newsdesk

Thursday evening, City Council closed the deal with National Instruments Corp. to provide 10 years of personal and property tax rebates in return for a major expansion and capital investment, and 1,000 new high-paying jobs. Read More | Comment »

The well-traveled political consultant William "Peck" Young – in his heyday, his clients ranged from Ann Richards to Michael Dukakis, and "all the mayors of Austin from 1975 to 1997" (official bio) – is the founding Director of the Center for Public Policy and Political Studies at Austin Community College. Read More | Comment »

On Friday afternoon, Dec. 21 – with Christmas only days away – Santa Claus stopped by the Texas Capitol to spread a little holiday cheer, asking passersby to join him in chalking inspirational notes on the driveway. What he got in return -- along with his helper, "Corey Elf" – was an arrest for "criminal mischief" and "evading arrest." Read More | Comment »

Voter Registration You must be registered to vote 30 days prior to election day Visit or contact the Tax Assessor-Collector/Voter Registrar's Office, 5501 Airport Boulevard, 7:30am -5:30pm today – (512)854-9473 Read More | Comment »

If it's Sunday, it must be April 1st. Mayor Lee Leffingwell met the challenge by announcing a series of new initiatives that, if adopted, should change the political landscape of Austin – and its TV channels and operation, its business transactions, and its legendary cuisine. And NewsDesk asks: Have you Voted yet Today? Read More | Comment »

The table couldn't have been much longer for the City Council candidates – mayoral, Place 2, Place 5, and Place 6 -- at today's forum sponsored by the Real Estate Council of Austin., the Coats, Rose law firm, and others. Luckily, a couple members of the Place 5 posse chasing Bill Spelman didn't show, leaving only four challengers and the incumbent in that slot. Read More | Comment »

Beginning a week of Austin events, legendary journalist Seymour Hersh appeared Monday night at 5604 Manor, in a public conversation sponsored by Cooperation Texas (the newly re-christened Third Coast Workers for Cooperation) and hosted by UT journalism professor Robert Jensen. Read More | Comment »

The ballot is officially finalized for the May 12 municipal election – that's the one that's actually happening when originally scheduled – and the early news is: Place 5 is very popular. Read More | Comment »

Much of the news on minority voters in Texas over the last couple of years has been bad: headlines incorporating unneeded Voter ID laws or state redistricting efforts designed to lessen the voting strength of minorities. Finally, here's some news of some local pushback: an Eastside-based effort to register new voters and encourage engagement. Read More | Comment »

Austin Energy's latest proposal -- presented last Thursday at City Council -- got a mixed reception from City Hall and the public, mostly on the expense side. The problem facing Austin is that every rate cut has an income consequence to city programs currently sustained by the utility. Read More | Comment »

At a spirited if not entirely illuminating Saturday morning forum at Austin Community College-Riverside, Mayor Pro Tem Sheryl Cole and a panel of experts engaged the public on Austin Energy's proposed rate changes Read More | Comment »

In Texas Tribune Festival sessions on public education and health care, the persistent subtext reflected that hard times made budgeting difficult. Official forecast? More of the same … Read More | Comment »

Big news on the local media and City Hall beat – online city politics newsletter In Fact Daily has just been sold to the Austin American-Statesman for an undisclosed sum. Read More | Comment »

Seems like all that jogging is paying off. That lean, mean, mayoral machine Will Wynn was caught rolling up his sleeve Wednesday for an AIDS test at the Wright House Wellness Center. It was to promote National HIV Testing Day, held next Wednesday, June 27. However, it also publicized the wiry frame of the city chief.

As our own Gay Place diva Kate X Messer put it, "Dang. That dude has a personal trainer. No doubt." Read More | Comment »

Terry Keel, the new parliamentarian, and his deputy, Ron Wilson, are both former representatives – but neither is coming back to welcoming arms in the House.

Keel, who stood so close to the mic that he could be heard giving lines to Craddick like a theatrical stage prompter, already has a track record of perceived bullying on the floor and in committee. During the last regular session, the Austin GOPer tried to crowbar through legislation about lawyers for indigent defendants that would fast-track executions. When he didn't get his way, he threatened to scupper a judicial pay raise and immediately got slapped down by Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston. He was also accused of trying to change the rules about the House General Investigating and Ethics Committee in an attempt to block District Attorney Ronnie Earle's prosecution of Tom DeLay.

Outside the House, he served as lawyer for former Austin Police Department Assistant Chief Jimmy Chapman, when he was accused of perjury, and APD Officer Michael Olsen, when accused of excessive force. Read More | Comment »

Rich Oppel, editor of the Austin American-Statesman, came under criticism Friday from none other than Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, arguably the most important journalists alive today.

At an event sponsored by Oppel's organ at UT's McCullough Theatre, entitled Watergate and the Media: Did the System Work?, the three were part of a panel discussion. It was supposed to be about the impact of Watergate on journalism but soon became increasingly uncomfortable for Oppel as the respected journalists questioned his role at the Statesman and his approach to news-gathering.

Bernstein was shocked when he discovered that Oppel runs the two most important sections of his paper: the News and Editorial pages. He was amazed that Oppel did not see this as a dangerous conflict-of-interest. "You run the News desk and the Editorial desk, and you don't think that's a problem?" said the Washington Post veteran with obvious disbelief in his voice. "Did you know about this?" he asked Woodward.

Oppel tried to defend his position by comparing himself to legendary Post Publisher Katharine Graham. He said that she was ultimately in charge of both desks, but Bernstein was having none of it. "Now you know there's a big difference between a publisher and an editor," he replied.

Oppel was then challenged by both Bernstein and Woodward when he said he thought confidential sources damaged journalism. The giants of the printed word, who helped legitimize the practice through their use of leaks from FBI assistant director Mark "Deep Throat" Felt, said they were essential for good journalism. Recalling his 2002 story about early plans to invade Iraq, Woodward told Oppel, "I had six people who, if they had gone on the record, would have been fired or gone to prison. If you think they'd have gone on the record, you're wrong." Read More | 1 Comment »