Texans receiving SNAP benefits are no longer able to buy most sweetened beverages and candy with the money.

Why it matters: The changes apply to all 3.3 million Texans who have SNAP benefits, sometimes known as food stamps, and are intended to encourage healthier eating.

Context: The Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 379 last year to cut candy and sweetened drinks from SNAP.

How it works: Drinks are considered sweetened if they have more than 5 grams of sugar or any amount of artificial sweetener, per the new restrictions.

• The candy restriction includes chocolate bars, sour candy, gum and taffy.
• Also no longer covered: nuts, raisins or fruits that have been candied, glazed or coated with chocolate, yogurt or caramel.

What they're saying: "By implementing these changes, we encourage better nutrition and ensure this program helps families access nutritional food," Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement.

The other side: Advocacy group Every Texan says the new rules — combined with a proposed federal rule that would increase the minimum number of staple food varieties and perishable foods that SNAP retailers must carry — could push some retailers to opt out of the program.

Reality check: Fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, dairy products and other pantry staples are still covered by SNAP.

• Medical-grade electrolyte drinks are also covered.

Zoom in: The San Antonio Food Bank and Boeing are hosting an Easter drive-thru food distribution tomorrow. It's part of an ongoing push to help families facing food insecurity across San Antonio.

What's next: The state will need to survey SNAP recipients before and after the policy changes to determine if the changes encouraged healthier food choices, per SB 379.

Management and business professionals are most likely to own a home in the San Antonio area, according to a National Association of Realtors analysis of Census Bureau data shared exclusively with Axios.

The big picture: Homeownership trends in San Antonio mostly mirror national patterns, though the region stands out for gains in homeownership among health care employees — and declines among service workers.

Zoom in: Management and business workers still have the highest homeownership rate at 73%, but that's down from 75% a decade ago.

• Health care workers saw the biggest jump in homeownership, rising from 56% in 2014 to 68% in 2024 — well above the national trend, which was flat.
• Sales and real estate workers also saw a modest increase, from 56% to 58%, in line with national gains.
• Meanwhile, rates declined for several fields, including STEM professionals (down from 69% to 61%) and transportation and public safety workers (down from 59% to 55%).

The intrigue: Nationally, service workers have the lowest homeownership rate but saw the highest jump since 2014, rising from 43% to 46%.

• But in San Antonio, that trend reversed — with rates falling from 51% to 48%, even as the city remains above the national figure.

Zoom out: Nationwide, the overall homeownership rate is about 65%.

Reality check: "It's not just about jobs. It's really about where those jobs are located, and how affordable housing is in those markets," NAR principal economist Nadia Evangelou tells Axios.

The bottom line: "There are not enough homes at the price point people can afford to buy, and that's pushing even strong earners out of homeownership," Evangelou says.

⭐ Spurs star Victor Wembanyama won his third straight Western Conference Defensive Player of the Month award for March, his fourth overall. (Instagram)

🔎 The San Antonio Police Department launched a forensic genetic genealogy program, backed by more than $1 million in federal funding, to help solve long-standing cold cases. (SA Report)

🚗 A KSAT viewer recorded a Waymo going the wrong way in an Alamo Heights ISD school zone on Wednesday, sparking safety concerns.

• Waymo confirmed the incident and said it is working on fixes. (Express-News 🔑)

👋 Hey, it's Madalyn! A last-minute pivot recently turned into one of the best meals I've had in a while.

The latest: Aguazul, a seafood restaurant, made waves when it opened in February in a former strip club near Vance Jackson Road.

• I showed up at Goro's Sushi and found it closed. Hangry and hankering for seafood, I was relieved to find Aguazul just seconds away.

Dig in: As one Yelper put it, "This is a seafood restaurant with a menu as large as the line on 1604 on a Friday at 5pm. They have everything — and when I say everything, I mean E-VE-RY-THING!"

• They're not exaggerating. It was genuinely hard to pick a plate.
• They even have sushi. But with options ranging from fried fish to ceviche to pastas to eye-popping seafood cocktails, my sushi craving didn't stand a chance.

What to try: Fried fish filet topped with ceviche ($14.99). It's the kind of dish you keep going back to for "one more bite."

• The shrimp enchiladas verdes ($12.99). It's the classic, tangy verde flavor, loaded with shrimp. I'm still thinking about the perfectly fluffy rice on the side.

Six-word review: Easily my new favorite fish spot.