Austin officials have until today to confirm they will not restrict cooperation between city police and ICE — or they risk losing $2.5 million in state grants, per a threat from Gov. Greg Abbott's office.

Why it matters: Mayor Kirk Watson has called Abbott's threat "political theater," but it revives questions about how much power locally elected officials have to steer city policy.

• Abbott also threatened Dallas and Houston.

Driving the news: Council members are scheduled to talk with city lawyers today about issues related to SB 4, a 2017 state law that requires local police to cooperate with federal immigration authorities like ICE.

• An April 16 letter from the governor's office asked Watson "to confirm that the city will not enforce, and will act to repeal" a March update to its guidelines regarding cooperation with ICE.
• Failure to do so could result in the termination of state public safety grants, says the letter.
• The city was awarded roughly $2.5 million in such grants in fiscal year 2026. If the grants are terminated, the city will be required to repay the entire amount, per the letter.

Catch up quick: Earlier this year, the Austin Police Department announced new rules for when and how officers call ICE if someone they detained has a noncriminal immigration warrant.

• The rules were updated after APD in January called ICE during an encounter with a Honduran woman and her 5-year-old U.S. citizen daughter, which led to their deportation — and public backlash.
• The rules bar "unreasonably prolonging a detention" in order to contact ICE.

What they're saying: "Our APD officers do not have the capacity — and should not be asked — to do the jobs of other entities," Mayor Kirk Watson wrote on X last week. "There is great irony that the state would try to punish the city for providing services that keep Austinites safe by threatening grants that keep Austin safe."

Between the lines: Grants in jeopardy include one that provides services to police officers who experience trauma on the job, per the mayor's office.

• Other grants on the line aide survivors of sexual assault and improve the ability to respond to violent crimes against women.

Editor's note: This story was written by University of Texas student Catalina Lopez for Axios Austin.

Teens today have more access to financial information from TikTok, YouTube and beyond, but not all of it is reliable.

Why it matters: April is Financial Literacy Month — an effort to encourage conversations around money — and local advisors say that flood of information is pushing more Austin families to start money conversations earlier.

What they're saying: "There are a lot of voices out there," Terry Flesher, a senior financial consultant with Charles Schwab in Austin, tells Axios.

• "Too many of them are promoting 'get rich quick' approaches," he adds.

Zoom in: Schwab officials say they're seeing increased interest in Austin families seeking ways to provide teenagers a stronger financial foundation with investing.

• Workshops and one-on-one guidance are available through the local branch, though the broader shift is happening at home, Flesher says.

Pro tip for parents: Ask your teen about what they're interested in, whether it's a brand they love or a technology they're excited about, Flesher says.

• "You don't need to be a financial expert," he says. "Start with a conversation."

The bottom line: "Investing teaches teens critical life skills," Flesher says.

• "They learn to research and evaluate information before making decisions. They also learn about risk and understanding that not every decision will work out perfectly and that's OK."

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🍗 Parish Barbecue food truck will move from Batch Craft Beer & Kolaches to Austin Beerworks' Sprinkle Valley location. (Austin American-Statesman 🔒)

🏥 Central Health will open its new flagship location Friday at the former Sears store in Hancock Center. (KUT)

💰 The U.S. Department of Labor recovered more than $63,000 in back wages and damages for employees of Beto's Restaurant and Bar. The restaurant is accused of failing to pay overtime and made illegal deductions from tipped workers' wages. (KVUE)

🌳 Austin Parks and Recreation lifted burning restrictions for all city parklands. (KXAN)

Here's what's on deck this weekend.

Friday

📖 Take the kids to Laguna Gloria's Arty Party for a celebration of rhyming and patterns. 10-11am, free.

🪿 Catch Goose during their "An Evening With Goose" tour at Moody Center. 7pm, $46.

Saturday

🎺 Enjoy two days of live music at Austin Blues Festival at Moody Amphitheater. Doors open at 11:30am and single-day tickets start at $95.

Sunday

🚲 Learn how to repair your bike at the Central Library during a hands-on bicycle maintenance and repair clinic from Yellow Bike Project. Assistance is first-come, first serve for one-on-one 30-minute sessions. 1-4pm, free.