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Most Popular Stories
- Former Council Member and dedicated environmentalist Jackie Goodman has died
- A multi-family rezoning at the rugged edge of Northwest Austin
- Texas lawmakers finalize bill limiting property owners’ right to protest new homes nearby
- Despite safety concerns, Council OKs new buildings above Shoal Creek
- As Acacia Cliffs rezoning is approved, Critics say Council has sold out on its affordability commitments
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Rite of spring: Dog-killing algae makes an early appearance in Austin waterways
Scientists with Austin’s Watershed Protection Department have spotted clumps of blue-green algae near Red Bud Isle on Lady Bird Lake. This year marks one of the earliest seasonal reports of the algae, also known as cyanobacteria, which can be toxic…
Environment • By Mose Buchele, KUT • Apr 23, 2025
Council looks to expand AI policies, examine energy and water needs for data centers
Later this week, City Council will consider a substantial expansion of the city’s artificial intelligence oversight, incorporating detailed guidance on workforce protections, public transparency, and the environmental impacts of growing AI infrastructure. The resolution on Thursday’s agenda builds on a…
City Council • By Chad Swiatecki • Apr 23, 2025
Animal Center gets interim leaders to help with five-year improvement plan
The city is moving forward with new leadership at Austin Animal Center, following a memo from city manager T.C. Broadnax announcing the appointment of an interim leadership team. As of last week, Rolando Fernandez took over as interim chief animal…
City Hall • By Chad Swiatecki • Apr 23, 2025
Firefighters, city reach agreement on retirement fund
Negotiators for the city and Austin firefighters have finally reached agreement on how to deal with the Austin Firefighter Retirement Fund so that it complies with state law and can promise retirement benefits to current and future retirees. This has…
Fire • By Jo Clifton • Apr 22, 2025
City touts ongoing success in one-year update on micromobility program tweaks
Last April, Austin made changes to its micromobility program, cutting the number of scooters on the street by 2,000 and reducing speed limits among other things. In a one-year update, city staff say those changes have worked out as well…
Transportation • By Miles Wall • Apr 22, 2025
Planning staff spells out steps for preservation and coordination in 78702 and beyond
The city is preparing to move forward with a long-term planning effort that would coordinate public and cultural investments in a portion of East Austin seen as under threat of gentrification and other growth pressures. A new memo from the…
Planning • By Chad Swiatecki • Apr 21, 2025
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UT Austin professors fear Trump administration's funding cuts will derail life-saving research
Andrea Gore, a professor of pharmacology and toxicology at UT Austin, knew from a young age that she wanted to be a scientist. She said she always loved watching birds and bugs. “Even as a kid, I would watch the…
Public Health • By Becky Fogel, KUT • Apr 21, 2025
Council Audit and Finance Committee hears updates on APD recruiting and hiring practices
On Wednesday, City Council’s Audit and Finance Committee heard a briefing on the Austin Police Department’s recruiting and hiring efforts. City leaders have been raising concerns about APD response times and staffing of sworn and non-sworn public safety employees for…
Police • By Mina Shekarchi • Apr 18, 2025
Downtown Commission looks at partnerships, philanthropy to address homelessness
The city is establishing new partnerships with homelessness relief organizations and could announce new philanthropic partners later this month, while continuing to improve programs already in place to address the needs of the area’s growing homeless population. The most recent…
Austin • By Chad Swiatecki • Apr 18, 2025
Watershed report focuses on projects to prevent and prepare for floods
The Watershed Protection Department has released its 2024 annual report, highlighting a lengthy list of achievements in flood prevention, future flood preparedness and erosion control projects in several corners of the city. The department credits these efforts for Austin’s improved…
Environment • By Amy Smith • Apr 18, 2025
716,000 meals canceled for Austin-area food bank as federal funding is cut
The Central Texas Food Bank is feeling the effects of the Trump administration’s funding cuts after the U.S. Department of Agriculture slashed more than a billion dollars in funding for programs that support food banks and help schools buy goods from local…
Public Health • By Becky Fogel, KUT • Apr 17, 2025
City eyes strategy shifts to address affordable housing shortfalls
City staff members are evaluating the idea of investing more in housing as well as other strategies to address shortfalls in key areas of the Strategic Housing Blueprint, including deeply affordable housing and permanent supportive housing. A memo released this…
