🤸 Your guide to making friends in Austin

📰 APD Was Not Required to Call ICE on Mother and Daughter

A mother and her five-year-old daughter were detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers last week after Austin police responded to a disturbance call and found the mother had an administrative warrant. Experts say police are not required to contact immigration officers after finding such a warrant. [Austin American-Statesman]

• Five people arrested during an anti-ICE protest over the weekend have been released from the Travis County Jail. [CBS Austin]

💵 AISD Spent Millions on Campuses That Will Close

About $95 million in bond money approved by voters in 2022 has been spent on Austin Independent School District campuses that will soon be closed. Advocacy groups say that taxpayer money has been wasted. [The Austin Current]

👭 How To Make Friends as an Adult

Making friends as an adult can be hard. But if getting out there and meeting new people is your 2026 resolution, this is the perfect guide to get you started! [City Cast Austin 🎧]

♥️ Romance Bookstore in East Austin Now Open

Finney’s Books, a bookstore dedicated to the romance genre, opened in the Mueller area last month and the books that the TV show “Heated Rivalry” is adapted from have been in high demand. [Axios Austin]

Looking for a new spot to try in the new year? We've got you covered:

December 2025

🍕 Moderna Bar & Pizzeria, 1717 W. 6th St.

Moderna Bar & Pizzeria opened on Dec. 11 in downtown Austin. The Italian restaurant is open for lunch and dinner and has pizza, pasta, sandwiches, and more on its menu.

🍸 Parley, 1628 E. Cesar Chavez St.

Parley is a new bar in East Austin that opened on Dec. 19.

🥪 High Road DelicaTexan, 915 W. Mary St.

High Road DelicaTexan opened in the Bouldin Creek neighborhood in December. Menu items include everything from coffee and a breakfast hot dog to mocktails and sandwiches.

November 2025

🦀 Restaurant François, 401 W. 3rd St.

Restaurant François, a French-American restaurant, opened downtown on Nov. 24.

🥐 Ciccio Bomba, 111 Congress Ave.

Italian bakery Ciccio Bomba opened inside Fareground downtown in November. The bakery is co-owned by comedian Tom Segura.

🥩 VanHorn's, 238 W. 2nd St.

VanHorn’s is a steakhouse serving oysters, shrimp cocktail, lobster, New York strips, and more at its location downtown. The restaurant opened in November.

🐟 Kappo Kappo, 600 W. 2nd St.

Kappo Kappo serves an 11-course tasting menu of French and Japanese dishes. The downtown restaurant opened on Nov. 28.

🫒 Amaya, 80 Rainey St.

Located inside the Paseo apartment complex on Rainey Street, Amaya opened on Nov. 7. The restaurant offers Mediterranean favorites like hummus and falafel.