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Vanessa Fuentes @vanessafuentes.bsky.social · 18/09/2025

The Federal Department of Justice is investigating the City of Austin over what it claims are “race-based employment practices.” Here’s my response:

"Austin’s values of fairness, inclusion, and opportunity aren’t up for debate, and I won’t stand by while federal officials mischaracterize our commitment to fairness as discrimination.

I strongly disagree with the Federal Department of Justice’s investigation, which targets our city’s long-standing commitment to equal opportunity, a core Austin value. Our hiring practices are merit-based, lawful, and designed to hire the best candidates, which is good for everyone.

While we build a city government that serves and reflects all Austinites, I’m confident this investigation will only confirm what we already know: We do things the right way, and we’re not afraid to defend it."

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Vanessa Fuentes @vanessafuentes.bsky.social · 01/09/2025

…And SO much more, all made possible by the relentless efforts of our unions fighting for stronger, more empowered working families. Happy #LaborDay, y’all! 💪🏽

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Vanessa Fuentes @vanessafuentes.bsky.social · 01/09/2025

This Labor Day, I’m thankful for: - Working families - Unions - Workplace safety protections - Child protection labor laws - Paid parental leave - Weekends - Paid time off - Employee benefits...

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Vanessa Fuentes @vanessafuentes.bsky.social · 28/07/2025

This pregnant mother’s story breaks my heart and should break all of ours. No one should face childbirth on concrete. No baby should enter the world without shelter. This budget cycle is our chance to fund housing and shelter that truly meets the needs of our community.

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Vanessa Fuentes @vanessafuentes.bsky.social · 20/07/2025

✅ In-home visits being scheduled throughout the coming weeks Real disasters show why this program matters - but it's NOT in the proposed budget for continued funding. When communities are ready to act, we need to be ready to help!

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Vanessa Fuentes @vanessafuentes.bsky.social · 20/07/2025

Recent flooding was a wake-up call! Austin's flood insurance pilot program is fielding numerous calls from families they'd previously visited who are NOW ready to get flood insurance. Program impact so far: ✅ 400+ homes reached in high-risk zones ✅ 750+ preparedness packages distributed

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Vanessa Fuentes @vanessafuentes.bsky.social · 14/07/2025

Just received a hard copy of the City of Austin proposed budget! Will be digging in to 1335 pages 🤓🕵🏻‍♀️

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Vanessa Fuentes @vanessafuentes.bsky.social · 11/07/2025

Starting this week, renters now have a new tool to keep their landlords accountable. If your AC isn’t being maintained, call 311 to report a code violation and stay safe.

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Vanessa Fuentes @vanessafuentes.bsky.social · 11/07/2025

It’s official y’all: all Austin homes now require working air conditioning! In a big win for renters, our new policy makes sure every home meets basic cooling standards. As summers get hotter, indoor cooling is no longer a luxury - it's a matter of public health and safety.

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Vanessa Fuentes @vanessafuentes.bsky.social · 09/07/2025

Texans are still in disaster recovery from historic floods—and yes, I welcome real recovery help. But this Governor is also pushing an agenda that threatens women’s rights, guts police transparency, and kneecaps local government with tighter tax caps. We see what’s happening. #txlege

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Vanessa Fuentes @vanessafuentes.bsky.social · 04/07/2025

Please have a safe holiday with your friends, family, and loved ones.

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Vanessa Fuentes @vanessafuentes.bsky.social · 04/07/2025

So this 4th of July, I’m celebrating - not with blind optimism, but with a clear-eyed commitment to protecting the freedoms that generations have fought and died for - freedoms that we must protect at all costs, together...

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Vanessa Fuentes @vanessafuentes.bsky.social · 04/07/2025

And above all, it means being ready to stand up and defend these values whenever they’re under threat...

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Vanessa Fuentes @vanessafuentes.bsky.social · 04/07/2025

True patriotism means defending the values that define our country at its best: our diversity, our right to speak out, and our collective pursuit of freedom and justice for all. It means believing that the American dream is big enough for all of us, no matter where we come from or who we are...

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Vanessa Fuentes @vanessafuentes.bsky.social · 04/07/2025

These are, objectively, authoritarian ambitions that run opposite to the pure, unapologetic ideals of freedom, justice, and opportunity. But while the threats we face are real, so too is our resolve...

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Vanessa Fuentes @vanessafuentes.bsky.social · 04/07/2025

The foundation of our democracy is being intentionally dismantled by President Donald Trump, who threatens to silence dissent, deport U.S. citizens, and use the full force of the federal government to punish anyone who challenges him...

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Vanessa Fuentes @vanessafuentes.bsky.social · 04/07/2025

A 4th of July Message from Your Austin Mayor Pro Tem 🇺🇸 Today, during a time of deep reckoning, we honor and celebrate Independence Day. The truth is this: across the country we love and cherish, our constitutional rights are under direct attack...

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Vanessa Fuentes @vanessafuentes.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

The final passage of this tax bill will be remembered in the midterms. Republicans talk affordability, then slash working family benefits to cut billionaires a break—while driving the largest federal deficit in U.S. history.

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Vanessa Fuentes @vanessafuentes.bsky.social · 01/07/2025

Senate Republicans just passed a bill that will rip healthcare from millions, shut down rural hospitals, gut food assistance, & kill clean energy jobs -all to fund tax breaks for billionaires. Austinites deserve better. We won’t stop fighting for dignity, care, & climate justice.

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Vanessa Fuentes @vanessafuentes.bsky.social · 01/07/2025

The “Big Beautiful Bill” is a disaster for working Austinites: ❌ 10k+ Austinites could lose Medicaid ❌ Cuts to SNAP food assistance ❌ Higher utility bills ❌ No help for housing or childcare ❌ Massive tax breaks for the rich This isn’t beautiful—it’s brutal.

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Vanessa Fuentes @vanessafuentes.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

Austin families deserve better. Our elders built this city - now it’s our turn to build for them. Let’s get to work. 💪

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Vanessa Fuentes @vanessafuentes.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

We’re building an Austin where growing older doesn’t mean getting left behind - where every family has real support, not just thoughts and prayers. That means more senior centers across our city. Better buses. Fighting scammers. And yes - putting our money where our mouth is with actual funding.

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Vanessa Fuentes @vanessafuentes.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

Thank you to renowned Professor Jacqueline Angel for this piece in the Statesman. Our abuelas deserves better than choosing between rent & medicine. Our neighbors shouldn’t have to choose between work and caring for mom. Our seniors resolution is just the start.

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Reposted by Vanessa Fuentes

The New York Times @nytimes.com · 26/06/2025

Before Zohran Mamdani’s all but certain upset in the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City, he was a young Queens rapper known as Mr. Cardamom. In 2019, the actress and cookbook author Madhur Jaffrey starred in his music video. Read our 2019 story here: nyti.ms/4lu1Jeg

Madhur Jaffrey, in a yellow beret and dark clothing, stands with her arms crossed next to Zohran Mamdani, who wears a yellow and red patterned shirt, in a grocery store aisle. Headline: Before Politics, Zohran Mamdani Tapped Madhur Jaffrey for His Music Video

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Vanessa Fuentes @vanessafuentes.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

It’s time to hit the brakes on Elon Musk's Robotaxis. Full stop. At this stage, they don’t belong on Austin’s streets. From child collisions to a lack of basic safety tech, the risks are real. We deserve better. Read my full thoughts w/ the Austin-American Statesman: bit.ly/4kgaWG4

bit.ly

Given Tesla’s troubling track record of safety failures, Texas should hit the brakes on Elon Musk's Robotaxis in Austin | Opinion

For nearly a decade now, Elon Musk has been hyping Tesla as a leader in self-driving vehicles. In 2015 he told us that “complete autonomy” was about …

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Vanessa Fuentes @vanessafuentes.bsky.social · 23/06/2025

It’s budget season at Austin City Hall! Join us for our D2 Budget Town Hall to learn about the budget process, ask questions, and share your priorities. 🗓️ Wed, Jul 30, 5:30–7:30 PM 📍 Uphaus Early Childhood Ctr 🎧 Food & Interpretation provided RSVP 👉🏽 bit.ly/403oCNp

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Reposted by Vanessa Fuentes

Rep. Lloyd Doggett @doggett.house.gov · 22/06/2025

Donald Trump once again shows that he is a man of his last word. With his unconstitutional action entangling us in conflict, he has made American families less safe. (1/3)

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Reposted by Vanessa Fuentes

Congressman Greg Casar @repcasar.bsky.social · 22/06/2025

It is illegal for Donald Trump to drag America into another endless foreign war. Congress should immediately pass a War Powers Resolution to block Trump from carrying out an unconstitutional war.

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Vanessa Fuentes @vanessafuentes.bsky.social · 22/06/2025

SAVE THE DATE: D2 BUDGET TOWN HALL 💰 South and Southeast Austin, it’s that time of year again! We’re getting ready for our Budget Town Hall, one of our most important events of the year, and we would love to see you there. 👉🏽 bit.ly/403oCNp

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Reposted by Vanessa Fuentes

Nathan Bernier @kutnathan.bsky.social · 10/06/2025

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport has 29 air traffic controllers, less than half the FAA's target of 60. So now ABIA is seeing more "ground delays," where the FAA slows the pace of arriving flights to avoid overwhelming the tower. This causes flight delays. www.kut.org/transportati...

kut.org

Austin's 'dire' air traffic controller shortage raises risk of flight delays

Austin airport's CEO warned the Federal Aviation Administration months ago about the "critical" staffing shortage at the air traffic control tower causing delays and reducing safety.

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Vanessa Fuentes @vanessafuentes.bsky.social · 19/06/2025

Happy Juneteenth, y'all! Today, we commemorate Juneteenth, a longstanding celebration of freedom that began here in Texas. While the day celebrates progress, it also calls us to keep fighting for a better future. The D2 Team and I wish you a relaxing day of reflection, celebration, and community. 🖤

bit.ly

The Historical Legacy of Juneteenth

Juneteenth is an often overlooked event in our nation’s history. On June 19, 1865, Union troops freed enslaved African Americans in Galveston Bay and across Texas some two and a half years after Presi...

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Vanessa Fuentes @vanessafuentes.bsky.social · 16/06/2025

🚨I join local officials in sounding the alarm: Federal budget cuts will devastate Medicaid, SNAP, & essential services that millions rely on. Hospitals will close, families will go hungry, & schools will suffer—all to fund tax breaks for billionaires. This isn’t partisan, it’s wrong.

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Vanessa Fuentes @vanessafuentes.bsky.social · 15/06/2025

In Austin, and in the United States of America, we don’t believe in kings. 🇺🇸 Thank you to the patriots who peacefully showed up, rallied, and made your voices heard this #NoKings Day.

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Vanessa Fuentes @vanessafuentes.bsky.social · 13/06/2025

A message for #Austin, ahead of this weekend's #NoKings protest.

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Vanessa Fuentes @vanessafuentes.bsky.social · 12/06/2025

Imagine being tackled and handcuffed just for asking a question at work. That’s what happened to @SenAlexPadilla while doing his job as California’s Senator. This isn’t normal. #StandWithPadilla

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Vanessa Fuentes @vanessafuentes.bsky.social · 12/06/2025

D2 said what we said! POV: Austin Chronicle discovers what every tía in Southeast Austin already knew. Our conchas don’t just hit different - they hit *diferente*. Thanks for finally putting some respect on our pan dulce game! www.austinchronicle.com/daily/food/2...

austinchronicle.com

Where to Get Your Conchas in Southeast Austin

A hyperlocal look at five panaderías

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Vanessa Fuentes @vanessafuentes.bsky.social · 12/06/2025

🎒 Prepare an emergency kit with essentials Learn more about how you can stay ready before, during, and after a flood by visiting the city’s flood preparedness page 👇🏽 www.austintexas.gov/page/atx-flo...

austintexas.gov

ATX Flood Safety

Learn about flood safety and flood related information.

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Vanessa Fuentes @vanessafuentes.bsky.social · 12/06/2025

Food Watch is in effect in Austin for Wed, June 11. Be prepared: ⚠️ NEVER drive through flooded roads — TURN AROUND, DON'T DROWN 💬 Sign up for emergency alerts at warncentraltexas.org 🗺️ Check road closures at atxfloods.com 🌊 Know your flood risk & evacuation routes (1/2)

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Vanessa Fuentes @vanessafuentes.bsky.social · 11/06/2025

To every Texan exercising their constitutionally protected free speech: know your rights, stay vigilant, and protect one another. (2/2)

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Vanessa Fuentes @vanessafuentes.bsky.social · 11/06/2025

Sending the National Guard to intimidate peaceful protesters is wrong. Period. We’ve seen this playbook before, military force used to threaten and silence communities demanding justice. (1/2) www.kxan.com/news/local/a...

kxan.com

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Reposted by Vanessa Fuentes

Space @redditspaceviewes.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

Nebula NGC 5189 captured by Hubble

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