How Austin got its professional soccer team. Eddie Margain talks about what it feels like when rule of law breaks down (“I fled [Mexico] when the cartels threatened my family”), and how he later poured that urgency into building Austin […]
A train derailed in downtown Austin. The tracks are near my house and we were alerted to this by a text from our school district. While it’s a 230-car cargo train that derailed in downtown Austin around 4:45 a.m., it […]
High risk, low reward municipal spending cuts. “Eliminating IT positions at Austin Energy or the airport does not save you a dime in the general fund and therefore does not free up any money to prevent cuts to parks, social […]
Trials by PEAK6. During a chat with Matt Hulsizer I learned of their initiative to seed entrepreneurs with capital and distribution to build new fintech businesses. They’re calling it Trials. “Trials isn’t an accelerator or incubator. There are no cohorts […]
Investigators played poker undercover in Austin. “Agents were given $600 each to play some cards on the first trip.” The warrant says the TABC ran multiple undercover visits, with agents tracking chips, drinks, security, and wins and losses as part […]
Austin reviews ‘unusual’ $25 million Long Center contract over arts grant fees and oversight. “Austin Current’s review of the contract raised questions about how much money the city is paying for specific services. Some of the hourly rates listed in […]
Is there not a single reasonable person in charge over here? “In 2023, Austin police did $23k in damage to an innocent house while SWAT raided the neighbor.” The city refused to pay, and now wants approval to hire an […]
STAAR pep rallies everywhere. “Scrolling through social media this week, I saw posts from across the state. Marching bands and celebrity guests at pep rallies, reality TV–themed contests, special dress days, and more, all dedicated to the STAAR test.” A […]
Austin ISD’s $100 million oversight. Amid financial pressures, Austin ISD planned to improve many schools with a $2.4 billion bond. Yet, a surprising decision followed: “By that point, more than $95 million in bond money already had been spent or […]
Base Power, a two-year-old power company based in Texas. I absolutely love this idea. “Though many power companies are focusing on building giant industrial batteries as a way to store energy — often generated by wind or solar facilities — […]