🗒 Testing robot wingmen

😍 Friday, we missed you!

Today's weather: Still on summertime with lots of sun and a high in the 90s.

☕️ Tastes (and smells) like: Free coffee.

🎂 Happy early birthday to our Axios San Antonio member Anna Briseno!

💉 Situational awareness: You can once again order four free COVID-19 tests for delivery to your home via the United States Postal Service.

Today's newsletter is 953 words — a 3.5-minute read.

Texas is at the forefront of testing autonomous weapons technology, with a defense tech contractor using a remote site near the U.S.-Mexico border to push the limits of military drone operations.

Why it matters: Texas plays a crucial role in shaping technology as the U.S. military moves toward a future where one-third of its forces could be robotic within the next 10-15 years.

Zoom in: At a remote airstrip, defense tech firm Anduril Industries showed reporters how a single person familiar with Siri and armed with a laptop could govern a clutch of jet-powered drones.

• Using the company's Lattice for Mission Autonomy software, which looks like a fancy flight tracker, a commander called "Kobe" oversaw a team of midsize drones as they took off, patrolled the area and downed a simulated enemy aircraft.
• The drones sought permission before making consequential moves, like intercepting the incoming plane and launching what was described as a "magic missile." (Nothing went boom.)

Between the lines: The event gave a glimpse of how Anduril is approaching airpower and drone autonomy, and their use in future military operations, as the Air Force looks to build a fleet of robo-wingmen.

• Air Force secretary Frank Kendall said these aircraft will be flying soon, and at least one type will be added to the military in significant numbers in the coming years.
• These drones will have different roles, including spying, jamming signals, acting as decoys to draw enemy fire and launching attacks with their own weapons.

Zoom out: Anduril is one of the defense contractors that has installed high-tech surveillance towers from California to the tip of Texas, creating a "virtual border wall."

What they're saying: "What makes a good wingman? I want to trust them. I want them to be predictable," said Kevin Chlan, Anduril's senior director of air dominance and strike.

• "We get bored. We need a drink, a snack, go to the restroom. Whatever," added Chlan, a former fighter pilot. "The robots don't have any of that."

Disclosure: Anduril flew a half-dozen national reporters to Texas for a day of demos. The 16-hour roundtrip included a stopover in Dallas and some Whataburger.

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Chispa, the popular dating app among Latinos, and Voto Latino are teaming up again to encourage Gen Z Hispanics to register to vote.

Why it matters: Young Latino voters could significantly impact this year's elections, as they make up nearly one-third of the 36.2 million eligible Hispanic voters.

Driving the news: Since January, Voto Latino has registered more than 150,000 voters, according to the organization.

• More than 6,500 of those registrations followed President Biden's endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris, and the majority were young Latinas, Diana Castaneda, vice president of communications at Voto Latino, tells Axios.

What they're saying: "We want to meet these young voters where they're at," she says, whether that's podcasts, streaming services or even dating apps.

• In 2022, the Chispa app drove 300,000 users to Voto Latino's election hub.

How it works: App users see in-app prompts encouraging them to engage with the hub, which has registration tools, early voting information and candidate insights, and a Voto Latino link they can follow.

• Users can also use the app's "sticker" collection to share views on key issues.

Continue reading

✈️ Southwest Airlines revealed passengers will be able to book reserved seats on flights starting in late 2025. (CNN)

🏀 Fiesta-themed Spurs license plates — which were last available during the 2021-2022 season — have returned. (KSAT)

🐶 Animal Care Services is waiving adoption fees for large dogs (over 40 pounds) today and tomorrow. Adoptions include vaccinations, microchips, spay/neuter surgeries and more. (Facebook)

SAWS' new watering rules help manage the water supply.

What to expect: Landscape watering allowed once per week from 5–10am and 9pm to midnight on a day determined by street address.

• New non-compliance charges.
• Stage 3 surcharges for top users.
• Hand-water any time or day.

Review the new rules.

Here's something to perk up your weekend: National Coffee Day is Sunday, and savings are brewing on cups of joe.

The big picture: Coffee is considered the nation's second most popular beverage, only behind bottled water, with 63% of Americans drinking it in the past day when surveyed by the National Coffee Association.

The latest: Get a free 16-ounce iced coffee or 12-ounce hot coffee at Whataburger from 6am-6pm Sunday, no purchase necessary.

More National Coffee Day offers, freebies

Dunkin' Rewards members get a free medium hot or iced coffee with a purchase Sunday at participating locations.

Krispy Kreme is giving away free medium hot or iced coffee with any purchase Sunday. For pickup orders, use code COFFEE.

Baskin-Robbins: Through Oct. 31, a small Cappuccino Blast is $5, a medium is $6 and a large is $7.

Circle K is celebrating a week of free coffee now through Wednesday. Get one free medium hot or iced coffee with the chain's app.

Pro tip: Some coffee shops require rewards program sign-ups for Coffee Day deals — check social media for details and participating locations.

Tell a coffee lover

A new study confirms what most of us already know: San Antonio is among the worst cities in the U.S. for keeping your hair in check.

Why it matters: It's time to embrace the frizz.

What they did: Goldie, a beauty appointment scheduling app, analyzed environmental factors that affect hair like wind speed, humidity, UV index and water hardness.

• Goldie calculated scores for each city to create a list of places with the highest likelihood of a bad hair day.

Zoom in: Miami, Tampa and San Antonio made up the top three cities where tresses are most distressed. We ranked No. 3.

Zoom out: Dallas, Austin, Houston and Fort Worth ranked in fourth, sixth, seventh and eighth places, respectively.

💭 Madalyn's thought bubble: Now that I think about it, my hair did seem to be a lot shinier and less like a tumbleweed while in Minneapolis this week.

• It might be time to splurge on a showerhead filter.

Share the frizz rizz

Help conserve water by following the new rules.

2024 changes include:

• New watering hours from 5–10am and 9pm to midnight.
• Drip irrigation is allowed on Mondays and Fridays from 5–10am and 9pm to midnight.
• Non-compliances charges.
• Stage 3 surcharges for top users.

Stay informed with the new rules.

Thanks to our editors Chloe Gonzales and Bob Gee.

🍸 Madalyn is excited to experience Mexico City's Licorería Limantour — ranked No. 7 on the World's 50 Best Bars list — at its Sternewirth pop-up this weekend.

👀 Megan wants to check out the new bodega at Luna Rosa in Southtown.