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Axios Austin
Congregation Beth Israel hosts first High Holiday services since arson
In Congregation Beth Israel's new prayer space, light shines through brightly-colored stained glass.Hanging in the center is the Ner Tamid β the eternal light, or sanctuary lamp β created with glass ribbons in every color of the rainbow, curving like flames toward the ceiling.Why it matters: The stained glass is a reminder of the congregation's former sanctuary, which a man set fire to in 2021.It will be on display Saturday when Beth Israel hosts its first in-person services at the campus for the Jewish High Holy Days since 2019.Details: The stained glass windows previously hung above the doors of the...
What to do in Austin this weekend
Here's what's in store this weekend.π Wonder at puppets, in pieces conceived for adults, at the Austin Puppet Incident, 7:30pm Friday and Saturday at the Dougherty Arts Center. Tickets start at $15.ποΈ Shop at Ani's Day & Night Holiday Market noon to 5pm Saturday. Hot chocolate and mulled wine on hand.π Meet Texas authors β including Austin's Lawrence Wright and Elizabeth Crook β and grab signed copies of their books at the Humanities Texas Holiday Book Fair, 10am-1pm Saturday.π¨ Celebrate new art at Flatbed Press' Holidaze opening reception, 4-6pm Saturday.π² Watch "Beto, Beto el Abeto," a festive Spanish and English retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's "The Fir Tree," 7:30pm Friday and Saturday and 2:30pm Sunday. Zilker Botanical Garden. Free. π΅π· Listen to "The Prince and the Pana," a multilingual musical that follows an African prince seeking to save his people, presented by the Puerto Rican Cultural Center, at the King-Seabrook Chapel at Huston-Tillotson, 6:30pm Saturday, 3pm Sunday. Tickets are $20 β and $5 for kids.π Cheer on the Texas Stars as they face the Chicago Wolves at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park, 7pm Friday and Saturday. Tickets start at $49.Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Austin.
Austin metro sees household income increase
Data: U.S. Census; Map: Kavya Beheraj/AxiosThe median household in the Austin-Round Rock metro area made slightly more last year than before the pandemic, per new census data.The area's median income was $94,604 in 2022, compared to $93,581 in 2019 (inflation-adjusted).The big picture: The Austin area was the only metro in Texas to see an increase in household income between 2019 to 2022.Plus, the area saw the highest median household income of any Texas metro, with Dallas-Fort Worth at No. 2 with $82,823.By the numbers: The number of residents making between $25,000 and just under $50,000 annually decreased from 16.7% to...
Six new murals added to South Congress
Six city-owned utility boxes have been transformed into vibrant murals along South Congress, an effort by the SoCo Public Improvement District to preserve the history of the area.Details: The group partnered with local muralist Zuzu Perkal to enlist a group of local female-identifying or nonbinary artists to decorate city-owned utility boxes along the street.Muralist Niz created four different paintings on each side of the box, including a Mexican guerrera paying homage to the Wild West nature of South Congress before it was a shopping district. Another side depicts Eric Burton, the lead singer of the Black Pumas, who got his...
Members-only pickleball facility opens in northeast Austin
An exclusive pickleball club wants to combine country club nostalgia with the increasingly popular sport.What's happening: The new members-only Other Racquet Social Club opens on Friday at 2717 Manor Road with three tournament-regulation pickleball courts paired with full-service cabanas, a clubhouse and a private dining room.Why it matters: Pickleball has become one of the fastest-growing sports in America and cities can't build courts fast enough.Details: Founding memberships of the social club start at a one-time rate of $2,500 and members can bring an unlimited number of guests to the 30,000-square-foot space.A future 20,000-square-foot expansion will be open to the public,...
5 questions with SPIBelt's Kim Overton
The idea for SPIbelt, the popular running belt for athletes to store their phones and keys, started with an uncomfortable run.Flashback: Kim Overton, the founder of SPIbelt, recalled putting her car key in her sports bra to go out on a run in 2006."This is not comfortable," she recalled. "I went home that day and sewed the first prototype."By February 2007, she had filed a patent, produced the SPIbelt (small, personal item belt) and launched it at the Austin Marathon.What they're saying: "At the time, the other belts on the market were really big belts that maybe looked ideal for...
Removal of Barton Springs tree 'Flo' delayed
A beloved Barton Springs Pool pecan tree that appears destined to get chainsawed has won a reprieve β for now.What's happening: 'Flo,' as the tree leaning over the pool deck is affectionately known, has fallen victim to brittle cinder fungus.Because the disease-causing fungus feeds on live tissue, it can cause otherwise healthy-looking trees to collapse under their own weight.What they're saying: "After evaluating all options and public safety risk, the department sadly must remove the tree," department Chief Kimberly McNeeley wrote in a city memo on Friday."The department cares for more than 300,000 trees on developed parkland, but few have...
Austin loves electrolyte powders, but they don't work
Electrolyte supplements have become a shockingly big market in Austin, even though they're supported by limited scientific evidence.Why it matters: Although influencers and marketers consider electrolyte powders hydration hacks, doctors say that regularly drinking them instead of plain water is a waste of money.Zoom in: Austin metro area consumers bought about 806,000 units of electrolyte powders between July 2022 and July 2023, according to consumer research company NIQ. That's up nearly double in just two years. Even if you've never bought products like LMNT, Liquid IV, Sqwincher or DripDrop, you've probably seen their products online, in H-E-B or even in...
Where to watch the UT-Alabama game
The 1-0 Longhorns head to Alabama this weekend, but there will be plenty of parties around Austin for watching the game with other UT fans.What's happening: No. 11 UT faces No. 3 Alabama at 6pm Saturday β an SEC test for the Longhorns before they join the conference in 2024 and a rematch after last year's heartbreaking 20-19 game.Here's where to watch:1. Lefty's Brick Bar Catch the game at Lefty's Brick Bar. Photo: Courtesy of ARRIVE AustinDetails: Buy burgers, pizza, wings, $2 draft beers and game day cocktails. Plus, lawn games like cornhole, giant Jenga and ladder toss.Free admission.π Location:...
Complaints mount as robotaxis roll through Austin streets
Data: Axios Research; Graphic: Rahul Mukherjee/AxiosAs self-driving taxis navigate Austin streets, city officials have been fielding complaints about dangerous encounters with the vehicles from residents and first responders.But the city's hands are tied when it comes to the regulation of autonomous vehicles.Driving the news: Transportation department interim director Richard Mendoza said on Friday that Texas law prevents cities from regulating the approximately 125 autonomous vehicles operating in Austin from Waymo, Cruise and Volkswagen ADMT."AV technology is new, and while very exciting, poses significant challenges to communities chosen as testbeds for this technology," Mendoza wrote, adding that the department is communicating...
Texas leads the nation in book ban attempts, per report
Texas saw the most attempts to restrict or ban books of any state in the country in 2022, according to a new report from the American Library Association.Driving the news: There were 93 attempts to restrict access to 2,349 book titles in Texas last year.That's nearly double the total in the second-highest state, Pennsylvania, which had 56 attempts on 302 titles. Why it matters: Before 2020, most challenges to library books were brought by a single parent regarding a certain book, the association reports. But in 2022 it estimates 90% of book challenges were to multiple titles. The big picture:...
The Peacock: Austin's Middle Eastern gem
In a previous life, I spent years roaming the Middle East and fell in love with the region's cuisine. So I had been meaning to try Peacock, among a growing constellation of upscale Mediterranean restaurants in Austin (see Aba and Ezov).The big picture: Peacock, which opened shortly before the pandemic hit, is on the ground floor of Austin Proper, a Marriott boutique property downtown.With its hand-knotted rugs, encaustic tile wall installation, blond wood tables and soaring windows, the vibe is Middle East-meets-California.Yes, but: The food is firmly rooted in the rocky, olive-studded hills of the Levant and North Africa.To eat:...
New sports bar Victory Lap opens in West Campus
Sports bar Victory Lap opens in West Campus today, ahead of the Longhorns' first football game of the season.Driving the news: Austin-based NoCo Hospitality β which also manages upscale clubs and bars like Superstition, Estelle's, Higher Ground and Skinny's Off Track Bar β says Victory Lap will open early for tailgaters and close late for post-game drinks.Between the lines: West Campus development has boomed in recent years, raising rents for students and property taxes for businesses. The site of Victory Lap and a luxury high rise from LV Collective was previously home to a beloved retail center that included Starbucks...
Austin hate crimes jumped nearly 60% in 2022
Data:Β Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism report; Chart: Axios VisualsAustin saw one of the biggest jumps in hate crimes in the country last year, with a nearly 60% increase from 2021, according to a new report.Driving the news: The city saw 46 reported hate crimes in 2022, up from 29 in 2021, according to the unpublished report by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino.In Austin, the largest increases were a rise in anti-Hispanic or Latino incidents to six, as well as a rise in anti-white incidents to three. But...
Austin Women's Health Center at risk of closure
The independently-owned Austin Women's Health Center could soon close its doors as it struggles to make up for lost abortion revenue.Driving the news: The nearly 50-year-old reproductive health care clinic must raise $75,000 to stay open, according to a GoFundMe created by former clinic director Julie Smith.As of Monday afternoon, the account had raised over $11,000.Flashback: Shortly after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and ended all federal protections for abortion, the state's so-called "trigger law" went into effect. It made performing an abortion a felony, except when the procedure is necessary to save the pregnant person's life.Most clinics...
Austin may see driest summer since 1910
Austin is on track to see the second driest summer on record as drought conditions worsen.Driving the news: This summer's measly 1.31 inches of rainfall at Camp Mabry β Austin's central weather station βΒ could make this the second driest summer since record-setting 1910, if the area doesn't see more rain before the end of August, National Weather Service meteorologist Keith White tells Axios.The meteorological summer is from June 1 to Aug. 31.The big picture: Drought conditions continued to worsen this week, with Travis County moving from "extreme drought" to "exceptional drought," the highest drought category, per the U.S. Drought Monitor's...
Texas politics play a part in Prime's new "Red, White & Royal Blue"
Texas politics now plays an unexpectedly major role in a popular romantic comedy.What's happening: "Red, White & Royal Blue" is a new Amazon Prime film, based on a novel with the same title, about a budding romance between the son of the U.S. president and an English prince.Yes, but: That relationship may be more plausible than a key plot point involving our state.Between the lines: In a subplot, Alex Claremont-Diaz, the first son, writes a campaign memo urging his mother, the president (a Democrat, played by Uma Thurman, in a tight re-election bid), to put resources into Texas β which...
Central Texas' pandemic-era migration brought billions to the region
Reproduced from EIG; Map: Axios VisualsCounties across Central Texas saw the state's highest increases in income thanks to new migration between 2020 and 2021.The findings come by way of a new analysis of tax data from the Economic Innovation Group, a nonpartisan think tank.Driving the news: Migration into Travis County between 2020 and 2021 prompted a nearly $1.9 billion rise in adjusted gross income β a 6% increase. But its surrounding counties saw even higher rates.Burnet and Llano rank at the top statewide with 26.3% and 25.6% increases in income from new residents. Fredericksburg's Gillespie County came in third at...
Fentanyl death rate in Travis County highest in Texas
Preliminary state data for fentanyl-related deaths show Travis County with Texas' highest rate so far in 2023: about 5.04 per 100,000 people.In 2022, Travis County also had the state's highest rate at 14.45.Why it matters: The federal Drug Enforcement Administration has dubbed fentanyl the "single deadliest drug threat our nation has ever encountered," and Texas is no exception.Fentanyl overdoses are among the leading causes of death for Americans aged 18-45, experts say.By the numbers: Nearly 2,400 Texans died of synthetic opioid-related overdoses in March 2023 β a roughly 26% increase from March 2022, according to the latest available CDC data.In...
Date night: Candlelight concerts in Austin
π Nicole here. In search of a date night in the air conditioning, I recently headed to a candlelight concert at The Mansion in UT's West Campus.The big picture: You may have seen the viral concerts across your social media feeds, with hundreds of candles lighting up classical performances.The events from Madrid-based live entertainment company Fever have gained steam across Austin and cities across the globe.Fever hosts the concerts at venues across the city, including St. David's Episcopal Church, AFS Cinema and The Mansion.Plus, Fever and Warner Bros. launched an international concert series in 100 cities worldwide, including Austin, earlier...
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Axios Austin, anchored by Nicole Cobler and Asher Price, is here to help readers get smarter, faster on the most consequential news and developments unfolding in their own backyard.
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