U.S. student visa denials hit a decade high in 2025, contributing to enrollment declines that could cost Texas universities an estimated $133.2 million annually, per a recent report.

Why it matters: Fewer international students can also mean a weaker pipeline of global talent fueling long-term U.S. economic growth.

By the numbers: Visa refusal rates rose to 35% in 2025 — the highest in a decade — after years of relative stability, per Shorelight, a company that helps international students apply to U.S. schools.

• For students from parts of Africa and South Asia, denial rates were as high as 84% in 2025.

Zoom in: Texas is among the states with the largest projected tuition losses tied to declining international enrollment, according to Shorelight's analysis.

Between the lines: The data aligns with what NAFSA: Association of International Educators is seeing nationally. New international student enrollment fell 17% nationally last fall, Rachel Banks, senior director for public policy and legislative strategy at NAFSA, tells Axios.

• In Texas, that translated to a $65 million economic loss tied to fewer incoming students — reflecting a slowdown in new arrivals, not total international student contributions.

Reality check: San Antonio lags other Texas metros in attracting international students. That means less immediate financial exposure, but also less access to a shrinking pipeline.

• During the 2024-2025 academic year, the University of Texas at Austin generated more than $242 million annually from international students, compared to about $41 million at UT San Antonio.

State of play: Visa processing is strained by competing priorities, including expanded travel bans and the State Department's focus on World Cup travel.

Charli XCX, Rüfüs Du Sol and Lorde are among the headliners of this year's Austin City Limits Music Festival.

Driving the news: Organizers released the lineup for the two-weekend festival yesterday.

• Tickets for both weekends — Oct. 2-4 and Oct. 9-11 — are now on sale. Three-day GA tickets sold out for weekend one by yesterday afternoon. Three-day tickets for weekend two start at $365.

The big picture: The festival, which started as a two-day event featuring many local bands and dominated by indie rock and Americana, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

Zoom in: Also among the headliners are Twenty One Pilots and The xx.

• DJ and producer Skrillex will perform weekend one, and Kings of Leon will perform weekend two.

Other notable acts include:

• Baltimore hardcore punk breakout Turnstile
• Genre-bending British producer and singer Labrinth
• Grammy award-winner Lola Young
• Chart-topping EDM-pop duo The Chainsmokers
• Brooklyn indie rock band Geese
• Puerto Rican Latin trap star Young Miko
• Jack Antonoff's New Jersey rock band Bleachers
• Dance-pop duo Sofi Tukker
• Australian electro-pop band Parcels
• Philadelphia rock band The War on Drugs
• R&B singer-songwriter and producer Leon Thomas
• The Killers frontman turned solo act Brandon Flowers (weekend one)

The intrigue: Several headliners — including Kings of Leon, Skrillex and Lorde — are returning to ACL after previous appearances.

Between the lines: The lineup leans toward alt-pop and genre-spanning headliners, without a single blockbuster pop star.

🏗️ The iconic Pig Stand near Pearl was demolished yesterday as a local developer moves forward with plans for a hotel at the site. (KSAT)

💸 Bexar County commissioners agreed to give the owners of the San Antonio Missions a $10 million loan to plug a gap in paying for a new downtown baseball stadium.

• The city and county are already paying for 79% of the ballpark's cost. (Express-News 🔑)

🐘 Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton leads U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in the Senate Republican runoff by 3 percentage points, per a new poll. (Texas Tribune)

👋 Megan here! Yemeni coffee shops are picking up steam in San Antonio.

The intrigue: One of the latest additions is Haraz Coffee House, which opened in February in the Medical Center. The chain started in Dearborn, Mich., in 2021 and now has around 50 locations nationwide.

The vibe: It's bright and airy with white walls and floors, boho pendant lights and lots of seating.

What to try: The pistachio latte ($7.95).

Six-word review: Velvety top with distinctly nutty flavor.

Zoom out: There are at least three Yemeni coffee shops in San Antonio. Qatra Specialty Coffee was the first to open last year, and Qamaria Yemeni Coffee Co. opened in March. All are near the Medical Center.

What's next: Haraz is planning a second San Antonio location on the Far West Side that could open this month.

• I'm headed back to try a sweet treat and a cloud matcha.

Speaking of coffee, new research from Texas A&M University shows how drinking it may offer safeguards from the effects of aging and chronic disease.

Why it matters: While coffee has long been connected to positive health outcomes, like reduced risk of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, the Texas researchers are some of the first to show how.

Zoom in: Compounds in coffee may work by activating a protein in the body that's part of a family of receptors that help regulate our gene activity in response to stress.

• The protein is involved in inflammation, metabolism and tissue repair — all tied to age-related diseases.

What they're saying: "If you damage almost any tissue, [the protein] responds to bring that damage down," Stephen Safe, distinguished professor and Sid Kyle Endowed Chair in Veterinary Toxicology in the university's Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, said in a statement.

• "If you take that receptor away, the damage is worse."

💭 Megan's thought bubble: It's nice to think that drinking coffee daily may help ensure I have even more days in my life left to keep drinking coffee.