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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.

How to make 700 Hanukkah latkes

The latke-making crew will plow through 108 pounds of frozen shredded potatoes and 40 pounds of onions.

Food and Drink

Hanukkah starts at sundown Thursday, so we checked in with an Austin latke maven about his secrets of success.Driving the news: This weekend, Marvin Hecker will oversee the frying of roughly 700 latkes, the crispy, fried, golden potato pancakes that are a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Hanukkah" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/13/hanukkah-holiday-when-meaning-jewish-calendar" data-vars-content-id="e4413d46-d4de-4b0a-8248-45021b327f4d" data-vars-headline="How to make 700 Hanukkah latkes" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/13/hanukkah-holiday-when-meaning-jewish-calendar" target="_self">Hanukkah</a> staple, at <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Congregation Beth Israel" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2023/09/15/synagogue-beth-israel-arson-hate-crime-location" data-vars-content-id="e4413d46-d4de-4b0a-8248-45021b327f4d" data-vars-headline="How to make 700 Hanukkah latkes" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2023/09/15/synagogue-beth-israel-arson-hate-crime-location" target="_self">Congregation Beth Israel</a>.

Gift guide: Local items for everyone on your list

Austin-area businesses offer the perfect gifts for your loved ones.

Holidays

There&#x27;s no shortage of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Austin" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/austin/news" data-vars-content-id="8ebb426e-8f9f-4cbd-9bd9-8a6656731411" data-vars-headline="Gift guide: Local items for everyone on your list" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/austin/news" target="_self">Austin</a>-area businesses offering the perfect gifts for your loved ones.<ul><li>Here&#x27;s a sampling:</li></ul>