Headlines / Quote of the Week
Fri., Sept. 16, 2022
All Creatures Great and Small: Austin Animal Center temporarily paused its nonemergency intake Tuesday due to continuous overcrowding. Currently, 700 animals are housed at the city-owned shelter, 67 in temporary pop-up crates; a "Clear the Shelters" adoption event will happen on Saturday, Sept. 17, to encourage adoptions, for which the fees are currently waived.
Suffer the Children: On Monday, Sept. 12, The Texas Tribune reported that the troubled youth in at least two Texas juvenile facilities had inconsistent access to bathrooms over the summer, due to staffing shortages. Despite outcry over youth needing to relieve themselves in cups, water bottles, and lunch trays, Gov. Greg Abbott has not addressed the issue.
White Man's Burden: UT-Austin professor Richard Lowery filed a lawsuit last week against the Texas A&M University System, claiming a faculty fellowship program engaged in "discriminatory, illegal, and anti-meritocratic practices" that put white and Asian candidates at a disadvantage. Lowery is requesting relief and a court-appointed monitor to oversee faculty hiring and A&M's diversity office.
Keep the Home Fires Burning: The city will restart its Tenant Relocation Assistance Program at some point next year; lower-income residents ousted by redevelopment will have access to aid including moving and storage services, temporary rent coverage, and new housing through the program. No decision yet on whether the city plans to permanently reinstate funding, which has been zeroed out for six years, although some federal pandemic relief funds provided tenant assistance.
There Is No Health in Him: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a petition for review to the Texas Supreme Court in his never-ending legal effort against San Antonio ISD's COVID-19 vaccine mandate, calling for an injunction against the policy. The San Antonio-based 4th Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the district, concluding that despite Gov. Greg Abbott's MAGApandering to prevent such things, schools have long required students to be vaccinated to attend.
Our Princely Estates: The city's Economic Development Department is accepting applications for the Heritage Preservation Grant, which aims to promote the preservation of Austin culture and history, through October 17. Panelists will consider capital, planning, educational, or marketing projects with the potential to engage new audiences and promote tourism.
Baby You Can Drive Your Car: Self-driving rideshare company Cruise will expand from offering its services in California into Austin and Phoenix within the next three months, CBS Austin reported. The company's cars have no employed driver present in the case of malfunctions.
Quote of the Week
"Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was more than a monarch. She defined an era."
– Joe Biden, in a statement addressing the queen’s death Sept. 8
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