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Texas lawmakers discuss state Air Force to battle wildfires

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Texas lawmakers discuss state Air Force to battle wildfires


With wildfires still burning in California, Texas lawmakers are considering a plan to create a Lone Star Air Force to battle outbreaks here.

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Operators of an aerial firefighting company came to the Capitol to help lawmakers get the idea off the ground.

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The backstory:

More than 80 aircraft have been used to battle the wildfires in California. The fleet includes assets from Bridger Aerospace. Planes known as Super Scoopers were flown to LA from the company’s airbase in Montana.

“I think large fires are becoming more of an issue and year-round readiness is paramount,” said Sam Davis. 

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Davis is the CEO of Bridger Aerospace. He was in Austin on Thursday not just to talk about the California fires. His company is trying to help Texas build its own “fire response” Air Force.

“What we want folks to know is that having these assets on contract or owned or operated by the state of Texas at their disposal is the first and foremost strategy of getting ahead of these fires, pre-positioning, responding quickly and doing what we call initial attack when these fires even high threat is in place. Having them at the ready is very key,” said Davis.

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What happened during the Panhandle Wildfire hearings?

The backstory:

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State lawmakers evaluated what went wrong during the February wildfires in the Texas Panhandle. The fire was the largest in state history.

The historic wildfires burned across more than 1.2 million acres, killing two people and thousands of livestock. Not to mention, the fire destroyed hundreds of properties and farmers’ livelihoods. 

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“The big fire started when a power pole blew over, that started the Smokehouse Creek Fire. The other three fires were started in that old oil field that’s over 100 years old,” a speaker said.

The Panhandle Wildfire hearings last year is where the idea for a Texas Air Force was pitched. The recommendation came after landowners complained about the slow response, and how locally owned aircraft, at times, were grounded. 

What they’re saying:

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The Thursday briefing at the Texas Capitol by Bridger Aerospace was for legislative staffers.

“So, the conversation is how do we get aircraft pre-positioned in the state of Texas? How do we get them responding on a very initial attack when this fire happens so we can work on keeping it small,” said Mel Holtz with Bridger.

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The briefing is a chance to get out information ahead of any new hearings that may take place during the legislative session.

“I think it’s really important for the appropriators and for the emergency management people, including the governor’s office, to be engaged in these seminars, to see what their options,” said State Rep. Carl Tepper.

Tepper, a Lubbock Republican, indicated he is leaning toward some type of public private partnership.

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“You don’t just jump in the aircraft and fight fires. The aircraft have very extensive maintenance schedules. The crews have very specialized training. There’s even X-rays. The aircraft are X-rayed regularly for cracks and structural integrity. So, there’s a lot that goes into this firefighting. And owning any aircraft, any aircraft owner will tell you there’s a lot of extensive maintenance. And so, the state needs to be careful and cautious about what type of contracts we enter into, what type of aircraft we buy, if we do indeed buy any,” said Rep. Tepper.

A spokesperson for State Senator Kevin Sparks (R) Midland sent FOX 7 a statement about the briefing.

“We have a responsibility to vet and utilize the latest tools and technology to better mitigate all types of natural disasters. The heroic efforts during the 2024 Texas Panhandle wildfires showed the need for greater investment in disaster response including ground and aerial support to protect our communities. By investing in these resources, the state can lead in wildfire preparedness and relief,” said Katie Fields, the Policy Analyst for Sen. Sparks.

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An option also under consideration involves the state providing dedicated airfields and refueling pads for contracted aircraft. That kind of footprint is similar to a temporary site built at ABIA several years ago after a fire outbreak across central Texas.

“Selfishly, we want to see this done right, you know, at the state level. And I think this is the right way to see this done right. And take some of the no offense, but a little bit of the federal dysfunction out of the play,” said Davis.

What’s next:

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There was no discussion on Thursday about how much this idea would cost Texas taxpayers. 

The recommendation from the Panhandle hearing suggested allocating $50 million for six aircraft. But that amount, like the plan itself, is far from being set.

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The Source: Information from the 89th Texas Legislative session

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Austin, TX

Austin, TX venue Emo’s on the move again, AEG to take over the building

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Austin, TX venue Emo’s on the move again, AEG to take over the building


Emo’s in Austin is on the move again. 

After more than a decade at 2015 E. Riverside Drive (following the original Red River-era venue closing in 2011), Emo’s current Riverside space will be taken over by AEG Presents when the lease ends later this year. The Los Angeles, CA-based company will assume operations in January 2027 and plans to reopen the building under a new name in early 2027 following upgrades, renovations and a full rebrand.

AEG are also opening a new 4,000-cap venue nearby next spring as part of the River Park mixed-use development in southeast Austin.

C3 Presents, who reopened Emo’s at the Riverside location, say this isn’t the end of Emo’s — they’re working on a new home and plan to move the venue back to downtown Austin, with more updates to come.

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AEG Presents Vice President Robin Phillips shared the following:

There’s like no weirdness or any bad blood or anything. It just, you know, new lease and they’ll [Emo’s] go do something great. They have been important to the Austin music scene, so I have a lot of respect for them.

But I don’t think the Austin music scene or legacy is limited to one name. I know people will remember the original Emo’s and this Emo’s as, you know, both great venues… And I don’t think Austin’s music scene is just a name, it’s the artists, in my opinion.

 

A C3 spokesperson added:

Emo’s has a long history in Austin and we’ve been working behind the scenes for some time on a new home for this venue. After we wrap up at this venue in December, we will focus our efforts on our new location.

 

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Emo’s gave the following statement to Austin local news KXAN:

We’re grateful for all of the fans and artists who’ve shaped Emo’s to what it is today: a community of like-minded people who love live music. We have a vision for our future and will be moving into a new building downtown that celebrates our punk rock roots with the new amenities that fans are looking for from a venue. We’ll continue to share updates on the next chapter for Emo’s on social media.





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Austin, TX

Highly pathogenic virus found in herd of Texas dairy cows

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Highly pathogenic virus found in herd of Texas dairy cows


State and federal agriculture officials said highly pathogenic avian flu has been found in a herd of dairy cows in Texas.

What we know:

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Officials said the H5N1 virus was confirmed with laboratory tests in late May after cows at an unspecified farm became sick and milk production dropped. The dairy has since been quarantined and an investigation is underway.

This is the first case of avian flu in a Texas dairy herd this year, officials said.

What they’re saying:

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“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is confident that pasteurization is effective at inactivating H5N1, and that the commercial, pasteurized milk supply is safe,” officials at the Texas Animal Health Commission said in a statement.

A dairy cow is seen at a farm on June 1, 2026.

A dairy cow is seen at a farm on June 1, 2026. (Tim Evans/Bloomberg / Getty Images)

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Dig deeper:

H5N1 has a high rate of severe disease and death in animals that become infected.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the risk to the general public from avian flu is low. Some sporadic human infections have been reported around the world since 1997. There have been no known cases of person-to-person spreading of avian flu.

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The Source: Information in this story came from the Texas Animal Health Commission, the USDA, the FDA and the CDC.

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Austin, TX

New Texas law tightens rules for autonomous vehicle companies, including Waymo

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New Texas law tightens rules for autonomous vehicle companies, including Waymo


Self-driving cars have become a common sight on Austin streets, but a new Texas law is adding tougher requirements for the companies behind the wheelless vehicles.

Senate Bill 2807 imposes stricter rules on autonomous vehicle companies operating in the state, including state authorization, emergency response plans for law enforcement, and a public portal where residents can verify operators and file safety complaints.

The changes come as Austin continues to track incidents involving autonomous vehicles. The city’s autonomous vehicle dashboard shows 75 incidents in 2026, including a collision, eight near misses, and seven incidents of ignoring police direction.

Attorney Drew Gibbs, a partner at Slingshot Law, said one crash involved a Waymo vehicle.

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“There was a T-bone collision. A pretty serious T-bone collision where a Waymo just crashed into the side of my client’s vehicle,” Gibbs said.

ALSO| Waymo files voluntary software recall over flooded-lane risks on high-speed roads

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One of the incidents of ignoring police direction happened during the mass shooting on West Sixth Street back in March, when three people died, and 15 others were injured.

Austin Police Association President Michael Bullock said autonomous vehicles can struggle in unusual situations.

“It didn’t impede on anything in the moment, but it’s not necessarily uncommon where these vehicles don’t quite know how to deal with these one-off scenarios,” Bullock said.

The new law requires autonomous vehicle companies to be authorized by the state, to provide an emergency response plan for law enforcement, and to participate in a public-facing portal that allows the public to verify operators and submit safety complaints.

Kara Kockelman, a professor of transportation and engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, welcomed the added oversight.

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“I’m glad that the state is taking this a bit more seriously now,” she said. “It’s important not to just let others slip in without kind of meeting those basic minimums.”

Bullock said the emergency planning requirement may not make a major difference in fast-moving situations. Asked how impactful it is to have a fully laid out emergency response plan, Bullock said, “These plans are great, but it takes time to work through all of those versus the immediacy of having someone behind the wheel.”

The four autonomous vehicle companies operating in Austin — Waymo, Zoox, AV-Ride, and Tesla — are all state-authorized.

The Texas DMV said an autonomous vehicle company can lose its authorization to operate in Texas if the agency deems the vehicles are operating in a way that endangers public safety.

Waymo was contacted for comment, but had not responded.

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