💪 Tuesday on tap!

🌤️ Today's weather: Still no reprieve — high near 10o but a "feels like" temperature as high as 105.

🤎 Situational awareness: Hispanic Heritage Month begins today. The National Museum of the American Latino has these recommendations on how to commemorate the month.

• Find city-organized events happening through Oct. 15 here.

📰 The news closest to home deserves dedicated reporting. Help power ours by becoming a member today.

Today's newsletter is 892 words — a 3.5-minute read.

COVID-19 is making its late-summer rounds in San Antonio.

Why it matters: The virus is settling into a seasonal rhythm that can still pose serious risks for vulnerable residents.

Driving the news: UT Health San Antonio began noticing an increase in local COVID cases in mid-August, based on University Health lab testing of emergency room and urgent care patients.

• "This is a meaningful surge with an increase from relatively low levels to at least moderate levels," Jason Bowling, professor and interim chief of UT Health San Antonio's Division of Infectious Diseases and director of hospital epidemiology at University Health, tells Axios.

By the numbers: State data shows COVID-related ER visits climbed sharply in August, particularly among young children.

• Among children under 2, COVID accounted for 5.3% of ER visits during the week ending Aug. 22.
• Visits have since declined but remain elevated from earlier summer levels.

Zoom out: Texas' COVID wastewater activity dropped from "very high" in late August — when it was the only state in the CDC's highest category — to "high" for the week ending Sept. 5.

• It remains among the highest levels nationwide.

Zoom in: Bowling attributes the surge to a combination of waning immunity, summer travel and students returning to classrooms.

• Late-summer bumps aren't unusual. Bowling says COVID activity has peaked around this time during the past two years.

Yes, but: It's harder to quantify the surge now that states are no longer required to report COVID cases and wastewater surveillance is more limited, Bowling says.

What's next: An updated COVID vaccine was approved in late August and is expected to become available soon.

• Bowling recommends people at higher risk of severe disease consider masking in crowded indoor settings.

Republicans have condemned, sidestepped or continued to support two Texas GOP nominees after controversial social media posts and past comments.

Catch up quick: A 2023 clip resurfaced of congressional candidate and YouTuber Brandon Herrera making vulgar comments about women. Herrera is running in a district that runs from San Antonio to El Paso.

• Herrera, addressing Moms Demand Action's Shannon Watts, said, "Just because you let somebody cream-pie you doesn't mean I have to give a s--t about your political opinions. The fact that you kept your c-m trophy doesn't make you any less wrong about the dumb s--t that you say."
• Meanwhile, Bo French, the Republican nominee for Texas Railroad Commission, drew criticism after posting a photo of students of color at a Longhorns' game, writing "I heard UT graduation this year looked like this. I didn't believe it. The problem is now obviously far worse than anyone imagined."
• He stood by the post yesterday and suggested his GOP critics were "less-conservative people."

What they're saying: Sen. John Cornyn wrote, "Are other Republican elected officials going to condemn the intolerance and racism, or look the other way while it becomes normalized."

• Gov. Greg Abbott stopped short of condemning French's post, though he said it was "not my message," and instead emphasized his support for freezing H-1B visas at universities.
• "A selective picture of Longhorn fans celebrating our biggest home victory-ever-actually shows a way that Texans unite. We all support our college football teams," Abbott said.

Read the full story

🥐 Pan & Coffee is expanding beyond Stone Oak with a new Boerne cafe expected to open by the end of this year in addition to a downtown drive-thru. (CultureMap SA)

🐕 San Antonio Animal Care Services and the Fire Department are launching free, 24/7 pet microchip scanning stations across the city to help residents reunite lost pets with their owners. (KENS)

🍜 Suck It The Restaurant will close by the end of this year after 16 years in business, citing rising costs, economic uncertainty and family and personal health challenges. (Express-News 🔑)

For one night only, The Davenport — a beloved night-out spot for a generation of San Antonians — will make a comeback on Sunday at Jue Let.

Catch up quick: The downtown bar was a nightlife staple from 2002 to 2007, and Gen Xers and elder millennials packed its dance floor.

• The Davenport closed after losing its lease, but the memories — and point-and-shoot digital camera photos — live on in buried Facebook albums.
• There's even a Facebook group called "I partied at The Davenport."

The vibe: The one-night revival is leaning all the way into nostalgia.

• Members of The Davenport's original team will reunite behind the bar, while Jue Let puts its own spin on some of the old favorites.
• An OG Davenport-era DJ will also return to the decks, bringing back the soundtrack of its heyday.

The bottom line: Prepare to party like your email address still ended in ".edu."

Thanks to our editors Astrid Galván and Bob Gee.

🪩 Madalyn is sad she never got to enjoy The Davenport — her older brother has the best memories of it.

📺 Megan really enjoyed "Sterling Point."