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Tuesday, April 28
- The Austin Justice Coalition and other groups are asking city leaders to fire police Chief Brian Manley following the shooting of a 42-year-old man in South Austin by a police officer, according to KUT.
- Red paint was smeared on the front entrance of City Hall overnight and anti-capitalism messages were painted on the steps, KXAN reports.
- The mayor, for one, tells KVUE he will not be going to restaurants on May 1.
- Statesman: The City Council today "will begin discussions on how to reopen the local economy," following the governor's order that supersedes city directives.
- Travis County will make "day-by-day" decisions about closing parks for overcrowding, says CBS Austin.
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The City of Austin law department has more than 100 attorneys and staff. Yet when time came to litigate a new land use proposal last year, the city turned to an outside firm. That decision has so far cost the city $119,583 in a hitherto fruitless lawsuit.
Financial records reviewed by The Austin Bulldog show that the city paid that amount to the firm Scott Douglass & McConnico LLP, mostly for attorney Jane Webre, who charged $480 an hour.
Read the full story at The Austin Bulldog.
(Bob Daemmrich)
The Texas Department of Public Safety abruptly closed the Texas Capitol on Friday through Inauguration Day.
The Austin Police Department reports no known threats to the Austin area ahead of Inauguration Day on Wednesday, but remains on tactical alert following the deadly, pro-Trump riot at the U.S. Capitol earlier this month.
<p>"We're not really seeing a lot out there with regards to rival groups coming out, but we're certainly prepared for that," Assistant Chief Joseph Chacon said Tuesday.</p><p>As a precaution, the department is on tactical alert, meaning officers of all ranks report to duty in uniform and are ready to deploy out into the community if needed.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<a href="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTQzNTczOC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxNTc4NDE5OH0.1aL6UyM08vDA0B9LlJS8itZ_9FG9IwcsqSaF6B8uTlk/img.jpg?width=980" target="_blank"><img class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="20c3fe7d7007d91f5b6b7bf395a749f6" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="9feb1" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTQzNTczOC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxNTc4NDE5OH0.1aL6UyM08vDA0B9LlJS8itZ_9FG9IwcsqSaF6B8uTlk/img.jpg?width=980"/></a>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption..." spellcheck="false">DPS troops lined the Texas Capitol Jan. 7 after pro-Trump protesters infiltrated the U.S. Capitol. (Bob Daemmrich)</small>
</p><p><br/></p><p>APD has also sent a contingent of 49 officers to Washington D.C. to assist with Inauguration Day security. This is the fifth inauguration the department has done so, although it sent fewer officers this year due to concerns about possible unrest in Austin.<br/></p><p>"With the events that we just saw on Jan. 6 in our U.S. Capitol, I think it's more important than ever that we contribute to the effort to keep our president safe," Chacon said.</p><p>Last week, Council Member Alison Alter urged APD Chief Brian Manley to denounce the riot and launch an investigation into whether any APD employees had participated, according to local reports. (An 18-year veteran of the Houston Police Department is <a href="https://www.pscp.tv/w/1gqxvoMQPNOKB" target="_blank">under federal investigation</a> after participating.) </p><p>APD is not actively monitoring its officers or their social media profiles, Chacon said, and has not received any indications that they need to be. "They know what the rules are, and they know what they have to be doing to remain professional," he added.</p><p>APD is not the only law enforcement agency preparing for the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, which will take place on the day after the Texas state holiday <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2021/01/15/texas-legislature-confederate-heroes-day/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">honoring the Confederacy</a>. </p><p>The Texas Department of Public Safety has deployed additional officers to the Texas Capitol, whose grounds it abruptly closed on Friday through Wednesday. </p><p>DPS "is aware of armed protests planned at the Texas State Capitol this week and violent extremists who may seek to exploit constitutionally protected events to conduct criminal acts," Director Steven McCraw said in <a href="https://tspb.texas.gov/plan/events/tspbcal.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a recent statement</a>. </p><p>Federal law enforcement is also at work. The San Antonio branch of the FBI said its "efforts are focusing on identifying, investigating and disrupting individuals that are inciting violence and engaging in criminal activity" in a statement shared with Austonia. The U.S. Attorneys representing the four districts in Texas also announced their intent to prosecute any violations of federal law committed at the Texas Capitol or elsewhere. </p><p>Dozens of armed gun rights advocates gathered outside of the Texas Capitol <a href="https://austonia.com/armed-protesters-capitol" target="_blank">on Sunday</a>, although protestors reportedly said the event had nothing to do with Inauguration Day. </p>
From Your Site Articles
- Austin City Council members sworn in amid COVID, Capitol mob ... ›
- Armed protesters gather at state Capitol over the weekend - austonia ›
- Members of the far-right Proud Boys militia stand on Congress ... ›
- Texas Capitol amps up security after pro-Trump protest - austonia ›
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(Black Pumas/Twitter)
Joining a star-studded list of performers, Austin's own Grammy-nominated Black Pumas are taking a spot on the national stage for president-elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris' historical inauguration.
<p>The psychedelic-soul duo announced via social media that they were "honored" to take the (virtual) stage alongside the future administration. The event will be conducted virtually at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow.</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e08d6ec39cf0550a66fa3a49b38841b1" id="6034f"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1351542195493494789"><div style="margin:1em 0">We're so honored to be joining our next President and Vice President @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris for… https://t.co/TZHpm4eIbm</div> — Black Pumas (@Black Pumas)<a href="https://twitter.com/BlackPumasMusic/statuses/1351542195493494789">1611067744.0</a></blockquote></div><p>Titled "Celebrating America," the inauguration celebration will be hosted by Tom Hanks and has gained traction on social media for its array of celebrity guest list; the Austin-based band will perform alongside big industry names like John Legend, Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake, Bruce Springsteen and Jennifer Lopez.<br/></p><p>Black Pumas aren't stopping there--catch them tonight on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert for a warm-up performance.</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="bff086c60d2825d2c9bd0d3797ce3813" id="53201"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1351187038201110529"><div style="margin:1em 0">We'll be performing on @colbertlateshow tomorrow night - make sure to tune in! #LSSC #PlayAtHome https://t.co/QHSaxM9EZo</div> — Black Pumas (@Black Pumas)<a href="https://twitter.com/BlackPumasMusic/statuses/1351187038201110529">1610983068.0</a></blockquote></div><p>Black Pumas have already had a very eventful and presidential start to the year, having previously performed their song, "Colors," at <a href="https://austonia.com/black-pumas-vp-fundraiser" target="_blank">Kamala Harris' inaugural fundraiser</a> on Jan. 13.<br/></p><p>Even before Black Pumas made it in the new president's book, the band was nominated for three Grammys: Record of the Year, Album of the Year and Best American Roots Performance. The awards ceremony was postponed to March 14 due to the pandemic.</p><p>To watch the inaugural live stream, <a href="http://bideninaugural.org/watch" target="_blank">click here</a>.</p>
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