ATX PULSE 9/17-18/25 (free) (sponsored by Pacaso): Sunrise at Least Partially Moving to Oltorf/35 Site // UT Sees Record Enrollment for ’25-’26 // KVUE Defenders Series Results in Travis County DA Office Changes // H-T Receives $150M Grant from Moody Foundation // CoA / Fire Union in Tense Standoff over Pay // Pennybaker Raises $715M // Samsung Earns $250M from State

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WEATHER

Today: H: 93° / L: 72°: Highs warmer than average, per Fox 7 Austin.

Tomorrow: H: 96° / L: 71°

Friday: H: 96° / L: 73°

Saturday: H: 97° / L: 76°

Sunday: H: 99° / L: 77°

TOP NEWS

“Controversial Austin homeless center is moving locations,“ KVUE’s Jenna King — “The controversial Sunrise Homeless Navigation Center may have found a new home.

The largest homeless service provider in the city is in the final stages of moving.

Austin City Council member Ryan Alter says the new location is almost 10 times the size of the existing location. But some in the community worry it could do more harm than good.

The location of the Sunrise Homeless Navigation Center has been a point of controversy for years.

The center serves as a hub for homeless people, offering basic needs like food and clothing, along with health care, substance abuse treatment, and housing resources.

The current site sits across from Joslin Elementary School, along Menchaca Road near Ben White Blvd.

Since 2015, Sunrise has helped as many as 300 people a day. But neighbors have long voiced concerns about the impact on the area.

"I have heard routinely from neighbors that they have found needles or other unsafe items in the park, which is adjacent to the elementary school," said Alter back in July 2024.

This summer, the city announced plans to relocate Sunrise from the current location. Now, it’s in the final stages of securing a new site.

"This organization does great work, it needs a location that is big enough, a location that is a little more insulated from the neighborhood and the parks and the schools and I think that's what we found here," said Alter.

Alter says the new location would be off I-35 by Oltorf, it's near other homeless services and transportation access. The building was a previous game room.

The nearest school, Travis High school, is across I-35.

"The building itself is much larger than the current facility. And that is really going to help move all the operations indoors. You're not going to see. The outside congregation that you see right now because we're going to be able to have the space to provide all the services and the queuing inside," said Alter.

But some neighbors are still worried.

"100% and the concern is that these folks aren't being taken care of where they are most vulnerable, and they hurt people. Hurt people, hurt people," said Brandon Willin, who lives in the neighborhood.

He says the area's large homeless population keeps growing.

"The population's increased. The care has not gotten any better. The people that are suffering from homelessness haven't gotten any better. It has gotten worse. It got more violent. It is getting more aggressive. We have people living in the woods here without access to proper care. They're carrying machetes. They are starting fires," said Willin.

Last year, Texas Attorney General, Ken Paxton, sued the center, calling it a hotspot for vagrants endangering children.

This week, a judge granted his request to hear arguments about a possible temporary shutdown.

Sunrise sent FOX 7 a statement:

"Sunrise is excited once again to see the City of Austin investing in the full spectrum of what it takes to move people from homelessness to housing and avoiding homelessness altogether.

"These are important strategic steps to help our community reduce the total amount of people living unsheltered in our community which is a goal everyone can get behind." 

Alter says the city is working to ease neighborhood concerns, but the plan is to move forward.

"Now we're talking to neighbors, you know, we want to make sure that they ultimately are comfortable with this, but it is our intention to move forward should that process play itself out, and we get that type of full community buy-in and make sure this is the right acquisition for the city," said Alter.

There will be a virtual meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 24, at 6 p.m.

Anyone is welcome to attend. You can find more information, and you can register by clicking here.” Fox 7 Austin

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“UT Austin sees record enrollment for 2025-2026,“ KVUE’s Kate Norum — “The University of Texas at Austin said Thursday that its total enrollment has grown this fall, with the incoming freshman class the largest in the school’s 142-year history.

The university reported overall enrollment at 55,000 students for the fall 2025 semester, up a little more than 2% from last year. The freshman class includes 9,900 first-time college students, a jump of a little more than 7% compared to fall 2024.

UT received 90,690 freshman applications for this year, an increase of nearly 25% over the last year and 51% since 2022. 

About 80% of the student body are Texas residents, while roughly 10% are from outside the state, representing 48 other states and Washington, D.C. UT said international enrollment of 5,140 is down 1.7% from 2024 and comprises 9.3% of all students.

“We are educating more students than at any time in our university’s history, and most importantly, we are doing it while maintaining our standard of academic excellence,” UT President Jim Davis said in a statement.

The school’s freshman retention rate reached a record high of 97.1%, and its four-year graduation rate climbed to nearly 76%, officials said.

Miguel Wasielewski, senior vice provost for strategic enrollment management, said the university has deliberately limited growth to ensure a strong faculty-student ratio, course availability and access to resources.” KVUE

“KVUE Defenders investigation spurs reform in Travis County DA’s office,“ KVUE’s Tony Plohetksi — “After months of shining a spotlight on prosecutorial breakdowns resulting in missed deadlines in the Travis County District Attorney’s Office, the KVUE Defenders have found that the problem finally appears to be solved.

The missed deadlines to indict jailed defendants stalled justice for crime victims, left defendants languishing in jail for months, and turned some violent ones back onto the street. Now, records show, prosecutors are bringing indictments or taking other action on felony cases within the state-mandated 90-day window when a person remains in jail.

Over the past seven months, KVUE's joint reporting with the Austin American-Statesman has shown the wide-ranging implications of missed indictment deadlines by the Travis County DA’s office. We’ve revealed the deportation of defendants prior to facing justice, violations of the rights of the accused, and potential legal liability to the county.

And while District Attorney José Garza didn’t directly acknowledge the problem, we were told by his office that new policies were put in place to fix it.

It started with our February report on the release of two murder defendants after Travis County prosecutors failed to bring an indictment against them in the required 90-day period. Under the law, both suspects were released on drastically reduced bonds; one in December for $1.00 bond and the other in February for $100.00. 

“This is not a one-off situation,” attorney Brian Erskine, who represents both of those murder suspects, said at the time. “There are multiple cases where this is happening, specifically in Travis County.”

The reduced bond and release of Stephon Morson outraged the alleged victim’s family.

“There is no way you go through all of your schooling, all of your training, to miss the 90 days on a vicious murder,” said Dajah Elliott, the mother of the victim’s child.

Those cases quickly evolved into a firestorm that appeared to catch DA Garza off-guard. He blamed the mishaps in those cases on a former prosecutor. The KVUE Defenders interviewed DA Garza the day after our initial report.

“Do you know how many people are in jail right this minute who have been there for more than 90 days who have not been indicted?” asked Senior Reporter Tony Plohetski.

“I do not,” Garza replied.

Over seven months of investigation, the KVUE Defenders produced a series of reports about the impact of missed deadlines by Travis County prosecutors. We told you about cases that sat idle for months, delaying justice to victims like Emily Norris.

“It was such an airtight case, and for them to drop the ball like that, that is probably the biggest issue I have with it,” said Norris, who was attacked in her car while in a Whataburger drive-through, leaving her battered and bruised.

But the suspect was released from jail, without being indicted, after 99 days.

In an interview with Garza, he doubled down on his interpretation of the law, stating, “The only deadline the state has to indict a case before the statute of limitations runs.” 

That interpretation turns decades of legal opinion and practice across Texas upside down and raised due process concerns for jailed defendants among legal experts.

KVUE and the Statesman also revealed an analysis of data that showed prosecutors missed indictment deadlines 263 times in 2024. We reviewed the very same cases that Garza told us his office reviewed back in February. At the time, we asked him if there was a systemic issue beyond the two murder cases we originally reported on.

“Are you saying you do believe or don’t believe that there is a broader management issue getting cases in front of a grand jury?” Plohetski asked.

“The majority of cases, over the last 14 months, are cases that were handled appropriately,” Garza said.

But that’s not what KVUE Defenders investigation found. Our review of those 263 cases found the 181 felony defendants involved in them were released on personal recognizance bonds or bonds reduced to as low as $1 after prosecutors missed the 90-day deadline to indict them. Of the defendants released, 70 were suspected of violent crimes and sex-related offenses and 5 were accused of murder.

Our reporting uncovered suspects being deported instead of being prosecuted. We showed how accused child predator Mario Mata – who provided police with a detailed confession of his continuous sexual assault of a child – was deported because prosecutors missed the deadline to indict him.

“When prosecutors fail to indict within 90 days, it is a way for individuals to be turned over to immigration and deported and escape responsibility for crimes they may have committed,” said Jorge Vela, a former state and federal prosecutor who now works as a defense attorney representing immigrants.

As we reviewed the 263 cases, docket entries on case after case showed court hearings reset numerous times because there was not yet an indictment. Attorney Rick Flores, who is the president of the Austin Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, said that has been a longtime point of contention for defense attorneys.

“We are not showing up to court five, six, seven, eight times just to be told that a case is unindicted, where everybody is pretty frustrated about it,” he said.

And we told you about calls from state officials, including State Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, to address the issue.

“That is a problem of practice in the district attorney’s office, and that is of grave public safety concern," Eckhardt said.

The KVUE Defenders continued to monitor the situation through a monthly review of court data.

In mid-February, when we first began examining the issue, 26 felony defendants with 63 cases were in jail for more than 90 days without being indicted. Within two weeks, in early March, the number had dropped to seven defendants with 11 cases. By the beginning of April, the number was down to two defendants with one case each. At the beginning of May, there was only one defendant in jail with one case.

Finally, as of June 2, and ever since, there have been no defendants kept in jail for 90 days or longer without an indictment.

"Now, what we are seeing is that the cases are being indicted a lot quicker than this administration previously did,” attorney Flores said. "There is certainly something different. You can tell he has responded to the criticisms that have come down about this issue,” he continued.

Lawmakers considered two bills in the regular legislative session that would have required prosecutors to report when a jailed person was released because of a missed deadline. Although the bills did not pass, the Texas Judicial Council has imposed a new rule that took effect Sept. 1, requiring judges to report when they modify a defendant’s bond because prosecutors did not bring an indictment within 90 days.

Garza stopped accepting our interview requests during our investigation and would not provide comment for this story. But we have been told repeatedly by his spokesperson new policies were in place to stop the missed deadlines.

In a statement, his office said, “Over the last five years, the Travis County District Attorney’s Office has worked to ensure that our criminal justice system works for everyone. We are proud of our record and grateful to have the support of our community.”” KVUE

“Huston-Tillotson University receives largest donation of any American HBCU in history,“ KVUE’s Morgan McGrath — “On Thursday, Huston-Tillotson University announced it was given a $150 million donation from the Moody Foundation in the biggest single gift provided to a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) in U.S. history to date. 

The donation was announced during the university's fall opening convocation, less than one month after the start of the current semester. 

"This gift will enable a comprehensive transformation of Huston-Tillotson's campus -- focused on student living, academic spaces, and innovative scholarships -- establishing an academically thriving 21st-century environment," the university stated in a media release. "The gift is a catalyst for future philanthropic support." 

The donation also includes support for development, strategy and university-wide marketing initiatives.

"This significant gift by the Moody Foundation is a declaration of belief in who we are, what we stand for, and what we can become," university board chair Rev. Dr. Vanessa Monroe said. "It's an inflection point in our history and a powerful statement about the value of Huston-Tillotson in shaping the future of students and their families for generations to come." 

The university has received $1.3 million from the Moody Foundation over the past 57 years. 

The donation comes during Huston-Tillotson's 150th year providing upper education. The university was founded back in 1875, and more than 100 years later, it remains the only HBCU in Austin. 

The school is the third-oldest business in the Texas capitol, following Scholz Garten German restaurant and the Austin-American Statesman. It also serves as Austin's oldest university.” KVUE

THE BLOTTER

“Person arrested after SWAT incident in North Austin,“ Fox 7 Austin’s Lisette Lopez — “A person was arrested following a SWAT incident in North Austin, police said.

According to Austin police, on Sept. 17, around 3 p.m., the SWAT team responded to the 9100 block of Brown Ln. for an incident. 

After a couple of hours, police said the person surrendered to SWAT without incident. 

Brown Ln. was closed between Furgeson Ln. and Dungan Ln., but has now reopened.” Fox 7 Austin

“Man killed in East Austin shooting identified; suspect at large,“ Fox 7 Austin’s Lisette Lopez — “The suspect at the center of an officer-involved shooting near Zilker Park is now facing a murder charge.

30-year-old Brandon Thompson had been previously charged with first-degree felony attempted capital murder of a peace officer and first-degree felony burglary of a residence.

As of Sept. 17, Thompson is now facing a first-degree felony murder charge. He is currently in custody at the Travis County Jail.

On Wednesday, September 10, at 3:31 a.m., APD officers were doing a curfew check in the area of Zilker Park.

Officers located a vehicle that was reported stolen in the 700 block of Azie Morton Road and called for the vehicle to be towed.

While some officers left to patrol other areas of the park, Officer Adam Reinhart remained at the scene to wait for the tow truck. When the tow truck driver was preparing to load the vehicle onto the tow truck, he was approached by two subjects claiming that the vehicle was theirs. A short time later, Officer Reinhart approached the subjects as they began to walk into a wooded area.

At 4:10 a.m., Officer Reinhart approached the woodline and identified himself as Austin Police. He gave multiple commands for the subjects to stop and to come out of the woods. Officer Reinhart stated that the subjects were detained and not free to go.

"Come out of the woods, come out of the woods real quick, come over here, you’re detained, you are not free to go," said officer Reinhart in the body cam footage. "Get your hand out of your pocket man."

The female subject, later identified as 30-year-old Kay Smith, began walking towards Officer Reinhart. Officer Reinhart gave commands to a male subject behind Smith, later identified as Thompson, telling him to get his hands out of his pocket. 

Shortly after, Thompson fired shots, striking Smith in the head and Officer Reinhart in the abdomen. Officer Reinhart returned fire. Thompson fled on foot back into the wooded area, and Officer Reinhart waited for backup.

Approximately two minutes later, additional officers arrived on scene. An APD officer transported Officer Reinhart to a local hospital, and he was treated for his injuries.

Smith was also transported to a local hospital, where she was pronounced brain-dead at 2:57 p.m. the same day.

APD officers, including SWAT, AIR1, and K9, began searching the area for Thompson.

At 7:44 a.m., a suspicious person call came in from the Austin Independent School District Police Department (AISD PD) at Barton Hills Elementary School. Prior to the call, the school was already in a "Secure" status. 

Once Barton Hills Elementary learned that the suspect was near the campus, the campus went into "Lockdown" status. An AISD sergeant recognized the person who had the same description as the suspect involved in the earlier shooting. The sergeant gave verbal commands to the suspect, such as "Stop, get on the ground," however, Thompson continued to run.

APD officers continued to search for Thompson. He was spotted by an APD officer at approximately 7:52 a.m. and fled towards a home in the 2500 block of Homedale Drive.

Thompson kicked open the front door, ran into the house and the homeowner opened fire, striking him in the arm and the leg. Thompson was transported to a local hospital, where he was treated for his injuries.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Austin Police Department at 512-974-TIPS. 

Tips can also be submitted anonymously through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program by visiting austincrimestoppers.org or calling 512-472-8477. 

A reward of up to $1,000 may be available for any information that leads to an arrest.” Fox 7 Austin 

“Man sentenced for hate crime after threatening Austin ISD board members in 2023,“ KVUE’s Morgan McGrath and Brittny Eubank — “A 57-year-old Georgia man was convicted of a hate crime in Travis County after admitting to sending a threatening message to Austin ISD board members in 2023.

According to the Travis County District Attorney's Office, Michael Boone was sentenced on Aug. 28 for Terroristic Threat to Cause Imminent Serious Bodily Injury, a Class B misdemeanor, with a hate crime finding, which increases the charge to a Class A misdemeanor. 

The DA's office said in August 2023, Austin ISD's police department reported that the the Board of Trustees had received a threatening message before taking part in the city's annual Pride parade. 

The message, sent via the board's "Let's Talk" app, called board members "pathetic humans" for "allowing and promoting" the parade. In the message, the person also threatened to point a sniper rifle at the members "until one by one you're an oblivion in America's history."

Tracking an IP address, AISD police identified Boone as the sender of the message on Aug. 12. With help from the FBI and police in Boone's home city of Richmond Hills, Georgia, Boone was located and interviewed about the message, which he admitted to posting.

In December 2023, a Travis County grand jury indicted Boone on one count of Terroristic Threat with the Intent to Cause Fear of Serious Bodily Injury in order to Influence the Conduct of a Government Agency, a third-degree felony.

He was also charged with Terroristic Threat with the Intent to Cause Impairment in order to Place the Public or a Substantial Group of the Public in Fear of Serious Bodily Injury, also a third-degree felony.

For both charges, the grand jury said Boone chose his targets based on prejudice toward a group because of their sexuality. 

In July of this year, Boone entered a guilty plea to Terroristic Threat to Cause Imminent Serious Bodily Injury and admitted to the hate crime allegation. He was sentenced a month later due to his out-of-state residency status.

Boone must complete 75 hours of community service, write an apology letter, undergo recommended treatment and counseling, and have no contact with Austin ISD.

“The Travis County District Attorney’s office does not tolerate acts of hate in our community, takes hate crimes seriously, and is committed to holding people who commit these crimes accountable,” Travis County District Attorney José Garza said. “Our office is grateful for the AISD Police Department and our other law enforcement partners who were involved in quickly identifying the suspect and who assisted in the investigation that ultimately kept our community safe.”” KVUE

“5th bat this year tests positive for rabies in Cedar Park,“ KVUE’s Kate Norum — “A dead bat tested positive for rabies in Cedar Park, the Cedar Park Police Department announced on Thursday.

The bat was found on Tuesday in the 500 block of Brushy Creek Rd. Police said they are unsure how long the bat was in the area or if it had any contact with people or animals. 

This is the fifth bat that has been discovered in Cedar Park this year.  The last bat that tested positive for rabies was found on Sept. 12 in the 710 block of Discovery Blvd.

According to the CDC, bats are the most commonly reported animals to have rabies and most people who die of rabies in the U.S. are exposed to it by bats. 

Bats infected with rabies often exhibit behavioral changes, such as flying around during the daytime, exhibiting increased aggression, disorientation and having difficulty flying. 

The CDC recommends those who are bitten or scratched by a bat to wash the wound with soap and water and get medical help immediately. If you encounter a bat in your home, contact a local animal control or health professional to arrange for its safe capture and potential rabies testing.

In other mammals, such as dogs, symptoms can include excessive drooling, uncharacteristic aggression and difficulty swallowing. In humans, early signs of rabies may resemble flu-like symptoms, including fever, headache and anxiety, progressing to more severe symptoms like difficulty swallowing and partial paralysis.

Anyone who may have come into contact with the bat is urged to contact the police department at 512-260-4600 as soon as possible.” KVUE

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

“Austin fire union and city in tense standoff over firefighter pay,“ KKXAN’s Grace Reader — “The Austin Firefighters Association could take actions that may ultimately reduce the Austin Fire Department’s workforce after they say contract negotiations with the city have stalled.

“It does not appear at this time the City was ever serious about bargaining in good faith,” Ronald DeLord, an attorney representing the union, said. In a letter, which the union posted to its social media pages, DeLord recommended between now and Sept. 28, “when the impasse is legally triggered” the union consider the following:

• Start an education campaign “to assist its members who are not vested in the pension in locating cities that have negotiated competitive wages and adopted hours of work that reduce the physical and mental stress on firefighters”

• Reach out to all candidates applying for AFD to tell them “there is no future in working for the City of Austin.” That includes a public media campaign and having off-duty firefighters stand at testing sites to tell candidates “The City does NOT respect its firefighters”

• And allow the union to vote on whether it will support Austin’s tax rate election or not

“Time is of the essence. It is time to stop the anti-firefighter rhetoric and hardball negotiations,” DeLord wrote.

KXAN has reached out to the city of Austin and the fire department and will update this story when we hear back.

The union and city are in the middle of contract negotiations for a four-year contract. The current contract expires in October, KXAN previously reported. You can find the details of the previous contract here.

Bob Nicks, the AFA president, said the city is now offering a 4% raise for roughly half of the department in year one, and then no general wage increase for the following three years. The union is also arguing for different firefighter work weeks and is at odds with the city over that too, Nicks said.

“Our goals have not changed. Basically, we want a wage offer like EMS and Police and a work week reduction. In exchange, the firefighters are willing to provide changes to the labor agreement that the City has been desiring for years,” Nicks wrote.” KXAN

“Audit finds Austin’s 'Zero Waste' plan falling far short of goal,“ KVUE’s Jessica Cha — “A city audit has found that the City of Austin is not on track to reach the ambitious goal set in its “Zero Waste Strategic Plan,” which aims to divert 90% of waste from landfills and incinerators by 2040.

The Office of the City Auditor reported that Austin’s waste diversion rate has stalled at around 35% to 40% for more than a decade, far below the target city leaders committed to in 2009. 

In fact, the audit shows that the diversion rate of 37% in 2024 is lower than the rate at 39% a decade earlier. 

Assistant City Auditor Keith Salas said the plateau points to a lack of a unified vision and messaging at the Austin Resource Recovery or ARR department, which is responsible for meeting the Zero Waste goal. 

“First of all, we weren’t doing a good job prioritizing all of our work,” Salas said. “[ARR] staff brought us a list of about 90 projects that they were working on, but they didn’t have a good sense of, ‘this is the most important’.” 

Secondly,  Salas said there's inconsistent messaging across city facility recycle and composting bins.

People commonly know that blue bins mean recycling, green mean composting, and tan-ish bins mean trash, and Salas said that’s supposed to be the standard for all city bins.

However, the audit noted that bin colors and labeling often vary across city buildings, creating confusion.

“What we saw when we went to one of the libraries, for example, was that there was a green bin that had a recycling symbol on it. So, of course that leaves the person wondering, ‘is this green for compost? Is this recycling because of the symbol?’,” Salas said. 

He said the inconsistent messaging could increase the chance that a bin collects waste that doesn’t belong there, forcing waste collectors to throw it all away, and diverting none of it. 

Compounding the issue, about 85% of the city’s waste is handled by private companies, where zero waste education is not always emphasized.

Auditors recommended the city standardize waste signage and bin colors, improve coordination between departments, dedicate more resources to zero waste initiatives, and clearly define benchmarks. Salas said ensuring consistent messaging — from libraries to parks — would make waste sorting easier for residents and city employees alike.

City Council Member Ryan Alter, who represents District 5, said Austin may also need to reconsider its long-term targets.

“People often are trying to do the right thing. They’re trying to recycle or compost, but they’re confused," Alter said. "We need to make it very clear, very easy to participate. That’s thing number one." He added that these suggestions may warrant rethinking the 90% diversion goal altogether.

“Materials have changed a lot in that time,” Alter said. “There’s a lot more plastic instead of glass…That has led to ARR raising the question of should we review our 90% target, and have a more realistic goal.” 

Salas said they will present the audit findings to city council members on Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. at City Hall and plan the next steps for the city’s diversion efforts.” KVUE

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

“Pennybacker raises $715M for infrastructure investment fund,“ Austin Business Journal’s Cody Baird — “Austin-based real assets investment manager Pennybacker Capital Management LLC has closed an investment fund after raising $715 million.

The fund, called Pennybacker Critical Infrastructure Partners I LP, raised over $430 million in capital commitments and an additional $285 million in co-investment capital, according to an announcement, and it has already been deployed to make significant investments in the realm of infrastructure.

Investors in the fund include global pensions, insurance companies, endowments, foundations and family offices.

The fund has a lower-to-middle market value-add equity strategy, which is focused on investing in infrastructure businesses and has been used three times so far.

In August 2023, Pennybacker used the fund to purchase Cambrian Innovation, a wastewater treatment, water re-use and energy recovery company. Cambrian uses cost-efficient solutions to help industrial customers lower operating costs.

Pennybacker next used the fund to purchase Sawgrass LNG & Power in November 2024. Sawgrass, headquartered in Miami, is a provider of liquified natural gas and operates a facility with a production capacity of 100,000 gallons of liquified natural gas per day along with 270,000 gallons of storage for that gas.

Pennybacker's latest infrastructure investment through the fund was the purchase of Fort Worth-based Baseline Energy Services, a provider of low-carbon energy generation services to the oil and gas, data center, industrial manufacturing and utilities industries.

Tim Berry is the founder, CEO and co-chief investment office of Pennybacker.” ABJ ($)

“Samsung gets funding from Texas,“ Austin Business Journal’s Justin Sayers — “Samsung Austin Semiconductor LLC will get $250 million from the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund, Gov. Greg Abbott announced Sept. 17.

The news comes as the South Korean electronics giant gets closer to opening its multibillion-dollar fabrication facility in Taylor, and it marks another hefty incentive for Samsung. The company previously secured incentives from the federal government, and city, county and state authorities to help close the deal on one of the largest foreign direct investments in U.S. history.

The new manufacturing plant northeast of Austin is expected to become largely operational in 2026 — later than many expected, but there are signs of the chipmaking slowdown easing at least for Samsung's new plant.

Samsung recently signed a $16.5 billion supplier deal with Tesla Inc. that provides a linchpin customer for the site and is looking for more, as it initially struggled to do so. That came on the heels of securing $4.7 billion through the federal CHIPS and Science Act for more than $40 billion in investment in both Taylor and Austin.

"Texas is home to the future of technology and innovation,” Abbott said in a statement. "With approximately $40 billion invested in Texas, Samsung is helping to cement Texas’ position as the leading state for semiconductor manufacturing, bringing in more business investment to Texas communities and creating thousands of good-paying jobs for hardworking Texans. This $4.73 billion investment by Samsung in their Taylor semiconductor fabrication facility will provide a more secure domestic supply of chips for critical U.S. industries and ensure the most advanced chips that will power next-generation technologies are Made in Texas."

Samsung's planned investment in Taylor and Austin is said to be $37 billion — which along with $18 billion invested in Austin over the past decades moves Samsung's investment tally for Central Texas to a whopping $55 billion — and will support the creation of about 12,000 construction jobs and more than 3,500 manufacturing jobs within the next five years, while also supporting workforce initiatives.

Samsung has said its Taylor project includes two new logic fabrication facilities and a research-and-design fab in Taylor, as well as an expansion of its North Austin site. But the company no longer plans to build an advanced packaging facility in Taylor and instead will house that operation in South Korea, where it's cheaper.

“Samsung has been proud to call Texas home for the past 30 years and is deeply appreciative to the State of Texas and the Governor’s Office for this significant grant award,” said Young Hyun Jun, vice chairman and head of the device solutions division at Samsung Electronics, in a statement. “This grant will ensure that our semiconductor manufacturing facility in Taylor delivers the most advanced technology for our global customers and continues to reinforce the chip supply chain in the U.S. We are excited about this opportunity and look forward to continuing to strengthen our relationship.”

The Texas CHIPS Act was signed into law in 2023 and established the TSIF. A number of Austin-area companies and educational institutions have secured grants through the program, including Samsung suppliers KoMiCo Technology Inc. in Round Rock, and Dongjin Semichem Texas Inc. and MGC Pure Chemicals America Inc. in Killeen, Austin-based Silicon Laboratories Inc., as well as Austin Community College at its Round Rock outpost and Texas State Technical College at its location in Hutto.” ABJ ($)

QUICK LINKS

Replay and highlights: No. 2 Texas volleyball races to win over No. 9 TCU - Austin American-Statesman

Travis County signs off on Central Health’s new budget — with a tax rate increase - Austin Monitor

Bastrop ISD staffer on leave after injury to student-athlete - Austin American-Statesman

Melissa Barragán Taboada to lead new Austin newsroom - Austin Monitor

City switches shelter management, we have a new EIC - Austin Monitor

US Open Cup replay: Austin FC vs Minnesota United FC - Austin American-Statesman

Free museum admission and live music festivals: 15 events to check out in Austin Sept. 19-21 - Community Impact

Austin moves to slow displacement, preserve thousands of affordable units with new fund - Community Impact

Leander and Liberty Hill home prices drop for August 2025 - Community Impact

Hwy. 29 bridge to close Sept. 17-19 for repairs in Georgetown - Community Impact

Demolition of Austin Convention Center nearly complete; new building to open in 2029 - Community Impact

Lakeway delays decision on new Hurst Harbor Marina development - Community Impact

Cedar Park-area home sales continue to show slight decline in August - Community Impact

Singas Famous Pizza coming soon to Georgetown - Community Impact

New lifestyle show gets to know Austin entrepreneurs - CultureMap Austin

Meeting Between 2024 SEC Champions Awaits Bulldogs in Austin - Mississippi State Buldogs

28th annual Austin Museum Day - Spectrum News

APD: 1 person in custody after woman was allegedly assaulted at apartment complex - KXAN Austin

1 dead after collision involving 18-wheeler on I-35 northbound in North Austin - KVUE

1 dead, others injured after crash involving CapMetro bus - KXAN Austin

Austin Police get warrants for suspects in alleged transphobic assault at Barton Springs - KXAN Austin

1 dead after 2-vehicle collision involving CapMetro bus in Travis County - KVUE

‘Challenged in extraordinary ways’: Vaqueros del Mar donates more funds in Leander - KXAN Austin

Jonestown Police looking for suspect who allegedly stole safe from church - KXAN Austin

Samsung gets $250M in state incentives for Taylor plant - ABJ

Austin Power Players list for 2025 - ABJ

City Council committee considers tenant relocation protections - Austin Monitor

Austin biotech firm secures major funding for vision treatments - ABJ

AUSTIN CULTURE

~ DINING: “8 openings, closings, and a bar rebrand wake up Austin food news” Culture Map Austin

WHAT TO DO TONIGHT

~ LIVE MUSIC: Lainey Wilson. Moody Center. 7pm. Tix $37 and up here.

~ LIVE MUSIC: William Beckmann. Scoot Inn. Sold out!

WHAT TO DO TOMORROW

~ LIVE MUSIC: Benson Boone. Moody Center. 8pm. Sold out. Re-sale tix $132 and up here.

~ COMEDY: Patton Oswalt. Paramount Theater. 7pm. Tix $65 and up here.

COOL JOB ALERT

~ Property Manager. State Preservation Board. Salary: $51,158.00 – $81,351.00 / annually. Info / apply here.