This is TPR's roundup of the latest headlines and news developments. It provides a summary of the stories TPR is following.
Today's weather: Expect sunny skies with a high of 76 and a low of 52. The weekend will be sunny and windy. Saturday's high will be 81. Sunday will see a high of 78. Next week will see highs in the 70s too.
San Antonio charter school reports case of rubella
German measles and measles are not the same illness. German measles is rubella, another one of the illnesses children are vaccinated against when they get the measles, mumps and rubella — or MMR — vaccine.
Jason Bowling, a UT Health San Antonio infectious diseases expert, said rubella, like measles, causes a rash, but it poses a more serious threat to women of child-bearing age.
Babies born with congenital rubella syndrome can experience a variety of challenges, including heart defects and deafness.
The Texas Department of State Health Services has not confirmed a case of measles or rubella in San Antonio.
City council OKs talks over new downtown arena
The San Antonio City Council voted to give City Manager Erik Walsh the authority to pursue in-depth negotiations with the San Antonio Spurs and Bexar County over a new downtown arena. The city has estimated that the arena will cost up to $1.5 billion.
District 2 Councilmember Jalen McKee-Rodriguez said the East Side needed more involvement in the process to prevent a repeat that brought the Frost Bank Center there in the first place.
The council voted to include the District 2 and District 1 representatives in all substantive conversations related to the negotiating framework between the city, county, and Spurs.
Thursday’s vote does not make any commitments on behalf of the city, and any final agreements are at least months away.
Coach Pop out for the season
The San Antonio Spurs announced Thursday that Coach Gregg Popovich will not be returning to the sidelines this season.
Popovich suffered a stroke last November and has since been in recovery. Spurs assistant Mitch Johnson has served as coach in Pop's absence.
Pop said he will continue to focus on his health with the hopes of returning to coaching in the future.
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) February 27, 2025
Bexar County DA requests opinion on speeding system
Bexar County Precinct 3 Constable Mark Vojvodich implemented technology to issue speeding citations without direct interaction between law enforcement officers and drivers.
Now, Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales has formally requested that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issue an opinion on the legality of its use.
Gonzales references a 2016 Texas AG opinion that determined counties do not have legal authority to use an automated enforcement system without explicit legislative authorization.
The system — which captures an image of a driver’s face and license plate — has led to criminal citations.
Bexar County hires company to deal with drug case backlog
The county crime lab had a backlog of more than 4,000 drug cases in January. Armstrong Forensic Laboratories will take on nearly 1,600 of those cases.
It will be paid up to $600,000 to complete the work by September. The extra help should restore turnaround times to normal.
Marijuana cases make up 30% of those cases, while 70% involve "powered drugs."
Of all crimes in a typical year, drug cases can make up to 80% of the lab's overall work.
U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro addresses VA layoffs
The Democratic congressman addressed the Trump administration's recent layoffs at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs during a press conference on Thursday.
The layoffs of VA employees began in mid-February. The congressman said he’s received multiple calls and messages from community members in a panic because of the financial struggles they now face.
"We've had so many people call in [and say] 'we're panicking' because they have mortgages, because you have folks that are trying to take care of elderly parents, their caregivers and their expenses," he said. "For that, some people who are the sole breadwinners, who are now facing being laid off."
He added that staffing problems have already been a concern at the local VA hospitals, and treatment will worsen with layoffs.
