Axios San Antonio

June 05, 2026
💪 It's Friday, and game day. Let's show all those celebrity Knicks fans what we're made of.
🌧️ Today's weather: Another chance for rain and storms. High in the mid-80s.
Today's newsletter is 964 words — a 3.5-minute read.
1 big thing: Spurs fans rally worldwide
The Spurs' return to the NBA Finals is putting the team's global fanbase on display.
Why it matters: It's not every day Spurs fans get to see just how far the team's reach extends.
Zoom in: Thousands of miles from San Antonio, Angus Hartmann in Canberra, Australia, and Kwon Tae Sung in Seoul proudly rep the Silver and Black.
State of play: Hartmann is spending a week in San Antonio to attend the first two NBA Finals games and experience the fan culture he's only known through screens and social media.
- Hartmann tells Axios he's been a Spurs fan for nearly a decade. Thanks to the time difference, he typically watches games around 10am in Australia.
Midway through the season, he promised himself he'd travel to San Antonio if Wemby made the Finals.
- "I just didn't expect it to happen this early in his career," he tells Axios.
Meanwhile, Sung is holding down the fort in South Korea, where local Spurs fans often gather to watch games together. They stay connected through a group chat of more than 200 people.
- "I truly hope more Spurs fans around the world can see that there is real love for this team here in Korea," he tells Axios.
The vibe: Hartmann says he admires the Spurs Jackals and intentionally chose a seat near their section at the Frost Bank Center.
- "The atmosphere at Frost Bank just looks unbelievable and looks so loud, and I also love the Jackals. That's exactly what I aspire to be as a fan," he says.
- "I genuinely think there'll probably be a tear come out of my eyes, because it's just a crazy experience to know that I'm actually there."
2. New World screwworm found in Texas
A deadly cattle pest called New World screwworm has been found near San Antonio, 60 years after it was effectively eradicated in the United States.
Why it matters: The U.S. beef herd is already the smallest it's been in 75 years, and retail prices for the staple protein are at record highs.
Catch up quick: The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed the case in Zavala County, Texas — about 100 miles southwest of San Antonio — and launched an emergency response late Wednesday.
- The industry long feared an infestation in the United States after the pest — actually the burrowing larvae of a fly — was found moving north in Mexico.
The latest: Gov. Greg Abbott said he would be briefed and hold a news conference today on the state's "ongoing and aggressive response" to the matter.
Zoom in: Authorities plan to quarantine and treat the affected animals.
- The USDA's response includes emergency shipments of treatment supplies and accelerated efforts to release sterile flies to control the possible population.
Yes, but: The industry still fears devastating losses, as well as possible sharp drops in consumer demand.
- The CDC says it's rare for the New World screwworm to affect humans, but when it does, it causes bleeding sores that may need surgery.
State of play: Ground beef hit a record $6.89 a pound in May, the highest since the government started tracking it in 1984.
- The squeeze traces to three forces: a historic drought, high feed costs and consumer demand that refused to break.
What they're saying: "We are doing everything possible to protect the interests of American cattle producers," National Cattlemen's Beef Association CEO Colin Woodall said in a statement.
3. Inside the Loop
🚗 Tesla wants to build a charging hub for autonomous vehicles near Pearl, a move that could signal the arrival of its robotaxis to San Antonio. (Express-News 🔑)
💸 Hemisfair is seeking nearly $38 million in next year's city bond program — which could be about half the size of the last bond — to improve Tower Park and rehabilitate historic structures in time for a new nearby Spurs arena to be completed. (SA Report)
🛍️ Wonder, the labor-light restaurant concept, is planning its first San Antonio-area location in Schertz. It operates similarly to a food hall, but primarily for to-go orders, with limited dine-in space. (CultureMap SA)
4. 🕰️ Your old-timey faves
Last week, we wrote about spots around town that feel frozen in time: the cheap snacks at San Antonio Shoes and handmade paletas at El Paraiso Ice Cream.
We asked you about San Antonio places that similarly feel like childhood in the best way. Here's what you had to share.
🛼 "Rollercade has been around forever," Elaine D. says.
- Elaine, it's 67 years to be exact! The nostalgic "Skate" sign, designed by advertising executive Lionel Sosa in 1958, is still there.
⛽ "Three still standing are Thousand Oaks Cafe on Austin Highway and Ken's Texaco on Austin Highway (where they still provide full service)," Court T. says, adding that the "grande dame" is the Majestic Theatre.
🍽️ "The Tip Top Cafe on Fredericksburg Road," Kenneth S. says.
- "Delicious and huge chicken fried steak, old wood-paneled walls, fabulous old neon sign outdoors, waitresses who've worked there for years. It's a great place to eat and take in the nostalgia."
The bottom line: San Antonio history is hiding in plain sight.
5. 🍩 1 Pride pick to go
Bakery Lorraine is celebrating Pride Month with a sweet treat.
State of sweets: The rainbow doughnut ($5) is available all month at all Bakery Lorraine locations.
The bottom line: It's a way to support organizations serving the LGBTQ+ community.
- Net proceeds from each purchase will go to Thrive Youth Center, The Quell Community Foundation and Boerne Pride Walk.
Thanks to our editors Astrid Galván and Bob Gee.
😵💫 Madalyn is finding it hard to keep up with her running schedule during the NBA Finals.
😆 Megan is laughing about Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones giving some churros to Charles Barkley in a playful dig.
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