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Oscar-winner and Austin institution Matthew McConaughey announced the publication of his new book "Greenlights" on Wednesday.
In a video posted to Twitter, McConaughey said that, two years ago, he took all the journals in his life that are filled with anything that made him laugh, cry, question or kept him up at night, and—with that—wrote "Greenlights." According to McConaughey, it's a book filled with his "sights and seens, nices and means, successes and failures, stories, people, places, poems, prayers, prescribes and a whole lot of bumper stickers."
McConaughey recently teased his new project, talking about the significance of green lights.
Tune in July 29th https://t.co/7JDMRDxZlI— Matthew McConaughey (@Matthew McConaughey)1595865602.0
"Greenlights" is available for preorder at greenlights.com.
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Longhorn band to skip out on Saturday game due to members not agreeing to play "The Eyes of Texas"
10h
(Shutterstock)
The latest in a line of University of Texas controversies, The Daily Texan reports Wednesday that the Longhorn band will not attend this Saturday's football game due to band members voting they did not want to play "The Eyes of Texas."
<p>According to The Daily Texan, members of the Longhorn Band were surveyed asking if they would be willing to play the song, with the results coming back showing that the band would not have the instrumentation for this weekend if asked to play.</p><p>This news comes on the heels of <a href="https://austonia.com/sports/university-of-texas-longhorns-reform-" target="_blank">the university community speaking out against</a> "The Eyes of Texas" earlier this year, citing the divisiveness of the song and its racist history. A <a href="https://www.change.org/p/alumni-resolution-to-re-dedicate-the-eyes-of-texas-as-the-school-song-of-the-university-of-texas" target="_blank">petition with over 8,000 signatures </a>has made its way around the internet calling for a "re-dedication" of the song. </p><p>"All of us on staff will do everything we can to create and maintain space for conversations," Longhorn Band Director Scott Hanna said in a message to band members, obtained by The Daily Texan. The message also stated that the results of the survey would not impact whether the band plays and performs at future games, both home and away.</p><p><span></span>Just two weeks ago, senior quarterback Sam Ehlinger and others were hailed as heroes by boosters and alums for standing and singing "The Eyes of Texas" after the four overtime defeat at the hands of the Oklahoma Sooners. </p><p>Athletic Director Chris Del Conte told fans in his <a href="https://texassports.com/news/2020/10/14/forty-acres-insider-oct-14.aspx" target="_blank">weekly email last Wednesday</a> that the University would continue to play "The Eyes of Texas" while also looking into the songs history and what the contemporary meaning of a song over 100 years old is.<br/></p><p>"I do want to clarify that I have had many conversations with our head coaches outlining my expectations that our teams show appreciation for our University, fans, and supporters by standing together as a unified group for "The Eyes," while we work through this issue," Del Conte wrote last week.</p><p><strong>More on the issue: </strong></p>
<h2><a href="https://austonia.com/sports/university-of-texas-longhorns-reform-" target="_self">Longhorn football players ask University of Texas to get rid of 'Eyes of Texas,' create more inclusive campus</a></h2>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzM5MDYwMC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NzE5Mjg3M30.5lfzWEz69xjv3eoeGlKkhe8S1rUXgICgnyjjHFiR-2Q/img.jpg?width=980" id="66412" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ef54ddabe543068f96e12c8cad12c88f" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Longhorn football players ask University of Texas to get rid of 'Eyes of Texas,' create more inclusive campus
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(Courtesy of Brandon Lewin)
For the first time in months, comedy returns to the stage of one Austin venue.
<p>Big Laugh Comedy, an up-and-coming comedy company, is bringing live shows back to Austin by way of Vulcan Gas Company, located on 418 E. 6th St. While Vulcan Gas Company is known as an intimate nightspot, Big Laugh Comedy is turning it into the comedy hub on Thursdays at 9 p.m.</p><p>Live performances and comedy have taken a hit due to COVID-19 with Austin's famous <a href="https://austonia.com/cap-city-comedy-closes" target="_self">Cap City Comedy closing its doors</a> for good last month. Big Laugh Comedy CEO Brandon Lewin said in this dark time for comedy, they want to bring it back in the best, safest way.</p><p>"Everyone's really excited about the fact that live comedy is back and the fact that it's safe," Lewin said. "We're making sure that (safety) is the biggest thing for us and we're going to do it the right way in a safe manner."</p><p>For maximum protection, the venue is operating at 25% capacity with attendees assigned their own table, wearing a mask until seated and socially distanced. In fact, the feature comedian and the headline comedian don't even share a mic.</p><p>The maiden show at Vulcan featured Cory Michaelis with every seat on the bottom floor sold out. Lewin said he, as well as the audience, were very happy to see him perform.</p><p>"Cory did fantastic—he killed it," Lewin said. "Everyone loved him. Everyone was really happy with him."</p>
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDU1MzYyNy9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyODg5NjU2MH0.CrBp33fof48QvFH1Vxc3uuZ_Chr_tDoGkL2qro3eWcM/img.jpg?width=980" id="35850" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e1bcf147c40a7d8be6f6531b85fa5e99" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
(Big Laugh)
<p>Big Laugh plans to pull out all the stops and bring big names to the stage. This week, stand-up comedian Aida Rodriguez is coming from Los Angeles for the second show on Oct. 22.</p><p>Rodriguez, who is on Tiffany Haddish's Netflix special "They Ready," said this will only be her second time traveling to perform during COVID-19 and she is excited to bring laughter to a time when it is so needed.</p><p>"It feels good to know that during this time that I could possibly bring some laughter and joy and happiness to people who are being affected (by COVID-19)," Rodriguez said in an interview with Austonia. "It brings me joy to bring other people joy. I'm just grateful to be able to share that experience with the people of Austin."</p><p>Rodriguez often discusses race issues, social issues and family trauma in her sets, which she said is a cathartic outlet. This will be her first time performing in Austin and she said while she is nervous, she is excited to be able to use her art again.</p><p>"Comedy is what I do for a living but it's also my art, it's my profession, it's my love. It's something that fills me," Rodriguez said. "It's where I feel like I live because I exist in the world and I live on stage, so for that to be taken away is a castration of some sorts and you feel like a very important part of you is cut off."</p><p>Lewin said Big Laugh Comedy's goal is to restore that sense of fulfillment comedians get on stage by giving them a platform, an audience and payment for their art in a world that isn't always kind to performers.</p><p>Lewin said they are very selective with their choices of performers because they pay all of them.</p><p>"We're an advocate—we're really looking to partner with comedians," Lewin said. "So we really want to help them (and) we do help them."</p><p>Big Laugh Comedy plans to expand their reach to the suburbs of Austin and even neighboring cities, like Dallas and Houston. For now, they will continue to host shows at Vulcan for the foreseeable future. Big Laugh has plans to bring names like Tony Hitchcliffe and Craig Conant to perform soon.</p><p>"The mission has always been to make people laugh, bring laughter to people at the same time, give comedians a platform to do this and do it in a way where it makes sense for them and helps them to grow their brand, as well," Lewin said.</p>Tickets for Rodriguez's show on Oct. 22 are available for purchase <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/aida-rodriguez-live-in-austin-tickets-126175055989" target="_blank">here</a>.
<p>More on comedy club's: </p>
<h2><a href="https://austonia.com/cap-city-comedy-closes" target="_self">Austin's Cap City Comedy closes its doors for good in the wake of the pandemic</a></h2>
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzgzNjY2OC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MzA0MzM4M30.OLvTSydqLncPOm2svJsft755prbXG05o4i0PYmTqBdU/img.png?width=980" id="a888a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="243c9fecf407df4c6d237c4f84828852" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Austin's Cap City Comedy closes its doors for good in the wake of the pandemic earlier this month.
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Dr. Mark Escott, interim Austin-Travis County health authority, updates reporters about COVID-19 conditions in Austin during a Wednesday press conference.
Halloween isn't canceled, but COVID-19 health risks should keep the holiday celebration at a minimum this year in Austin.
<p>At least that is what Austin public health officials are asking as COVID-19 cases likely increase, based on <a href="https://austonia.com/austin-covid-october" target="_blank">recent modeling predictions</a>. The city is averaging about 100 cases per day, down significantly from the summer spike, but the rolling 14-day averages show an overall increase in COVID-19 cases, hospital admissions and ventilator usage, according to Dr. Mark Escott, interim Austin-Travis County health authority.</p>
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<p>"Cases are on the rise, and Halloween is just around the corner," Escott said. "If we do not want to have Thanksgiving in a period of crisis, we've got to really tamp down our activity for Halloween."<br/></p><p>This comes after several weeks of being "in a plateau," he said, potentially giving fatigued Austin residents false hope that it is now safe to resume normal activities. On the contrary, Escott warns that actions taken in the coming days and weeks will influence health conditions by late November during the holiday season. </p><p>"That's just the new way of life for us, at least at this stage," he said.</p><p>Austin health officials, including Austin Public Health Director Stephanie Hayden, acknowledged that months of quarantine measures have exhausted Austinites, but the same safety measures still apply: social distance, wear masks, wash your hands, stay home if you're not feeling well and quarantine and get tested if you've been exposed to COVID-19.</p><p>Concerns are exacerbated as the influenza season kicks off. Austin already has documented flu cases, APH Chief Epidemiologist Janet Pichette said, making it all the more important that residents get their flu vaccination. Seasonal flu patients took up most of the hospital ICU capacity last year, according to health officials.</p><p>Hayden recommended that residents visit <a href="http://vaccinefinder.org" target="_blank">vaccinefinder.org</a> to find a flu shot provider that is covered by their insurance. Anyone without insurance can also get a <a href="http://www.austintexas.gov/department/flu-austin-influenza" target="_blank">free flu shot</a> at two upcoming events:</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li><strong>Oct. 24</strong>: Southeast Library, 5803 Nuckols Crossing Road (8 a.m. to noon)<ul class="ee-ul"><li>Walk-up flu shots on a first-come, first-served basis</li></ul></li></ul><ul class="ee-ul"><li><strong>Nov. 7</strong>: Travis County Expo Center, 7311 Decker Lane (9 a.m. to 2 p.m.)<ul class="ee-ul"><li>Drive-thru flu shots, with appointments recommended</li><li>Call APH Immunizations at 512-972-5520 to schedule an appointment</li></ul></li></ul><p>Despite concerns about rising COVID-19 and flu cases, Escott and the rest of the public health team insisted that in-person voting is still safe. In fact, Escott voted earlier in the day and considered the experience safe at every step.</p><p>"The risk of transmission is extremely low for in-person voting," Escott said. "(Voters) should feel confident in those safety procedures at their polling place."</p><p>Similarly, normal school activities also pose a low health risk. Most cases recorded in school settings have been isolated to social events outside of school or during extracurricular activities.</p><p>"Football programs, in particular, is where we have seen that situation develop over the past couple of weeks," Escott said. </p><p>It's important that anyone exposed or sick stay home the entirety of their 14-day quarantine period, health officials urged, or risk more dire circumstances by November. New hospital admissions are <a href="https://austin.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/0ad7fa50ba504e73be9945ec2a7841cb" target="_blank">just below 20 per day currently</a>, about halfway to stricter Stage 4 restrictions, which haven't been in place since late July.</p><p>"My hope is that in November on Thanksgiving that I was wrong about what I said today," Escott said. "I hope we don't see the rise that's predicted. But the only way that's going to happen is if we change our behavior."</p>
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(Liz McGuire/City of Austin)
This year has been off the rails, and this is especially true for Austin's beloved miniature choo choo the Zilker Zephyr.
<p>Due to storm-related erosion beneath its tracks, the Zilker Zephyr—an emerald green, 72-passenger, propane-powered mini train that ran for 22 years—was forced to shut down in May of 2019. </p><p>The Zephyr, the second train in the park's history, was preceded by the 60-passenger gas-powered Zilker Eagle which ran from 1961-1996.</p><div class="rm-embed embed-media"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="650" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://cdn.knightlab.com/libs/timeline3/latest/embed/index.html?source=16cAQ6GxC2nxdZqpdvPSw6GHWY4Vz-gcLDtXx9blEwqQ&font=Default&lang=en&initial_zoom=2&height=650" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="100%"></iframe></div><p>Lamenting the temporary closure of the train, the <a href="https://austintexas.gov/news/operation-zilker-zephyr" target="_blank">City of Austin issued a statement</a> on Jan. 29. Due to severe erosion to an embankment supporting part of the train's tracks, the tracks were deemed unsafe and would require an evaluation followed by repairs in order to keep on chugging.<br/></p><p>The damage could not have come at a more inconvenient time as the vendor that owned and operated the train, Texas Special Co., had less than a year left in their contract. </p><p>"Per the contract, the vendor is required to make all repairs; therefore, recouping erosion repairs would have required a period longer than the remaining contract period," the city stated.</p><p>The Austin Parks & Recreation Department said they worked in good faith with the vendor on an agreement to continue operations while preserving future bidding opportunities. Ultimately unable to come to a contract agreement with the vendor, the department thanked Texas Special for their service and moved on with their search for a new vendor.</p><p>Via a Facebook post, Zephyr management explained that they were offered a three year contract and that, due to the projected expenses of the repairs, only a five year contract would make economic sense.</p><div class="rm-embed embed-media"><iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="568" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FZilkerZephyr%2Fposts%2F10157604916878301&width=500" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" width="500"></iframe></div><p>The vendor further claimed they were misled by the city about their contractual obligations relating to the track's repair and their future rights regarding the operation of the train. Texas Special insisted that the entire ordeal ended up costing them over $40,000 and countless hours. Therefore, they announced they were taking away their train.<br/></p><p>In February, Texas Special was sued by the city for literally trying to pull up stakes (in the form of bolts) from the Zilker tracks.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">
<span class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ea2c86f9884a02146eab36d446ba67a7" style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" type="lazy-iframe" scrolling="no" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/z3L9RxyPty4?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe></span>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">The path of Austin's Zilker train</small>
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<a href="https://youtu.be/z3L9RxyPty4" target="_blank">youtu.be</a>
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</p><p>However badly the contract negotiations between the city and the Zilker Zephyr went, the Facebook comments relating to the loss of the train revealed that the true victims of the failed negotiations were the children of Austin who would no longer get to enjoy rides through the park.<br/></p><p>Natalia Quiroz, a mother of two, recalls the joy the Zephyr brought to her daughter Mazzy before its closing. </p><p>"She was the one who loved it and always wanted to go again," Quiroz says.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image image-crop-custom">
<img class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="05155cdaf2efca483b166334c5719664" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="0bd29" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDU0NjUzNi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MTYxNDg3NX0.rgwmrnViPehL3QLiSk6bL91W7hIKoeZR_y69PdbsGkA/img.jpg?width=1944&coordinates=0%2C322%2C0%2C206&height=2064"/>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">(Natalia Quiroz)</small></p><p>Local musician Woode Wood, who had been performing for Zephyr passengers for 12 years, told Austonia he knows the kids are devastated about the train being gone from Zilker. He would put his all into entertaining the excited kids that rode by his usual spot, he says.<br/></p><p>Wood is confident that the kids just want the train back and will be thrilled with any little locomotive they get. </p><p>"Kids will adapt and love the heck out of whatever they put up there as long as it works," he says. "As long as it moves and it goes around on a track, they're going to love it. Because they love being on a train and they don't care how it's powered, you know."</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b42e0dc4079e07eb5dfbff441a510e8f" id="6d1de"><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/BqkuGPeg6bn/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif;
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</div></blockquote></div><p>Ladye Anne Wofford, the Chief Mission Officer at Austin Parks Foundation, agrees with Wood that the kids are the true priority of the project, and says her whole foundation is enthused about the chance to bring this major source of Austin family fun back to the community.<br/></p><p>"Countless Austinites grew up riding the train and taking their kids to ride the train, and I think keeping the experience alive is a great way to honor a place that made many of us fall in love with Austin in the first place… Zilker Park," Wofford says.</p><p>When the Austin City Council asked the non-profit APF in February to step in and steer the bad train situation to a better station, Wofford saw her organization "as a natural fit to bring the train back and improve it and use it as a way to help generate funds for Zilker park."</p><p>The new train will meld the mid-century nostalgia of a 1940s passenger train with the up-to-date amenities of an electric engine, while focusing on creating an amusement ride experience that is accommodating to every passenger, regardless of age or ability.</p><p> "There are just a lot of ways that we feel that we can improve the business model and the overall experience," Wofford says. </p><p>And fans of the Zilker train appear to be all on board. </p><p>"We have had a lot of interest and great feedback from people from all across the city—people definitely seem excited to get the train back up and running," she says. "Every time we've been at the site for planning meetings, we're always stopped and asked about the progress of the project and when the train is coming back."</p><p>The APF recently held an online contest to name the future train. According to Wofford, 750 Austinites submitted ideas for names. Seven finalists were announced on Sept. 30. <a href="http://austinparks.org/zilker-train" target="_blank">Online voting</a> for the winning name will go on until Nov 6.</p><div class="rm-embed embed-media"><script data-opguid="baa38feb-3ab4-4aa0-ba47-e4676310806b" data-routing="hash" data-ss-embed="promotion" src="https://embed-739598.secondstreetapp.com/Scripts/dist/embed.js">/**/</script></div><p>"I think the Zephyr was a great name but it belongs to the former train," Wofford says. "We thought it was a great opportunity for young people to play a part in what will go down in history, so I am really excited to see what name our community chooses."<br/></p><p>Wofford views the community's input, regarding the name and even the color scheme of the future train, as integral to staying true to the charms of the ever popular Zilker Park experience.</p><p>"Austin is an active and creative city that has seen so much exciting growth and change over the years," she says. "To many, this makes it even more important that we hold on to our favorite traditions and experiences like the Zilker train."</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>More related content:</strong></p>
<h2><a href="https://austonia.com/trail-of-lights-tickets" target="_self">Austin Trail of Lights drive-thru tickets now on sale</a></h2>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQyMTY5Ny9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNTI3OTI4NH0.X06ma4Dxe3m0a4AsLh9GoODQpJRHnDO_uvJCZHvMiuE/img.jpg?width=980" id="72401" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="cbdfada60d1ccd29348b93fa4f570c74" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Austin Trail of Lights drive-thru tickets now on sale(City of Austin)
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(2400 Seton)
Austin-based developer Lincoln Ventures recently announced its latest project: a 30-story, 241-unit student housing project called Waterloo at 2400 Seton Avenue in West Campus.
<p>When it opens in 2022, Waterloo will feature 25 resident floors, a mezzanine level with conference and student rooms, and a rooftop terrace with an infinite pool and private cabanas.</p><p>The project broke ground this summer and is the first to be built <a href="https://www.austinmonitor.com/stories/2019/11/west-campus-overlay-grows-without-planning-commission-expansion/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">under the city's new density bonus program</a> within the University Neighborhood Overlay District, which was established in 2004.</p><p>Previously, new buildings in the district were limited to 225 feet. In exchange for an additional 75 feet, Waterloo will make 20% of its units affordable for residents at between 50% and 60% of the area's median family income, <a href="https://www.austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/Housing/Copy%20of%20MFI%20Chart%20Effective%20April%201%202020%20(003).pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">which is $97,600</a> for a four-person household. </p><p>The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development considers between 50% and 80% of the area's median family income as very low. </p><p>The remaining units will be market-rate. </p><p>The building is also the first in the district to take advantage of the elimination of parking requirements. Waterloo plans for 101 parking spaces for 796 student residents.</p><p>"This agreement opens up a whole new world of opportunities and proves housing can be affordable, beautiful and thoughtfully designed," Lincoln Ventures President David Kanne said in a statement.</p><p>Austin City Council voted last November to pass an amendment to the University Neighborhood Overlay District, which was established in 2004, that grants additional height to developers who agree to make a portion of their residential units affordable or pay a in-lieu fee. The amendment also eliminated parking minimums, with exceptions for accessibility requirements.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="bf37c50b3e54e5b21e5e4043ae8cc10e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="d1b48" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDU0NDk3My9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMTk5OTkwNX0.cG_sBtUy0_FHQGQWZILBxwSypZhpA1zWaq37HGQen_Y/img.jpg?width=980"/>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">(2400 Seton)</small></p><p>Rylan Maksoud, a then-junior at the University of Texas and West Campus resident, spoke in favor of the changes at the meeting.<br/></p><p>"Trying to find housing as a student feels like pulling a slot machine and hoping for the best, as students are taken advantage of every single day," he said. "We the students and university are begging you for increased housing in West Campus to bring down prices and increase competition."</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>More on renting:</strong></p>
<h2><a href="https://austonia.com/austin-renter-market" target="_self">Austin market posts lower rents, a pandemic-era boon to some tenants</a></h2>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQ3OTQ2NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMTY3ODc1NH0.starkffGkk6wJiQrq_JbQdOUe-0TW5UTi_EtpMsRsNA/img.jpg?width=980" id="a8a06" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="29c026154265589b9d960d55cc6ef4a1" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Austin market posts lower rents, a pandemic-era boon to some tenants
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(Austin FC/Facebook)
Austin FC is one seat closer to opening the doors to its new stadium for the 2021 Major League Soccer season.
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Texas joins Trump administration's lawsuit against Google, arguing the tech company has a monopoly
20 October
(REUTERS/Mike Blake)
By Stacy Fernandez
Texas joined the Trump administration's lawsuit against Google, accusing the tech giant of monopolizing the search engine market and controlling how online ads are bought and sold, according to the suit filed Tuesday morning.
<p>Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a statement that the multi-billion dollar company engaged in anti-competitive and exclusionary practices that eliminate competition for internet searches and search advertising.</p><p>"Google's anticompetitive business strategies have disrupted the competitive process, reduced consumer choice, and stifled innovation," Paxton said. "Our action today is intended to restore competition and allow rivals and next generation search engines to challenge Google so that the marketplace, not a monopolist, will decide how search services and search ads are offered."</p><p>Kent Walker, Google's senior vice president of global affairs and chief legal officer, called the federal lawsuit "deeply flawed."</p><p>"People use Google because they choose to, not because they're forced to, or because they can't find alternatives," Walker said in a <a href="https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/public-policy/response-doj" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">statement</a>. "This lawsuit would do nothing to help consumers. To the contrary, it would artificially prop up lower-quality search alternatives, raise phone prices, and make it harder for people to get the search services they want to use."</p><p>The lawsuit is a joint effort between the U.S. Department of Justice and the attorneys general of 10 other red states: Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana and South Carolina.</p><p>The suit calls Google a "monopoly gatekeeper for the internet" and claims that in addition to restricting competition on traditional search services and search advertising on computers and mobile devices, it blocked other companies from being part of robust emerging search platforms including voice assistants, smart speakers and cars.</p><p>Walker called the claim "demonstrably wrong."</p><p>"People find information in lots of ways: They look for news on Twitter, flights on Kayak and Expedia, restaurants on OpenTable, recommendations on Instagram and Pinterest," Walker said. "And when searching to buy something, around <a href="https://seekingalpha.com/news/3617671-amazon-first-stop-for-60-of-all-online-shoppers" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">60 percent</a> of Americans start on Amazon. Every day, Americans choose to use all these services and thousands more."</p><p>In addition to hurting competitors, Paxton claimed Google's conduct hurt consumers by reducing their choices when it comes to privacy, data protection, use of consumer data and "ultimately diminishing the quality of search services."</p><p>This isn't the first time Paxton has gone against the prominent tech company. Last year, the Texas attorney general <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2019/10/08/ken-paxton-google-investigation-web/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">launched a landmark investigation</a> into Google's multi-decade dominance along with 50 other attorneys general and experts that included Google's former rivals.</p><p>The investigation was the first major U.S. antitrust action against Google in about a decade. Paxton said the federal government repeatedly failed to take action against Google and Silicon Valley.</p>
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