Austin, TX
Bill to ban gender-affirming care stalls in Texas House for the second time
Almost two hours after Senate Invoice 14 was dropped at the Home ground on Might 5, Rep. Mary González, D-Clint, raised some extent of order, a procedural tactic sometimes used with the intent to kill a bit of laws.
González argued that the invoice’s evaluation was “materially deceptive.”
Her level of order was profitable, and the invoice was despatched again to the Home Committee on Public Well being. The committee met briefly and voted 6-4 to ship SB 14 again to the total Home.
The Home is predicted to debate the invoice subsequent week, however an official date has not been introduced.
SB14 will probably be heard subsequent week. It gained’t be watered down. It should cross and turn into regulation.
— Dustin Burrows (@Burrows4TX) May 5, 2023
SB 14 was authored by Sen. Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels. If it turns into regulation, the invoice would prohibit docs from offering puberty-blocking treatment, hormone remedy or gender affirmation surgical procedure to anybody below the age of 18. Docs who proceed to offer these remedies could be stripped of their medical licenses, the invoice states.
Kids who’re presently receiving non-surgical remedies, like hormone remedy and puberty blockers, could be allowed to proceed, with the expectation that they might be safely “weaned off” of the remedies. Docs wouldn’t be allowed to present them new transition-related drugs or start new therapy plans.
Transition-related surgical procedures could be absolutely banned. Gender affirmation surgical procedure is often not carried out on youngsters.
The Texas Senate permitted the proposal in early April. SB 14 should additionally cross the Home earlier than heading to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk.
That is the second time Democrats efficiently delayed debate on SB 14. The Home deliberate to contemplate the invoice on Might 2, but it surely was additionally despatched again to the committee by way of some extent of order, which argued that a company talked about in a earlier evaluation of the invoice was incorrectly named.
A whole bunch of Texans each for and in opposition to SB 14 convened on the Texas Capitol on Might 2. Two LGBTQ+ advocates have been arrested throughout protests in opposition to the invoice, though the fees have been in the end dropped.
Individuals from each side of the problem as soon as once more gathered within the Home gallery to observe the proceedings on Might 5.
Austin, TX
This Texas city ranks among 10 best to live in the US. See full list, how others scored
See how the Austin skyline changes annually from ACL Fest 2024
It’s another year of Austin City Limits Music Festival, which means we have an updated photo from 2024 to show the change in Austin’s skyline since 2005.
A Texas city has been named among the top ten U.S. cities to live in over the next two years.
Ten Texas cities were included in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2025-2026 Best Places to Live list. For the annual rankings, U.S. News analyzed 150 major cities in the U.S. based on quality of life, job market, value of living and people’s desire to live in the area.
How did your city fare on the list? Here’s a breakdown of the data.
LIST: 10 best US cities to live
Texas’ capital secured a spot in the top 10 places to live, as determined by U.S. News.
- Naples, Florida
- Boise, Idaho
- Colorado Springs, Colorado
- Greenville, South Carolina
- Charlotte, North Carolina
- Raleigh, North Carolina
- Huntsville, Alabama
- Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Austin, Texas
- Boulder, Colorado
Austin offers healthy balance of work and pleasure, US News says
Austin had an overall score of 6.8 out of 10, compared to Naples’ score of 7.1. The Texas capital also scored 6.8 in the quality of life index, with a value index score of 6.3.
“With the slogan ‘Keep Austin Weird,’ this Texas city is laid-back to the point that if you’re dressing up, it must be a life event,” the U.S. News analysis says. “People here enjoy the outdoors, even more so with their dogs. Austin has a contagious vibrancy and enthusiasm.”
U.S. News notes Austin’s strongest assets are a mix of work and pleasure. The number of companies headquartered in Austin makes it attractive to working professionals, especially those in technology, government, education, and health care. But the capital is far from being “all work, no play.” Its claim as the live music capital of the world invites music lovers to take a listen, whether at the airport, along streets downtown, or at one of the approximate 200 venues throughout the area.
Austin also ranked no. 32 on U.S. News’ Best Places to Retire in 2025 list.
LIST: Best Texas cities to live
Here are the rankings and scores U.S. News gave for the ten Texas cities included in the list:
Ranking
City
Overall Score
Quality of Life
Value Index
#9
Austin
6.8
6.8
6.3
#48
McAllen
6.4
6.6
7.6
#62
El Paso
6.3
6.5
7.3
#77
Corpus Christi
6.2
5.8
7.0
#87
Brownsville
6.2
6.2
7.7
#89
San Antonio
6.1
6.1
6.8
#95
Dallas
6.1
6.4
5.6
#97
Houston
6.1
5.9
6.2
#99
Beaumont
6.1
5.5
7.3
#107
Killeen
6.0
5.9
7.3
Austin, TX
(2013) Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin •
Austin, TX
The drive by No. 3 Texas to top of SEC fueled by defense with Kentucky
AUSTIN, Texas — Look under the hood of Texas’ drive to the top of the Southeastern Conference standings in its first season in the league and it is easy to see what generates the horsepower: Defense.
Texas (9-1, 5-1 SEC) plays Kentucky (4-6, 1-6) on Saturday and the Longhorns rank No. 1 in total defense, No. 1 in fewest passing yards allowed and No. 4 in points allowed per game (11.6). With two games left in the regular season, the Longhorns are tied for first in the SEC and rank No. 3 in the College Football Playoff.
This is from the team that boasted the “All gas, no brakes” motto about explosive offense when coach Steve Sarkisian took over the program in 2021.
“I love it what we’re doing defensively,” Sarkisian said. “I don’t think our guys believe that anyone can move the ball on them, that anyone’s going to score. And that’s a beautiful thing to watch.”
Texas has allowed 10 points or less five times this season, which started with a shutout and includes two games of not allowing a touchdown. The secondary has surrendered just three passing touchdowns while taking away 15 interceptions. Senior cornerback Jahdae Barron leads the team with four.
“The experience of our secondary is what has led to this,” Sarkisian said of the turnover-to-touchdowns ratio. “We just don’t blow coverages … They make every pass feel contested.”
Texas needs a win in its final two games to stay on track for the SEC championship game and hold a position in the playoff hunt as one of the top four seeds. Kentucky would love to play the spoiler in an otherwise dismal season.
Texas will be Kentucky’s fourth opponent ranked seventh or higher. The Wildcats beat Mississippi in the first one, then lost to Georgia and Tennessee by a total of eight points. The Wildcats have played in a bowl the last eight seasons and need to win their final two games to keep that streak alive.
“I want to finish strong,” Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said.
Ewers’ final home game?
Texas junior quarterback Quinn Ewers may be playing his final home game at Texas. The three-year starter led the Longhorns to the playoff last season, then opted to return instead of turning pro. An abdomen injury has hampered his season, but Ewers has still passed for 1,898 yards and 21 touchdowns. He avoided a question from reporters if this could be his final home game. Texas will honor its seniors before kickoff.
Inside outside
Texas senior defensive tackle Alfred Collins had the best game of his career last week against Arkansas with a sack, and a forced fumble that helped closed out the victory. At 6-foot-5, 325 pounds, he has emerged as the dominant pocket pusher to compliment the edge rush of standout freshman Colin Simmons, who leads Texas with six sacks.
Waiting for Vandagriff
Ewers and Kentucky’s Brock Vandagriff were both ranked among the top high school quarterbacks in the country in the 2021 recruiting class. The Wildcats are waiting for the Georgia transfer to have a breakout game this season. He has passed for 1,542 yards, nine touchdowns and seven interceptions. His 243 yards passing in Kentucky’s win over Ole Miss were a career high.
Red zone matchup
Texas had another sluggish game on offense in last week’s win at Arkansas and now faces a Kentucky defense that rates among the best in the country when backed up near its own goal line. The Wildcats rank sixth nationally and best in the SEC in red zone defense.
Terrific tight end
For all of its speed on the edges in the passing attack, it is Texas tight end Gunnar Helm who has been the most reliable receiver from game to game. His 37 catches for a 493 yards lead the team in both categories and he has three touchdowns.
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