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Soccer Watch

Chainsaws and redwood logs were banned from the Columbus Crew soccer stadium on Sunday, but the Portland Timbers won the MLS Cup anyway, beating Columbus 2-1: their first title, and the first title for any of the three “Cascadia Cup” teams from the Pacific Northwest. A well-deserved win for a well-managed team. Manchester United was…

by Nick Barbaro

Playback: Barracuda on the Block

“I see Barracuda as a Seventies-style concert hall: a big space with big sound that makes you feel like you’re at a real concert,” offers Jason McNeely, leaning against the red brick exterior of his new Seventh Street venue. “It’s not going to be Hotel Vegas 2. Hotel Vegas is a little, good-time rock &…

by Kevin Curtin

Headlines

City Council meets Dec. 10 and Dec. 17, in the final two meetings of 2015. Today (Dec. 10) is “zoning day” (three dozen cases) but also on the agenda are the new short-term rental (STR) regs, in an evening public hearing that might take a while. Next week: ride-for-hire companies, among other things. See “Headaches…

by Chronicle Staff

Video Game Gift Battles

RPGs (aka Do I have to catch ’em all?) Xenoblade Chronicles X Wii U ($60) Yo-Kai Watch Nintendo 3DS ($40) Two new role-playing games take to different Nintendo platforms. The latest Xenoblade offers majestic vistas and towering enemies, but makes players wait excruciating hours to fly one of the massive robotic helpers. That’s downright unforgivable.…

by James Renovitch

Quote of the Week

“There are those who contend that it does not benefit African-Americans to get them into the University of Texas, where they do not do well, as opposed to having them go to a less-advanced school, a slower-track school where they do well.” – Justice Antonin Scalia shares his “thoughts” during oral arguments for the Fisher…

by Chronicle Staff

Inside the Council Campaign War Chests

The historic 10-1 City Council election saw unprecedented levels of campaign cash flow through candidate coffers – most notably Mayor Steve Adler surpassing the $1 million mark. Adler and some candidates, not strictly bound by self-loan rules, were also able to pull hefty sums from their own pockets to their respective campaigns. Here’s a snapshot…

by Chronicle Staff

Mr. Smarty Pants Knows

The human brain is 2-3% of body weight yet consumes 25% of its calories when at rest. Poinsettias are native to Mexico and Central America. According to John Kelly on Slate, the wishbone used to be called “the merrythought.” Its scientific name is “furcula,” from the Latin for “little fork.” “Merry” may be a wordplay…

by Mr. Smarty Pants

Funding Balance

Some Austin politicos think qualified candidates of average means are deterred from running due to low contribution limits

by Jack Craver

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