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A student safety net is fraying in Central Texas

The student social services provider may have to cut back its work amid reduced funding.

News

A nonprofit that provides critical services to Austin-area students may have to pare down its work because of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="budget" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2025/10/28/austin-schools-consolidation-maplewood" data-vars-content-id="58a804ad-3eb7-4445-9837-7674e49013eb" data-vars-headline="A student safety net is fraying in Central Texas" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2025/10/28/austin-schools-consolidation-maplewood" target="_self">budget</a> <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="challenges" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2025/11/10/austin-tax-election-budget-cuts" data-vars-content-id="58a804ad-3eb7-4445-9837-7674e49013eb" data-vars-headline="A student safety net is fraying in Central Texas" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2025/11/10/austin-tax-election-budget-cuts" target="_self">challenges</a> from key government partners.Why it matters: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Communities In Schools" data-vars-click-url="https://ciscentraltexas.org/" data-vars-content-id="58a804ad-3eb7-4445-9837-7674e49013eb" data-vars-headline="A student safety net is fraying in Central Texas" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://ciscentraltexas.org/" target="_blank">Communities In Schools</a> (CIS) of Central Texas provides clothes, meals, literacy help, money for rent, mental health services and more for students and families in need.

Austin AI startup Circuit raises $30M in major angel round

Circuit's AI software turns technical manuals and other documentation into step-by-step workflows.

Austin-based <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Circuit" data-vars-click-url="https://circuit.ai/" data-vars-content-id="6506fbe2-bebc-4634-a18d-0884911c622a" data-vars-headline="Austin AI startup Circuit raises $30M in major angel round" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://circuit.ai/" target="_blank">Circuit</a>, an AI startup co-founded by former <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Silicon Labs" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/04/texas-instruments-silicon-labs-merger" data-vars-content-id="6506fbe2-bebc-4634-a18d-0884911c622a" data-vars-headline="Austin AI startup Circuit raises $30M in major angel round" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/04/texas-instruments-silicon-labs-merger" target="_self">Silicon Labs</a> CEO Tyson Tuttle, raised $30 million from angel investors to build an AI software for manufacturing and service operations.Why it matters: It&#x27;s one of Texas&#x27; largest angel rounds — an early-stage phase where individual investors pitch in — and a bet that AI can help manufacturers capture and scale institutional knowledge.

Texas families are opting for cremations over burials

Cremations are now twice as common as <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="burials" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2024/10/29/gen-z-funeral-death-preferences-baby-boomers-cremation" data-vars-content-id="3a6bb65c-3471-414b-a911-9083b5a099e4" data-vars-headline="Texas families are opting for cremations over burials" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2024/10/29/gen-z-funeral-death-preferences-baby-boomers-cremation" target="_self">burials</a> in the U.S., reversing a norm from two decades ago, according to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="the National Funeral Directors Association" data-vars-click-url="https://nfda.org/news/media-center/nfda-news-releases/id/9786/nfda-releases-2025-cremation-burial-report-comprehensive-insights-to-guide-the-future-of-funeral-service" data-vars-content-id="3a6bb65c-3471-414b-a911-9083b5a099e4" data-vars-headline="Texas families are opting for cremations over burials" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://nfda.org/news/media-center/nfda-news-releases/id/9786/nfda-releases-2025-cremation-burial-report-comprehensive-insights-to-guide-the-future-of-funeral-service" target="_blank">the National Funeral Directors Association</a>.Why it matters: Shifting attitudes around <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="religion" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/03/05/religion-americans-spiritual-survey" data-vars-content-id="3a6bb65c-3471-414b-a911-9083b5a099e4" data-vars-headline="Texas families are opting for cremations over burials" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/03/05/religion-americans-spiritual-survey" target="_self">religion</a>, cost and the environment are reshaping how Americans — and Austinites — handle death.

Austin kids describe life inside immigration detention

The letters give a window into life inside the immigration detention center in Dilley.

Austin-area children detained with their parents at a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="South Texas immigration" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/03/06/corecivic-immigrant-family-detention-center-texas" data-vars-content-id="fdacb6cd-5a9f-4a2d-80fc-929417743158" data-vars-headline="Austin kids describe life inside immigration detention" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/03/06/corecivic-immigrant-family-detention-center-texas" target="_self">South Texas immigration</a> facility describe missing basic comforts and feeling trapped, per <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="letters published this month by ProPublica" data-vars-click-url="https://www.propublica.org/article/ice-dilley-children-letters" data-vars-content-id="fdacb6cd-5a9f-4a2d-80fc-929417743158" data-vars-headline="Austin kids describe life inside immigration detention" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.propublica.org/article/ice-dilley-children-letters" target="_blank">letters published this month by ProPublica</a>. The big picture: The letters give a window into life inside the immigration detention center in Dilley — and how some of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="the hundreds of children" data-vars-click-url="https://www.propublica.org/article/life-inside-ice-dilley-children" data-vars-content-id="fdacb6cd-5a9f-4a2d-80fc-929417743158" data-vars-headline="Austin kids describe life inside immigration detention" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.propublica.org/article/life-inside-ice-dilley-children" target="_blank">the hundreds of children</a> there are faring.

Austin's downtown is still in COVID recovery mode

The city's downtown has bounced back better than some.

COVID

Austin&#x27;s downtown saw a bump in activity between March 2023 and February 2024, per new University of Toronto data examining U.S. and Canadian cities.Why it matters: The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="updated figures" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2023/05/04/downtown-still-recovering-from-pandemic" data-vars-content-id="e8d077f1-9858-4409-932c-2138a0f151c8" data-vars-headline="Austin&#x27;s downtown is still in COVID recovery mode" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2023/05/04/downtown-still-recovering-from-pandemic" target="_self">updated figures</a> are one way to understand which cities are recovering and which are still struggling after the worst of the pandemic.

COVID's prison death toll in Texas

Mortality in U.S. prisons increased 77% in 2020 compared to 2019.

More Texas prisoners died during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic than in any other state, but <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="the true death toll in prisons" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2024/04/23/covid-prison-deaths" data-vars-content-id="5d01a9c3-36d5-44d4-b504-194d8da6cf6d" data-vars-headline="COVID&#x27;s prison death toll in Texas" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2024/04/23/covid-prison-deaths" target="_self">the true death toll in prisons</a> across the country is still unknown, researchers say.Why it matters: Although it&#x27;s long been clear that prisons struggled to contain COVID outbreaks, there&#x27;s still no official pandemic prison death toll — leaving the work up to a &quot;patchwork of research groups and reporters,&quot; <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="per the Marshall Project" data-vars-click-url="https://www.themarshallproject.org/2024/04/18/covid-prison-deaths-da" data-vars-content-id="5d01a9c3-36d5-44d4-b504-194d8da6cf6d" data-vars-headline="COVID&#x27;s prison death toll in Texas" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.themarshallproject.org/2024/04/18/covid-prison-deaths-da" target="_blank">per the Marshall Project</a>, a nonprofit criminal justice news outlet that analyzed the findings.

Wastewater shows spike in Texas COVID cases

Texas has "high" COVID-19 wastewater levels, according to the CDC.

Texas is seeing high levels of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="COVID-19" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/21/covid-omicron-variant-coronavirus-cases" data-vars-content-id="5a55d8cf-8f77-43f2-b856-32d069e4d23b" data-vars-headline="Wastewater shows spike in Texas COVID cases" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/21/covid-omicron-variant-coronavirus-cases" target="_self">COVID-19</a> as we head into the holiday travel season.Why it matters: While many Americans by this point have some combination of natural and vaccine-induced immunity, COVID can still make people plenty sick and force them to miss school, work (<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="if they can" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/06/sick-days-benefits-workers-income-statistics-chart" data-vars-content-id="5a55d8cf-8f77-43f2-b856-32d069e4d23b" data-vars-headline="Wastewater shows spike in Texas COVID cases" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/06/sick-days-benefits-workers-income-statistics-chart" target="_self">if they can</a>) and holiday activities.

Nearly 306,000 Texas children could lose child care as federal funds expire

It's the highest total in the country according to the Century Foundation.

Education

This weekend, Texas will fall off a &quot;child care cliff&quot; when pandemic-era federal relief funding for the<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text=" industry" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/06/15/child-care-daycare-costs-states-parents" data-vars-content-id="640f4ed6-5161-43c6-ac41-e0aeb5467e9b" data-vars-headline="Nearly 306,000 Texas children could lose child care as federal funds expire" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/06/15/child-care-daycare-costs-states-parents" target="_self"> industry</a> runs out.Driving the news: Without intervention, nearly 306,000 Texas children are expected to lose child care — the highest total in the country, according to an <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="analysis" data-vars-click-url="https://tcf-ccs-map.netlify.app/assets/factsheets/Child%20Care%20State%20Fact%20Sheet%20-%20Texas.pdf" data-vars-content-id="640f4ed6-5161-43c6-ac41-e0aeb5467e9b" data-vars-headline="Nearly 306,000 Texas children could lose child care as federal funds expire" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://tcf-ccs-map.netlify.app/assets/factsheets/Child%20Care%20State%20Fact%20Sheet%20-%20Texas.pdf" target="_blank">analysis</a> by the Century Foundation.

UT researchers develop COVID "lab-on-a-chip"

The device could reshape testing for people who live far from medical centers.

A team of University of Texas researchers is trying to reshape COVID testing for people who live far from medical centers.The big picture: Researchers developed a small, lightweight device that can differentiate between COVID-19 and the flu using saliva as a sample material.

COVID cases rise after holiday gatherings

The county's 7-day positivity rate is at nearly 19%.

Travis County wastewater monitoring shows a jump in new COVID cases, following predictions from health officials that holiday gatherings could spread the virus.By the numbers: Although the CDC lists Travis County&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="community level as low" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/covid-by-county.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fscience%2Fcommunity-levels.html" data-vars-content-id="3bbebbed-4763-4a85-8755-6bcacdb74782" data-vars-headline="COVID cases rise after holiday gatherings" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/covid-by-county.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fscience%2Fcommunity-levels.html" target="_blank">community level as low</a>, the county&#x27;s seven-day positivity rate was just above 20% and COVID hospitalizations had increased by 65% week over week, as of the end of the year, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="the latest data available" data-vars-click-url="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#county-view?list_select_state=Texas&amp;data-type=CommunityLevels&amp;list_select_county=48453" data-vars-content-id="3bbebbed-4763-4a85-8755-6bcacdb74782" data-vars-headline="COVID cases rise after holiday gatherings" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#county-view?list_select_state=Texas&amp;data-type=CommunityLevels&amp;list_select_county=48453" target="_blank">the latest data available</a>.

COVID-19, flu and RSV cases rise in Austin area

Holiday gatherings will continue to increase new flu, RSV and COVID-19 cases.

Texas hospitals — <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="already vulnerable from the COVID-19 pandemic" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2022/12/01/texas-hospitals-at-risk-closure" data-vars-content-id="9f6c2de3-9cdc-4622-94a2-c4eb7d753db6" data-vars-headline="COVID-19, flu and RSV cases rise in Austin area" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2022/12/01/texas-hospitals-at-risk-closure" target="_self">already vulnerable from the COVID-19 pandemic</a> — are again being inundated as the flu and other respiratory diseases spike across the state.Driving the news: The number of patients visiting Travis County clinics for influenza-like symptoms surged in October. It&#x27;s the earliest the flu season has started since at least 2018.

Increasing number of Texas hospitals at risk of closure, report finds

Hospital revenue is no longer covering the cost of patient care.

While the coronavirus pandemic often feels like it&#x27;s in the rearview mirror, Texas hospitals are still grappling with its aftermath.Driving the news: Nearly twice as many Texas hospitals, or almost 1 in 10, are at risk of closure since before the pandemic, a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="new report" data-vars-click-url="https://www.tha.org/Documents/Nov22/2022-Covid-19-Impact-Report.pdf" data-vars-content-id="0f689318-5eb6-4f47-8e67-fa7b16fc163e" data-vars-headline="Increasing number of Texas hospitals at risk of closure, report finds" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.tha.org/Documents/Nov22/2022-Covid-19-Impact-Report.pdf" target="_blank">new report</a> from the Texas Hospital Association reveals.

COVID absent from campaign messaging in Texas

"There isn't much to be gained either way on this issue."

Politics

Texans are still testing positive for the coronavirus, but candidates up and down the ballot are staying far away from talking about masks, vaccines and other pandemic topics that were a staple of campaigning over the last two years.The big picture: Dwelling on COVID could seem out of touch with an electorate that is now more concerned about the rising cost of groceries than about mask wearing.

Long COVID is costing Texans thousands of dollars

Texans with long COVID pay roughly $5,000 more on average than other Americans in the first six months after their diagnosis.

Long COVID is costing Texans thousands of dollars more than the rest of the country, according to new data from health care company <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Nomi Health" data-vars-click-url="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220830005323/en/Long-COVID-Outpaces-Diabetes-in-2022-Employer-Health-Care-Costs-Nomi-Health-Research-Finds" data-vars-content-id="81f5825d-6af3-4ba5-8927-a9c35c102fc5" data-vars-headline="Long COVID is costing Texans thousands of dollars" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220830005323/en/Long-COVID-Outpaces-Diabetes-in-2022-Employer-Health-Care-Costs-Nomi-Health-Research-Finds" target="_blank">Nomi Health</a>.The big picture: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Long COVID symptoms" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/05/07/what-we-know-long-covid" data-vars-content-id="81f5825d-6af3-4ba5-8927-a9c35c102fc5" data-vars-headline="Long COVID is costing Texans thousands of dollars" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/05/07/what-we-know-long-covid" target="_self">Long COVID symptoms</a> can vary and include brain fog, fatigue, organ damage, chest and joint pains, loss of senses of smell and taste, cough, headache, and gastrointestinal and cardiac issues.

COVID 🦠

Free COVID tests are available again

Austin's downtown is still in COVID recovery mode

COVID's prison death toll in Texas

Wastewater shows spike in Texas COVID cases

Nearly 306,000 Texas children could lose child care as federal funds expire