Headlines / Quote of the Week
Fri., July 19, 2024
Come Back, Biden: President Joe Biden postponed a planned visit to Austin after Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt last weekend. The LBJ Presidential Library announced the keynote address to mark the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act would happen sometime in July.
Don’t Fast Forward: Austin’s longtime U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett – the first sitting Democrat to call on Biden to withdraw – on Wednesday demanded the DNC not short-circuit the nomination process. “My call for President Biden to step aside remains even more urgent. Our decision must consider the reality of steadily, worsening poll numbers, not just more wishful thinking. The risk of Trump tyranny is so great that we must put forward our strongest nominee.” Read more online.
X and SpaceX Headed Here: Elon Musk, who endorsed Donald Trump after the shooting, said a Gov. Gavin Newsom-signed law is the “final straw.” Now the headquarters of X, formerly Twitter, and SpaceX are coming from California to Texas. X will be in Austin, with SpaceX headquartered near the southernmost tip of Texas. The law that pissed Musk off? It bans public schools from alerting parents of students’ pronoun changes.
Green Medal: The 2024 Austin Green Awards “Call for Nominations” is now open – nominations including buildings and infrastructure in the Central Texas region will be accepted through Sept. 16. The link is at www.atxgreenawards.org.
Hobby Nah: If you buy from Hobby Lobby, your money is being used to turn the United States into a theocracy. That’s the message in a new report from ProPublica on a secret Christian charity called Ziklag, which describes itself as a “private, confidential, invitation-only community of high-net-worth Christian families.” The group, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is spending at least $12 million to mobilize evangelical voters and purge a million people from the rolls in swing states to elect the famously pious Donald Trump.
A Harmless Rivalry: An Austin Community College student, Tavion, won more than $40,000 on The Price Is Right recently. He shouted out his favorite professor (math prof Kimberley Kelton) and, as ACC adorably points out, “He beat out a University of Texas at Austin student!”
APD Chief Candidates: City Manager T.C. Broadnax has narrowed down the Austin Police Department chief search to two candidates: Lisa Davis, an assistant chief at the Cincinnati Police Department, and Jeffrey B. Norman, chief of the Milwaukee Police Department.
Kirk Cash Accumulates: Mayor Kirk Watson is kicking ass in the fundraising department. Watson announced on Tuesday that he raised over $700,000 for his reelection campaign between April and the end of June. This Monday was the deadline for the campaigns to submit latest fundraising numbers.
Michelin Rolls Into Texas: Longtime arbiters of taste the Michelin Guide announced Tuesday that it will publish its first Michelin Guide Texas later this year. Inspectors are already in the field, anonymously eating their way through Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio to determine which restaurants will receive the coveted one, two, or three stars.
UT Fights Record Release: UT really wants to keep its records of discipline for sexual misconduct and violence by students secret. Two years after a court ruled that the records must be released to the Austin American-Statesman, the university has appealed to the Texas Supreme Court, which will conduct a hearing on the case Oct. 1. The case stems from a 2019 request by the Statesman for the records of student athletes who had continued to participate in sports programs despite having been found responsible for violent, criminal, or sexual misconduct.
Fewer Cheap Flights: The ultra-low-cost carrier Allegiant Air will slash flights from Austin in January, KUT reported. The $75 million operations base at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport that Allegiant plans to close opened less than three years ago. The airline will maintain 11 routes from Austin (with bases in the non-Austin location) and drop six or seven routes that were based here.
A-Plus Airport: Despite locals’ complaints about long waits, the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport ranked as the 10th-best airport in the U.S. by a passenger-focused company AirHelp, the Statesman reported. Salt Lake City’s port of planes got No. 1, and in ninth place right above ours was Honolulu Daniel K. Inouye Airport.
Uvalde Records Unveiled: In the next couple of weeks, the Uvalde school district and Uvalde County Sheriff’s Office will have to release records related to the botched law enforcement response to the 2022 shooting at Robb Elementary School, the Statesman reported. The Statesman is one of the news organizations requesting the records.
Bullet Vending Machine: Ammunition vending machines are now a thing here, KUT reports. A Dallas-area retailer installed a kiosk last week to sell ammunition in a Hill Country grocery store. American Rounds says its operation is totally legal and they’re totally gonna expand through Texas. Touch screens require customers to provide an ID and a facial scan, and customers have to agree that they’re not a felon before purchasing.
Brandon strikes again! Gov. Greg Abbott is trying to blame President Joe Biden for delaying the distribution of federal emergency services after Hurricane Beryl smashed through Texas last week. The governor accused Biden of lying when he told the Houston Chronicle that he had to “track down” Abbott to make a disaster declaration request.
Wienermobile Movin’ Through: Fun fact, one of 12 drivers of the iconic Oscar Mayer Wienermobile is in Austin with the vehicle this weekend. We wish you luck spotting the rolling sausage.
Did Kaitlin Armstrong Hide Money?: The yoga teacher convicted of killing rising star cyclist Moriah Wilson transferred assets to avoid paying up, Wilson’s family claims in their latest suit. Last month a Travis County judge ordered Armstrong, who is serving a 90-year sentence, to pay Wilson’s family $15 million, the Statesman reported. The new suit says Armstrong transferred deeds to her mom and sister and drained a bank account with $78,000 to avoid paying.
Quote of the Week
“Fight, fight, fight.”
– Former President Donald Trump after a gunman opened fire at a Pennsylvania rally July 13
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