Austin, TX
Waymo Austin public safety concerns rise
It’s been just over a year since Waymo rolled out its partnership with Uber, and its presence has rapidly expanded across Austin. There are now about 300 of the sleek white vehicles with black spinning tops driving around city streets, a level of ubiquity the company asserts is improving safety for pedestrians and drivers.
Not everyone is sold. Some city leaders say the vehicles can, at times, hinder public safety. In the wake of several high-profile incidents over the past 12 months — including the recent death of a beloved duck, an incident in which a Waymo vehicle blocked an ambulance responding to the shooting at Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden and reports of autonomous vehicles unsafely passing school buses — skepticism is growing about whether the technology is ready for widespread use. City leaders also say the companies can be opaque about how their systems operate. The latest example: Waymo declined the city’s request to attend a Wednesday special meeting to discuss public safety.
“Thanks for printing out the ‘Reserved for Waymo’ signs,” Council Member Zo Qadri said, referencing empty chairs in front of the dais. “Waymo sadly did not show up.”
Despite growing skepticism at City Hall, local lawmakers have limited authority after Texas banned cities from regulating autonomous vehicles in 2017, leaving oversight largely in the hands of the state. However, additional oversight will come at the end of May, when a new state law goes into effect requiring companies to obtain Texas Department of Motor Vehicles authorization before operating commercially.
“No tech works perfectly, but we’ve managed to keep airline accidents down very low, and that’s because we’ve had a lot of time and experience to perfect, or nearly perfect the system,” said Missy Cummings, director of George Mason University’s Mason Autonomy & Robotics Center, a research hub on autonomous systems. “We’re still years, if not decades, away from something similar to happen to self-driving cars.”
“Austin is being treated as a lab experiment that they didn’t sign up for,” Cummings said. “It’s just a matter of time until someone’s killed.”
How autonomous vehicles took hold in Austin
While the 2025 partnership with Uber accelerated Waymo’s expansion, the company has been rolling out vehicles in Austin since 2023. Waymo is now the dominant operator in the city, but at least five other companies also have vehicles on Austin streets, though not all companies are currently offering rides.
Autonomous vehicles’ introduction has not been without its setbacks. Cruise cars were once everywhere, but after many well-documented incidents, the company suspended its nationwide operations in October 2023 amid eroding public trust.
Despite lacking regulatory authority, the city launched an autonomous vehicle dashboard in 2023 to track incidents involving the vehicles and better understand emerging issues.
Reported incidents have steadily increased since 2023, likely driven in part by the growing number of vehicles on the road, with about 270 total since the dashboard’s launch. Reports include safety concerns, vehicles blocking traffic, failing to comply with police direction and ignoring school bus stop signs.
Waymo points to safety record
“We’ve driven over 200 million miles [across all cities],” David Margines, director of product management at Waymo, told Austin Current. “We have demonstrated a 92% reduction in serious injury collisions as compared to human drivers on the same roads and in the same geographies.”
In one of the most recent high-profile incidents, a Waymo vehicle blocked an ambulance responding to the March 1 shooting at Buford’s that left three people dead and more than a dozen injured. Public safety officials said the delay did not hurt emergency medical response, but the incident nonetheless raised significant safety concerns and prompted Austin City Council members to send a formal letter to the company seeking ways to prevent similar situations.
Margines called the event “anomalous,” and said the company reviews such incidents to prevent recurrence and maintain community trust.
“We recognize that we need to build and maintain the trust in the communities that we operate in,” Margines said. He added that after incidents like the ambulance case, the company evaluates whether “there are things that we can do better, whether we can operate faster and basically get out of the way of emergency vehicles.”
Margines said Waymo is among the safest and most transparent autonomous vehicle companies, saying the company is more forthcoming about collisions than its competitors.
“We are tremendously proud of our track record here in Texas,” Margines said. “When we look at the big picture, people’s lives are being improved because Waymo is out there on the road.”
Austin leaders push for safeguards
Austin City Council Member Paige Ellis, who chairs Austin’s Mobility Committee, said she wants to see more transparency from all autonomous vehicle companies. Public officials have recently criticized Waymo for not providing enough detail about who its remote assistance operators are, their level of training and where they are located.
“Personally, I would love to have more information about those questions,” Ellis told Austin Current. “We as government officials, we thrive on transparency… We need our information to be available to the public. We want people to have information and answers, and private companies don’t necessarily have that charge.”
At the Wednesday special meeting, public safety leaders outlined several issues first responders have encountered in recent months, including autonomous vehicles not responding to emergency workers’ hand signals, remaining on roadways during severe weather events, requiring manual relocation during active emergency scenes and situations in which intoxicated passengers fall asleep during rides and do not wake up.
“The question is not if this is going to turn into a deadly situation but when,” Ellis said at the meeting.
While Austin currently lacks the authority to regulate the vehicles, public safety officials questioned whether future policies might restrict operations during severe weather or allow the city to recoup costs when first responders are required to manually move vehicles blocking active scenes.
The city’s government relations department expressed support for future legislation aimed at strengthening safety requirements.
Austin should do “everything that we can to be a city that does welcome new technology,” Ellis said, “but, first and foremost, has to put our top priority as the life, health and safety of the folks in Austin, Texas.”
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Austin, TX
Karmelo Anthony sentenced to 35 years in fatal stabbing of Austin Metcalf at Frisco track meet | Houston Public Media
A Collin County jury sentenced 19-year-old Karmelo Anthony to 35 years in prison Tuesday for the murder of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a Frisco track meet last year.
It came just hours after Anthony was found guilty of murder in the fatal stabbing. He faced up to life in prison.
Jurors had the option of finding him guilty of manslaughter or murder if they didn’t find him not guilty. The two charges are distinguished by intent. Murder means the jury believed Anthony “knowingly” caused Metcalf’s death.
During the trial’s punishment phase, Anthony’s mother Kayla Hayes asked the jury for mercy.
“He’s my oldest, he’s my first born, he will always be my baby,” she said. “I love him very much.”
She was asked if she believed her son had any regrets.
“Yes, I know my son,” she said. “He’s very sorry for what he did.”
“Please have mercy on my son,” she added.
During closing arguments in the punishment phase, Anthony’s defense attorney Mike Howard acknowledged how difficult the decision was for the jury and asked them to consider sudden passion in determining their punishment. They don’t have to be sure, he said — they only need to believe Anthony felt terror in the moment.
“I can only ask you to consider both sides, to follow your hearts, and to follow the law,” he said.
Prosecutor attorney Bill Wirskye argued in response that sudden passion, by definition, “does not apply to this case and this set of facts.”
He asked the jury to consider a life sentence, telling jurors, “mercy to the guilty is cruelty to the innocent.”
“Regardless of what you do today, plenty of life sentences have already been handed out in this case,” he said to the jury.
The decision comes after both sides rested their case Monday afternoon. Anthony’s defense lasted two days and ended without him taking the stand. Prosecutors argued the stabbing was an unjustified attack on Metcalf, while the defense said Anthony acted in self defense.
The case has drawn national attention and controversy over the race of both teens. Anthony is Black and victim was white. None of the jurors were Black.
Several schools were competing when Anthony sat under the Memorial High School tent that was perched in the bleachers. Metcalf and others had repeatedly told Anthony to leave, witnesses testified, leading to an escalating confrontation.
During the nearly weeklong trial, prosecutors said that Anthony provoked Metcalf, and witnesses have testified that Anthony was the aggressor.
Anthony at one point reached inside a bag and replied: “Touch me and see what happens,” according to a police report.
Metcalf pushed Anthony, according to witnesses, who said Anthony then pulled out a knife and stabbed him in the chest. The teens, both from Frisco, didn’t know each other.
The trial drew lines of spectators hoping to find seats in the gallery and unfolded amid heavy security at the Collin County courthouse. As police officers watched Tuesday, dozens of people stood outside the courthouse in 90 degree heat to await the verdict. There were wails of grief from one woman — “This isn’t real!” — when the result became known.
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Press Release | June 9, 2026
The Central Motorcycle Roadracing Association (CMRA) descends into Austin this Fourth of July weekend with the inaugural Moto-Texas Superbike Challenge.
This is a press release from CMRA…
Austin, TX (June 9, 2026) — The Central Motorcycle Roadracing Association (CMRA) descends into Austin this Fourth of July weekend with the inaugural Moto-Texas Superbike Challenge, the first-ever amateur sanctioned motorcycle road race event at the world-renowned Circuit of the Americas (COTA). Taking place July 3-5, 2026, the event combines high-speed superbike competition with family-friendly holiday weekend entertainment—all for a single $20 gate fee per person.
COTA, home to Formula One’s United States Grand Prix and MotoGP’s Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas, provides one of the most thrilling motorcycle racing venues in the world. The 3.426-mile circuit—with its iconic sweeping corners and signature turn-one elevation change—will now host CMRA’s most prestigious race event to date.
“We are thrilled to bring CMRA’s biggest event yet to Circuit of the Americas,” said CMRA’s Dave Johnson. “COTA is a bucket-list track for any motorcycle racer, and this may be the only time amateur racers will have to compete on this world-class circuit. We can’t wait to see riders from across the country come in to compete for a share of the $25,000 purse.”
Event Highlights
- World-class venue: Race on the same track that hosts MotoGP and Formula One
- $25,000 total prize purse distributed across multiple classes. Restrictions apply.
- Double-header sprint races Saturday and Sunday (July 4th and 5th)
- Friday, July 3rd dedicated to practice and qualifying
- Spectator gate fee of just $25 per person for the entire weekend — Friday through Sunday
- On-site karting and amusement park for families
- Garages equipped with electrical hookups, compressed air, and shared restrooms
About the Competition
The Moto-Texas Superbike Challenge is open to licensed road racers from any recognized road race organization in the United States. All competitors are required to hold a current American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) membership, as the event is sanctioned by the AMA.
Sprint races of 6 and 8 laps will be held on both Saturday and Sunday, with multiple class entries available at discounted additional-entry pricing.
Pre-entries are open now at cmraracing.com, with a 20% deposit required to secure a spot. The full balance is due by June 30, 2026.
Entry fees start at $525 for Friday practice and qualifying, with sprint race entries beginning at $195.
A Family Destination on the Fourth of July
While competitors chase the checkered flag, families can enjoy COTA’s adjacent entertainment complex, featuring a karting track and amusement rides. With the $20 gate fee covering all three days, the Moto-Texas Superbike Challenge offers one of the most affordable motorsport experiences in the region — a perfect Fourth of July outing for Austin and Central Texas families.
Spectator & Competitor Information
- Event Dates: July 3–5, 2026 (Friday–Sunday)
- Venue: Circuit of the Americas, 9201 Circuit of the Americas Blvd, Austin, TX 78617
- Spectator Gate Fee: $25 (one-time fee per person, covers all days)
- Competitor Pre-Entry: Open now at cmraracing.com — deadline June 30, 2026
For more information, visit cmraracing.com
After weeks of back-and-forth court rulings over the future of the Texas hemp market, state regulators may again be able to enforce new rules targeting smokable hemp products and charging sharply higher fees on retailers and manufacturers.
The Texas Fifteenth Court of Appeals on Friday denied the hemp industry’s emergency request to keep a temporary injunction in place.
That temporary injunction, issued May 1, had blocked the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) from enforcing major portions of new consumable hemp regulations while the lawsuit against them plays out.
The appeals court’s order puts the case in a temporary holding pattern. The two sentence decision doesn’t decide whether the rules are legal. But for now, it pauses the lower court order that had allowed hemp businesses to keep selling hemp flower and concentrate.
Hemp is a legal category of cannabis that contains no more than 0.3% Delta-9 THC, the plant’s main psychoactive ingredient. Marijuana is cannabis with more than 0.3% Delta-9.
But cannabis can contain other mind-altering compounds including THCA, which converts to Delta-9 when heated or smoked. Hemp stores have been selling smokable cannabis with high levels of THCA, similar to the cannabis sold in states where marijuana is legal.
The state’s new “Total THC Rule,” which had been put on hold by the lower court, counts THCA as 88% Delta-9 when it comes to selling and manufacturing hemp products. The appeals court’s decision now means that rule is back in effect.
“I know it’s been a lot of crazy back and forth and the lawyers are doing their best to push this forward and keep this going,” said Lukas Gilkey, CEO of Hometown Hero, an Austin-based retailer and manufacturer of consumable hemp products. Gilkey helped set up the Texas Hemp Business Council, which is the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit seeking to block some of the state’s new hemp rules.
“This is really going to impact the small stores,” he said. “If they have flower that qualifies under the rules, then they’re allowed to sell it. If they don’t, then theoretically, yes, they would have to stop.”
Smokable hemp products account for well over half the market in Texas, according to estimates by Portland-based Whitney Economics and Robin Goldstein, director of the Cannabis Economics Group at UC Davis.
The temporary injunction had also frozen the state’s new fee schedule for hemp businesses. Retailers’ annual registration fee had increased from $150 to $5,000 per location. Manufacturing fees increased from $250 a year to $10,000 annually.
KUT News has reached out to DSHS to ask whether the agency plans to enforce the Total THC Rule or the new fee schedule,
Possession of THCA products is still not explicitly prohibited under state law, which uses the Delta-9 metric to differentiate between hemp and marijuana. Austin police have advised people carrying smokable hemp products to keep the packaging with them to avoid having the flower or concentrate confiscated by an officer.
The case continues before the Fifteenth Court of Appeals. A final trial in Travis County had been set for July 27, but the date was seen as more of a placeholder, and this appeal could affect that timeline.
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