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Axios Austin
Texas wildflower listed as threatened
A rare wildflower native to the Austin area will be listed as threatened on Tuesday by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.Driving the news: The feds are proposing conservation of the bracted twistflower by prohibiting removing, cutting, digging up, damaging or destroying the species.Some of the flower's critical habitat is in Travis County, per the Fish and Wildlife Service.The big picture: Some of the Austin area's fiercest battles, dating back decades, have involved the listing of endangered songbirds, especially the golden-cheeked warbler.Habitat protections β including limits on development β follow from threatened or endangered designations, typically making the listings of...
Austin salon owner takes home prestigious award
An Austin salon owner won "Master Stylist of the Year" at the North American Hairstyling Awards.Driving the news: Allen Ruiz, co-owner of Ruiz Salon, nabbed the top honor this month at the annual awards, considered the Academy Awards of hairdressing.There are 14 categories in the competition, and the prestigious "Master Stylist" category is by invitation only.How it works: Ruiz was among 100 artists invited to submit their work, which was then reviewed by a panel of judges and narrowed down to five finalists. One style from Allen Ruiz's award-winning beauty collection. Photo: Courtesy of Monty MontgomerieThe big picture: This latest...
Austin-area nonprofit Sawa Sawa helps Kenyan women
A little over a decade ago, Anne Drane arrived in Austin as a 24-year-old from Kenya with plans to do graduate work at the University of Texas.Instead, she found herself trapped in an abusive relationship, one that she managed to extricate herself from with the help of American Gateways, an Austin nonprofit immigrant advocacy group.Flash forward: Drane now lives in Dripping Springs, with her husband and 6-year-old daughter, and is CEO of Sawa Sawa, whose mission is to empower Kenyan artisan women to make a sustainable living through the sale abroad of their traditional handicrafts, such as shoes, bags and...
Austin-area nonprofit Sawa Sawa helps Kenyan women
A little over a decade ago, Anne Drane arrived in Austin as a 24-year-old from Kenya with plans to do graduate work at the University of Texas.Instead, she found herself trapped in an abusive relationship, one that she managed to extricate herself from with the help of American Gateways, an Austin nonprofit immigrant advocacy group.Flash forward: Drane now lives in Dripping Springs, with her husband and 6-year-old daughter, and is CEO of Sawa Sawa, whose mission is to empower Kenyan artisan women to make a sustainable living through the sale abroad of their traditional handicrafts, such as shoes, bags and...
Gov. Greg Abbott pushes pardon in social justice killing
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says he would pardon a man convicted on Friday of killing an Austin social justice protester. Driving the news: Abbott announced Saturday that he has requested that the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles determine if Daniel Perry should be granted a pardon.A Travis County jury had convicted the U.S. Army sergeant and Uber driver of murder in the 2020 shooting death of Austin Black Lives Matter protester Garrett Foster.Perry killed Foster, an Air Force veteran who was legally armed, during a confrontation at an Austin BLM protest.What happened: Perry drove into a crowd gathered downtown...
Austin's top billionaires aren't as rich as they used to be
Austin's billionaires are still rich, just a little less rich than a year ago, per Forbes' annual billionaire list.Driving the news: The annual list of the world's richest people, published Wednesday, found that nearly half of all billionaires are poorer than they were a year ago due to falling stocks and rising interest rates.The U.S. is still home to the most billionaires, with 735 Americans making the list for a collective net worth of $4.5 trillion.By the numbers: Tesla founder Elon Musk, who spends at least part of his time in Austin, slipped to the No. 2 spot after his...
Things to do in Austin this weekend, April 7-9
Before Moontower Comedy Festival and Indie Meme Film Festival kick off Wednesday, spend the weekend at Easter egg hunts, soccer, shows and more around town.β½οΈ Watch the U.S. Women's National Team compete at Q2 Stadium against the Republic of Ireland at 1:30pm on Saturday, the team's first match in Austin since 2021. The game is sold out, but you can still find tickets on secondary websites.πΆ Hear the sounds of Grammy-winning record producer and songwriter Kel-P Vibes at the Afrobeats X Amapiano party from 10pm-2am Saturday at Empire Control Room and Garage. Tickets start at $10.πΈ Head to Wimberley's Blue Hole Regional Park Friday to hear tunes from country singer Dallas Burrow at the Concert in the Park Series, every Friday night in April from 6-8pm.π° Celebrate Easter at Impact Family Church's Spring Fest, featuring inflatables, pony rides, candy, face painting and food trucks from 10am-1pm Saturday.π³ Grab a casual Easter brunch in the Hill Country at Vista Brewing. First come, first served from 10am-6pm Sunday. No reservations needed.Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Austin.
Things to do in Austin this weekend, April 7-9
Before Moontower Comedy Festival and Indie Meme Film Festival kick off Wednesday, spend the weekend at Easter egg hunts, soccer, shows and more around town.β½οΈ Watch the U.S. Women's National Team compete at Q2 Stadium against the Republic of Ireland at 1:30pm on Saturday, the team's first match in Austin since 2021. The game is sold out, but you can still find tickets on secondary websites.πΆ Hear the sounds of Grammy-winning record producer and songwriter Kel-P Vibes at the Afrobeats X Amapiano party from 10pm-2am Saturday at Empire Control Room and Garage. Tickets start at $10.πΈ Head to Wimberley's Blue Hole Regional Park Friday to hear tunes from country singer Dallas Burrow at the Concert in the Park Series, every Friday night in April from 6-8pm.π° Celebrate Easter at Impact Family Church's Spring Fest, featuring inflatables, pony rides, candy, face painting and food trucks from 10am-1pm Saturday.π³ Grab a casual Easter brunch in the Hill Country at Vista Brewing. First come, first served from 10am-6pm Sunday. No reservations needed.
Families fear the worst as anti-trans bills move through Capitol
Families and their transgender children are grappling with whether to remain in the state as multiple bills that would curtail transgender rights move through the Capitol.State of play: Ahead of the legislative session, Gov. Greg Abbott ordered family protective services officials to launch child abuse investigations into reports of transgender kids receiving gender-affirming care.Investigations resulting from the order have been blocked in state court.What theyβre saying: "The governor's directive is indicative of what's coming β this playbook for people reporting on each other," C.H., a parent in Austin, tells Axios.C.H., who is in seminary training to become a minister and...
UT exhibit examines segregation-era signage found at Battle Hall
A new exhibition at the University of Texas School of Architecture examines 1910-era racist signage discovered during renovations to Battle Hall.Driving the news: In 2021, a member of the design team for Battle Hall discovered a handwritten sign reading "For Whites" on a previously hidden interior wall.The sign, likely written between 1910-1911 during segregation, excluded Black construction workers from using certain restrooms, according to Tara Dudley, an assistant architecture professor who led the research into the sign.Built as UT's main library, the edifice was named in 2007 among the top 150 favorite works of architecture by the American Institute of...
Austin hires workers to prevent homeowner displacement
In a new tactic aimed at helping residents vulnerable to gentrification, Austin's housing department is hiring Austinites to educate renters and homeowners about how they can stay in their homes.Driving the news: Displacement Prevention Navigators, as they will be known, are intended to bridge the gap between eligible households and existing resources.Between the lines: More than a third of local households are cost-burdened β meaning they pay more than 1/3 of their income for housing β due to quickly rising home prices, rents and property taxes.It can be difficult to know where to begin to look for help, and going...
Where to get great matzo ball soup in Austin
Passover starts Wednesday, which means of course you'll want to get your matzo ball soup on.Catch up quick: The success of a Seder β the name for the Passover meal that technically means "order," since there's very much an order to the event β basically comes down to the matzo ball. It can be dense and small, like my late grandmother made, or big and fluffy, as made by my mother-in-law.I'm not taking sides.Flashback: As y'all remember from Hebrew school, we eat matzo on Passover to remember the flight of the Israelites from Egypt. They didn't have time to bake...
Austin-area reservoirs now half-full.
Data: NOAA. Map: Axios VisualsAustin got five inches of rain this past winter β 2.3 inches less than average.That's according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.Why it matters: As Central Texas struggles to shake off drought, every inch of rain counts.Already last month, the Lower Colorado River Authority, which oversees the lakes and dams around Austin, has determined that no water will be released in 2023 for downriver rice farmers.And curtailments of water use on lawn watering, car washing, and ornamental fountain filling are on the horizon for city dwellers if the drought persists.Threat level: Lakes Travis...
Austin-area reservoirs now half-full.
Data: NOAA. Map: Axios VisualsAustin got five inches of rain this past winter β 2.3 inches less than average.That's according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.Why it matters: As Central Texas struggles to shake off drought, every inch of rain counts.Already last month, the Lower Colorado River Authority, which oversees the lakes and dams around Austin, has determined that no water will be released in 2023 for downriver rice farmers.And curtailments of water use on lawn watering, car washing, and ornamental fountain filling are on the horizon for city dwellers if the drought persists.Threat level: Lakes Travis...
What to know before going to Taylor Swift's Eras tour
π Hi, Swifties. It's Nicole Cobler with Axios Austin.My bestie and I made the three-hour trek to Arlington Friday to catch Taylor Swift's first of three shows at AT&T Stadium.πΆ State of play: We somehow scored VIP floor seats during pre-sale.Fine, not my wisest financial decision, but it was truly the best night of my life.Details: It was so fun to see fans recreate Swift's most iconic outfits and others decked out in sequins, fringe, cowboy boots, feathers and so many hair gems.I watched women sprint in heels to catch the first glimpse of the stage when they entered the...
What to know before going to Taylor Swift's Eras tour
π Hi, Swifties. It's Nicole Cobler with Axios Austin.My bestie and I made the three-hour trek to Arlington Friday to catch Taylor Swift's first of three shows at AT&T Stadium.πΆ State of play: We somehow scored VIP floor seats during pre-sale.Fine, not my wisest financial decision, but it was truly the best night of my life.Details: It was so fun to see fans recreate Swift's most iconic outfits and others decked out in sequins, fringe, cowboy boots, feathers and so many hair gems.I watched women sprint in heels to catch the first glimpse of the stage when they entered the...
Waymo to test self-driving cars in Austin
Waymo is announcing Friday that it's testing a new generation of autonomous vehicles in Austin. Driving the news: The company, a subsidiary of Alphabet, the parent company of Google, will be testing its equipment on Jaguar SUVs in areas in and near downtown, including Clarksville, Bouldin Creek, Holly and the Capitol.Flashback: In 2015, Steve Mahan, who is legally blind, became the first person in the world to ride in a fully autonomous vehicle β a Waymo prototype with no human driver β on ordinary residential streets in Mueller, per the company."My ride was just a taste of what the world...
Waymo to test self-driving cars in Austin
Waymo is announcing Friday that it's testing a new generation of autonomous vehicles in Austin. Driving the news: The company, a subsidiary of Alphabet, the parent company of Google, will be testing its equipment on Jaguar SUVs in areas in and near downtown, including Clarksville, Bouldin Creek, Holly and the Capitol.Flashback: In 2015, Steve Mahan, who is legally blind, became the first person in the world to ride in a fully autonomous vehicle β a Waymo prototype with no human driver β on ordinary residential streets in Mueller, per the company."My ride was just a taste of what the world...
Austin nonprofit that distributed COVID-19 vaccines accused of fraud by Austin auditor
An Austin nonprofit medical clinic that helped distribute COVID-19 vaccines has been accused of fraud by the city auditor.Driving the news: Between December 2020 and September 2021, Central Texas Allied Health Institute, misrepresented over $1.1 million worth of financial transactions across three contracts with Austin Public Health, the Office of the City Auditor alleged in a report Thursday.In total, CTAHI was improperly paid roughly $417,000 because of its fraudulent contract claims, per the report.In addition, CTAHI appears to have overstated its total vaccination numbers and fabricated patient information under its contract to provide COVID-19 vaccines, the report alleges.Context: CTAHI is...
Things to do in Austin this weekend, March 31-April 2
There's plenty to do around town this weekend β from kite fest, CMT music awards and more β but keep an eye on the slight chance of rain Sunday afternoon. Here's what's cooking:πͺ Fly a kite during the annual ABC Kite Festival, which returns to Zilker Park at 10am Saturday. Sit back and enjoy or enter the free community competition.Registration for the contest opens at 11am and the showcase begins at 1pm.π Enjoy a four-day women's comedy festival with improv, stand-up, short film, sketch and more at the Lysistrata Comedy Festival through Sunday at Coldtowne Theater. Tickets start at $40.π©°...
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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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