting more expensive this year.

Driving the news: Economy parking at the Austin airport is set to increase from $12 to $14 per day beginning May 12.

The update is part of the airport's ongoing expansion effort to support operations and improvements, officials say.

• Red ($35) and blue ($26) garage rates will remain the same.

📍 If you go: Airport officials recommend reserving your parking spot using their online system before you head to the airport.

The world might be roughly divided into two kinds of pizza lovers — those keen on thick and cheesy and those who favor thin, spare, charred.

What's happening: We recently stopped by Pizza Di Roma, a cozy restaurant tucked into an apartment complex by 32nd Street, just west of I-35.

What we ordered: A heaving slice of the eponymous pizza — chock full of sausage, peppers, onions and gooey with fresh mozzarella cheese.

• Yes, $8 might seem like a lot for a slice, but this could arguably feed two people. The $5 Margherita slice was more basic — but also filling.

Pro tip: Definitely get the polpette di casa ($10) — a filling set of meatballs that comes with a heavenly basket of bread.

• We also liked the tagliatelle with porcini mushrooms ($20).

Six-word review: Yummy in equal proportion to cheesy.