The Texas Rent Relief (TRR) application portal will close on Thursday after thousands of applications were submitted within the first 24 hours, according to a news release from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. Read more https://www.kxan.com/news/texas/texas-rent-relief-application-portal-closing-early-with-more-than-70k-submissions/

School Shooting Response – Monday’s deadly school shooting in Nashville happened shortly before lawmakers in the Texas House took up bills aimed at improving student safety in the aftermath of the Uvalde school shooting. Ryan Chandler looks at how the latest shooting affected those who came to advocate for school safety reforms at the Capitol. Monica Madden looks closer at what’s in the bill being considered, and why some say the legislation is missing important needs.

Vet Board Bill Update – The state is one step closer to cleaning up what some leaders have called a “mess” with the agency in charge of Texas animal doctors. A Senate committee advanced a bill that aims to help with data and management issues the board has battled for years. But Avery Travis explains why a different bill has some pet owners concerned.

Xylazine Warning - The DEA and Texas' Department of State Health Services are warning Texans of a new drug threat - a veterinary tranquilizer called Xylazine, which DEA says is cut with fentanyl and making overdoses even worse. But they can't say how big of a threat it really is. Ryan has a one-on-one interview with a DEA Special Agent to break down the problem.

New Plate System Plan – Amid ongoing problems with fraud, a new bill calls for doing away with temporary paper license plates. Investigator Matt Grant speaks with the lawmaker who introduced the bill, and why he credits our reporting for making the legislation possible.

Nearly 2,000 fewer people applied for the 2023 Austin Fire Department recruitment process than the previous one in 2021, the chief of the Austin Firefighters Association says. The application process was open from March 15-29. Read more https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/tremendous-drop-in-interest-austin-fire-recruitment-down-union-chief-says/

Marj Sippel and her husband of over 40 years, Harry, always planned to cremate their bodies once they died. That was until they saw an article about an emerging method that allows someone to turn their body into organic material after they pass away. Read more https://www.kxan.com/news/texas/is-human-composting-legal-in-texas/

On the fourth day of Daniel Perry’s trial, the man accused of murdering Garrett Foster at a July 2020 Black Lives Matter demonstration, state attorneys played a 911 call Perry made following the deadly incident. Read more https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/i-am-scared-i-am-terrified-daniel-perrys-911-call-played-in-court/

As shortages in the Austin Police Department continue the Austin Police Retirement System said it was expecting about 80 retirements by the end of April.

These retirements would come as APD’s contract expires Friday, March 31.

The Austin Police Department is seeking the public's help in locating at least three suspects wanted in a robbery that occurred at a 7-11 in south Austin Wednesday.

Austin Energy confirmed Friday its General Manager, Jackie Sargent, https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/austin-energy-general-manager-jackie-sargent-retires-effective-immediately/be retiring effective immediately. Read more https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/austin-energy-general-manager-jackie-sargent-retires-effective-immediately/

A man was booked into jail Wednesday in connection to a January road rage incident on the Interstate 35 frontage road, the Austin Police Department said in a release. Read more https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/man-arrested-guns-found-after-austin-road-rage-incident/

A leader within the Texas Department of Public Safety was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated, according to Williamson County jail records. Haddox was “suspended pending an investigation into the circumstances of this incident,” DPS told KXAN. Read more https://www.kxan.com/news/texas/top-texas-department-of-public-safety-leader-arrested-on-dwi-charges/