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(Capital Metro)
Rendering, Project Connect station
The Austin City Council on Friday unanimously approved a measure to add to the November ballot the massive $7.1B "Project Connect," a 20-year overhaul of Austin's transit system that would include a new light rail and "rapid bus" lines.
The council plans to add it to the ballot in a formal order next week, members said. Then it's up to voters to decide whether to approve it.
<p>Because of technical difficulties, Friday's virtual meeting, in which the council also created a governing body for implementing the plan should it pass, was not streamed online. But council members shared their news on Twitter in the wake of their vote.</p><p><br/></p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c822f3ff32285fa04c656dc173e18661" id="6b910"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1291865801176354817"><div style="margin:1em 0">Project Connect is about building back better after COVID, its about transportation that works for everybody, its a… https://t.co/ap6C8V0jNj</div> — Ann Kitchen (@Ann Kitchen)<a href="https://twitter.com/D5Kitchen/statuses/1291865801176354817">1596839783.0</a></blockquote></div><p>Council members chose a scaled-down version of the plan due to economic uncertainty brought about <a href="https://austonia.com/transportation/project-connect-austin-coronavirus" target="_self">by the pandemic</a>. An earlier version, approved by council in June, would have cost $10 billion.<br/></p><p>Capital Metro <a href="https://austonia.com/transportation/project-connect-austin" target="_self">proposed $3 billion in cuts last month</a>, including the elimination of a light-rail line running from Austin Community College Highland to downtown and the shortening of another, which would span North Lamar and South Congress.</p><p>If approved by voters, the $7 billion plan will increase the city property tax rate by 8.5 cents. For the median homeowner, this means their annual property tax bill will be about $276 higher.</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7c6efe35152108c346f393acf8db696e" id="65ae7"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1291865503032659968"><div style="margin:1em 0">883 days ago I started at @capmetroatx with the board’s direction to develop a data driven community supported tran… https://t.co/Lp54EWrH1U</div> — Randy Clarke 😷 (@Randy Clarke 😷)<a href="https://twitter.com/CapMetroCEO/statuses/1291865503032659968">1596839712.0</a></blockquote></div><p>In addition to taxpayer dollars, CapMetro will still need to seek an additional $3.15 billion in funding - 45% of the total budget - from the federal government.<br/></p><p>Along with deciding which version they will add to November's ballot next week, council members and the CapMetro board also voted to create a governing body called the Austin Transportation Partnership that will oversee the implementation of the plan. </p><p>The ATP board will include representatives from City Council and the Capital Metro board as well as three community experts.</p><p><em>This story has been updated; Project Connect will be funded through a tax rate election, not a bond. </em><br/></p>
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(Shutterstock)
After more than a year with no initial public offering in Austin, the local business scene is having its second in less than a week, according to a report in the Austin Business Journal.
<p>BigCommerce plans to begin trading on the Nasdaq today, Aug. 5, under the ticker "BIGC," the report says:</p><p>"The Austin-based company is offering more than 9 million shares of common stock at $24 apiece, according to an <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bigcommerce-announces-pricing-initial-public-020200438.html" target="_blank">Aug. 4 announcement</a>, which would generate more than $216 million."</p><p>On Friday, the Austin company <a href="https://vitalfarms.com/" target="_blank">Vital Farms</a> went public and is now valued at over $1.5B, according to the report.</p><p>"Prior to that, the last Central Texas company to IPO was Yeti Coolers <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2018/10/25/yeti-coolers-steps-up-to-nyse-but-cuts-offering.html" target="_blank">in late October 2018</a>," the report says.</p>
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(Stephanie and Steve Williams)
Stephanie and Steve Williams just opened their third Bennu Coffee location.
When Stephanie and Steve Williams opened their first Bennu Coffee location on Martin Luther King Boulevard in 2009, it was in the wake of the last big economic recession.
<p>"That one was really just my husband and I doing it all ourselves, getting money from our parents' credit cards to buy the flooring," Stephanie told Austonia.</p><p>
The couple later opened a second Bennu location on South Congress. </p><p>Then, last Saturday, they opened a third at the Highland development—right in the middle of the pandemic.</p><p>
"This is our dream coffee shop," Stephanie said. "Even though it is scary and it is uncertain right now, seeing this dream come to life was really a motivating factor for us."
</p><p>
Since the start of the pandemic, many small businesses have been forced to close their doors—either temporarily or forever—including Austin favorites like Threadgill's, Dart Bowl and the Lake Austin Boulevard Magnolia Cafe.
</p><p>
But a few intrepid owners are opening, expanding and investing despite the uncertain economic future.
</p><p>
<strong>Doors ajar</strong>
</p><p>
Though Sammy Lam only officially began working toward the opening of Wanderlust Wine Co. last summer, the downtown tap winery is the result of years of planning and study.
</p><p>
Lam helped finance the business with a small insurance payout he received after his mother died. She loved wine and would have one glass of Franzia each week, often while chatting with her son—who at the time was too young to join her.
</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="451d23070c5b1f786fab3a5a0d8b5a5f" id="8bc74"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0;
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CChWuEnBzF2/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif;
font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;
word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">Login • Instagram</a></p>
</div></blockquote></div><p>
<br/>
</p><p>
"I'm like, 'What am I going to do if I spend this money?'" Lam told Austonia. </p><p>
Initially, Lam planned to soft-open Wanderlust during SXSW in the hopes that he could raise the additional money. But when SXSW was canceled, he had to rethink his entire business plan.
</p><p>
<span></span>"So then we went to being essentially an online retail establishment," Lam said.
</p><p>
Wanderlust started selling bottles, branded face masks and tickets for virtual tastings on its website until it opened—on what Lam called its fifth attempt—in early June.</p><p>"We finally were able to open our doors a little bit," he said. "Going from zero to some people, it felt like a lot."</p><p>
<strong>Making lemonade</strong>
</p><p>
Other Austin business owners have found opportunities for growth in spite of the pandemic.
</p><p>
Try Hard Coffee, a new walk-up shop that also serves tacos and pastries, which opened in mid-June in the space previously occupied by Blue Dahlia Bistro. Two of its three owners—John French and Gabrielle Rose—also own Clever Baking Co., which serves coffee shops in the Austin area.
</p><p>
"We birthed Try Hard out of the wholesale bakery business struggling," co-owner Raechel Hurd told Austonia.
</p><p>
Clever Baking Co. now operates out of Try Hard's space and supplies the shop's pastry menu.
</p><p>
"It was kind of a major sidestep for us that allowed us to continue and pretty much ensure jobs for ourselves and our staff," Rose said.
</p><p>
<br/>
</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="876c32fa7d8469752aa787f745db92c9" id="0b30c"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0;
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CC6b_kIFGOp/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif;
font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;
word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">Login • Instagram</a></p>
</div></blockquote></div><p>
<br/>
</p><p>
Similarly, Bird Bird Biscuit recently announced plans to open a second location in Brentwood.
</p><p>
Co-owner Ryan McElroy said the pandemic forced the fast-casual shop to transition to an online-only ordering model. But customers preferred the new pick-up window to waiting in line to order in person, which during the business' peak times used to take up to an hour.
</p><p>
"We would never in a million years have risked shutting down our whole dining room and getting rid of our line," McElroy said. "Being forced to do it, it reveals an insight that we would have never found otherwise."</p><p>
<br/>
</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4bfb6364c87c00e3b60c566502b56186" id="65d25"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0;
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</div></div><p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CCbqAinlsLP/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif;
font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;
word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">Login • Instagram</a></p>
</div></blockquote></div><p>
<br/>
</p><p>While McElroy and his business partner, Brian Batch, had thought about opening a second location, there were no plans to do so until the pandemic revealed this new business model—and provided an ideal location.</p><p>
McElroy also owns Thunderbird Coffee. While Bird Bird Biscuit was thriving—a recent push to support Black-owned businesses even <a href="https://austonia.com/austin-black-owned-restaurants" target="_self">led it to close for a day</a> so staff could recuperate—Thunderbird's West Koenig Lane location was struggling. The new Bird Bird will replace this shop, with a large patio and a coffee trailer on site.</p><p><span></span>"We're doing it to try to build something beautiful for the future but also works for the present," McElroy said.
</p>
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Joe Rogan is Leaving LA for Texas
Joe Rogan has confirmed the rumors that he's moving to Texas.
<p>Speaking with guest Joe De Sena on his most recent podcast episode, Rogan said he's "outta here"—referring to the state of California—and would be moving to Texas "soon."</p><p>"I just want to go somewhere in the center of the country, somewhere it's easier to travel to both places, and somewhere where you have a little bit more freedom," Rogan told Sena, the CEO and founder of Spartan and the Death Race.</p><p>Rogan did not specify where in Texas he is moving, but he has <a href="https://austonia.com/city/joe-rogan-austin" target="_blank">reportedly been looking for real estate in Austin</a>.</p><p><br/></p>
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As Austin continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic, it looks like we'll all be wearing masks for the foreseeable future. Check out these five local businesses selling unique face masks.
Red Moth Art
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzUxMDE4My9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MDg0OTcxNX0.dEbuln6vI90YJwOUJj6B1jOonsA4VVfiz1v4qOkHDMs/img.jpg?width=980" id="832cc" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6ec8639d1192a9946c0e7f2828cf5dfc" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /><p>Kimberly Grau, a local artist and designer, hand-paints the designs on each mask she sews. This cherry blossom mask is <a href="https://www.redmothart.com/product/cherry-blossom-face-mask/" target="_blank">selling for $25</a>. </p>UCARE
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzUxMDE2Ny9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxMTU1MjY0NX0.0UUWlJh7PLYfZNFGLeEGYNZU0fX2uRK_0h3fbNBW1WU/img.png?width=980" id="42bac" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="54310c4ed9302b1c271787083d0c924b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /><p>UCARE masks are designed by artists in Austin and New York, and every mask purchased helps provide masks for frontline workers. This mask is <a href="https://ucaremask.com/collections/filter-plus/products/ucare-filter-electric-blue-hey" target="_blank">on sale for $12</a>. </p>Austin School of Fashion Design
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzUwOTk1Mi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MDQ2MjY5OH0.noaHtpk2J9XnJB3GY8VZ-hxyekE8l1rs_bsCjwXLWi4/img.jpg?width=980" id="cde6e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f6824e23f208041d0c9a5779b669acb9" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /><p>Austin School of Fashion Design is selling handmade <a href="http://www.austinschooloffashiondesign.com/spring-2016-registration/summer-camp-2017-full-day-10am-to-3pm-y599z-sacph" target="_blank">masks starting at $10</a>. </p>May Designs
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzUxMDM1OS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMTUzNTIyNH0.XNCa85pZjiJiqIlbo-uPqCEf74a5WUP0PYn3yUoWABI/img.png?width=980" id="7dd02" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6b16d3c63f289687673eed7d1af7bed6" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /><p>For every mask purchased from May Designs, a mask will be donated to a frontline worker. This mask is <a href="https://omg.maydesigns.com/collections/protective-face-masks/products/face-mask-cover-shibori" target="_blank">selling for $22</a>. </p>Mama Bird & Co.
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzUwOTg0OS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxOTgyMjg3MX0.nWqkWit5rT9-2aDTVFXR2SjtWAUBAQ1p5Syedcyytoo/img.jpg?width=980" id="89e54" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c42cd7e9f4a9f844c76235c231f0f513" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /><p>This floral mask from Mama Bird & Co., a family-owned and -operated business, is <a href="https://mamabirdandco.com/collections/face-covers/products/daily-masks-pink-floral" target="_blank">listed for $12.95</a>. </p><h5>Want to read more stories like this one? Start every day with a quick look at what's happening in Austin. Sign up for Austonia.com's free daily morning email.</h5>
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President Donald Trump tweeted praise for Tesla CEO Elon Musk after the electric carmaker announced it would build its next factory in Texas. Musk promptly responded.
@realDonaldTrump @Tesla Thank you on behalf of the Tesla team. We look forward to building Giga Texas!— Elon Musk 🌹 (@Elon Musk 🌹)1595599932.0
<p>In an interview with Fox News, Trump also told Sean Hannity that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-tesla-texas-told-elon-musk-build-factory-2020-7" target="_blank">he suggested Musk choose Texas </a>for the <a data-linked-post="2646318331" href="https://austonia.com/future/tesla-cybertruck" target="_blank">Cybertruck</a> and Model Y plant.<br/></p>
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The F1 United States Grand Prix, scheduled to take place in October at Austin's Circuit of the Americas, has been canceled, the chairman announced in a statement on Twitter.
<p>"The cancellation is prudent, but painful," COTA chair Bobby Epstein wrote. "After a sold out 2019, advance ticket sales deposits were up nearly 250 percent over the prior year, and our staff was preparing our biggest event ever."</p><p><br/></p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="411ddef88b2a93b3622f9d7f0bc40bb1" id="1d85e"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1286664223649599488"><div style="margin:1em 0">A statement regarding the 2020 F1 United States Grand Prix: https://t.co/QnSXk6wLll</div> — Circuit of The Americas (@Circuit of The Americas)<a href="https://twitter.com/COTA/statuses/1286664223649599488">1595599630.0</a></blockquote></div><p>The organization <a href="https://austonia.com/Coronavirus/cota-cancels-red-bull-grand-prix-of-the-americas" target="_blank">recently canceled </a>the 2020 Red Bull Grand Prix.</p><p>Epstein <a href="https://www.statesman.com/sports/20200724/f1-united-states-grand-prix-canceled-cota-chairman-calls-2020-lsquoa-complete-lossrsquo?utm_source=SFMC&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Austin%20American-Statesman%20austin-breaking-news%202020-07-2414:12:55&utm_content=GCOX_AUS&utm_term=072420" target="_blank">told the Austin American-Statesman</a> that the Grand Prix is estimated to have had a direct impact of $392 million last year, with a total impact of more than $800 million.</p>
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(Pexels)
The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission on Wednesday clarified its guidelines after what the agency said was a misunderstanding about whether breweries could reopen their patios, a spokesperson told KXAN.
<p>As a result, some local breweries—including St. Elmo in South Austin—shut down their patios for a second time after a brief period of reopening. </p><p><br/></p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="baa10e2a3cbc877763b337c0bf9db782" id="a2e16"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0;
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<div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC);
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</div></div><p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CC6GZtyFVCu/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif;
font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;
word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">Login • Instagram</a></p>
</div></blockquote></div><p><br/></p><p>The clarification arrived <a href="https://tabc.texas.gov/licensing/modify_your_premises.asp?utm_content=buffer4a2af&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer" target="_blank"><u>less than a week</u></a> after the TABC announced certain retailers could allow outdoor seating, which some local breweries took to include them. The TABC spokesperson told KXAN that the rule change only included those that make less than 51% of their revenue from alcohol sales. </p><p><br/></p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="deca6f6853304739c5afeccac69d1e56" id="b0d7c"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0;
border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);
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<div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC);
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</div></div><p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CC1ODAalyKU/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif;
font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;
word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">Login • Instagram</a></p>
</div></blockquote></div><p><br/></p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b0c75f04907be299cc292622d389c76e" id="eb318"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0;
border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);
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<div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC);
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</div></div><p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CCt4EhRFUly/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif;
font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;
word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">Login • Instagram</a></p>
</div></blockquote></div><p><br/></p><p>The Texas Craft Brewers Guild tweeted on Thursday that the decision is "just the latest lack of leadership" from the TABC and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. </p><p><br/></p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="296b88cae27a9a93476d92dffe548cf2" id="387a0"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1286309099928539136"><div style="margin:1em 0">This is just the latest lack of leadership. Two out of every three Texas craft breweries stand to permanently close… https://t.co/ej88uJtFib</div> — Texas Craft Brewers Guild (@Texas Craft Brewers Guild)<a href="https://twitter.com/TXCraftBrewers/statuses/1286309099928539136">1595514962.0</a></blockquote></div><p><br/></p><p>A survey conducted by the guild <a href="https://craftpac.org/savetexasbreweries/?fbclid=IwAR2q8gxkRzjeFLXh1nwz3Qvdua3f3Ii0d6fO2uxTdFyBfYMw_UnqGHaQnBE" target="_blank"><u>earlier this month</u></a> found that one-third of Texas craft breweries believe they will have to close permanently in the next few months if shutdown orders do not change. Another third believe they won't last until the end of the year given the current conditions.</p>
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