Big divides over issues like inflation and crime — and a growing religious and cultural dissonance with progressives — are eroding Latinos' decades-long loyalty to the Democratic Party, injecting a major wildcard into the 2022 midterms and beyond.

The big picture: Latino Democrats and political consultants have warned for years that the Democratic Party was taking Latino voters for granted.

• They've said the party doesn't invest enough in developing Latino candidates, runs condescending voter targeting and focuses on issues that don't resonate with many Hispanic voters, like banning plastic grocery bags or radically revamping policing.

Zoom in: In South Texas, Republicans have made recent gains — notably, in the 34th congressional district, a Democratic stronghold Mayra Flores flipped in a June special election, making her the first Mexican-born woman in Congress.

What they're saying: Latino voters in South Texas are unique compared to those in the rest of the state, according to Jason Villalba, a former GOP state lawmaker and CEO of the Texas Hispanic Policy Foundation.

• Latino voters in the region fill a number of oil and gas jobs and work in law enforcement, including the Border Patrol — so they bristle at Democratic messaging around renewable energy, defunding the police and loosening border security policies, Villalba said.
• "Democrat politics are largely driven by the national narrative," he added. The GOP, by contrast, "will often tailor messaging for a region and seize upon these unique differences among communities."

But, but, but: While Villalba expects there will continue to be a "slight trend" toward Latino South Texans voting for GOP candidates, "I don't think it's as much as the red wave that the Texas Republican Party would like people to believe."

• Low turnout among Latinos can lead to incorrect conclusions that voters in the region are turning Republican, Sylvia Gonzalez-Gorman, a political science professor at the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley, warned.

We contributed to an Axios deep dive on conservative Latino voters across the country. Read the full report.

Employees of Via 313 pizzerias say they have a "supermajority" of workers prepared to vote in favor of unionizing.

The big picture: The workers are part of three Via 313 locations — East 6th Street, Oak Hill and North Campus — and have filed for an election through the National Labor Relations Board.

• The three locations organized through a new, independent union called Restaurant Workers United.
• Roughly 100 workers — or more than 75% of union-eligible employees — support the move, according to a union spokesperson.

Why it matters: Workers at the Austin pizza chain have previously protested about working conditions and lack of communication during COVID surges. Management responded to protests by saying the restaurants were following all CDC protocols during the pandemic.

What they're saying: Employees say they're seeking to unionize to pursue living wages, sick pay, reliable scheduling, job security and other benefits.

• "I have a really strong sense of community with my coworkers, and I see us all struggle," said John Cuvillier, vice president of Restaurant Workers United and an employee at the Oak Hill location. "We don't deserve that because we work so hard, and we deserve a voice in the job."
• Via 313 did not respond to an Axios request for comment.

Zoom out: The move follows a national trend of growing unionizing efforts in a variety of industries — including newspapers and coffee shops in Austin.

What's next

🐾 Conflicts between the Austin Animal Center and Austin Pets Alive! — as well as overcrowding and staffing issues — are threatening the city's no-kill status. (Austin Chronicle)

💰 Austin and two dozen other Texas cities are suing Netflix, Disney and Hulu over fees the communities say the streaming services owe them. (Texas Tribune)

🏛 Vice President Kamala Harris is leaning on Latina state legislators, including those in Texas, to create "a diverse coalition to combat the attacks" on abortion rights. (Axios)

⚖️ Even though Austin-based Infowars broadcaster Alex Jones was ordered to pay more than $45 million in punitive defamation damages on Friday, conspiracy theorists with profitable media empires are here to stay. (New York Times)

More than half of families are planning to cut back on back-to-school shopping this year due to rising inflation, according to a new national survey from real estate and retail management firm JLL.

Driving the news: Austin public schools start up again next week.

Why it matters: The rising cost of clothing and other goods is putting more parents in a pinch this school year, especially families with lower incomes. And businesses are getting squeezed by the shift in shopping habits.

Between the lines: Most parents are turning to bargain hunting, coupon clipping and shopping secondhand to save on supplies, according to JLL.

• Half say they plan to focus on just the necessities.

Zoom in: Here's Austin ISD's Clint Small Middle School's list of required supplies:

• Lots of pens and pencils
• Six composition books
• One or two combination locks for gym locker/band locker
• Wired headphones that plug into Chromebooks
• Backpack
• Water bottle
• One folder

Of note: School wish-list items include sanitizing wipes and masks.

How you can help: KXAN has a roundup of ways to donate school supplies for kids around Central Texas.

💼 See who's hiring around the city.

1. Software Delivery Manager at Nesco Resource.
2. Digital Marketing Manager at CareerArc.
3. Direct Account Manager - US at HomeToGo.

Want more opportunities? Check out our Job Board.

Hiring? Post a job.

Speaking of school's return, it's the time of year to feel wistful affection for the milestones of childhood.

From classic cardigans to stone-washed denim — here's a look at local back-to-school fashions through the decades.

1952

1979

1994