Austin's biggest stories of 2025
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It was a big and wrenching year, Austin.
- Historic floods caused unimaginable heartbreak from the Hill Country to Austin.
- Political upheaval in Washington reverberated in Central Texas — from governance at the University of Texas to immigration raids at local construction sites.
- And yet, in the weird dichotomy of our present American moment, our lives continued apace, trying out new restaurants, going to the movies, enjoying moments with our families.
📆 Before we turn to 2026, we're looking back at this year's major stories and our favorite coverage.
🚗 Waymo launched driverless robotaxi service, and suddenly it felt very much we were inhabiting a sci-fi novel.
- Nicole wrote about what it's like to ride in a self-driving car.
🍬 The Legislature came to town, and, among other things, attempted to ban THC-tinged gummies. Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed the bill and lawmakers tried again but fell short. Then, Congress banned hemp products anyway.
😠 To much gnashing of teeth — including concerns about spending — the city of Austin rebranded itself.
🗳️ We interviewed Austin's long-time Democratic U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett about his decision not to seek reelection amid the GOP's congressional redistricting.
💸 We had scoops, like how the Trump administration was emphasizing the Declaration of Independence in arts grants.
🔎 Offering some small degree of catharsis, the 1991 yogurt shop murders case appeared to be finally solved.
🪧 Amid a series of anti-Trump rallies nationally, Austinites gathered near the Capitol to express their political displeasure — as Texas National Guard soldiers deployed by Abbott looked on.
🍫 Our local cookie company cashed in on the Dubai chocolate craze.
🚗 And our local car guy made a bunch of news up in Washington.
🚚 We chatted with an Austin realtor about why she launched "Texit," a Texas move-out service.
🐺 A Texas firm with an Austin footprint revived a long-extinct wolf species.
💰 Voters rejected a stiff tax hike to pay for homeless services, among other things.
🏈 The Longhorns remained relevant this year behind their famously-named quarterback — even as they fell short of the College Football Playoff.
🧖 Asher shared how to create a very, very cheap at-home spa experience.
😭 And finally, in an early 2025 piece that perhaps best anticipated this year, we described the best places to cry in Austin.