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Texas Is Already Reaping The Benefits Of Clemson Transfer Andrew Mukuba

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Texas Is Already Reaping The Benefits Of Clemson Transfer Andrew Mukuba


Andrew Mukuba has made a name for himself since returning to Austin, but he didn’t have to. After starting at safety for three years at Clemson, Mukuba returned to his hometown to play for the Texas Longhorns in his senior year.

Mukuba has been known in the Austin football world since his high school days when he played for the LBJ Jaguars and coach Jahmal Fenner, the Director of High School Relations at Texas. During his career at Clemson, he recorded 149 tackles, one sack, one interception and two fumble recoveries.

He earned Freshman All-American honors due to his outstanding play, starting 10 games his freshman season. After three years at Clemson, he brought his talents back to Austin to play his final year for the Longhorns.

On Thursday, head coach Steve Sarkisian addressed the media and said Mukuba’s experience was just what he needed to fill the gaps left by players leaving in the transfer portal or to the NFL draft. In just two games in the burnt orange, his impact has already been felt.

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Against Michigan, he had four tackles and one interception, lighting up any Michigan player who dared to run in his direction.

“We wanted to try to find an experienced safety,” Sarkisian said. “It just happened that an experienced safety from from Austin, from LBJ High School, from a really good program at Clemson got in the portal, and then, had some natural connections to him on our team. “

Mukuba stretches during practice alongside fellow Austinite and defensive back Michael Taaffe.

Andrew Mukuba (4) defensive back for the Texas Longhorns stretches at practice at Frank Denius Fields on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024 in Austin. / Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK

During his high school days, Mukuba trained with senior Jahdae Barron and junior Michael Taaffe, both standout defensive backs for the Longhorns. While his relationship with his teammates was not the deciding factor in coming back to Austin, it helped him fight right in.

Not only did Sarkisian praise Mukuba’s in-game abilities, but also his versatility and practice qualities. Mukuba not only played safety for the Tigers, but also the STAR position, adding more depth to Texas’ already strong defense.

“The thing I’ve learned about Andrew is he is a heck of a practice player, and he practices hard, he practices physical, but he practices smart,” Sarkisian said. “He stays off the ground, and his practice habits and his preparation habits carry over to the game, and that’s why he puts himself in really good positions in the game and it’s allowed him to make some of the plays that he’s made so far.”

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Since Mukuba joined the Longhorns, his impact has been felt on the field. His experience playing college football at a high level has allowed him to rub off on his Texas teammates and improve many aspects of the Texas secondary.



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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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