Austin, TX
Thousands gather for annual Texas Rally for Life at Austin Capitol
Thousands descend on Texas capitol for pro-life march
Around 4,000 people marched down Congress Street Saturday to continue a push for even tougher abortion restrictions and to urge the funding of pro-life pregnancy centers.
AUSTIN, Texas – Roughly 4,000 people marched to the Austin Capitol Saturday carrying signs that read “Choose life” and “defund planned parenthood.”
It’s part of the annual Texas Rally for Life, which falls on the week of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion; however, that has since been overturned, and Texas now has a near-total abortion ban.
Thousands of pro-life supports march in Austin Saturday.
Local perspective:
After marching around the capitol, people dropped off baby supplies for pregnancy centers. Organizers estimate that more than 40,000 diapers and 13,000 wipes were donated.
With a near-total abortion ban in Texas and Republicans making up a majority in the Texas and U.S. House and Senate, this year’s march feels more like a victory lap for participants. They’d like to build on that.
What they’re saying:
“I hope today sends a message that we in Texas are pro-life,” said Amy O’Donnell, the communications director for Texas Alliance for Life.
“It communicates to the public, to Texans, that this issue is important and we’re speaking for the unborn,” said Kate McDonald, who was with the Leander Area Republican Women. “Those that can’t speak for themselves. It’s an important issue that we need to continue to fight for.”
They discussed funding for pro-life pregnancy centers and the Texas abortion law itself.
“We are always one election away from losing our gains, and the reality is that our work is far from over,” said O’Donnell.
Just this week, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick called on legislators to further define Texas’ law on how ill or at risk a pregnant person has to be to receive an abortion.
“We’re also working to make sure that doctors are clear of our law,” said O’Donnell. “We hear a lot of misinformation that our laws don’t save women’s lives.”
Thousands of pro-life supports march in Austin Saturday.
The other side:
Democrats have asked for clarity on this too.
“So we can ensure that those who have pregnancy complications will be able to get the health care that they need to have,” said State Representative Donna Howard (D-Austin).
While there was no counterprotest at the capitol, the ACLU of Texas said it’s still fighting back.
“At the ACLU of Texas we are committed to fighting for reproductive justice in Texas,” said Blair Wallace, the policy and advocacy strategist for the ACLU of Texas
Wallace said a top priority right now is training people through the Texas Abortion Advocacy Network to learn how to fight for pro-choice despite the state’s ban.
“We’re building a powerful movement of advocates and working to push back, you know, against things like criminalization and expanding access to care because we know that the Texas we know can exist and will exist, it just really takes all of us coming together,” said Wallace.
Austin, TX
Ragin’ Cajuns set for road debut on Monday in Austin
Posted:
Updated:
AUSTIN, Tx. (KLFY) – The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Women’s Basketball team ventures out on the road for the first time in the 2025-26 season meeting No. 4 Texas on Monday, Nov.10 in Austin, Texas.
Tipoff from the Moody Center is scheduled for 7 p.m. (CST). Live coverage is available on SECN+ and The Goat 103.3 FM/1420 AM.
The contest with the Longhorns (2-0) marks the beginning of five consecutive games away from home for the Ragin’ Cajuns (0-2) that runs through Thanksgiving Weekend. The next home appearance isn’t until the Dec. 2 Education Game.
UL and Texas meet for the first time since November 2022, a game the Longhorns won 68-45 at the Moody Center.
Louisiana’s on-court competition in the 2025-26 season began with four straight appearances at the Cajundome, splitting a combination of exhibition and two regular season games. A strong second half from Bowling Green and shooting woes of their own vs. Delta State spoiled the Ragin’ Cajuns’ opening week.
Texas, the preseason SEC favorite and 2025 Final Four participant, has won 26 straight games at Moody Center and has a 51-5 all-time record at their home arena. The Longhorns are continuing a season-opening, five-game homestand having already collected wins over UIW and No. 24 Richmond.
Latest news
Austin, TX
Central Texas under Red Flag Warning for Sunday
AUSTIN – The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for all of South Central Texas. The warning will be in effect from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.
Central Texas fire watch
NWS predicts northern winds of 15 to 30 mph with gusts up to 40 mph. Relative humidity is set to be 15-20%, along with dry vegetation. The agency says that the combination of these conditions will favor the spread of wildfires.
The Critical Fire Weather Watch comes just days after Austin and Travis County officials announced wildfire preparedness, including what’s being called No-Ember November.
For the entire month, the city and county leaders will be hosting social media and community events aimed at making sure people are aware of fire prevention practices, as well as how to be prepared when a wildfire strikes.
The city and county have also updated their Community Wildfire Prevention Plan, which looks to reduce the risk of wildfire damage by making sure communities are aware of what to do when fires spread.
Austin homes could be at risk
What they’re saying:
“This time of year, we also start seeing the grasses, which are fuel for fires, they start to cure out and go dormant for the winter months,” says Walter Flocke, a fire analyst with the Texas A&M Forest Service.
“Austin ranks 5th in the nation for the number of homes at risk for wildfire. It is important that we as community leaders take action to educate the public on this risk and steps they can take to protect themselves while we are also planning for how to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters,” says Austin Mayor, Kirk Watson.
“Specifically, this plan will access and map current wildfire hazards, vulnerabilities and hazards across the county,” says Travis County Judge Andy Brown.
One of the major factors in the new plan is community input.
“We’re not writing these plans for the community, we’re writing them with the community,” says the director of Austin Emergency Management.
What you can do:
Mayor Watson is also urging the public to enroll with Warn Central Texas, which be one of the primary ways officials will be able to notify communities of emergency events.
Any HOA’s, businesses or other community leaders are also encouraged to visit Ready Central Texas. The site will allow the public to request preparedness training for disasters.
The Source: Information in this report comes from the Texas A&M Forest Service and Central Texas officials.
Austin, TX
Hazel Coffee Co. cafe opens in Ann Arbor with Austin, Texas, vibes
ANN ARBOR, MI — A coffee shop with Austin, Texas, “vibes” has arrived in Ann Arbor.
Hazel Coffee Co, 2111 Packard St., unveiled its offerings in a soft opening Wednesday, Nov. 5, co-owner Bryan Caragay said.
“The community around here has been the most supportive,” Caragay, 29, said. “We have had dozens of people yesterday and today just say how happy they are for us that we got through it and congratulating us.”
Caragay co-owns the shop with his wife, Hailey Polidori Caragay. The two hope to make their coffee shop unique by adding a “coffee-and-community tagline.”
“We really wanted to bring that Southern hospitality to the Midwest and just have a really collaborative, creative environment,” Hailey Polidori Caragay, 29, said. “We want it to be a place people gather from all aspects of creativity.”
Hazel Coffee Co. comes after years of doorstop drop-offs and event-catering, Bryan Caragay said.
The couple, originally from the Plymouth-Canton area and both 2018 Central Michigan University graduates, started a coffee catering company in 2020 when they resided in Austin.
Bryan said his wife dropped off coffee orders door-to-door and used one espresso machine to prepare drinks at the start.
The couple moved to Ann Arbor in 2022 and transitioned their coffee business to catering carts. Bryan said they opened the coffee shop as “a home base” for patrons.
“We get a lot of people saying that they loved our coffee at our catering events but there was nowhere they could actually come and enjoy the coffee themselves,” Bryan said.
The couple “blindly moved” to Ann Arbor because the city has “similar vibes to Austin.”
They began seriously touring potential sites about two years ago, but the locations were either too expensive or “the landlords weren’t great.”
Construction of Hazel Coffee Co., named from an early memory of Hailey’s mother drinking hazelnut coffee, began in May in a vacant lot, close to YORK Food and Drink and Core Collective.
Bryan credits the coffee shop’s landlords, whom he calls “the most amazing landlords you could ever imagine,” for helping him and Hailey with the shop’s initial financial struggles.
Hailey said many local business owners have already stopped by the coffee shop and are excited to collaborate.
“We took a lot of inspiration from coffee shops down in Austin, Texas where everything is super welcoming,” Bryan said. “Our whole thing is you should be able to walk in and get a very well-dialed espresso like a specialty coffee shop would offer. But also, if you’re somebody who’s not into that and you want a chai or a matcha, we’ll be able to provide that for you as well.”
Bryan said the couple does not want customers to be judged for their drink orders.
Menu items include a cinnamon sugar latte, maple sea salt latte and other house-made drinks.
“(Customers) should expect to feel welcomed immediately when they walk in the door,” Bryan said. “They should always feel like someone has made a connection to them and that when they come in, we’re going to make sure that they leave with something they were happy with.”
Hazel Coffee Co is open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day.
The couple is also passionate about technology. In their sophomore years at CMU, they came up with Guarded Safety, a smartphone safety app that alerts users’ contacts if they feel like they’re in a dangerous situation.
The couple’s product won the October 5×5 Night pitch competition at Fenn Valley Vineyards in Fennville in 2017.
Read more: CMU students’ app to improve college safety wins 5×5 Night contest
Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page.
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