Rat Headquarters Fall: The William P. Hobby Jr. State Office Building on Guadalupe, a longtime target of disdain for its stuck-in-the-Eighties design, rat problem, and crumbling structure, has finally been put out of its misery. After moving employees to the George H.W. Bush building and effectively abandoning the site, the state is now looking to fulfill its longtime dream of selling the building’s land.
In Stroke of Luck, Rats Find New Home Nearby: Tech giant Meta (formerly Facebook) has changed its plans for the 66-story Sixth and Guadalupe building under construction. It was going to include dozens of floors of new office space for the company, but now Meta plans to sublease. (As of press time, they haven’t ruled out the Hobby building’s rats as future tenants.)
Rats on a Sinking Ship: New York Magazine reported Nov. 5 that some progressive Texans are leaving Austin after recent state happenings (child abuse investigations into the parents of trans children, the state’s abortion bans, etc.) have proven the progressive capital isn’t immune to the conservative state. “What more do you need if you are a remotely liberal person to get the fuck out of here?” former East Austinite John Stettin told the magazine.
Leave the Tunnels to the Rats: The city of Kyle will not be taking up a proposal for an underground pedestrian tunnel presented by Elon Musk‘s the Boring Co. The tunnel would have connected one of the town’s suburbs to a retail center, but the city found it “has proven to not be viable.”
Will Rats Inherit the Earth? As the conflict in Ukraine trudges on, the U.S. and Russia have agreed to hold talks on the only existing nuclear treaty between the two countries. U.S. officials say that national security adviser Jake Sullivan recently talked with Russian foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov about a possible continuation of atomic weapon site inspections in accordance with New START, the treaty that prevents deployment of nuclear weapons by Russia and the U.S.
This One Is Not About Rats: The Statesman announced Nov. 2 that former writer and editor Courtney Sebesta will act as the paper’s managing editor beginning Dec. 5. Associate News Editor Andy Sevilla will also move up to deputy managing editor on Nov. 14. Former Managing Editor Andy Alford left in March.
More Un-Rat-Related News: Meanwhile, Statesman workers picketed in front of the paper’s former headquarters on South Congress as part of widespread walkouts planned by Gannett-owned newsrooms. Workers call for fair pay and improved transparency from Gannett following layoffs in August.
Quote of the Week
“Central Florida, my name is Maxwell Alejandro Frost, and I’m going to be the first Generation Z member of the United States Congress.”
– Maxwell Alejandro Frost to his supporters in Orlando after the race was called Tuesday night
This article appears in November 11 • 2022.