Latest news with #Nirenberg
Axios
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Interview: Mayor Ron Nirenberg closes out eight years
As Mayor Ron Nirenberg prepares to depart the office this summer, he's leaving San Antonio with more affordable housing money, transportation plans, a workforce development program and, most recently, major proposals to bring sports and development downtown. Why it matters: Nirenberg is set to be San Antonio's longest-serving mayor since the 1980s. He's reaching his term limits at a time when a major project proposal to move the Spurs downtown hangs in the balance and when the city faces fluctuations in federal funding. State of play: The city has clashed with the Texas Legislature on local control and lost millions in federal health funding under the Trump administration. Catch up quick: Nirenberg will head back to Trinity University in August to work as a distinguished communications professor. San Antonio's next mayor will be either former Air Force undersecretary Gina Ortiz Jones or former Texas Secretary of State Rolando Pablos, who are competing in a June 7 runoff election. Both have strong ties to Democratic and Republican party politics, respectively. The big picture: Nirenberg tells Axios he sees his major successes as: Recent expansions of Pre-K 4 SA and the creation of the taxpayer-funded Ready to Work program during the pandemic. Plans for two VIA rapid bus lines, including one that will run from the airport to the Missions, to create something like a mass transit system for San Antonio. The passage of the city's first true affordable housing bond alongside upgraded housing goals. The $2.5 billion overhaul of San Antonio International Airport, which includes a new terminal under construction. We sat down to talk with Nirenberg about recent news affecting the city. The interview has been edited for length and clarity. We're getting into the home stretch of the Texas legislative session. Are there bills out there that give you concern for the city and its residents? State Republicans are "eroding self-governance in local communities, particularly urban communities where public opinion is clearly not on the side of the culture wars they're waging. "There's a bill called HB 19 that would essentially prevent every urban community in the state from issuing debt to support basic infrastructure." How do you personally think a mayor should toe the line between working with state officials and pushing back when you represent a blue city in a red state? "We have a perfectly fine relationship with the state when we're working together on a common cause and when we have reasonable debate. It would be a perverse relationship with the state if the expectation is, when they abuse our citizens, we shut up about it." How should the city position itself heading into future years of the Trump administration? You have cuts to services and jobs that could harm locals and local institutions, and maybe the city budget and certain projects. "We're going to have to continue to get through the rough waters ahead, and that's the concern I have for the next mayor — that these are very challenging times coming up economically. … We're gonna have to triage our priorities and our resources accordingly." Recently, proposals to bring the Missions and Spurs downtown have left some people feeling like downtown will become too expensive for everyday residents. Do you share those concerns? "We've gotten a handle on ensuring there's a proper balance to the housing development in downtown that is a mix of affordability and market rate and everything around that. The reason for getting our fundamentals and getting our priorities straight … is so that we can do the things that major cities do to build quality of life." If the Spurs move downtown, how much do you think the city should contribute or not to a new arena, and what type of fund(s) should it be if the city does contribute? "I believe that visitor taxes are a suitable source. … I do think none of this will happen without significant contributions from the Spurs and from private equity. The reality is this is not going to be coming from residents' property taxes." What advice would you give to San Antonio's next mayor? "Continue to work hand in hand with (city manager) Erik (Walsh) and his team. "This city works best when the mayor and the council are working in partnership with the staff. … It doesn't work so well when elected officials are only interested in scoring political points."
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'An Alarm': Antisemitic incidents up 20% in Central Texas since 2023, ADL analysis finds
The Austin area reported a record number of antisemitic incidents in 2024, with a 20% increase from a year earlier, the Anti-Defamation League said in a recently released report. The ADL recorded 76 total antisemitic incidents in Central Texas: 55 involved harassment and 21 involved other offenses; 19 happened on college campuses. Nationally, the ADL recorded 9,354 incidents, marking its highest annual total. ADL experts process and evaluate criminal and noncriminal complaints from victims, law enforcement, media and other partners as part of the audit. Austin had 44 incidents of antisemitism in 2024, according to a Hate, Extremism, Antisemitism, Terrorism, or HEAT, map maintained by the New York-based nonprofit formed to fight antisemitism and hate. Incidents in Central Texas spread to more rural areas in 2024, including Lakeway and San Marcos, marking an expansion of antisemitism, said Jackie Nirenberg, the regional director of the ADL, in an interview with the American-Statesman. 'There's a sense of real pressure in the Jewish community here, and really Jewish communities across the country,' Nirenberg said. 'It's really unsettling.' Antisemitism is "pressing in on all sides," Nirenberg said, and incidents are occurring at schools, universities, protests and Jewish organizations. The rise in hate-motivated actions is concerning, Nirenberg said, as Jewish people are often scapegoated for larger societal problems, such as political or economic turmoil. "We're seeing what is a pattern in history," Nirenberg said. "Antisemitism is not just indicative of something that just the Jewish community needs to be concerned about. It is telling for the entire community writ large that we are in a period of destabilization, ... (it's) an alarm that we are in a crisis." Antisemitism has soared in Austin since 2021, Nirenberg said, when an Austin synagogue was attacked by an arsonist in a crime motivated by a hatred of Jews, and a neo-Nazi group dropped antisemitic banners from highway overpasses. The deadly Oct. 7, 2023, surprise attacks by Hamas (a militant Palestinian group that governs Gaza) on Israel resulted in sharp increases in both Islamophobia and antisemitism. In 2024, protests organized by a U.S. student movement for Palestinians led to thousands of arrests across the country as demonstrators formed encampments at college campuses, including briefly at the University of Texas, to demand the institutions divest from weapons manufacturers aiding Israel's bombardment of Gaza. In Central Texas last year, Nirenberg said, 66% of antisemitic incidents were associated with anti-Israel protests that veered into antisemitism. Anti-Zionism or anti-Israel protests by themselves would not be antisemitic, Nirenberg said, nor would calls for the violence in Gaza to end. But actions or calls that harass Jewish students, condone violence or advocate the elimination of the Jewish state are antisemitic, she said. "We believe strongly in free speech and also the right to criticize Israeli policies; that is not antisemitic," Nirenberg said. "But when it crosses into harassment of the Jewish community, that's a problem." Pro-Palestinian protesters in Austin have stated they are opposing Israeli policies, not Jewish people, though last year, some protests featured escalating rhetoric that some characterized as antisemitic. Islamophobia is also at an all-time high, with 8,658 complaints recorded nationally by the Council on American-Islamic Relations, according to a report released in March. The organization said Muslims have been targeted for their viewpoint on the Israel-Hamas war, with multiple incidents of violence and harassment reported in Austin. To address the rise in antisemitism, universities and colleges should clearly state their rules and policies regarding harassment and discrimination, encourage safe dialogue around complex issues and educate themselves on what antisemitism is and what it looks like, Nirenberg said. "There's room for a lot of empathy for what is happening to the Palestinian people, the civilian people, no question that that is something to be concerned about and vocal about it," Nirenberg said. "It's a highly complex conflict, a highly complex region. The more students can understand what that means, the better." This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: ADL: Central Texas antisemitic incidents rise by 20% since 2023
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
San Antonio's mayor worked to build a strong relationship with Canada. Tariffs would decimate its economy.
San Antonio sends almost half its exports to Canada, which makes the Texas trade hub one of the most vulnerable U.S. cities in the tariff war. Mayor Ron Nirenberg says one in five jobs in his state is exposed by President Donald Trump's new tariff regime — '300,000 jobs immediately on the block.' The Canadian Chamber of Commerce recently ranked San Antonio, Detroit and Kansas City at the top of a list of U.S. cities that are export-dependent on Canada. Atlanta, Pittsburgh and Seattle also made the list. Chamber economist Andrew DiCapua says the framing of the new study was deliberate. 'Hearing prices are going to go up is one thing,' he told POLITICO. 'But if you say that as a result of trade frictions, your business sales will go down, stores and plants will close, you're going to have a recession in your local economy and you're not going to have a job — that's a lot more powerful.' We spoke with Nirenberg on Tuesday, hours before Trump's global tariffs kicked in. Canada escaped the 'Liberation Day' sweep, but has been hit by auto, steel and aluminum tariffs, with more to come. On April 9, Ottawa introduced counter measures on U.S. vehicles. "The reality is the modern economy does not exist without cooperation in the globe — across the globe," Nirenberg told POLITICO. "So the idea that all of a sudden we can become isolated and maintain prosperity for our people is just ludicrous." Our conversation has been edited for length and clarity. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce put San Antonio atop a list of U.S. metro areas that are most export dependent on Canada. Were you surprised to discover that? No, I wasn't. Our economy has transformed over the last 25 years as a result of a diversification of industries, but significantly the rebirth of the manufacturing sector as a result of free trade in North America. It has rebuilt the middle class, and it employs tens of thousands of San Antonio workers, becoming the leading employment sector in our city. So it is no surprise to me that roughly half of the $13-plus billion dollars of exports that come out of San Antonio companies — locally owned companies, in large measure — are going to Canada. What is your current level of concern? It's grave concern — and a tremendous amount of anger at the combination of malice and incompetence coming out of the White House. What are you hearing from the local business community? What I'm hearing from the local business community — small businesses, in particular — is that they are trying to deal with the impacts on a tactical level. The reality of a lot of these businesses is that they are grinding every single day. It's hard enough to forecast purchases, supplies and fluctuations in payroll without the escalating trade wars that have been initiated. Some companies are obviously concerned about the escalations overall, but are reluctant to speak out because of the very clear willingness of the administration to retaliate against anyone who would speak up. There is a 'Buy Canadian' movement afoot up here. Do you have any sense of it? I haven't personally seen that campaign, but it's not surprising. There's nothing that spurs patriotism like being attacked. And we are unfortunately seeing the White House make unprovoked attacks on our strongest allies. Last year, Canada's ambassador and a team of top ministers spent much of 2024 visiting with U.S. officials. Did you meet with any officials? Well, I meet with my counterparts at the local level and in cities all across the world. And I do meet quite a bit with Canadian peers — and not just because we're strategic allies and economic partners in the continent and along the USMCA trade corridor, but because it's important to me that our city is connected to the world. But I did visit Quebec City last year, along with the World Economic Forum. I was a speaker there in Montreal last year. Quebec City Mayor Bruno Marchand and I are good friends, and we established a 'Friendship City' agreement just a few weeks ago. That was in the works prior to the election, but was made all that important because of what's happening at the national level. I'm a former chairman of Sister Cities International. I believe very strongly that the relationships that are formed between communities — citizen to citizen, business to business — are the most important bridges that we build if we're going to have a future where there's peace between countries and not conflict. There is talk of broken trust. Is that a concern of yours as you deal with cities all over the world? Without a doubt, it's a common refrain. The United States has been the pillar of democracy, freedom, liberty for many generations, and the malice of one man is changing that reputation almost overnight. I hope we can restore that trust, but it's going to take a significant amount of work to demonstrate to the rest of the world. The current prime minister of Canada has agreed to meet the president after our federal election at the end of this month. You mentioned the USMCA. Do you see a future for that in all of this trade that we're talking about? I sure hope so. NAFTA certainly had its flaws, but it opened up trade relationships that hadn't existed and helped spur the rebirth of many industries in the United States and Canada and Mexico. It's the framework of how we can create a more efficient, effective and fair economy throughout the continent, and one of the reasons why I believe the alliances were so strong and the three countries were secure. So I do believe it's important for the future. And I thought that President Trump believed the same thing when he renegotiated the darn thing. The best trade deal. Right.
Axios
31-03-2025
- Business
- Axios
How Trump's auto tariffs could impact San Antonio
Local communities like San Antonio are starting to feel the economic fallout from President Trump's trade policy. Why it matters: San Antonio is home to manufacturing that ranges from automotive to aerospace — key industries and employers that stand to be impacted by tariffs. The latest: 25% tariffs on autos and auto parts that are not produced in the U.S. take effect Thursday. Mayor Ron Nirenberg on Friday joined nearly two dozen local officials from U.S., Mexican and Canadian cities in Washington, D.C., for a trade summit to discuss "the devastating effects tariffs pose for families." What they're saying:"We are already hearing anecdotes from businesses being impacted by the uncertainty related to supply chains," Nirenberg tells Axios. "We're an international city with local businesses that are essentially borderless," he says, but now there is "a lot of confusion about what the North American trade corridor actually is at this point." Zoom in: Trump claims tariffs will revive a U.S. manufacturing sector that has seen employment plunge over the last four decades. Nirenberg says the levies will destroy a local boom underway. In the San Antonio area, manufacturing employment most recently peaked in October after a pandemic surge. The North American Free Trade Agreement was first signed in San Antonio in 1992. The city has a trade surplus with Mexico, the destination for more than half of our exports in 2024. The intrigue: The Canadian Chamber of Commerce says San Antonio is the top U.S. metro most export-dependent on Canada overall, with nearly half of our exports headednorth of the border.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Anti-Defamation League gives UT a 'B' for campus climate, combatting antisemitism
The University of Texas received the highest score among Texas universities and colleges analyzed in the Anti-Defamation League's 2025 campus antisemitism report card, which rates how schools with 'significant' Jewish student populations are successfully combatting antisemitism and how they are not. In its second report card, the Anti-Defamation League, a New York-based advocacy nonprofit fighting antisemitism and extremism, rated 135 higher education institutions across the U.S., including four in Texas, based on their administration and policies, Jewish life organizations, campus climate and conduct. Only eight received an 'A' grade. The University of Texas at Austin received a B grade along with 40 other institutions. The campus has experienced multiple acts of antisemitic vandalism and graffiti, including during Jewish holidays, and a 'burning of an Israel flag outside a restaurant when Jewish fraternity members were inside in February 2024," the report said. But UT also has clear policies, strong Jewish community organizations and accountability for anti-Jewish harassment. Texas A&M and Rice University received each received a C rating, and the University of Houston received a D, according to the report. Students at all four universities have reported antisemitic harassment to the ADL. Jackie Nirenberg, the regional director for Austin's Anti-Defamation League, said the report is not punitive, but rather, it assesses how colleges are handling antisemitism and protecting Jewish students as students report record incidences of antisemitism. "For the longest time Jewish students were really not seen as a group that could be discriminated against on campus. Things have changed quite a bit," Nirenberg said. "This has become an issue nationwide, and (it's) why ADL decided that it was time to sort of get a feel for what is going on college campuses, to protect Jewish students and to ensure that there are measures that are taken to make Jewish students feel belonging on campus." Antisemitism has been rising in the U.S. by white supremacists, even before the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas in Israel, she said, but it skyrocketed in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war when advocacy against Israel, including at many universities across the country, became antisemitic or anti-Jewish at times. In September 2023 and incidents thereafter, Texas Hillel was vandalized with antisemitic epithets, and students have reported harassment and fear at UT in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. "Students are feeling pressure from both ends of the spectrum on this issue," Nirenberg said. "Which makes it a uniquely pressurized, highly pressurized situation for young people who are discovering who they are, launching their lives, developing socially and just feeling extremely uncomfortable.' Nirenberg said the university has worked with Austin's ADL and other partners to create a safe environment for Jewish students over the last year and a half. The university's willingness to listen sets it apart, she said. "UT just was extremely open to ideas, open to two-way communications, and very, very responsive," Nirenberg said. "That was really heartening, and they continue to do that." ADL credited UT for disciplining two teaching assistants who sent a message offering support to Palestinian students but not to Jewish students on a university messaging platform after the Israel-Hamas war ignited, as well as for disciplining student protesters who violated campus rules when protesting the teaching assistants' job reassignments. It also credits the university with its response to the pro-Palestinian encampment April 29, 2024, though it did not mention the April 24 demonstration in which dozens of people were arrested while protesting for the university to divest from weapons manufacturers contributing to the war in Gaza though an encampment was not formed. Nirenberg said some Jewish students were afraid to go to class and the university's emphasis on safety helped reassure them. "When things got really heated, they were very, very clear about what expectations they had vis a vie campus protests, and that clarity was not typical of a lot of other campuses across the nation," Nirenberg said. "This administration was really trying to maintain a very delicate balance between code of conduct and safety on campus and freedom of speech, which is not an easy task to do, but that safety was their No. 1 concern." The ADL also found that UT protected Jewish students by defining antisemitism in its free speech policy and prevented pro-Palestinian students from delivering a letter to the president to divest from Israel, the report said. In the future, Nirenberg said UT could implement centers for civil discourse and dialogue for students to safely voice their feelings about the war. Though pro-Palestinian organizers have said that their speech is not antisemitic, misunderstanding prevents people from understanding the affect of their words regardless of intent, Nirenberg said. She said the report is an "awakening," and she hopes universities act to further protect Jewish students. Antisemitism "was a new thing for so many people, and so many people also don't understand the Jewish lived experience. It's a very unique experience. It's cultural, it's religious. There's a tie to Israel that is very unique," Nirenberg said. "Not knowing what it means to live a Jewish life, it makes it difficult to recognize antisemitism and understand what it is." This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: UT ranks best in Texas for protecting Jewish students, ADL says
