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Harris, Markle headline blockbuster final day of Austin-based The 19th* Represents virtual summit

Two powerhouse women are set to headline the last day of the star-studded The 19th* Represents virtual summit, which wraps up Friday with recent Democratic VP nominee-to-be U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris and the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle.
The interview is Harris' first one-on-one with a reporter since she was added to the Democratic ticket on Tuesday - a decision she said was "on purpose."
The Austin-based news organization at the helm of the summit, The 19th*, launched last week as a newsroom dedicated to news that affects women. Run by women and reported by women, the organization is led by local media trailblazer Emily Ramshaw, former editor of the Texas Tribune.
In a twist on the usual celebrity chat session, Markle will interview Ramshaw about - to put it in superhero terms - the origin story of The 19th*.
Both the launch and the summit, which has seen such influencers as Meryl Streep and Hillary Clinton take the virtual stage, were timed in conjunction with the hundredth anniversary of the 19th amendment, which gave women the right to vote in the U.S. The asterisk indicates that there is more work to do to achieve equal representation.
Harris is scheduled as the keynote speaker on Friday - and was on the program long before she became presumptive nominee Joe Biden's VP pick earlier this week. Her keynote address today on the intersection of race and gender - both of which, along with her qualifications, were at play when Biden named her as his running mate.
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(Project Connect)
Designs for stations along Project Connect’s Blue Line were presented this week, giving a detailed look at what part of the rail system extending from downtown to the airport could look like.
The planned stations that have gotten the latest focus include Waterfront, Travis Heights and Lakeshore stations past Lady Bird Lake.
At the Waterfront station, the preliminary design aims to prevent visual obstructions and save on costs. This is accomplished by a transit guideway that will lower from the bridge to a level station.
Heading onto East Riverside Drive, the light rail faces a curve requiring a slow down to about 10 miles per hour.
The Travis Heights station could involve relocating a pedestrian crosswalk zone at Alameda Drive to Blunn Creek. Since light rails can't effectively operate on a steep grade, this allows the transit guideway to avoid that.
From there, the rail will extend to the Norwood Park area, and though it will reach along the right-of-way zone, the park will be able to remain open.
A view of the Blue Line by Lady Bird Lake. (Project Connect)
The line involves some coordination with the Texas Department of Transportation. That's because the department is working on an intersection that will have to be built before the phasing of the section of the Blue Line involving an I-35 crossing.
When it comes to the safety of cyclists and walkers, design ideas include a pedestrian hybrid beacon by East Bouldin Creek that would provide a protected signal to cross. And for the intersection TxDOT is carrying out, Project Connect is working with them on pedestrian access across the intersection. It could involve shared use paths along the street and crossings beneath it.
This summer, the public can expect 30% of design and cost estimates to be released. Though the project was $7.1 billion when voters approved it in November 2020, the latest estimates factoring in inflation and supply chain constraints show it could ultimately be upwards of $10 billion.
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(Amazon/Facebook)
Plans for an Amazon warehouse in Round Rock—a $250 million project slated to be a large distribution center—are on hold.
This comes just after the tech giant had its worst financial quarter in seven years.
The details:
- Late last year, it announced an expansion at the Domain adding 2,000 more corporate and tech jobs.
- Amazon still owns the site in Round Rock. Plans for it are unclear.
- Early this week, the Wall Street Journal reported that Amazon is aiming to scrap warehouse space as it faces a slowdown in its e-commerce operations.
Part of that effort involves exploring the possibility of ending or renegotiating leases with outside warehouse owners. Another aspect is a plan to sublease warehouse space.
“It allows us to relieve the financial obligations associated with an existing building that no longer meets our needs,” an Amazon spokeswoman told the Wall Street Journal. “Subleasing is something many established corporations do to help manage their real estate portfolio.”
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