🏍️ Rules for two-wheelers

It's Thursday.

🌧️ Today's weather: Mostly sunny then slight chance of showers and thunderstorms, with highs in the mid 80s.

🍔 Situational awareness: Hopdoddy at Plaza Saltillo is offering free burgers 11:30am-8pm today for National Burger Day. Gluten-free and vegetarian options are available.

🎂 Happy birthday to our Axios Austin member Chyrisse Miller!

Today's newsletter is 918 words — a 3.5-minute read.

The Austin City Council today will consider taking an initial step toward regulating electric dirt bikes and mini motorcycles, or e-motos.

Why it matters: A growing number of children and teens are riding the high-powered bikes on Austin streets, alarming residents and prompting safety concerns from local officials.

Driving the news: The resolution from Council Member Paige Ellis would direct the city manager to update regulations and enforcement for the bikes and train Austin police officers on the new rules.

• The resolution also directs the city manager to explore a designated recreation area where riders could legally use e-motos off public streets and trails.

What they're saying: "In conversations with my constituents and APD, it's clear that this is an important safety issue," Ellis, who represents West Austin, said in a statement.

• "I'm eager to find a way forward that prioritizes child safety and creates more clarity for everyone when it comes to how to minimize danger when using e-moto bikes."

How it works: Electric dirt bikes and e-motos aren't the same as e-bikes.

• E-motos have a similar frame to e-bikes, but they have a throttle — like a motorcycle's — that propels the e-moto without pedaling.
• E-motos can go 30-60 mph, while e-bikes are pedal-assisted and the electric motor cuts out at 28 mph.

Zoom in: In Austin, there is no local code dictating where e-motos can operate, meaning they can be ridden on roads, bike lanes, sidewalks, shared-use paths, park trails or drainage infrastructure, according to Ellis.

Context: The city doesn't track accidents involving electric dirt bikes or e-motos specifically.

Zoom out: Austin joins a growing number of cities and states beginning to regulate e-motos as their popularity surges, especially among young riders.

• The bikes have become increasingly visible in neighborhoods, in parks and on major roadways, where riders are often seen weaving through traffic, riding wheelies or operating without helmets.

What's next: City Council members will meet at 10am.

• You can watch online or in person at City Hall.

👋 Hi, it's Asher.

Lately a lot of my old friends have been asking me about my rooting interest as the NBA Finals roll around.

The backstory: I grew up on the Upper West Side of NYC, a diehard Knicks fan.

• My favorite tee, in heavy rotation in junior high, featured the big man Patrick Ewing and a postal-style stamp that said "Return to Sender."
• But just over two decades ago, shortly after grad school, I moved to Austin — when the Knicks were really bad and the Spurs were fantastic.

True story: One of our kids carries the middle name Emmanuel, in honor of Spurs great Manu Ginobili.

The rub: The Knicks have won the Eastern Conference Finals and could face the Spurs — putting me in a potentially tough spot.

• The Spurs, who have made a concerted play to win more Austin fans, are down 2-3 in the Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
• They must win Game 6 tonight to force a decisive Game 7.

The big picture: Austin is a town of newcomers, and many of us have to balance old loyalties with new ones.

The bottom line: I'm sorry to disappoint my 15-year-old self, but should San Antonio survive their series against the Thunder and face the Knicks, the rooting decision will be an easy one — Go Spurs Go.

🎓 Gov. Greg Abbott extended a tuition freeze for Texas public universities. (KLBJ)

📱 Thousands have signed a petition criticizing Alamo Drafthouse's QR-code ordering, arguing it changes the moviegoing experience in Austin. (Austin American-Statesman 🔒)

🏗️ The car dealer company Carvana is planning to build a 172,000-square-foot facility east of State Highway 130. (Austin Business Journal 🔒)

🤑 A Leander resident has claimed a share of a $20 million Powerball jackpot. (Fox 7 Austin)

The National Cancer Institute developed NanCI, an app that uses Google AI to help researchers collaborate, share data, identify patterns and recommend papers.

The impact: Scientific breakthroughs can be made sooner.

Explore more.

Here's what caught our eye this weekend...

Friday

🩰 Watch "Ballet Under the Stars," by Metamorphosis Dance, at the Zilker Hillside Theater, with performances on Friday and Saturday at 8pm. Free.

🇧🇷 Swing your hips to Brazil Night at the Sahara Lounge, with performances by Zazueira Allstars and Ginga Brazil. $14. 7:30pm.

Saturday

🎭 Attend "Light," a one-woman play about the bond between a father and daughter told partly through Chinese shadow puppetry. 7:30pm at the Dougherty Arts Center. Tickets run $39.

Sunday

🏟️ Cheer on the Sol, the Austin professional ultimate frisbee team, as they face Seattle at Parmer Field at noon. $14, kids under 12 free.

Hizzoner has named his doggies.

Catch up quick: Earlier this month we told you that Austin Mayor Kirk Watson had adopted a pair of dogs from Austin Bulldog Rescue — and had yet to land on names.

• You wrote in with your (very sweet) suggestions.
• Our favorites might have been Barton and Eddy.

The bottom line: Watson revealed in his latest Watson Wire newsletter that his English bulldog will be known as the Bear — a name several of you had suggested. He'll also be known as Sugar Bear, Honey Bear or just plain old Bear.

• "The little Frenchie goes by le nom Coco (as in Coco Puff)," he wrote.

Google’s latest AI model, showcased in Weather Lab, supports tropical cyclone predictions, simulating storms up to 15 days in advance.

The result: Working with the National Hurricane Center to improve the model and bring earlier, more accurate predictions to officials.

Learn more.

Thanks to Astrid Galván and Bob Gee for editing this newsletter.

🚗 Asher is imagining a version of himself that buys this vehicle.

🛳️ Nicole is out.