From Southtown to the northern suburbs, the Alamo City is chock full of mom-and-pop shops. Perhaps then it should come as no surprise a recent study found that the San Antonio-New Braunfels metro has the nation's highest percentage of family-owned businesses. To get its rankings New York-based online lending company On Deck compiled data from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 Annual Business Survey and found that 34.11% of all SA-metro small businesses are in family hands.

A federal appeals court has declined to consider overturning its January ruling that blocked Texas from enforcing a Republican-championed law that would force booksellers to rate books for sexual content if they plan to sell to school libraries, Reuters reports. Tuesday's move by New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is a victory for booksellers and First Amendment champions, who argued Texas' so-called READER Act violated constitutional protections for free speech. Plaintiffs in the book industry also maintained the rating system would make it too burdensome for independent businesses to sell to schools.

Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports The Spurs superstar expresses faith in San Antonio’s process. Before Victor Wembanyama even stepped foot in San Antonio, some people thought his time with the Spurs was limited. San Antonio Spurs fans clamored for Gregg Popovich, Brian Wright and the rest of the front office to make some moves, or the young big man would bolt. Some on Twitter even photoshopped the 19-year-old into a Lakers jersey. Yes, it’s clear that Wemby is hell-bent on winning. However, to suggest that after a 22-60 season the rookie has a foot out the door is plain silly. Victor Wembanyama talks about his confidence in the Spurs' long-term plans. pic.twitter.com/9bKzkpTFK5— Josh Paredes (@Josh810) April 16, 2024 In his last press conference of the season, Wembanyama was asked if his confidence in the long term plan the Spurs have in place was shaken. The above video captures is full response, but to pull a key quote: “I never for one second doubted,” Wembanyama said. “I never thought I wasn’t in the best situation. Of course I wish we were in the playoffs, I wish we didn’t lose 60 games. As much as I know it’s hard today, it’s for the long term.” That doesn’t sound like a player who is looking for a way out after his first season. In fact, it sounds like someone who has the same long term vision that the Spurs seemingly have for building this roster. With a young roster and a cache of of draft assets, it’s likely San Antonio build around Wembanyama at a slower pace. Their star seems to be just fine with that. And even if he wasn’t, the Spurs are in the drivers seat with his contract. They have team control for four years, and then will offer Wembanyama the rookie-scale max extension. Nobody can offer Wemby a better financial future in his first 9 seasons than San Antonio. Over the course of that deal, they should have the financial flexibility to build a contender around him. So this summer if they don’t empty the tank for Trae Young or whatever superstar becomes available, don’t be alarmed. Wembanyama doesn’t seem like he will switch allegiances just because San Antonio isn’t a title contender in year two. The national media cycle and reactionary fans on social media will claim the sky is falling, Popovich should be fired and Wembanyama will demand a trade – and none of it will be true. A rebuild is a long and fun journey. San Antonio got the hard part out of the way in finding their superstar. It’s a good thing that he’s bought in, so they can take their time building the best possible team around him.

With more than 20,000 different whiskey brands in the world, exploring the diverse flavors and nuances can be an expensive endeavor. But the upcoming Whiskey Riot festival is the perfect opportunity for whiskey lovers of all levels to expand their palates without breaking the bank.