🤝 Monday, we meet again.

☀️ Today's weather: Sunny and hot, with a high above 100.

⚾️ Situational awareness: Boerne must win four straight games today through Thursday to avoid elimination in the Little League World Series after losing on Friday.

Today's newsletter is 1,005 words — a 4-minute read.

More people in Bexar County have moved off the streets and into housing in recent years, but progress in addressing homelessness remains slow.

Why it matters: Rising housing costs and limited affordable housing options are significant factors in homelessness in the San Antonio area, per this year's point-in-time count report.

The latest: Close to Home, a nonprofit that provides funding and data to address homelessness in Bexar County, released the annual report last week.

How it works: The count is a snapshot of how many people are experiencing homelessness on a given night.

• It helps determine how much federal funding local agencies receive to address homelessness.

Yes, but: This year's count was conducted in late January during extreme winter weather. As a result, Close to Home changed how it counted people, and says this year's report can't be directly compared to last year's count of people without shelter.

• The organization counted people staying in emergency winter weather shelters, instead of people who are unsheltered and living on the streets.

State of play: This year's report focuses on multiyear trends going back to 2022.

Zoom in: The data suggests some people could be getting the help they need. The number of people returning to homelessness decreased 18% from 2022 to 2025.

• Meanwhile, the number of people who moved from being unsheltered on the streets to living in permanent housing increased 11%.

Flashback: Towne Twin Village, a first-of-its-kind housing development offering on-site support for people who have experienced chronic homelessness, opened on the East Side in 2023.

Reality check: More people in Bexar County are seeking homeless services than the area has the capacity to serve, per the report.

• Requests for homelessness assistance increased about 4.5% from 2022 to 2025.

What they're saying: "We know more about what is driving homelessness, where the gaps in our system exist, and which strategies are helping people return to stable housing," Katie Wilson, Close to Home CEO, said in a statement.

• "Our next step is making sure we align our resources and our community around one plan to accelerate that progress."

Amid rising rabies cases, including one in a pet dog, city officials are sharing tips to help protect your furry friends.

Catch up quick: The rabies in the pet dog is the first such case in Bexar County in more than a decade, the city said last week.

• The dog's owner said the pet killed a skunk weeks before it tested positive for rabies.

By the numbers: San Antonio is currently seeing an outbreak of rabies in wild animals, including skunks, raccoons and foxes. There have been at least 22 reported cases this June and July, compared to just two to three cases reported over each of the same months in 2024 and 2025, per the city.

Officials with the city's Animal Care Services and Metro Health recommend:

• Keeping pets up to date on rabies vaccinations.
• Not allowing dogs to roam freely.
• Not feeding, touching or handling wildlife or unknown animals.
• Confining a pet that may have encountered wildlife.
• Immediately washing the affected area thoroughly if you are bitten or scratched by a potentially infected animal.

The bottom line: After a potential exposure to rabies, seek prompt medical evaluation and treatment. The viral disease is almost always fatal once symptoms appear.

A super PAC linked to Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz launched a more than $1.7 million ad campaign Friday to boost Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton.

Why it matters: Paxton needs the backup. The Texas Senate race is now rated a "toss-up," and Democratic nominee James Talarico keeps raking in the cash.

Driving the news: Cruz's Truth and Courage PAC will spend more than $1.7 million on broadcast TV and Fox News in Houston as well as on college football in Dallas and Houston.

• The ad focuses on Chinese purchases of Texas farmland, attacking Talarico for opposing legislation to ban the practice.
• "Communist China is buying up Texas," the narrator says.

What we're watching: Neither the National Republican Senatorial Committee nor the top Senate leadership super PAC, Senate Leadership Fund, have made any ad reservations in Texas since the May primary runoff.

• Both groups backed Republican U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, who lost to Paxton, during the primary.

🛣️ A new "diverging diamond" interchange is expected to open today at Loop 1604 and Blanco Road on the North Side. (KSAT)

⚡ The Electric Reliability Council of Texas is eying December completion of an audit of data centers requested by Gov. Greg Abbott. (TPR)

😋 Crust Pizza Co., a Chicago tavern-style pizza chain, is opening San Antonio locations in Stone Oak and Alamo Ranch. Opening dates have not been announced. (MySA)

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👋 It's Megan! Slow Ride is the neighborhood bar we all need, with a laid-back atmosphere and drinks more affordable than many other spots these days.

State of sips: Dubbed a "neighborhood lounge," Slow Ride opened in Government Hill about two years ago, and has kept a low profile ever since.

The vibe: Easygoing. Play darts or pool indoors, or drink a Lone Star out back at the picnic tables.

• The whole place has a retro feel, with wood-paneled walls, large booths and lots of vintage art.

What to try: An old fashioned ($10). There's nothing fancy here, and that's the way it's meant to be — just a solid drink for a good deal while you hang with friends.

• I've lived in Wisconsin, so you know I'm picky about an old fashioned. It doesn't need to be fussy.

Six-word review: Simple but solid modern dive bar.

Thanks to our editors Astrid Galván and Bob Gee.

🏖️ Madalyn is out.

🏊 Megan is glad she squeezed in another trip to the Blue Hole in Wimberley over the weekend.