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(Charlie L. Harper III)
Half of Austin City Council seats is up for election this Novemeber.
Half of Austin City Council's 10 seats—Districts 2, 4, 6, 7 and 10—are up for election this November, and after Monday's filing deadline, 20 candidates will be competing for a spot on the (virtual) dais.
Elected members will be tasked with rewriting the city's land use code, considering further cuts to the Austin Police Department's budget and, if voters approve a tax rate increase, implementing the $7.1 billion Project Connect transit plan.
City council seats are nonpartisan, although all current members are affiliated with the Democratic Party. Austin residents can plug in their address to find their council district here.
Here's a list of who's running:
District 2
District 2 Council Member Delia Garza will vacate her seat to serve as Travis County attorney. She won the Democratic primary for the position in July, and there is no Republican candidate.
Four candidates are vying to replace Garza on council, including David Chincanchan, former chief of staff for District 3 Council Member Pio Renteria; Vanessa Fuentes, who works for the American Heart Association and said one of her top priorities would be improving health equity in Austin; Casey Ramos, a boxer who lost to Garza in 2016; and Alex Strenger, a pedicab driver who unsuccessfully ran for mayor in 2018 and has advocated for building a dome around Austin to keep out Californians.
This district covers Southeast Austin.
District 4
District 4 Council Member Greg Casar is running for re-election against Louis C. Herrin III, a civil engineer who ran against Casar in 2016 and 2014, and Ramesses II Setepenre, a licensed massage therapist. While on the council, Casar has been a vocal proponent for the recent cuts to the Austin Police Department's budget, paid sick leave and a historic affordable housing bond.
This district includes parts of northeast and north central Austin.
District 6
District 6 Council Member Jimmy Flannigan will face off against Deedra Harrison, a consultant; Mackenzie Kelly, a client care manager who unsuccessfully ran against Flannigan in 2014 and opposes public camping and recent cuts to Austin's police department; and Dr. Jennifer Musthaler, a physician. Flannigan's reelection campaign platform includes public safety reform, regional mobility, affordability and social justice.
This district covers parts of northwest Austin.
District 7
District 7 Council Member Leslie Pool will face off against one opponent, education adviser Morgan Witt, this election. Pool's priorities include environmental sustainability and preserving Austin neighborhoods' character. Witt, a renter who claims to be the "truly progressive" candidate, supports improving mobility and forming Austin's zoning code to allow for more diversity of housing.
This district includes parts of north central Austin.
District 10
District 10 Council Member Alison Alter faces the most crowded field, with six other candidates running for her seat. Her opponents are Ben Easton, a writer who ran unsuccessfully as a Libertarian candidate for the Texas House in 2016; Belinda Greene, who works in sales; Pooja Sethi, an attorney whose campaign platform includes community-driven transit and police reform; Robert Thomas, an attorney who ran unsuccessfully for the seat in 2014 and whose platform includes reinstating the police academy and public camping ban; Noel Tristan, a business owner; and Jennifer Virden, who opposes council's recent cut to police funding and the "astronomical" cost of Project Connect.
This district covers West Austin.
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(NK Maribor/Twitter)
Zan Kolmanic, pictured right, will reportedly be joining Austin FC this season.
Austin FC has reportedly signed 20-year old Slovenian star Žan Kolmanič for a cool $1.8 million.
<p>According to Slovenian sporting sites <a href="https://ekipa.svet24.si/clanek/nogomet/prva-liga/60375aed66687/razkrivamo-odskodnino-in-njegov-novi-klub-mariborski-dragulj-odhaja-ze-po-tekmi-z-olimpijo" target="_blank">Ekipa24</a> and<a href="https://www.vecer.com/sport/nogomet/odzval-se-je-oliver-bogatinov-kar-bo-novi-sportni-direktor-sejal-bo-tudi-zel-10236225" target="_blank"> Vecer</a>, the young left-back defender has agreed to fill the Verdes' 23rd slot on their inaugural roster.</p><p>Kolmanič, who would be the team's second U-22 player, has made 44 appearances at current team <a href="https://www.nkmaribor.com/" target="_blank">NK Maribor</a> since 2017. The club is currently 15-time national champions in the Slovenian PrvaLiga, Slovenia's premier league. Kolmanič has also played nationally for Slovenia's U-21 team.</p><p>The new prospect has already been called "the Luca Doncic of the MLS" fans, but Austin FC has yet to officially confirm the move.</p><p>If confirmed, Kolmanič would be the eighth defender to sign with Austin FC and would be the youngest on the roster alongside 20-year-old No. 1 SuperDraft pick Daniel Pereira. </p><p>Austin FC's current roster sits at:</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>4 goalkeepers</li><li>7 defenders</li><li>6 midfielders</li><li>6 forwards</li></ul><p>After Kolmanič, the club has seven open spots to fill before it reaches its player cap.</p><p>Austin FC's full roster can be found <a href="https://www.austinfc.com/players?site_path=players&position=All&op=Update&form_build_id=form-8-EVCOEYcCI3Wqtxw-Ip9Eut8KybCbzvV9_u566zKAM&form_id=mp7_club_player_filters_form" target="_blank">here.</a></p>
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Citing a 77% decline in new COVID cases nationally since early January, Dr. Martin Makary, a surgical oncologist and professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health, expects COVID-19 "will be mostly gone by April, allowing Americans to resume normal life."
<p>Makary wrote about this forecast in <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/well-have-herd-immunity-by-april-11613669731" target="_blank">a recent opinion column</a> for the Wall Street Journal, setting off a range of reactions. </p><p>This trend is mirrored in Austin, where the daily number of new confirmed COVID cases fell nearly 60% between Jan. 17 and Feb. 12. (More recent data is not yet available due to case reporting delays caused by the winter storms last week.) </p><p>"From a scientific standpoint, there must be some reason for it," Makary told Austonia. "And it cannot be explained by vaccination rates or a sudden change in behavior."</p><p>Instead, he argues that natural immunity from prior infection—especially among asymptomatic patients—is more common than previously thought, in part because "antibody studies almost certainly underestimate natural immunity." He cites <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41577-020-00436-4" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a recent Nature article</a> by researchers at Sweden's Karolinska Institute, who found that T-cell immunity can be present even when antibodies are not detectable.</p><div class="rm-embed embed-media"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Seroprevalence studies estimating community immunity rates have relied on antibody testing. But this Nature article & studies from Karolinska Inst. describe why T-cell immunity can be present even when Antibodies are not present (<a href="https://t.co/URuVZPkJLz">https://t.co/URuVZPkJLz</a>).<a href="https://t.co/JvHgft6DP2">https://t.co/JvHgft6DP2</a><br/>— Marty Makary M.D., M.P.H. (@MartyMakary) <a href="https://twitter.com/MartyMakary/status/1363599192673968136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></div><p>"Not all models have to be grim and bad news," he said. "And while it appears that we're on a good path, we cannot let up our guard until we're in a safer place."<br/></p><p>Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former commissioner or the Food and Drug Administration, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/22/dr-scott-gottlieb-herd-immunity-by-april-estimate-too-aggressive.html" target="_blank">told CNBC on Monday</a> that he agrees with Makary's sentiment even though he thinks the path forward will not be linear, with a likely increase in cases next fall and winter. "I think things will be normal in the spring and the summer of this year," he said. </p><p>But not everyone agrees with this timeline. </p><p><strong>Local feedback</strong> </p><p>Dr. Katelyn Jetelina, a Texas epidemiologist who writes the blog Your Local Epidemiologist, responded to Makary's column, raising questions about the statistics he cited, his assumptions around natural immunity and the role of behavioral changes. "Herd immunity in 6 weeks sounds really nice, but it's important to keep realistic expectations," she wrote in <a href="https://yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/p/unfortunately-we-will-not-reach-herd" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a post published Monday</a>. "I am doubtful this will happen."</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-shortcode" data-height="1234" data-rm-shortcode-id="3958bb54cd5068490397c8be998a1af5" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTY4OTU4NC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxNjMwOTEwMn0.VnjI2PxU3pWcCriWIz0L0WyaDGm5YF4idwChQjHhN9Y/img.png?width=980" data-width="1470" id="1e897" type="lazy-image"/>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Jetelina responded to individual claims made in Makary's column.</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">(Your Local Epidemiologist) </small></p><p><a href="https://austonia.com/Coronavirus/covid-immunity" target="_blank">Herd immunity</a> is achieved when a majority of a population is immune to a disease, either because they've been vaccianted against it or have recovered from it themselves. </p><p>Jetelina also disputed Makary's claim that many medical experts "are afraid to talk about herd immunity" because <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02948-4" target="_blank">some politicians</a> suggested the U.S. let the pandemic run its course as a way to achieve it. "Epidemiologists aren't afraid to talk about herd immunity," Jetelina wrote in response. "This is, quite frankly, our job."<br/></p><p>Ultimately, Jetelina argues that there is not yet enough evidence to support Makary's claims about natural immunity, about which there remains many questions, including how it might be impacted by new variants, the threshold needed for community protection and how long it lasts after infection.</p><p>Austin Public Health said experts are still working to arrive at answers to these questions in a statement shared with Austonia. The department also pointed out that herd immunity from natural infections was never achieved for diseases such as smallpox, polio and measles, which were only eradicated through widespread vaccination efforts. </p><p>"(R)eaching herd immunity by April through vaccination efforts is very optimistic and likely not the case for our community with current state allocations," according to the statement. "While we diligently work to vaccinate everyone over the coming weeks and months, it continues to remain incredibly important to keep wearing your mask, watching your distance and washing your hands."</p><p><strong>Planning ahead</strong> </p><p>Makary, who said he frequents Austin, believes that natural immunity combined with rising vaccination rates could augur a return to normal as soon as late April or May. "Herd immunity is not binary," he said. "It's already kicking in."</p><p>Not talking about its impact is irresponsible, in Makary's view, although he understands that people may be skeptical. "It's been a very morbid season," he said. "It's hard, quite frankly, to trust projections. But at this point the trends are promising, and it's good for us to start planning accordingly. Also, I think it's important for people to have hope." </p><p>Makary argues that the U.S. pandemic strategy has been, so far, reactionary. By anticipating a plateau this spring and summer, local, state and federal governments can begin planning for a return to pre-pandemic activity. </p><p>This is not to say that another surge is not possible, especially considering the emergence of new, more contagious variants. "We need to be prepared to flip the switch on in the fall and go back to masking and maybe even distancing," he said.</p><p>But for now Markary thinks a dose of optimism is just what the doctor ordered: "By pointing out the light at the end of the tunnel, it's my hope that people will continue to be compliant with all the public health mitigation for a little bit longer until we get to that point."</p>
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Mexican free-tail bats in the Austin skyline
The long-term damage caused by Winter Storm Uri is becoming more and more evident, and Austin's bat population is no exception.
<p>The bats, which serve as both a tourist attraction and token of pride for many Austinites, have been found dead or dying en masse under bridges and overpasses throughout the city.</p><p>Austin Animal Center officials said they have heard reports of 60-100 dead bats since the storm kept temperatures subfreezing for days. </p><p>To help combat the issue, conservation groups including Austin Bat Refuge are rehabilitating the animals using insulin syringes and feeding supplies to keep bats alive.</p><div class="rm-embed embed-media"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Days after warm wether returned, the fallout we dreaded has come full force. We're doing our best, as are rehabbers all over Texas. If you're local, we could use more 1 ml insulin syringes (29-31 ga) and 1 ml syringes no needles. <a href="https://t.co/gR5dYNm8Fl">pic.twitter.com/gR5dYNm8Fl</a><br/>— Austin Bat Refuge (@AustinBatRefuge) <a href="https://twitter.com/AustinBatRefuge/status/1364681853702184964?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></div><p>Officials are quickly realizing that mass bat deaths are happening statewide. On Wednesday, Texas Parks and Wildlife posted pictures of what looked to be hundreds of dead bats on Facebook. The department asked for the public's help in reporting bat deaths by checking under bridges, reporting how many bats can be found and putting data into the <a href="https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/winter-storm-uri-wildlife-deaths?fbclid=IwAR2w3A4nE-4yAu7r9ZXx02ptw1dhQ1Y5rwodx_2vxqlkL_LRbkBxFgz78c0" target="_blank">iNaturalist </a>project. Over 2,000 wildlife deaths have been reported as a result of Winter Storm Uri in the project.</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="38c43a5f57eb7f0c8aba809be408d70c"><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/TXWildlife/posts/5001991369871427"></div></div><p>The mass deaths are distressing to wildlife experts because bats are vital to Texas agriculture, acting as a "natural pest control" by controlling insect populations. As a result, if bats were to go extinct in the area, food prices would rise.</p><p>Austin, with its 1.5 million Congress Avenue Bridge bats, has even more ties to the animals. While the bats offer a uniquely Austin experience that attracts tourists and locals alike, they also eat up to 30,000 bugs a night, giving the city a more insect-free experience as well. The mosquito-repelling animals that reside in the city are also North America's largest urban bat population.</p><p>Austin Animal Center warned residents not to touch bats when making reports. If a dead or dying bat is found, the department said to call Austin 311 so the animals can get the care they need. Austin Bat Rescue is also asking for donations of 1 ml insulin syringes to help save more bats.</p>
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