The event will begin at 2 p.m. at the bookstore at 1300 Guadalupe St. Visitors can meet Valdez and take prints home to share within their own communities.

Valdez created “The New Americans” as a portrait of resistance. The series features detailed drawings that explore Latino history, identity and communities across the country.

His work also addresses difficult chapters in American history, including the lynching of Latinos and the displacement of communities.

One drawing in the series depicts American labor leader and activist Dolores Huerta.

Valdez receives MacArthur ‘genius grant’

The event comes shortly after the MacArthur Foundation named Valdez a recipient of its fellowship, commonly known as a “genius grant.”

The fellowship provides Valdez with $800,000 over five years without restrictions on how he uses the funds.

Valdez also serves as the ACLU of Texas’ artist-in-residence. The program examines how art can build community and contribute to a more inclusive Texas.

The Saturday event will give visitors an opportunity to engage directly with Valdez’s work and take copies of his drawings into their communities.

The designation will cover Main Avenue from Cypress Street to East Ashby within the city’s Pride Cultural Heritage District. The measure will not rename Main Avenue but will add plaques and other historical markers along the corridor.

The council approved the measure through its consent agenda after District 1 Councilwoman Sukh Kaur highlighted Andrews’ legacy during the meeting.

Kaur described Andrews as a trailblazer who brought visibility to transgender people through national television and entertainment. She noted that Andrews represented Mexico and Miss Gay USA in 1999 and appeared in the 2006 documentary “Trantasia,” as well as films and music videos.

Andrews lived in San Antonio from 1992 to 2012 and became known as a drag icon in the city. She moved to Chicago and died there in 2013 after an illness. In 2006, she won the international Ms. International Queen title, a competition established in 2004.

The memorial signage will cost about $5,000, with the District 1 council office budget covering the expense.

Luis Vasquez, executive director of the San Antonio LGBT Chamber of Commerce, told the council that Andrews represents an important part of the city’s LGBTQ+ history.

He said preserving the stories connected to the area could strengthen its cultural identity while supporting placemaking, cultural tourism, visitation and local businesses.

Sofia Sepulveda, field director of Equality Texas, also paid tribute to Andrews during the meeting. She described Andrews as an artist, actress, performer and makeup artist who supported members of San Antonio’s LGBTQ+ community.

Lynz Andrews, a local performer, activist and member of the San Antonio Arts Commission, described Erica Andrews as her “drag mother,” a term performers use for a mentor who helps guide another artist.

“She taught me how to perform, command a room, stand up for myself and my community, and to keep going when the world didn’t always make room for people like me or her,” Lynz Andrews said.

She said the memorial designation could introduce future generations to Andrews and her contributions.

“Someday, a younger queer kid, a trans person, a baby drag queen is going to walk down North Maine, see Erica Andrews’ name, and ask, ‘Who was she?’” she said. “We get to tell them that she was brilliant, fearless, hilarious, impossible to ignore, and that she opened doors for people like me and so many others.”

The Pride Cultural Heritage District is continuing efforts to document and recognize the history of the corridor.

Harrie Francia currently ranks second in his group and needs more votes to secure the top spot and advance to the national quarterfinals.

Charlotte Ann Marquez also reached the Top 5 in her group and is competing for a place among the finalists.

The competition offers a $25,000 grand prize, a national advertising campaign with The Honest Company and a feature in Variety.

Families of both babies are asking San Antonio supporters to vote and help them advance to the next round.

Supporters can cast one free vote each day for Harrie and Charlotte through their respective voting pages.

Voting for the current round ends Thursday, Oct. 8, at 9 p.m.

The National Weather Service issued the flood watch for San Antonio, parts of the Hill Country and much of South Central Texas through 7 p.m. Friday. Forecasters expect another 1 to 4 inches of rain across much of the region, with locally higher amounts possible.

The additional rainfall could cause life-threatening flooding along rivers, creeks and streams, as well as in urban areas and at low-water crossings.

San Antonio could receive 1 to 2 inches of rain overnight, followed by another half-inch to three-quarters of an inch Friday. Showers and thunderstorms could continue through the weekend before drier weather arrives early next week.

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning Thursday afternoon for Bexar, northern Atascosa and western Wilson counties as thunderstorms produced heavy rain. Flooding forced closures at several roads and low-water crossings in the San Antonio area.

Earlier Thursday, flash flood warnings covered parts of Bandera, Gillespie, Kerr and Real counties as the remnants of Hurricane Polo interacted with a cold front moving across Texas. Some areas recorded rainfall rates of several inches per hour.

Kerr County officials closed several low-water crossings and streets as heavy rain moved through the area. Most reopened by midday.

Forecasters expect another half-inch to three-quarters of an inch of rain in Kerrville overnight and another quarter to half-inch Friday. Showers and thunderstorms could continue Friday night and Saturday.

Flooding also forced officials to close U.S. 377 south of Junction early Thursday.

A flood warning remains in effect for the Llano River at Llano from late Thursday night through Friday evening, with moderate flooding forecast. Other rivers, creeks and tributaries could also rise after receiving heavy rain Thursday.

San Antonio police and public works crews remain prepared to barricade flooded roads. Officials urged motorists not to drive around barricades or attempt to cross flooded roads.

Residents can check flooded road closures at bexarflood.org and report downed tree limbs and malfunctioning traffic signals to 311.

City officials said homeless outreach teams began contacting people earlier this week to encourage residents in low-lying areas to move to safer locations following flooding deaths earlier this summer.

The cold front will also bring cooler temperatures, with Friday’s high expected to reach about 81 degrees in San Antonio and 80 degrees in Kerrville.

Nishant Vishwamitra, an assistant professor in UTSA’s Department of Information Systems and Cybersecurity, leads the grant-funded project, which aims to prepare students to identify security risks before AI-generated code reaches critical systems.

The program uses OpenSecCoder, a tool that allows students to work with AI-generated software and examine potential vulnerabilities in a controlled environment.

“OpenSecCoder has these sandbox containers where students can actually observe and execute attacks and also defenses in a safe environment,” Vishwamitra told Texas Public Radio.

Preparing for agentic AI

Traditional AI chatbots generally respond to user requests, while agentic AI can perform multiple tasks on its own, including creating files, installing software and running commands.

Vishwamitra said autonomous systems could introduce vulnerabilities into software that later reaches healthcare, defense and other critical applications.

“AI could introduce vulnerabilities that could later find its way into healthcare or even defense applications,” he said. “These vulnerabilities can go unchecked and then attackers can exploit these vulnerabilities to compromise these critical systems.”

The program will place students in eight separate laboratory environments where they can analyze malicious code and study potential defenses.

Students will conduct simulated attacks, observe their effects and examine ways to identify and correct vulnerabilities in AI-generated code.

Training future developers

Vishwamitra said the project aims to address security problems at the coding stage rather than after vulnerable software reaches critical systems.

“Once these vulnerable codes find their way into these critical applications, this can be easily exploited by attackers,” he said.

The project aims to teach future developers to follow secure coding practices and identify vulnerabilities before attackers can exploit them.

The OpenSecCoder program expects to reach about 600 undergraduate and 400 graduate students each year.

The project comes amid growing concerns about the ability of agentic AI systems to perform actions without direct human intervention.

A recent incident involving an AI agent and an Australian national healthcare database has further fueled those concerns. According to the Australian government, the agent accessed public and non-public files.

AI industry leaders, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, have also called for caution as companies continue developing increasingly autonomous AI systems.

The gathering at Anderson Square and Research Boulevard marked the second large demonstration at the site since the Sept. 20 shooting.

For Lucila Carlos, a master’s student at the University of Texas, Sunday’s demonstration marked her first protest.

Carlos carried a sign that called for full legalization for immigrants and referenced Ruben Ray Martinez, whom ICE agents killed in a separate shooting.

Carlos said immigration enforcement targeting Hispanic communities has worried her and her family.

“They came here to give me a better life and a better future for themselves as well,” Carlos said of her parents. “They’ve been able to give me such a better life. And they are such hard-working people. They are such genuine people that, I mean, it’s really tough to see that they’re being labeled as criminals.”

Christine Vo, an organizer with Stand Up! Houston, led chants during the demonstration.

Memorial remains at protest site

The intersection has remained a focal point for protests and memorials since Garces Perez’s shooting.

Protesters gathered there on Sept. 20 after the shooting and detention. Graffiti under the overpass later read “Free Wilber” and “ICE out of Texas, Justice for Wilber.”

A makeshift memorial at the site includes candles, flowers and a sign reading “Justice for victims of ICE.”

Another poster placed on an impromptu ofrenda reads “Justice for ICE victims.”

Arrests followed earlier protest

At least four people faced arrest in connection with the Sept. 20 demonstration on charges that included resisting arrest and rioting, according to Austin Lawyers Guild attorney Paul Quinzi.

Misael Ramos, a candidate for Austin City Council District 1, ranked among those arrested. Authorities later released Ramos from jail.

Ramos attended Sunday’s protest after his release.

Jones made the remarks during a panel at the Texas Tribune Festival, where she pointed to inflation, Medicaid cuts and immigration enforcement as issues that she said have affected San Antonio residents.

“I think what’s motivating people is the needless suffering in our community,” Jones said, citing economic concerns and fear within the undocumented community.

Jones, an Air Force veteran and former national security official, said she supports immigration enforcement but criticized the way federal authorities have carried out recent enforcement efforts.

“What we’re seeing now falls well short of how we should be treating people in our community, which is with dignity and with respect,” she said.

ICE facility draws concern

Jones also discussed plans for a new ICE detention facility in San Antonio, which officials expect to open in November.

She said residents generally do not want to live near an ICE facility or a data center and said federal policies will influence how those projects affect local communities.

The congressional races Jones referenced include Texas’ 23rd Congressional District, which she unsuccessfully sought in 2018 before winning the San Antonio mayor’s race.

Jones lost that 2018 race to Republican Will Hurd by fewer than 1,000 votes.

Texas 23rd District race

The political landscape in the district has changed since Jones’ congressional campaign. Republican-drawn districts now give the GOP a stronger advantage, while Democrats have faced challenges recruiting candidates.

Democrats eventually nominated a candidate to challenge Republican Tony Gonzales in the current election cycle. Gonzales later announced his resignation from Congress following an affair with a staff member.

Republicans nominated Brandon Herrera, a gun-focused YouTube personality, to replace Gonzales.

Jones criticized Herrera during the panel and said some of his public statements do not reflect what she considers San Antonio values.

“Some of the things are just so tacky I don’t even want to repeat it,” Jones said.

Jones also referenced a controversy involving Herrera’s use of the phrase “cum trophy” when discussing children.

“It’s so beneath the office,” Jones said.

Beverly Hankinson, a vice president at San Antonio-based Frost Mortgage, said higher mortgage rates could cause some buyers to pause before entering the Texas housing market, but she expects the market to remain stable.

Hankinson said potential buyers she has met with focus more on whether they can afford a home and its monthly payment than on the mortgage rate alone.

She also said Texas continues to offer relatively affordable homes compared with many other parts of the country.

Hankinson said Texas also has a large supply of homes on the market and continues to attract about 1,000 new residents each day, factors she said support the state’s housing market.

Hankinson encouraged prospective buyers to compare mortgage offers from multiple lenders even after securing a rate.

She said lenders may offer different rates as they compete for borrowers, and the national average reaching 7% does not automatically mean every lender will charge the same rate.

The San Antonio Board of Realtors also emphasized affordability as a key consideration for local buyers.

Ed Zapata, chair of the board, said mortgage rates affect buyers’ purchasing power, but home prices, property taxes and insurance also play major roles in overall affordability.

September home sales figures for San Antonio have not yet been released.

The local market posted stronger results in August, with home sales in the San Antonio area increasing 4% from August 2025.

Texas home sales fell more than 4% during the same month.

Nationally, existing-home sales declined 2% from July to August and fell 1.2% compared with August 2025, according to the National Association of Realtors.

District 2 Councilmember Jalen McKee-Rodriguez requested the review as the city looks for ways to reduce repeat police calls at properties with ongoing problems.

The Public Safety Committee received its first detailed briefing on the issue Wednesday.

The analysis examined 150 motels and reviewed police calls, offenses, arrests, 311 complaints and inspections from October 2023 through June 2026. The review excluded proactive police activity, including patrols and operations under the city’s violent crime hotspot initiative.

Of the 20 most common offenses recorded at motels, 15 occurred at higher rates than across San Antonio. Maria Vargas-Yates, director of the Integrated Community Safety Office, said only three differences reached statistical significance.

Prostitution occurred at 19 times the citywide rate at the analyzed motels. Sexual assault occurred at 4.3 times the citywide rate, while unauthorized use of a vehicle occurred at 3.5 times the citywide rate.

Disturbance calls occurred at 3.46 times the citywide rate, while calls for assaults in progress occurred at 3.12 times the rate.

Vargas-Yates cautioned that the higher crime rates do not necessarily mean motels cause more crime. When city officials compared motels with similar apartment complexes, they found no meaningful difference in the frequency of police calls or offenses.

Arrests were an exception, occurring at twice the rate at motels.

Vargas-Yates said outstanding warrants accounted for much of that difference. Arrests related to outstanding warrants represented the most common offense recorded at the motels.

Motels can also provide housing for people who cannot qualify for traditional apartments or homes because of background-check requirements.

“It could be exploited for nefarious reasons,” Vargas-Yates said. “But as well, people who are justice involved and they can’t pass a background check just to live in an apartment or live in a home, they can get a room at a motel.”

City weighs voluntary and mandatory approaches

City staff reviewed programs from other cities, including Chula Vista, California, as possible models for San Antonio.

Some programs rely on voluntary agreements that ask motel operators to meet health and code requirements while keeping police calls below a set rate per room. Other cities have adopted ordinances that make those standards a condition for obtaining an occupancy certificate.

Vargas-Yates said voluntary programs generally produce weaker results because operators can choose not to participate. Mandatory programs, however, have raised concerns because some motels that could not meet the requirements eventually closed.

City researchers also warned that tying compliance to police calls could discourage motel operators from allowing or encouraging guests to call 911. Officials said that could create particular risks for domestic violence victims and other residents who depend on motels for housing.

Council members discussed alternatives that could combine voluntary safety improvements with incentives, including facade grants, additional street lighting and other investments around motel properties.

Public Safety Committee Chair Sukh Kaur suggested a “carrot and stick” approach that could provide motel operators with resources to improve their properties while establishing standards for properties with persistent problems.

The city has not selected an approach.

The Integrated Community Safety Office plans to form a team with police, code enforcement, human services, housing and homelessness staff. The team will meet with motel owners, operators and nearby communities during the fall and winter.

City staff expects to return to the Public Safety Committee in January or February with community feedback and preliminary recommendations, including a possible pilot program.

Vargas-Yates said a pilot would likely need to operate for at least six months to determine whether it reduces calls for service or improves residents’ experiences.

The U.S. Department of War awarded the contract to SAS on Sept. 17. The agreement requires the San Antonio-based company to produce men’s and women’s athletic footwear for recruits through Sept. 16, 2029.

Federal regulations stemming from the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act require the Defense Logistics Agency to provide American-made athletic shoes to incoming military personnel at no cost. The policy replaced a cash allowance that previously allowed recruits to purchase their own training shoes.

Boston-based New Balance also received a three-year contract worth $58.8 million to supply athletic footwear for the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps.

The military’s athletic footwear requirements include three categories: cushion or neutral, stability, and motion control.

SAS produces the Mission 1 athletic shoe, which meets those three categories, according to federal procurement documents.

SAS CEO Nancy Richardson said in 2023 that the company’s designers, engineers and footwear specialists worked with military personnel to develop shoes around the needs of service members.

Under an earlier Defense Logistics Agency contract, the government paid about $114 per pair of SAS shoes in 2026, according to federal contract data. The company sells the Mission 1 to consumers for $275 before taxes and shipping.

The new contract will result in more than 800,000 SAS pairs manufactured over three years at the company’s factories in San Antonio and Del Rio.

SAS has operated in San Antonio for decades and has developed a following outside its traditional customer base as so-called “dad shoes” and vintage athletic footwear have gained popularity.

The company also attracted national attention in 2022 when rapper Kanye West expressed interest in acquiring SAS.

The military contract continues SAS’s role as a domestic manufacturer supplying footwear to U.S. service members while supporting production at its Texas facilities.