austinfreepress

On the issues: a Q&A with the Texas Democrats running for U.S. Senate

This is one of a four-part series of surveys featuring candidates in the Democratic and Republican primaries for U.S. Senate and attorney general. Read the survey with Republican U.S. Senate ...
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Datacloud: Protesters greet data center conference in downtown Austin

Outside the downtown Austin Marriott, a mix of working Austinites, local climate and social justice organizations, and grandmas gathered early today to protest the Lone Star State’s looming data ...
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Moo-ving forward: Parties settle lawsuit over rezoning East Austin’s Borden Dairy tract

A 21-acre, mixed-use development will replace the old Borden Dairy plant in East Austin. Image credit: Borden Dairy. Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Endeavor Real Estate Group and community ...
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Off the Wall: Advocates save iconic Austin Convention Center mosaic from destruction

“Time is running out,” Yancey said last month as he contemplated the enormous task of saving his three-ton work from the wrecking ball. Austin city officials had said that Yancey’s ceramic mural ...
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Approved: Austin City Council members rarely oppose developer rezoning requests

Austin City Council members rarely broke with development interests in hundreds of city rezoning cases between January 2023 and May 2024, an Austin Free Press analysis shows. A council majority ...
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Salvage vanguard: Austin officials belatedly seek to rescue art from doomed convention center

Artist John Yancey says his convention center mural “ Riffs & Rhythms” will have a new home at the Pleasant Hill Collaborative on East 11th Street (above). Image credit: City of Austin. Getting your ...
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Community organizer: New Travis County Democratic Party Chair Doug Greco building bridges in choppy waters

Newly elected Travis County Democratic Party Chair Doug Greco, harkening back to his work leading Central Texas Interfaith, has scheduled a year of listening. “We’re not going out and telling folks ...
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Misdeeds? Paxton probe raises hopes and doubts for Taylor data center

Texas AG launches investigation into a disputed land deed tied to a proposed Taylor data center as residents raise concerns ...
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Minority Report: Taylor data center plan raises community ire and questions of equity

In the summer of 2024, the Taylor City Council quietly inked a deal to approve a new data center. That decision put Taylor on a growing list of Texas communities hosting data centers. Currently, there ...
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Legislating intolerance: Anti-LGBTQ legislation tied to “massive rise” in hate incidents

Murder, assault, bomb threats, and verbal threats were some of the worst anti-LGBTQ+ hate incidents occurring in the greater Austin area over the last three years, according to data that the LGBTQ+ ...
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Voter convention: Austin United PAC delivers petition to city clerk to delay new convention center

Austin United PAC leaders told Austin Free Press that they will deliver petition signatures to the city clerk Monday, requiring the city council to put a measure on the ballot asking voters if they ...
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Roadblock: Judge rules Hays County can’t bypass open government for road bonds

Hays County swimming hole Jacobs Well has been shuttered due to low water levels. Image credit: Hays County. Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Update: Democratic Hays County Judge Ruben ...