This year marks half a century since the Christopher Street Liberation Day March commemorated the first anniversary of the Stonewall Riots — the New York uprising that birthed the gay rights movement and LGBTQ+ Pride celebrations around the world. Sadly, Pride in the modern era frequently focuses on hedonism and rainbows while neglecting to recognize…
There’s some good news for music fans as the economy reawakens. Namely, that live shows are starting to return to San Antonio. But there’s also this: touring acts and large-venue performances probably won’t come back in earnest until 2021. “Most of the promoters we’re talking to are looking at the 2021 calendar year,” said Casey…
As he works to aid South Side residents financially devastated by COVID-19, lawyer Desi Martinez likes to keep a photo of a former U.S. president the back of his mind. “Jimmy Carter is standing there with a bandana around his neck, his shirt and hair are drenched in sweat. He’s wearing a builder’s cap, and…
Although COVID-19 cases continue to rise in San Antonio, the DoSeum is set to reopen next week with new precautionary measures in place. The hands-on children’s museum will reopen to members June 22-28, then to the general public on starting on Monday, June 29. During the members-only week, healthcare workers will also receive free admission.…
Anyone craving a fitness fix as the weather warms can feel free to unroll their yoga mat. While plenty of folks aren’t eager to head to a gym during the pandemic, San Antonio yoga instructors are offering both socially distanced in-person classes and online instruction. Sports bar Chicken N’ Pickle is partnering with Mobile Om…
Grammy nominated German group Cosmic Gate and Austin duo Tritonal will headline San Anto’s first ever EDM Drive-In, which announced its full lineup Wednesday. Henry Fong, Kristina Sky, Hook N Sling, LEMA, Coast Club, Projector, Katabolic and Blase will round out the two-night show, billed as a socially distanced drive-in rave at Freeman Coliseum. The fest…
San Antonio singer-songwriter Brandon Padier made the most of his time in quarantine. The folk-rocker hunkered down in his East Side home studio over those lonely weeks to record his latest album, Brothers of the Flood, which is set to release on July 10. The album — his second since 2019 — is part of a…
The San Antonio Public Library this week began its phased pandemic reopening plan. Starting Tuesday, all SAPL locations began offering contact-free pickup services and drop-offs. In addition, the library system expanded its phone, chat and online reference services and increased outside Wi-Fi availability at branches. Public computers are now available for limited use at the Westfall,…
Chef Stefan Bowers of San Antonio’s Battalion, Playland Pizza and Rebelle at the St. Anthony Hotel took to Facebook Monday to candidly share his frustrations about the ongoing pandemic’s impact on his businesses. The post comes as cases of the coronavirus in Texas hit record numbers. Bowers’ post covers his woes with the federal Payroll Protection…
During a Tuesday news conference, Gov. Greg Abbott worked to assure Texans the coronavirus pandemic won’t overwhelm the state’s medical system — even as it set a new record high in COVID-19 hospitalizations. Fewer Texans test positive for COVID-19 than residents of any other large U.S. state, Abbott said during his remarks, adding that the…
Rico Torres, chef-owner of San Antonio modernist Mexican restaurant Mixtli, will appear in the inaugural episode of Taste the Nation, a new Hulu series hosted by Top Chef’s Padma Lakshmi. Taste the Nation explores the term “melting pot” by chronicling Lakshmi’s journeys to different parts of the United States as she engages in conversations with…
Moving under cover of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Trump administration has stepped up seizures of private land to complete its pinche border wall. Citing national security risks, the White House has continued seizing property using eminent domain, the government power to take privately owned land so long as the landowners are compensated, Yahoo Finance reports.…
A rise in COVID-19 infections by H-E-B employees has prompted a San Antonio resident to create a Change.org petition demanding that the grocery chain require shoppers to wear face coverings in its stores. As of press time, the online petition started by David Spener has more than 23,000 signatures. San Antonio-based H-E-B was unavailable for immediate comment.…
The Texas Democratic Party on Tuesday said it asked the nation’s highest court to overturn a recent U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ban on allowing voters under the age of 65 to vote by mail rather than risk COVID-19 infection. Voting rights groups and the Texas Democrats have sued in both state and federal…
Let’s be real: 2020’s pileup of calamities is giving us day-drinking feels. So, with seasonal, hyper-local ingredients in mind, we’re here to help you up your home bartending game with a bright take on a summertime cocktail. Gin is a classic choice for sipping in the sunshine, given its crisp, botanical notes. While summer favorites…
The Woodlawn Theatre is celebrating both its 75th year — and the end of its pandemic-forced hiatus — by returning to its cinematic roots. The Woodlawn will kick off a month-long series featuring award-winning musical films on June 19, showing the movies on its indoor screen every Friday. First on its slate is 2002’s Chicago, starring Catherine…
On an April morning just two months shy of his fourth birthday, A.B., a toddler, was found unresponsive on the floor of his foster home, bleeding from his ear, with other injuries suggesting he may have been physically abused. Starting in March, no fewer than four reports had been made to the state’s welfare agency…
Lions and tigers, and um … panthers? No, it’s not the phrase many of us learned from the Wizard of Oz, but it accurately describes the Witte Museum’s new “King of Beasts” exhibit. Featuring more than 30 works by John Banovich — an oil painter internationally renowned for dramatic portrayals of wildlife — the show explores big…
Texas slotted in at No. 27 in a new study ranking U.S. states on how welcoming they are to the LGBTQ+ community. The financial news site 24/7 Wall Street compared states by their number of hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation and gender identity and also their laws affecting LGBTQ+ people. The study also took into…
Saying he was stiffed on payments for campaign work, a political consultant who once worked for U.S. Rep. Henry Bonilla, has sued Tony Gonzales, one of two GOP hopefuls vying to represent Texas’ hotly contested 23rd Congressional District. In a suit filed in Bexar County District Court, Phil Ricks — a former staffer for Bonilla,…
Over the weekend, gun-related violence at San Antonio nightspots Rebar, 4th Quarter Sports Bar and the Monte Carlo Club left a total of 10 people injured and one dead. “My staff is freaked out, innocent people were hurt, and all because my staff was doing their job and not allowing entry to intoxicated people,” Rebar Owner Susan…
The flood of San Antonians being outed for racially insensitive behavior past and present has locals wondering: “Who’s next?” Looks like we may have an answer. On Saturday, Reddit user PresentationOdd posted a link to an image to the San Antonio subreddit that shows a family photo with a teen in blackface. In the post,…
Actor Ron Perlman’s made trolling the fuck out of Republican politicians a big part of his online brand. Just ask anyone who follows the Hellboy and Sons of Anarchy actor on Twitter. And, now, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas — never one to dodge an online celebrity feud — appears to be latest to be…
Gemini Ink will relaunch its noir fiction discussion series online this Wednesday, beginning with Attica Locke’s 2018 Edgar Award-winning novel Bluebird, Bluebird. The monthly discussion series will be held on Zoom. Selected novels fall in the genre of “Southern noir,” and take place mainly in East Texas. The monthly literature discussion classes will be led…
As if folks didn’t have enough to worry about with a flood of coronavirus-related scams, Bexar County has warned that a swindler is calling residents to claim they have open code-violations cases. According to authorities, the scammer offers to take payment over the phone, then provides a fraudulent six-digit confirmation number. “Our department would never…
Mezcal Vago, an award-winning family-owned mezcal brand, announced Sunday that revered mezcalero and patriarch Aquilino García López died unexpectedly Saturday night. Mezcal is a Mexican distilled spirit made from the agave plant that’s often mistakenly interchanged with tequila. The biggest difference between the two is that tequila is made from a single type of agave…
Gov. Abbott continues to power ahead with his plan to reopen Texas even as the state experienced a record spike in COVID-19 hospitalizations. But at least a dozen San Antonio bars are taking it upon themselves to close their doors until further notice. Spots all over the city, including Coco Loco Sports Bar, The Well…
Texas progressives lauded Monday’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling that federal law preventing employers from engaging in sexual discrimination also applies to LGBTQ+ workers. The ruling carries special power in the Lone Star State, which is among those that doesn’t extend protections to workers based on their gay or transgender identities. However, some cities, including San…
First know this: King Ranch Chicken, the loved or loathed casserole that became a staple at weddings, funerals and pot-luck suppers all over Texas, likely has nothing to do with the fabled spread. Cows, not hens, were the engine of famed rancher Richard King’s success. It’s now thought instead that the concoction, based on mushroom…
The Los Angeles Times, BuzzFeed News, NBC News and MSNBC are among the latest publications to change their style guides to capitalize “Black” when referring to people of the African diaspora — something that industry leaders the Associated Press and New York Times have still not yet called for. On Thursday, Sarah Glover, the former president…
Housing relief programs, which offer up to $3,500 in rental or mortgage assistance, are being pushed locally as eviction courts get ready to resume on Monday. Several judges are attaching information about the city and county rental assistance programs to mailed-out notices to appear in court. Should they have to appear in court, city and…
When Trish DeBerry pops up on my screen, she’s waving to me from the drive-through at Chick-fil-A restaurant. As she waits for the cashier to come to the window, she explains that her last meeting ran late and that her teenage daughter asked her to stop and pick up dinner. “That’s the story of my…
San Antonio police are searching for a man who injured eight people when he shot up a North Side bar Friday night. The incident happened in the parking lot of a popular DJ spot Rebar at the 8000 block of Broadway around 11:30 p.m., according to multiple news reports. The suspected shooter, who claimed to…
At least six major advertisers, including T-Mobile and Disney, have pulled out of Fox News host Tucker Carlson’s show over his increasingly inflammatory rhetoric about Black Lives Matter protests. Poshmark and Jackson Hewitt became the two most recent corporations to confirm they’d their yanked their ads, joining Papa John’s, Vari and the aforementioned T-Mobile and Disney,…
With the number of people hospitalized for the new coronavirus continuing to climb in Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott said Friday that there’s “no real need to ratchet back the opening of businesses in the state.” One of the reasons, he said in an interview with KYTX television in Tyler, is “because we have so many hospital…
Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff fired off a letter to Gov. Greg Abbott saying he wants the governor to reverse an order blocking municipalities such as Bexar and San Antonio from fining people for not wearing masks. The letter comes as Metro Health officials warn that San Antonio is seeing a spike in COVID-19 cases…
Starbucks on Friday released a statement saying baristas are now allowed to wear Black Lives Matter gear such as T-shirts and pins while on the clock. That’s a 180-degree turn from rules issued in an internal memo earlier this week. BuzzFeed News shared the memo, which said employees wouldn’t be allowed to wear Black Lives…
Spurs’ shooting guard Lonnie Walker IV surprised fans Thursday by sharing in an emotional Instagram post that he’d been sexually abused as a child. The revelation accompanied a video explanation of the Spur’s journey with his distinctive towering hairstyle. It also included video of his encounter with clippers, documenting the complete removal of his signature…
Following the same innovative path of its Drive Thru Zoo, the San Antonio Zoo is now offering two virtual summer camps, which it’s calling Zoo Your Own Adventure and Tales from the Field. In response to Texas’ pandemic safety guidelines for youth camps, the zoo was forced to cut attendance at its well-known WILD in-person summer…
Medical Center-area eatery Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh is celebrating International Falafel Day all weekend by offering its signature trio of the crisp chickpea-based morsels as a free add-on to any food order. The Garbanzo team promises to keep the homage to falafel going through the month, each week releasing a new flavor of the Middle Eastern…
College campuses have been empty for months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Palo Alto College has put its community garden to work in the meantime, KSAT reports. The Southside campus has donated more than 380 pounds of food from its garden to the San Antonio Food Bank. Fresh produce grown there would typically go…
An arbitrator’s decision whether to uphold the second firing of a San Antonio cop once terminated for giving a sandwich filled with dog feces to a homeless man is now stretching into its fourth month. City officials have not received a ruling from the third-party arbitrator assigned to officer Matthew Luckhurst’s second termination from the…
We’re still a few weeks away from movie theaters screening new releases. So, here are a few short reviews of some of the films that hit VOD, Netflix and Disney+ today. Artemis Fowl Based on a series of fantasy novels written by Irish author Eoin Colfer between 2001 and 2012, the first book of the…
Uber says it’s showing commitment to the Black Lives Matter movement by waiving delivery fees on its Uber Eats app for Black-owned businesses for the remainder of 2020. With the app’s delivery fees typically running $3-5, that could be a game-changer for SA’s Black-owned restaurants as the city slips into a second wave of the COVID-19 infections…
More San Antonio restaurants are taking the leap and opening their dining rooms at up to 75% capacity, the amount allowed under the latest of phase of Gov. Greg Abbott’s reopening plan, which kicked in Friday. Although San Antonio is officially in a COVID-19 infection rebound, each restaurant below has said via social media that it’s…
If you plan to vote in the upcoming Texas primary runoff, Monday is your last day to register. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott pushed back the date of the runoff from May to July 14 as the coronavirus pandemic began closing down the state. Early voting starts June 29. The highest-profile contest on the ballot will…
As a kid, the towering screens at the Mission Drive-in Theater on the South Side always caught my attention when coming up Roosevelt Avenue north of Mission San José. Then, in March 1988, as a seven-year-old burgeoning cinephile, I finally found myself at the theater, piled into the back seat of my father’s Chevy Impala,…
After a string of worrying Texas COVID-19 numbers, San Antonio public health officials have made it official: we’re seeing a second wave. Over the past three days, San Antonio has confirmed a total of 507 new COVID-19 cases. This as the state reported its largest single-day increase in cases on Thursday. Coronavirus-related hospitalizations in San…
Four social justice groups have called on the San Antonio Independent School District to eliminate its police force and reallocate that funding to on-campus counseling, social work and other services. In a letter to the district’s superintendent, the Children’s Defense Fund Texas, Disability Rights Texas, Texas Appleseed and Texas Southern University’s Earl Carl Institute said…
After a pandemic-forced delay of the Magic Theatre’s Dragons Love Tacos, the San Antonio playhouse has brought back the family-friendly production. The rescheduled play, inspired by the New York Times bestselling children’s book of the same name, will start its run June 13 and close out the season on June 21. The production debuted at the…
This week, San Antonio-based grocery giant H-E-B revealed that another of its workers has tested positive for COVID-19. This time, the employee was at its Alon Market location on the city’s Northside. As per usual, H-E-B said it’s deep cleaned and sanitized multiple times inside the store since June 5, when the employee was last…
The city canned a 10-year veteran with the San Antonio Fire Department Thursday over racist and threatening social media posts. In a brief press statement, the city and department said the firefighter posted a “racially derogatory comment/image” along with an “incendiary and threatening comment regarding recent protests.” “The City of San Antonio and the SAFD…
Responding to protests over the death of George Floyd, Texas favorite Whataburger will donate $1 million to Feeding Student Success, a program that facilitates scholarships and programs aiding Black and minority students. Although Whataburger has been uncharacteristically quiet on social media this month, the company’s official Twitter statement Wednesday on the donation packed a punch: “The…
A nonpartisan group of public health experts is warning that Texas is one of eight states whose COVID-19 infection and testing data suggests they’re poised for a significant infection rebound. The Lone Star State posted a 53% increase in cases over the past 14 days, according to analysis by the group COVID Exit Strategy. At…
While the San Antonio Symphony was one of many local arts organizations hit hard by recent budget cuts, the city’s premiere classical music ensemble has found at least one alternate line of funding. On Wednesday, the symphony announced that it received an Art Works award grant of $17,500 from the National Endowment for the Arts to partially…
Untethered to family and enticed by new job opportunities, millennials are on the move. And, according to a new study, those moves are taking them to both San Antonio and the Lone Star State. Texas is the No. 1 destination state for relocating millennials, according to an analysis of 2018 census data by the financial site SmartAsset.…
Add podcasts to film and TV actor, musician and avid golfer Dennis Quaid’s list of interests. The Houston-born native launched his first weekly podcast, The Dennissance, in April as part of his newly created podcast studio, Audio Up Media. Ten episodes in and Quaid, so far, has interviewed a handful of his celebrity friends, including…
When George Floyd died at the hands of Minneapolis police last month, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott labeled the incident a “horrific act of police brutality” and has since repeatedly said that Texas can’t let such a tragedy happen. “George Floyd has not died in vain,” Abbott said Monday at a public memorial for Floyd in Houston. “I…
When stay-at-home orders came down in March, Americans swarmed supermarkets to stock up on quarantine essentials such as toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and … yeast? Nationwide, common baking ingredients such as flour, eggs and milk have become some of the hardest pantry items to find. It’s easy to see why. At press time, more than…
Mission Foods — the Los Angeles-based purveyor of tortillas, wraps and chips — will donate nearly 38,000 servings of its products to the San Antonio Food Bank on Wednesday. This will be the company’s third and largest donation to the Food Bank to date, consisting of 4,800 packages of corn and flour tortillas and 750…
San Antonio-based beer distributor Silver Eagle Beverages has donated $75,000 to the Texas Restaurant Association’s relief fund, which aids independent restaurants and their employees hurt by the COVID-19 crisis. Recently, the TRA also expanded the fund’s mission to include helping independent foodservice businesses vandalized during unrest associated with protests over the killing of George Floyd. “Many…
For the third day in a row, the Lone Star State has tallied a record number of COVID-19 hospitalizations — one of the key metrics Gov. Greg Abbott said he’s using as he decides how quickly to reopen the economy. As of Wednesday, 2,153 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 across the state, according to the…
Kathy Armstrong, who became Luminaria’s first executive director in 2015, will leave the post at the end of the month, the arts organization announced Wednesday in an emailed statement. Prior to assuming her leadership role, Armstrong volunteered for many of Luminaria’s early festivals. She served as a curator in 2011 and an associate artistic director…
San Antonio beer-and-burgers institution Bombay Bicycle Club will open a second location, this one at Hemisfair’s redeveloped Yanaguana Garden. Bombay’s will join local eateries Chocollazo & Sugar Sugar, CommonWealth Coffeehouse & Bakery, Dough Pizzeria Napoletana, Lick Honest Ice Creams and Paleteria San Antonio in the 4.1-acre downtown park. The bar and restaurant’s new location is…
The owners of near-downtown lunchtime favorite W.D. Deli have put both the business and its distinctive building — a converted two-story home — up for sale. Wayne Beers and Michael Bobo, who have operated the spot since 1990, told TV station KSAT they’re nearing retirement age and have a condo in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where they’d…
Chef Ernie Bradley of Kuriya at Cherrity Bar has launched a collaborative dinner series to raise the profile of SA food and beverage innovators, including urban farms, chefs, breweries and distilleries. The first of the events will take place June 17 and feature Gardopia Gardens, Jerk Shack chef-owner Nicola Blaque and Boyan Kalusevic, CEO of Dorćol Distilling + Brewing…
Newly shared video from San Antonio’s Saturday, May 30 anti-police brutality demonstration shows an officer shoot a protester twice with so-called “less-lethal” rounds without apparent physical provocation. In the video, shared via Twitter, a protester films a group of heavily armed police and taunts one, shouting that he’d better have his weapon’s safety on. One…
VoteVets PAC has snapped up $270,000 in TV advertising to support Gina Ortiz Jones, the Democrat running to represent a swing congressional district that includes San Antonio and a massive swath of South Texas. The spots, which will run in San Antonio during the first half of September, represent the progressive veterans group’s first purchase…
The leader of San Antonio’s tourism marketing arm sent a letter Saturday to City Manager Erik Walsh probing whether the city — which once declined bidding to host the Republican National Convention — might have a change of heart. In her letter, Visit San Antonio CEO Casandra Matej pointed out that San Antonio’s Alamodome and…
Four restaurants in New Braunfels and Gruene have informed diners on social media that they’ve closed for a deep clean after employees tested positive for COVID-19. 2tarts Bakery, Mozie’s, Muck & Fuss and Gristmill River Restaurant & Bar have all posted that, “in an abundance of caution,” they will be closed for a few days…
After Sandra Bland’s death in a rural Texas jail drew outrage across the nation, two Texas lawmakers filed a comprehensive bill to address racial profiling during traffic stops, ban police from stopping drivers on a traffic violation as a pretext to investigate other potential crimes, limit police searches of vehicles and other jail and policing reforms.…
Chicken N Pickle, a new UTSA-area indoor-outdoor restaurant and sports complex, has set a June 26 opening date. Part casual restaurant and part sports bar, the four-acre eatery features 11 pickleball courts, ping pong and yard games including bocce ball, shuffleboard and corn hole. For those who need an explanation, pickleball is a four-person court game…
After initially announcing plans to reopen late in May, Schlitterbahn Water Parks & Resorts has now set Saturday, June 13 as its official date to welcome back patrons. The Texas-born company will reopen its New Braunfels and Galveston locations at limited capacity to season pass holders on that date. The attractions have been closed since March…
For those who didn’t get enough of Chicana punk quartet Fea during its recent live-streamed tribute to riot grrrl groundbreakers Bikini Kill, fret not. The SA-based band’s got another tribute performance on the way — and, as with the previous, it will deliver the lyrics en español. Fea will perform a Thursday, June 18 show via the…
Once again, the San Antonio Zoo is here to brighten up our week with a major dose of cute. On Tuesday, the zoo announced that its animals gave birth a bunch of new babies during its temporary closure. Among the new residents are amphibians, snakes, birds and even a set of lemur twins. The zoo’s…
It’s nearly time to break out your list of Alamo City favorites and nominate them for the San Antonio Current’s 30th Annual Best of San Antonio Readers’ Choice Awards. Online reader nominations for Best of San Antonio will open Monday, June 15, allowing you to sound off on your favorite local places, businesses, people and…
The Beignet Truck — a mobile sugar-delivery system co-owned by pop star Christina Milian — will make a June 16 stop in the Alamo City as part of a nine-city summer road trip. The LA-based food truck will post up at Bird Bakery in Alamo Heights, serving hot, powdered sugar-covered pillows of deliciousness. Beignets —…
The deeply divided U.S. Senate finally found legislation on which most of its members can agree — except, apparently, Sen. Ted Cruz and a handful of others. The Texas Republican was one of just 17 senators to vote against holding a final floor vote on a bipartisan proposal to permanently fund the Land and Water…
Editor’s Note: The following is City Scrapes, a column of opinion and analysis The clock is running down for local and state leaders to ensure voters won’t be risking their lives this election season. Sometimes the most relevant and telling news for San Antonio comes from somewhere else. So it is with Danny Ecker’s recent…
This article was originally published on Blue Ribbon Hemp. To view the original article, click here. There are a lot of CBD products on the market these days, and topical options are one of the fastest growing fields. From salves to balms to ointments to lotions, the varieties of CBD topical options are wide ranging.…
The Amp Room isn’t the only one showing its whole ass on Twitter right now. Last week, San Japan honcho Dave Henkin faced a tsunami of backlash over a racist tweet explaining why the longtime anime convention doesn’t book more people of color as guests. He subsequently issued a Facebook apology and resigned as chairman…
The IKEA store in Live Oak has reopened for in-store shopping almost three months after shutting its doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The IKEA Restaurant and children’s play area will remain shuttered. However, the Swedish Food Market grocery area is back in operation, and the store’s fast-casual Bistro will serve takeaway food items. The Swedish company…
So much for the San Antonio Spurs ending the soon-to-be resumed NBA season with a full roster. Four days after the NBA board of governors voted to restart the 2019-20 season on July 31 in Orlando with 22 teams, including the Spurs, Shams Charania, NBA reporter for The Atlantic, reported that the Silver and Black…
Delia’s — the Rio Grande Valley maker of tamales with a cult-like rep — is preparing to open its first San Antonio shop, according to a company Facebook post. The new location, at 13527 Hausman Pass, near Loop 1604, will be the first Delia’s to open outside of the Valley. The South Texas chain serves up fresh-steamed specialty tamales, salsas…
The San Antonio Humane Society (SAHS) is one of three Texas shelters selected by North Shore Animal League America (NSALA) and Swiffer for a sponsorship that will slash $50 in fees from its next 50 adoptions. During June — National Pet Adoption Month — Swiffer is sponsoring specials at participating NSALA shelter partners nationwide and covering…
Despite lingering concerns about the coronavirus pandemic, amusement parks and waterparks across San Antonio are reopening for summer fun. The first to welcome guests was Aquatica San Antonio, Sea World’s standalone water park, which reopened Saturday after being shuttered since March. Aquatica victors must make reservations ahead and expert to have their temperature checked upon arrival.…
Even though Sen. Ted Cruz professes to like music, musicians sure don’t seem to like him. First, the acerbic Texas Republican got a telling-off in song form from Willie Nelson, then he became a repeated punching bag for Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor. And now country singer Vic Berger IV is tweaking the senator…
Amid urgent levels of food insecurity during the COVID-19 crisis, a San Antonio business awarded a $39 million federal contract to provide food relief is yielding disappointing results, the Express-News reports. Event-planning company CRE8AD8 — pronounced “create a date” — has been embroiled in controversy since being awarded a pact under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farmers to…
The Amp Room apparently doesn’t know how to, well, read the room. After sparking off a firestorm last week with a now-deleted pro-police tweet, the St. Mary’s Strip venue nuked its Twitter account rather than continue to face the collective wrath of the San Antonio Twittersphere. On May 31, the Amp Room posted a now-deleted tweet…
Once again, San Antonio web designer-turned-Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale has shown himself to have an itchy Twitter finger to rival that of his boss. Case in point: Parscale last week took to the president’s fave social media platform to accuse toymaker LEGO of yanking its kits from shelves that feature cops, firefighters and first responders.…
San Antonio chefs Geronimo Lopez and Elizabeth Johnson joined Mayor Ron Nirenberg on 60 Minutes Sunday to discuss the challenges small businesses face as the local economy reopens without a COVID-19 vaccine. Elizabeth Johnson, chef-owner of Pharm Table, told the long-running CBS News program she hopes the state can avoid another outbreak, which could trigger…
It isn’t just rock ‘n’ roll that’s back: the Tobin Center this week will begin holding limited-capacity events at its H-E-B Performance Hall. The first few events will be free, allowing the performing arts center to gauge community response and comfort levels. Its first event is a screening of Tom Hanks’ feel-good Fred Rogers film…
In San Antonio, a new generation of activists is facing down a pandemic, curfews, intimidation, threats of arrest and the South Texas heat to sustain daily public calls for police accountability and racial justice. Organizers of the protests, which have now gone on for more than a week, share the feeling that anger over the…
Name: Susan Rigg Job/Title: Chef and owner, River Whey Creamery Birthplace: California Years as a cheesemaker: Six Impact: Uses local ingredients, classic technique and tenacious grit to supply local establishments including Cured, Hotel Emma and La Cantera Resort with cow’s milk cheeses Money Quote: “You have to have something that matters to you, that fills…
George W. Bush will not support the re-election of Donald Trump, according to people familiar with his thinking, The New York Times reported Saturday. The paper said the former president and Texas governor won’t vote for Trump’s reelection and that his brother, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, “isn’t sure how he’ll vote.” The paper spotlights several…
Equality Texas, one the state’s leading LGBTQ+ advocacy groups, issued a statement Friday saying it hadn’t done enough to speak out for Black people, adding that it’s taking steps to “develop an anti-racist lens.” “As an LGBTQ+ organization we’ve assumed unity among our membership in solidarity of all marginalized groups and have often spoken on…
On Friday morning, Texas’ top Republican officials, including Gov. Greg Abbott, had condemned four GOP chairs for proliferating conspiracy theories on Facebook. The posts, from chairs of some of the largest counties in Texas, suggested George Floyd’s death was staged to erode black support for President Donald Trump. Meanwhile, a fifth chairperson, Harris County GOP chair-elect…
After several days of peaceful protests, the city of San Antonio on Saturday afternoon ended its temporary curfew for the downtown business district. Mayor Ron Nirenberg signed a declaration lifting the curfew after recommendations from City Manager Erik Walsh and the San Antonio Police Department. Originally, the curfew was to extend through Sunday. “The dialogue between…
San Antonio Police Officers Association President Mike Helle, who played a key role in the union’s last two contracts with the city, will step down when his current term ends in February, according to media reports. The most recent of those collective bargaining agreements expires next year, and the next contract is likely to face…
This story was originally published by ProPublica. ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. When Amira Chowdhury joined a protest in Philadelphia against police violence on Monday, she wore a mask to protect herself and others against the coronavirus. But when…
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, a statewide elected Republican official, has posted multiple memes and comments on his Facebook page in recent days falsely claiming that billionaire George Soros orchestrated nationwide protestsover the death of George Floyd. The posts are similar in nature and tone to some of the racist posts by local GOP officials in…
Our Lady of the Lake University’s president on Thursday said the school had been wrong to block users from its Twitter account after they made online sexual abuse accusations about current and former students at the school. “I have been made aware of accusations of sexual assault against current and former OLLU students that were…
After reopening in a limited capacity at the end of May, the San Antonio Zoo is taking further steps toward normal operations. As of Saturday, June 6, the zoo will increase its overall operating capacity from 25% to 50% and open its restaurants and all indoor spaces except for the Discovery House. Guests can also…
A college newspaper editorial has identified a Black student critically injured Sunday during a protest outside Austin’s police headquarters as 20-year-old Justin Elliott Howell of San Antonio. Howell is in critical condition after suffering a fractured skull and brain damage, his brother Joshua Howell wrote in an op-ed posted on the website of The Battalion, Texas…
Prolific San Antonio-based artist and gallerist Jeff Wheeler often invokes the current moment in his work. So, it’s no surprise that he’s now taking on Donald Trump’s wildly inappropriate Monday photo op at St. John’s Cathedral in Washington, D.C. Prior to the photoshoot, Trump ordered the violent dispersal of peaceful protestors at the church — which…
Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux & Bar, owned in part by New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, has closed one of its two San Antonio locations, the San Antonio Business Journal reports. The chain quietly shuttered its Huebner Oaks store less than 10 months after taking over the location, which previously housed another sports bar. The COVID-19 pandemic…
Photographer and graphic designer Andrew Seth Bradley is using his skillset to draw attention to racial injustice and police brutality. He’s inviting Black San Antonians to sign up for 15-minute Black Lives Matter protest portrait sessions on Sunday at the Eleven Hundred Collective Studio. Participants can bring their own props and signs for the photos.…
Turns out Bexar County Republican Party Chair Cynthia Brehm isn’t the only Texas GOP leader with a conspiracy theory problem. Last night, the Texas Democratic Party emailed a screen capture of a meme apparently shared from Comal County Republican Party Chair Sue Gafford Piner’s Facebook page that propagates the widely debunked conspiracy theory that billionaire…
Last week, Texas-based liquor chain WB Liquors & Wine launched a pair of online auctions of rare Pappy Van Winkle bourbons to benefit area food banks. The notoriety of the bourbon paid off big for the San Antonio and Brazos Valley food banks, pulling in $18,000 for the organizations. Each landed $9,000 thanks to the…
When it comes to summertime fruit, let’s agree that pineapple is king. Sweet, juicy and tropical, it’s perfect for all kinds of sun-drenched snacking — whether in a smoothie, a fruit salad, a cocktail or … fermented? Yep, you read that right. Fermented. In which case, it would be tepache, a mildly alcoholic beverage made from…
San Antonians looking to ease back into First Friday celebrations after months in lockdown needn’t let the curfew in San Antonio’s downtown business district get in the way. These outdoor venues offering drinks, food and live music on First Friday are located outside of the central district, which is under a 9 p.m.-to-6 a.m. nightly curfew…
Kiddie Park, a revered near-downtown spot for kids’ birthdays, is reopening later in June after two months of being shuttered by the pandemic. While its doors won’t reopen until Friday, June 19, guests can start booking for parties online, according to the San Antonio Zoo, where the park is located. “We’re thrilled that the birthday…
With COVID-19 still spreading in San Antonio, some worry the city’s growing number of unsheltered homeless people are at particularly high risk for contracting the disease. A recent analysis of the annual Point-in-Time Count, a one-night snapshot of the city’s homeless, revealed an 8% increase in the unsheltered population over the past 10 years. Unsheltered…
In a resounding a win for COPS/Metro Alliance, San Antonio City Council voted Thursday to allocate $75 million in its federal coronavirus recovery funds to workforce development. COPS/Metro, one of the city’s most powerful community organizing groups, vigorously lobbied the council to use the federal dollars to help workers who lost jobs during the pandemic…
When the 2019-2020 NBA season was postponed last March because of the COVID-19 outbreak, the San Antonio Spurs sat well outside the playoff picture with a 27-36 record. If the season had continued, few NBA pundits predicted San Antonio would move far from its 12th place spot the Western Conference, which meant the the team…
A three-judge panel of the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals extended its order Thursday blocking a lower court’s sweeping ruling that would have allowed all Texas voters to qualify to vote by mail during the coronavirus pandemic. With early voting for the primary runoff elections starting later this month — and the Texas Supreme Court…
Gov. Greg Abbott has called for the resignation of Bexar County Republican Party Chairwoman Cynthia Brehm after she suggested the death of George Floyd was a “staged event” to politically damage President Trump. In a now-deleted Facebook post, Brehm said the death of Floyd — who died after a Minneapolis cop knelt on his neck…
So far, 2020 has been a shitty year for humans, but dogs appear to be having a pretty good summer. Dog & Pony Grill, a Boerne family-style restaurant, will open an expansive dog park Friday, June 5. That comes days after huge dog-friendly bar Hops & Hounds opened in Northeast San Antonio. The Dog &…
This week, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and his Strike Force to Open Texas late Wednesday announced an additional phase of loosening pandemic-response protocols for restaurants and bars. Starting immediately, restaurants can now seat parties of up to 10 per table, use all partitioned booth seating and reduce distance between tables to four feet so long as partitions separate parties. Bars…
Luby’s Inc., the San Antonio-born chain behind Luann Platters and oddly square fish filets, plans to sell its operating divisions, including its Luby’s Cafeteria and Fuddruckers restaurants. “During the sale process, certain of the company’s restaurants will remain open to continue serving our guests,” according to a press release from the Houston-based company. Luby’s plans to distribute…
The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office has placed a deputy on administrative leave and yanked his Texas Peace Officer’s license while it investigates a now-deleted Facebook post that appears to advocate killing looters. In an online statement, Sheriff Javier Salazar said the deputy, who worked at the jail, faces an internal affairs probe and has surrendered…
Since the pandemic started, everyone and their abuela is making face masks. But not everyone is making them puro San Antonio. We managed to track down four local shops and two independent maskmakers that are putting needle to thread in creative and stylish ways to help locals ward off La Corona. Como La Flu Actually,…
We don’t usually put much stock in national food holidays at the Current, but in some cases, not celebrating would just be a sad day for everyone. Namely any of the booze-, chocolate-, bacon- or taco-related holidays, but we digress. Thursday is National Cheese Day, so here’s a roundup of local spots that make it…
Constitutional scholars and voting-rights groups on Wednesday released a report saying Texas and other states are violating the constitution by limiting absentee voting to people over 65. The study “Age Discrimination in Voting At Home” calls for immediate litigation to challenge statutes in Texas and six other states on the basis that they violate the…
Later this month, San Antonians can get their groove on with the next iteration of the King William Association’s virtual concert series. Slated for Saturday, June 14, the online performance — which will be streamed on Facebook — will feature Henry Brun and the International Trio. The trio is comprised of Grammy Award-winning Puerto Rican…
It’s tempting to permanently paste Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s face in this slot and dedicate each issue’s Assclown Alert to his latest explosive bout of verbal diarrhea. Don’t worry. We won’t. After all, this state is still chock-full of politicos worthy of being called out for assclownery. That said, Patrick’s most recent appearance on…
San Antonio political observers are accustomed to Bexar County Republican Chairwoman Cynthia Brehm spinning conspiracy webs. After all, just last month she claimed the coronavirus was a Democratic hoax and has long maintained that county officials engage in widespread voter fraud. This time, though, Brehm appears to have outdone herself. In a now-deleted Facebook post,…
This weekend, a pair of local filmmakers will give San Antonio a second glimpse into its rich Black history. On Sunday, producer Baba Aundar Ma’at and director Born Logic Allah — the duo behind Melaneyes Media — will host a virtual screening of the second installment of their documentary series Walk on the River. Their…
It’s common for visitors to the Alamo to discover that they imagined the historic mission was much bigger than it actually is, but the New York Times is apparently on a whole other level. On Tuesday, Texas Monthly called out the Gray Lady for a particularly tone-deaf comment misconstruing South Texas geography in a lengthy…
San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg said on Twitter late Tuesday that he’s looking into wooden projectiles police fired at protesters and members of the media. Around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, the mayor issued an email statement to the Current saying he had met with the city manager and San Antonio Police Chief William McManus to to…
Since launching its awareness-raising Black is Beautiful campaign on Monday, the crew at Weathered Souls Brewing has been busy networking to bring other craft brewers in on the project. So busy, in fact, that 125 have committed to participate in the Black-owned brewery’s initiative, which aims to foster inclusion and raise awareness of racial injustice by collaborating on…
On Saturday, Taniyah Pilgrim and her boyfriend Messiah Young were violently dragged from their vehicle and arrested in Atlanta, grabbing national headlines. Turns out Pilgrim, a student at Atlanta’s Spelman College, hails from San Antonio, KSAT reports. Young attends Morehouse College, another historically black college located in the Southern city. The incident, captured in a now-viral video, occurred…
Downtown San Antonio’s Market Square reopened Wednesday at 10 a.m. after being shuttered for weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic. More than 100 small businesses call the historic shopping plaza home, including those in its farmer’s market and El Mercado, where artists and importers sell goods. “We are looking forward to reopening, hoping that the…
Downtown’s Roadmap Brewing Co. has joined other Alamo City craft brewers in reopening to customers, albeit with new safety measures in place. “THE TAPROOM WILL RE-OPEN TODAY!!! (JUNE 3rd)… BUT things will be a little different…” Roadmap announced in an early morning Facebook post. What will be different? For one, the brewery will operate at…
During a televised address on Tuesday, Mayor Ron Nirenberg pulled the plug on a November vote to expand public transit by diverting tax money meant to protect the city’s primary source of drinking water. Nirenberg and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff had championed a controversial plan to shift $40 million in sales tax now used…
Saturday evening, I marched with 5,000 other San Antonians as they peacefully protested the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. The collective sorrow and rage were palpable. The victim’s name echoed between the buildings of downtown. The gathering began with a rally at Travis Park. A diverse crowd listened as speakers…
