Austin, TX
Local advocacy forum challenges billionaire policies ahead of state capitol protest
AUSTIN, Texas — Ahead of a protest at the state capitol Thursday, the low-income advocacy nonprofit VOCAL-TX hosted a forum to push back against billionaire policies being instituted both nationally and right here in Austin.
VOCAL-TX may have only formally formed in 2022, but their advocacy for the poorest among us goes back years.
“We knew that in order to really tackle the issues that we were working on, we needed to build political power and change policies,” Co-Director Paulette Soltani said. “building power with people who are low income, impacted by homelessness, the war on drugs, mass incarceration and AIDS.”
They partnered with the Austin Justice Coalition Wednesday to host the “Fight Back Against Billionaires” forum.
“When you have the richest people in our country pushing for policies that privatize our education system or privatize our housing so people can’t even afford to live, there’s a problem,” Soltani said.
While billionaires like Elon Musk on the national stage may come to mind…
“We have a majority of the public vote – voting for President Trump,” Musk, speaking at the White House earlier this week, said. “We won the House, we won the Senate. The people voted for major government reform. There should be no doubt about that.”
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Chas Moore with the A.J.C. says what’s scarier are the influences being seen here in Austin at the state and local level.
“There are many institutions that are also in step with this oligarchy that’s forming in the country,” Moore said. “We all need to be made aware and fight back.”
VOCAL-TX criticized the Austin-based Cicero Institute for pushing legislation that would criminalize public camping outdoors, something the United States Supreme Court affirmed last summer.
“We simply aren’t putting the right policies towards tackling these issues in our state,” Soltani said. “Instead, we see a lot of our leaders using policies of criminalizing people, ticketing, arresting people, who simply can’t afford to pay their rent in our state.”
The Cicero Institute calls itself a nonpartisan public policy organization. Its chairman is entrepreneur and venture capitalist Joe Lonsdale.
We reached out to the Cicero Institute for comment, who in a statement told CBS Austin:
“We work on a variety of issues important to Texans, including homelessness. Unfortunately, over the last couple of decades, government funding in this area has focused on drawn-out housing projects that deprioritize immediate services for vulnerable people who find themselves in dangerous circumstances. As my colleague Devon Kurtz remarked, this has turned into a full-blown humanitarian crisis. We all know someone who is struggling that we could name right now. It’s a painful reality and a stark reminder that we need compassionate solutions. Leaving people to suffer while waiting years for housing that may never come is not compassionate, and voters across thenation agree.
VOCAL-TX panelists say the legislation the Cicero Institute is proposing isn’t compassionate either.
“They’re lobbying in our state house right now during the legislative session, and that’s what we hope people walk away from our town hall tonight, kind of being a little bit more educated about what’s happening at the state capitol,” Soltani said.
VOCAL-TX will be gathering on the steps of the Texas State Capitol Thursday from noon until 3:30 to push for housing reform and compassionate service.
MANOR, Texas — Multiple agencies are at the scene of a “major” crash on FM 973 in Manor.
Manor police reported the crash at around 4:48 a.m., saying that responders are on scene of a collision in the 11700 block of North FM 973 Road near Lagos Elementary School.
Police say the road is closed in both directions while officials work the scene.
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Manor PD, the Travis County Sheriff’s Office, Texas DPS, Travis County ESD 12, and Austin-Travis County EMS are also at the scene, according to police.
CBS Austin has reached out to officials from the responding agencies for more information.
This is a developing story.
AUSTIN, Texas – A 28-year-old Austin woman who was reported missing earlier this week has been located, according to the Austin Police Department.
What we know:
Police announced Saturday that Ghadah Alharbi has been found following a public appeal for information about her whereabouts.
Alharbi was last known to have contacted family members by phone around 8 p.m. on June 16. Her disappearance was described by investigators as out of character, prompting concern from both her family and the Austin Police Department.
Authorities said she had left her vehicle at her residence in Central Austin near Mueller and was known to use ride-share services for transportation.
Dig deeper:
The Austin Police Department’s Missing Persons Unit had requested the public’s assistance in locating Alharbi on Friday, citing concerns for her well-being.
In an update released Saturday, police confirmed Alharbi had been located but did not provide additional details about where she was found or the circumstances surrounding her disappearance.
Police thanked the community and media for their assistance and cooperation.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by Austin police.
Following controversial comments from head coach Steve Sarkisian and recruiting battles with other contending teams, the Texas Longhorns have once again found themselves in the national spotlight ahead of the 2026-27 season.
Just like this time 365 days ago, the Longhorns are the favorites to win the SEC Championship by the time the postseason rolls around, as well as be contenders for the national championship — despite failing to gain a playoff berth in 2025.
Ahead of the 2025 season, Texas’ preseason hype centered around quarterback Arch Manning and his first year at the helm of the Longhorns’ offense. Despite predictions that Manning would win the Heisman and be the first pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Longhorns went on to a nine-win regular season with steady, ongoing improvements in Manning’s performance.
Now, the attention from national media seems due to the “all-in” season that the Longhorns are looking toward, with a huge roster turnover through the transfer portal suggesting that this is the make-or-break year for Texas — and Manning — to achieve any national championship hopes.
However, a “make-or-break” season isn’t necessarily what’s ahead for Texas in 2026.
Texas’ Championship Hopes Aren’t Necessarily Over After 2026
It’s fair to assume that the Longhorns are going all in for a national championship in 2026, given the emphasis on experienced transfer portal talent, coaching staff changes and even talk from some players about what the team’s goals are over the offseason.
But considering 2026 as the Longhorns’ last chance for a trophy in the immediate future isn’t as easily justifiable, especially when Texas may not be considering much of a rebuild after this season ends. Sarkisian himself didn’t deny that Manning may come back for another year with Texas in 2027, and many key playmakers on both offense and defense have several more years of eligibility left.
Especially looking at Texas’ incoming class of freshmen and history with the transfer portal, it’s likely that the Longhorns are setting themselves up for longevity more than immediate success. If Manning does decide to declare for the 2027 NFL Draft, incoming freshman quarterback Dia Bell will be an exciting prospect for Texas to bank on when looking for its next offensive leader.
It’s natural that the Longhorns should continue to generate national excitement, especially with the newest five-star commit to the 2027 class. Even so, Texas has a habit of bucking the trends and national predictions. The pressure was on in 2025 to win a national championship in Manning’s first year as a starter, and as more mock drafts continue to slate him as a first-rounder, that pressure has only heightened in what most onlookers see as his last year playing college football.
Whether the Longhorns will buckle under that pressure this go-around will be seen, starting with their home opener against Texas State on Sept. 5.
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