most viewed
Featured
austonia newsletter
Get connected with our daily update
Most viewed
(Roschetzky Photography/Adobe)
To help make sense of all the information emerging about COVID-19 in Austin, we're answering a few big questions:
Is the COVID situation improving?
<p>After a bumpy September, Austin is seeing a decline in new COVID-19 cases and related hospitalizations even as schools and other facilities, including restaurants and public pools, continue to reopen. </p><p>"We're relatively flat right now," Austin-Travis County Interim Health Authority Dr. Mark Escott said Wednesday. "And flat is an okay place to be, and it's okay because over the last month, two months, we've increased our risk a little bit."</p><p>The seven-day moving average of daily new confirmed COVID cases in Travis County is 76, as of Tuesday evening, which is comparable to the rate a month ago and down from 128 on Sept. 16, according to Austin Public Health Data. </p><p>The seven-day moving average of new hospital admissions is also improving. It is now 14, down from 18 on Sept. 1.</p><p>Escott described this current rate as a sweet spot, or "a place where we can live for some time where we have cases going on but we can keep them at a minimum … and we can open businesses and our schools and be safe."</p><p>But he added that the Austin metro has been unable to push past a daily average of around a dozen new COVID hospitalizations, despite reaching this threshold a few times previously.</p><p>"Twelve to 13 seems to be a roadblock for us," he said. </p><p>Despite this barrier, there are other signs of progress.</p><p>Last week, Travis County testing sites reported their lowest positivity rate—3.8%—since the pandemic began. The positivity rate among Latino residents is improving, although at 6.3%, it still remains higher than the average. </p><p>Local health officials attributed the flat curve to Austinites' continued vigilance. </p><p>Escott mentioned that many people have asked him about the prospect of another surge. </p><p>"The second wave comes when we decide it's going to come," he said, "when our community has decided it's had enough of masking and social distancing and other protective actions." </p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQ3MzU5OS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0ODc1MjY1NX0.xNynSNBHFnS---d3FkuKu_aEA6C7qorQKsju_AZVz-s/img.png?width=980" id="b636b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c67be337cda492542b94f5db79611487" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />What is going on with schools?
<p>Austin ISD reopened <a href="https://austonia.com/austin-school-reopening" target="_self">for in-person learning</a> on Monday, following in the footsteps of other area districts, including Eanes ISD and Round Rock ISD.</p><p>Escott expressed support for AISD's reopening plan, which follows Austin Public Health guidelines to start capacity limits at 25%, and said there is no evidence that disease transmission is occurring in classrooms or <a href="https://twitter.com/AustinISD/status/1310716756374237186" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">while students are passing in hallways</a>.</p><p>He added that the risk of transmission appears to be limited to extracurricular and social activities, where students may not be wearing masks or adhering to social distancing guidelines. </p><p>Austin Public Health is currently investigating a party attended by students of a local high school, which it has not named. So far, six party attendees have tested positive for COVID-19 and another 58 individuals are in quarantine. </p><p>Additionally, two Round Rock ISD schools have <a href="https://www.statesman.com/sports/20201006/stony-point-westwood-volleyball-teams-suspend-play-after-positive-covid-19-tests-on-each-campus" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">suspended their volleyball seasons</a> due to the virus. </p><p>While students may be very likely to recover from COVID, local health officials are concerned that they will become vectors of transmission, carrying the illness home and infecting members of their household, who may be at higher risk. </p><p>For this reason, Escott recommends that students who are engaged in extracurricular activities wear masks and practice social distancing while at home. </p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQ3MzYyNS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MDEyMzg5NH0.FDgwDrqSiuqNZMPwdaF7WSkDt972BlNqj-Gdbi7Wm4A/img.png?width=980" id="30a37" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6d193fd76bd7a80354f9cbbccebec301" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />What impact does the president's COVID diagnosis have on local containment efforts?
<p>President Donald Trump tweeted late Thursday evening that he and First Lady Melania Trump had tested positive for COVID-19. After being hospitalized briefly, he returned to the White House, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/morally-reprehensible-doctors-react-trump-s-tweet-comparing-covid-19-n1242254" target="_blank">amid criticism</a> that he is minimizing the severity of the pandemic.</p><p>"The president has to understand that he is a leader, and, as a leader, he must set an example for others," Escott told Travis County commissioners on Tuesday. "And when he does things like take his mask off and say that we shouldn't be afraid, it's sending the wrong message." </p>What is the status of federal coronavirus relief funding?
<p>Trump announced <a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-donald-trump-amy-coney-barrett-courts-mitch-mcconnell-ed5453fa2078982dba31919b8c1e274f" target="_blank">on Tuesday</a> an abrupt end to negotiations with Democrats over additional COVID relief funding until after the election. Hours later, he tweeted a request for Congress to send him a bill for a second round of stimulus checks.</p><p>The absence of a forthcoming stimulus bill has led to questions about whether pandemic-related services—such as public testing sites, PPE distribution events and contact tracing—will be able to continue into the new year. </p><p>Local and state governments must spend all of the federal coronavirus relief dollars they received through the CARES Act by the end of the calendar year, despite the ongoing nature of the pandemic and <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/29/pelosi-mnuchin-set-to-talk-as-.html" target="_blank">the absence of additional relief packages</a> passed by Congress.</p><p>"We must continue to provide testing and contact tracing," APH Director Stephanie Hayden told Austin City Council last week. "Those efforts have really helped us as a city and a county… We have to just flag it for you all that federal funding is slated to end this December."</p><p>Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced last month that the state will allocate $171 million of CARES Act funding to help renters <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2020/09/25/texas-rent-help-evictions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">avoid eviction</a>.</p><p>The Travis County Commissioners Court discussed last week how best to meet the December deadline. As of mid-September, the county has spent less than one-fifth of the federal relief dollars it received through the CARES Act, although the remainder has been allocated.</p>Are bars reopening?
<p>Texas Gov. Greg Abbott <a href="https://twitter.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/1313211348474630145" target="_blank">tweeted Monday</a> that he would soon announce more business openings, with a GIF of two beer glasses clinking, leading to speculation that he will allow bars to reopen.</p><p>Local health officials have repeatedly stressed that allowing bars to reopen would be unwise given their current ways of operating.<br></p><p>"It's unmistakable that when people come together face-to-face without masks on for longer than 15 minutes, the risk of transmission is going to increase," Escott said Wednesday. "So there would have to be substantial changes in how bars function to make them safe." </p><p>Some Austin bars <a href="https://austonia.com/texas-alcohol-laws-covid-austin" target="_self">have reopened</a> under new Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission guidance that allows them to reclassify as restaurants if a majority of their sales comes from food, rather than alcohol. But this approach doesn't work for everyone. </p><p>Industry groups and bar owners across the state have criticized Abbott <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2020/08/21/texas-bars-shutdown/" target="_blank">for months</a>, saying their businesses and service industry workers' jobs are at stake. </p><p>Escott did mention a few modifications that bars in other states have made to minimize the spread of COVID. These include requiring patrons to be seated at tables, rather than milling around, and implementing safe ordering procedures that don't involve crowding at the bar itself.</p><p>"With substantial modifications, bars may be able to operate," Escott said, adding that other businesses—such as grocery stores and restaurants—have already made such adaptations.</p><p>After shutting down dine-in service in March, Abbott allowed bars to reopen in May. But when COVID cases soared statewide in late June, he closed them again. </p>Last month, Abbott announced that restaurants could increase capacity to 75% but that bars must remain closed because they were "<a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2020/10/05/texas-bars-coronavirus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">nationally recognized as COVID-spreading locations</a>."What is a "twindemic"?
<p>It's time to add another word to your pandemic vocabulary.</p><p>Health experts have raised concerns of a "twindemic," when the COVID pandemic inevitably overlaps with the annual flu season, which begins in October.</p><p>Last year's flu season was particularly bad, Escott said last month, and local ICUs hit capacity from flu patients alone.</p><p>"Our hospitals cannot handle surges of both," he added. "We're going to have to ration care."</p><p>Escott has encouraged Austinites to <a href="https://austonia.com/flu-season-austin" target="_self">get vaccinated</a> before the flu season intensifies this winter. </p><p>Austin Public Health announced plans Wednesday to set up flu vaccination sites in the ZIP codes most affected by COVID.</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="187ed35bc13596eb1d0e6e1e0ba084ea"><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/austinpublichealth/posts/3992955670717819"></div></div>What metrics would help determine a drop to a Stage 2 level of risk?
<p>The number of new COVID hospitalizations each day would need to fall below 10, on average, and the local positivity rate would need to drop to 3% or lower for local health officials to recommend a move to Stage 2 of <a href="https://austonia.com/austin-covid-stage-3" target="_self">their risk-based guidelines</a>, Escott has said.</p><p>At this lower level, recommended restrictions would loosen. Social gatherings would be allowed to increase from 10 people to 25, and residents would be allowed to resume non-essential trips and return to work at reopened businesses.</p><p>Travis County is currently reporting 14 new COVID-related hospital admissions each day, on average.</p><p>The overall positivity rate was 3.8% last week, but disparities remain across demographic groups, with Latino residents returning a positivity rate of more than 6%.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQ3MzYyMS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNzc2NjE1M30.PF9UcGeg85UKzZksikrRHgmg_au0wtQXGPSuySlSLT0/img.png?width=980" id="775a1" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="319beb3bd0103b0124e6027f31677528" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />(Austin Public Health)
How will COVID affect the upcoming election? Holiday season?
<p>Escott commended Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir for her efforts procuring PPE for poll workers and designing a safe flow for voters at poll places.</p><p>"Regardless of transmission activity in November, people will be able to cast their votes in a safe way," he said Wednesday.</p><p>Like most other activities, holiday celebrations will also be impacted by the pandemic.</p><p>The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention <a href="https://austonia.com/holidays-2020-2647869033" target="_self">released guidance last month</a> regarding safe ways to celebrate Yom Kippur, Halloween, Dia de Los Muertos, Navratri, Diwali and Thanksgiving. </p><p>"This holiday season is going to look different," Escott said, adding that the best way Austinites can show their love for their families is to maintain distance from them—at least until a vaccine is widely available.</p>What about testing?
<p>Demand for testing has declined post-surge.</p><p>Escott said last month that testing sites administered by APH are testing about 2,000 people a week despite having the capacity to test more than a thousand people a day.</p><p>It is important to note, however, that the testing numbers reported by APH do not include the positive results from <a href="https://austonia.com/rapid-covid-test" target="_self">rapid antigen tests</a> because of CDC guidance that they be considered "probable" and not "confirmed."</p><p>Like the genetic, or polymerase chain reaction tests, administered at APH testing sites, rapid antigen tests detect positive infections. They also provide results in about 15 minutes, which is central to their appeal.</p><p>While they are marginally less accurate, rapid antigen tests are in fairly wide use. Some private testing sites in the Austin area report that <a href="https://austonia.com/coronavirus-test" target="_self">the majority of the tests</a> they conduct are rapid due to patient demand.</p><p>Between Aug. 6 and Sept. 24, a total of 2,174 positive rapid antigen test results were reported in Travis County, according to APH. The department would not release information pertaining to the number of positive antigen tests performed overall.</p><p>During that same time period, 6,648 COVID cases were confirmed by positive genetic test results in Travis County.</p><p>If the cases detected by rapid antigen testing were considered "confirmed" rather than "probable," the local caseload between Aug. 6 and Sept. 24 would have increased by about a third.</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>
<!-- Begin Mailchimp Signup Form -->
<link href="//cdn-images.mailchimp.com/embedcode/classic-10_7.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css">
<style type="text/css">
#mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; }<br />
/* Add your own Mailchimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block.<br />
We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */<br />
</style>
<div id="mc_embed_signup">
<form action="https://austonia.us19.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=4d0e7a7bb7e797f1d00b45a6b&id=ad2a1dda78" method="post" id="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" name="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" class="validate" target="_blank" novalidate="">
<div id="mc_embed_signup_scroll">
<div class="mc-field-group">
<label for="mce-EMAIL">Email Address </label>
<input type="email" value="" name="EMAIL" placeholder="️✉️ Enter your email address" class="required email" id="mce-EMAIL"></div>
<div class="mc-field-group input-group" style="display:none"> <strong>Austonia </strong>
<ul>
<li><input checked="checked" value="1" name="group[11998][1]" id="mce-group[11998]-11998-0"></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div id="mce-responses" class="clear">
<div class="response" id="mce-error-response" style="display:none"></div>
<div class="response" id="mce-success-response" style="display:none"></div>
</div>
<!-- real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups-->
<div style="position: absolute; left: -5000px;" aria-hidden="true"><input type="text" name="b_4d0e7a7bb7e797f1d00b45a6b_ad2a1dda78" tabindex="-1" value=""></div>
<div class="clear"><input type="submit" value="Sign up now" name="subscribe" id="mc-embedded-subscribe" class="button"></div>
</div>
</form></div>
<!--End mc_embed_signup-->
From Your Site Articles
- Austin Public Health may raise COVID risk level to Stage 5 - austonia ›
- Austin prepares Convention Center as a COVID field hospital ... ›
- Austin prepares field hospital, changes strategy amid surge - austonia ›
- Austin's COVID surge, Texas' reopening and hospital capacity ... ›
- Austin hospitalizations trigger stage 4 risk - austonia ›
- Austin's COVID surge, Texas' reopening and hospital capacity - austonia ›
- Austin ICUs near capacity amid COVID surge, staff shortage - austonia ›
- Austin's COVID hospitalizations appear to be plateauing - austonia ›
- Austin's COVID hospitalizations appear to be plateauing - austonia ›
- Austin schools may consider staged reopening due to COVID - austonia ›
- Austin COVID cases plateau, but deaths, ventilator use rise - austonia ›
- Austin COVID cases plateau, but deaths, ventilator use rise - austonia ›
- Coronavirus deaths in Texas rise 12% after state changes how fatalities are tallied - austonia ›
- Austin's COVID cases decline after surge, but danger remains - austonia ›
- Austin COVID cases plateau, but deaths, ventilator use rise ›
- Austin's COVID-19 case-fatality rate rises slightly - austonia ›
- Austin sees COVID plateau, more cases among children - austonia ›
- Flu season: Austin health officials are focused on vaccines - austonia ›
- COVID-19 unmasks Austin’s long-standing health inequities—with Latinos bearing the brunt of the pandemic - austonia ›
- Austin-Travis County drops to Stage 3 for COVID risk - austonia ›
- Long-hauler covid patients experience long-term covid-19 - austonia ›
- Austin, Travis County prepare Convention Center for Hurricane Laura evacuees - austonia ›
- Bystander shot to death on Sixth Street during large brawl between hurricane evacuees - police - austonia ›
- Austin COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, deaths dashboard - austonia ›
- 4 Austin schools report COVID clusters as new cases decline - austonia ›
- Texas launches last-minute, $15M census campaign amid COVID - austonia ›
- Austin hosts free PPE distribution events in COVID hot spots - austonia ›
- What's riskier: seeing a movie or air travel? Texas Medical Association chart provides answers - austonia ›
- Austin health officials urge caution this Labor Day amid COVID - austonia ›
- Texas teachers union launches school-level COVID tracking - austonia ›
- Austin sees uptick in new COVID cases among 10-19 age group - austonia ›
- There is a 96% chance the pandemic is growing in Austin - austonia ›
Related Articles Around the Web
Keep Reading
Show less
Meet the two names from Austin behind the transformation of the new Joe Rogan podcast studio
10 September
A cave-like room with electric red walls and blue light fixtures is the new home to the $100 million podcast of new Austin resident Joe Rogan. And who would Rogan trust to construct this room? None other than his fellow Austinites.
Rogan, a mixed martial arts enthusiast and comedian, entrusted two local businesses—Sound Shed Studios and Wrightsmith Studios—to construct his new podcast studio after <a href="https://austonia.com/joe-rogan-austin" target="_blank">recently moving</a> to Austin from Los Angeles. In just under three weeks, the two Austin companies scrambled to complete the project of their most high-profile client yet.
Timeline of Joe Rogan moving to Texas:
<iframe src='https://cdn.knightlab.com/libs/timeline3/latest/embed/index.html?source=1xcjrf3UE-CwaDUPZs-m1o1gL2HI8bsJzyJuR1ztH8z0&font=Default&lang=en&initial_zoom=2&height=650' width='100%' height='650' webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen frameborder='0'></iframe><p>Sound Shed Studios, a local audio and visual business, was a side project Matthew Alvarez started 10 years ago, transforming a storage unit into a recording studio. Getting laid off from his full-time audio engineering job due to the pandemic and seeing the outcome of the Rogan studio, Alvarez has since decided to run Sound Shed Studios full time.</p><p>Alvarez began working with Rogan after getting a call from an old friend he had done some work for who said he wanted Alavarez to meet the person who had hired him for private security—Rogan. Alvarez met Rogan the next day, and the two had a thorough discussion about the studio design.<br></p><p>In an interview with Austonia, Alvarez said when he saw the room, he knew he had to make some major changes for it to be podcast ready, and when he told Rogan, Rogan responded with, "Hey, I trust you, I like you, build this out as if it were your own studio."</p><p>Alvarez, who usually works alone, gathered some friends—Jacob Rangel, Nate Laningham, Richard Castro, Nick Fette, Justin Contreras and Christopher Spikes—to jump on the project with him on a tight two-and-a-half-week deadline. Together, they sound proofed the inner walls with open core polyurethane foam, adding double doors and treating the finished room with sound dampening panels. </p><p>Rogan gave Alvarez the creative freedom—and budget—to make a stunning studio with input mostly on the color scheme.</p><p>At the completion of Sound Shed's part of the studio creation, Alvarez said he sent Rogan a photo of the studio, to which Rogan replied, "Fucking sick."</p><p>But it wasn't until Rogan saw it in person that Alvarez received the validation that the project was a success.</p><p>"He didn't really say much. I could tell that he was really absorbing everything, and he gave me a knuckle bump and [said], 'Matt, you killed it.' To hear that from him in person … I knew that we had something to be proud of," Alvarez said.</p>
<div id="0ed2c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="851101ebf6a5d57c8d5f31760094f351"><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);
margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px);
width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:8px;">
<div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center;
width:100%;">
<div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC);
display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;">
</div></div><p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CEfx3MxlRzo/" 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>And what's a podcast room without the right table? For that, Rogan brought in a recommendation from another famous podcaster in Austin, Adam Curry—the first guest on Rogan's Austin podcast.</p><p>Drew Teague, founder of <a href="https://www.wrightsmithstudios.com/about-us" target="_blank">Wrightsmith Studios</a>, is a friend of Curry's and was in the process of designing a podcast table for him when he was asked to put that project on hold by Curry to complete Rogan's Austin studio table.</p><p>While Wrightsmith Studios is only officially about a year old, Teague has had lots of experience building and fabricating unique furniture pieces, especially for studios.</p><p><br></p>
<div id="9e47d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="321dc96671efc570ed636be46c28100d"><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);
margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px);
width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:8px;">
<div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center;
width:100%;">
<div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC);
display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;">
</div></div><p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CEX5pCChVlg/" 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>After speaking with Rogan on what he wanted, Teague came up with a design. Usually clients will request tweaks to the design Teague said, but at first glance, Rogan said, "That's the one, build it."</p><p>On the same schedule as Sound Shed Studios, Teague also brought in outside help to complete the project on time, as he usually works all on his own.</p><p>Teague and his team made a 500 pound white oak discussion table with a specific frame for enough leg room for podcast guests.</p><p>When Rogan saw the table for the first time in person, he reached out to Teague and told him how much he loved it.</p><p>"[Rogan] is outstanding in every way," Teague said. "From the first meeting, he was friendly and down to earth; he was very encouraging."</p>
<div id="0d1ae" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8d3cc2db9f9e25e8ca417221b5eecec2"><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);
margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px);
width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:8px;">
<div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center;
width:100%;">
<div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC);
display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;">
</div></div><p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CEpEnSKh0CO/" 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>When Rogan posted the almost-complete podcast room to Instagram, tagging both <a href="https://www.instagram.com/soundshedstudios/" target="_blank">Sound Shed</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/wrightsmithatx/" target="_blank">Wrightsmith</a> studios, the two accounts were all of a sudden in the public eye. Both accounts gained over a thousand new followers with direct messages asking questions about the studio and requests for their work.</p><p>Rogan is up and rolling in the new studio, and the two businesses behind it know their work payed off.</p><p>He could literally have anybody come in to [complete the studio] from anywhere, but he decided to find local guys who were already doing it in town at relatively small businesses," Teague said. "It says a lot about Joe's character."</p>
<p><em></em></p><p><em></em><strong><em>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.</em></strong></p>
<!-- Begin Mailchimp Signup Form -->
<link href="//cdn-images.mailchimp.com/embedcode/classic-10_7.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css">
<style type="text/css">
#mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; }<br />
/* Add your own Mailchimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block.<br />
We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */<br />
</style>
<div id="mc_embed_signup">
<form action="https://austonia.us19.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=4d0e7a7bb7e797f1d00b45a6b&id=ad2a1dda78" method="post" id="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" name="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" class="validate" target="_blank" novalidate="">
<div id="mc_embed_signup_scroll">
<div class="mc-field-group">
<label for="mce-EMAIL">Email Address </label>
<input type="email" value="" name="EMAIL" placeholder="️✉️ Enter your email address" class="required email" id="mce-EMAIL"></div>
<div class="mc-field-group input-group" style="display:none"> <strong>Austonia </strong>
<ul>
<li><input checked="checked" value="1" name="group[11998][1]" id="mce-group[11998]-11998-0"></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div id="mce-responses" class="clear">
<div class="response" id="mce-error-response" style="display:none"></div>
<div class="response" id="mce-success-response" style="display:none"></div>
</div>
<!-- real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups-->
<div style="position: absolute; left: -5000px;" aria-hidden="true"><input type="text" name="b_4d0e7a7bb7e797f1d00b45a6b_ad2a1dda78" tabindex="-1" value=""></div>
<div class="clear"><input type="submit" value="Sign up now" name="subscribe" id="mc-embedded-subscribe" class="button"></div>
</div>
</form></div>
<!--End mc_embed_signup-->
From Your Site Articles
- Joe Rogan posts podcast studio as he makes move to Austin ... ›
- UPDATED 8/9 Joe Rogan moving to Austin, Texas next month says ... ›
- EXCLUSIVE: Joe Rogan teases new Texas podcast studio; locals ... ›
- Could a presidential debate be led by Joe Rogan in Austin? - austonia ›
- Joe Rogan's new home is a $14 million mansion on Lake Austin - austonia ›
- 'Iconoclast' Joe Rogan is in Austin, political views hard to define - austonia ›
- Joe Rogan cancels podcast episodes this week, including possible Kanye West interview - austonia ›
Keep Reading
Show less
Austin Trail of Lights will take place this holiday season.
The Austin Trail of Lights—an annual event that transforms Zilker Park into a winter wonderland, featuring more than 60 displays and two million lights—will take place this holiday season, despite the pandemic.
<p>The Trail of Lights Foundation announced Thursday that this year's event will be a drive-thru experience after Austin City Council voted to approve <a href="https://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=346801" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>the change and extend the event period to 30 days</u></a>. </p><p>"What is old is becoming new again," Executive Director James Russell said in a statement. </p><p>In recent years, the Trail of Lights has attracted around 400,000 visitors annually. The drive-thru model will allow approximately 1,300 cars to attend each evening—or around 39,000 over the course of the event period—and adhere to local public health orders meant to contain the spread of COVID-19.</p><p>More details about the 56th annual Austin Trail of Lights will be released in mid-October. </p>
From Your Site Articles
- Reeling from canceled festivals, Austin's small businesses find new ... ›
- ACL cancels 2020 event, will offer refunds - austonia ›
- Devastated Austin tourism may take years to recover - austonia ›
- Nearly 100 Austin festivals canceled, postponed or at risk as ... ›
- Mass events in Austin likely canceled through December, Escott says ›
- Annual Austin Trail of Lights drive-thru tickets are on sale - austonia ›
- Austin gets on board to improve the Zilker train - austonia ›
- Zilker Park Holiday Tree installed, park closes for trail of lights - austonia ›
Related Articles Around the Web
Keep Reading
Show less
Austin land use code rewrite stalls amid pandemic, lawsuit—but both sides say a solution is possible
11 September
(Emma Freer)
Although the city of Austin has scrapped CodeNEXT, signs in opposition to a land use code rewrite continue to pop up. This one was photographed near Clarksville on Sept. 11.
Before the pandemic, it looked like the city of Austin was finally on track to approve a new land use code—after nearly a decade-long process that had cost more than $10 million and was mired in controversy.
The code would determine how land can be used throughout the city, including what can be built, where it can be built and how much of it can be built. The code was last rewritten in the mid-1980s.
<p>"Modernizing it is important," said Annick Beaudet, assistant director of the city's Transportation Department and co-leader of the rewrite process. "If you drive around in a 1970s car, you're really polluting, right? … We know more now than we did in the '80s, and we should be using that knowledge to regulate the built environment." </p><p>The city first initiated a rewrite process—later dubbed CodeNEXT—in 2012, with the aim of streamlining the code and allowing for denser and more affordable housing given the city's population growth. Other fast-growing cities, such as <a href="https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/business/biz-columns-blogs/development/article34109337.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>Charlotte</u></a> and <a href="https://www.curbed.com/2018/11/27/18113208/minneapolis-real-estate-rent-development-2040-zoning" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>Minneapolis</u></a>, are attempting to do the same. </p><p>But in August 2018 Mayor Steve Adler scrapped the effort, which <a href="https://austincouncilforum.org/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1076&sid=99f1cf027af8caf9b3167360c66c7bc0" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>he wrote</u></a> had become "divisive and poisoned," and asked the city manager to create a new process.</p><p>The second attempt at a rewrite <a href="http://www.austintexas.gov/edims/pio/document.cfm?id=319515" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>began in 2019</u></a>, and <a href="https://communityimpact.com/austin/central-austin/government/2020/02/13/austins-eight-year-effort-to-rewrite-land-code-advances-to-final-vote-with-city-council039s-second-round-approval/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>in February</u></a> of this year City Council voted 7-4, along urbanist vs. preservationist lines, to approve an updated draft, with aims to reach a consensus on a third and final version later in the spring. </p><p>The pandemic arrived in March, however, and that same month a Travis County judge ruled against the city in a lawsuit over its efforts to rewrite the code, further stalling the process. This November, <a href="https://austonia.com/austin-city-council-seats-up-for-election" target="_self"><u>20 candidates will vie for five council seats</u></a>, with many making their support for or opposition to the code rewrite a central plank of their campaign platform. </p><p>Despite the abandonment of CodeNEXT, divisiveness still surrounds the issue of rezoning. Multiple community groups organized in opposition to the rewrite, which their members claim is exclusive, panders to developers and will destroy neighborhoods. Supporters, on the other hand, argue that single-family zoning stands in the way of a more equitable, sustainable Austin, at best, and is <a href="https://www.kut.org/post/white-homeowners-dominate-input-over-austins-land-code-rewrite-one-group-trying-change" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>racist and classist, at worst</u></a>. </p><p>Still, those on both sides of the debate believe a compromise—in the form of a code that balances increased density with preserving single-family neighborhoods—is attainable.</p><p>Fred Lewis is president of Community Not Commodity, the group that brought the lawsuit against the city. "I think [a new code is] absolutely possible," he said.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="93d4f5c0bb28e5c6a8a31e44ade829be" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="de4df" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzk3NzExMy9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxMzk5ODA5M30.QxMLkEw_n6HWD3zbwoA7c0w3p3buMVjvpu-0p2wg2uo/img.png?width=980"/>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Austin City Council voted 7-4 to approve a draft of the land use code rewrite on second reading on Feb. 13. </small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">(City of Austin)</small></p><p><strong>The opponents</strong></p><p>Critics of CodeNEXT include CNC and other community organizations, such as the recently formed Voices of Austin, as well as residents with "CodeNEXT wrecks Austin" signs in their front yards. They say the process has been bungled. </p><p>"From day one, Austin has followed the wrong course in how they have done this, and it's really unfortunate," said Jim Duncan, vice chair of the city's zoning commission and a member of CNC's board of directors. </p><p>Their grievances are myriad. </p><p>The current draft <a href="https://austincivicfund.com/austins-land-development-code-what-is-all-the-fuss/" target="_blank">is longer</a> than the original code, even though a stated aim was to streamline zoning requirements. Duncan called it "the least user-friendly document I've ever seen in my life."</p><p>The process of arriving at this longer version has also been "subservient to special interests," Duncan argued, and would benefit developers, who he said stand to make more money on multi-family projects than on single-family homes.</p><p>Opponents also dispute council members and planners' claim that increased housing stock in denser formations will help relieve Austin's affordability crisis. This is akin to "trickle-down housing theory," Lewis said. </p><p>Peck Young, executive director of Voices of Austin and a long-time Democrat consultant, put it in starker terms: "Nobody in the real estate industry wants to build a goddamn affordable house," he said. "You can't make any money."</p><p>VoA was formed, in part, because its founders felt City Hall had left homeowners and neighborhood associations out of the rewrite process. "It says the average Austinite pays the bills but they don't have a right to an opinion," Young said. </p><p>This perceived dismissiveness toward homeowners is grating for the rewrite's opponents. </p><p>"Don't they understand that people's homes and neighborhoods matter to them?" Lewis asked. "They act like, 'So what?'"</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="971eead5f3dc0cb43fce1ff78ab90a66" id="a9278"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1303152130157678592"><div style="margin:1em 0">#Austin City Law Department & #ATXcouncil (7 of the 11) like to spend 💲💲💲and time in courtrooms instead of doing Th… https://t.co/pdNwZMXZFL</div> — CodeNO (@CodeNO)<a href="https://twitter.com/CodeNOatx/statuses/1303152130157678592">1599530653.0</a></blockquote></div><p>Protecting these interests is at the core of CNC's lawsuit against the city, which accuses the city of denying homeowners' the right to receive notice of and appeal changes to the zoning of their property.<br/></p><p>"Nobody should be told they have to live next to triplexes or tenements," Young said. </p><p><strong>The supporters</strong> </p><p>Proponents of the rewrite include the local urbanist organization AURA; industry groups such as the Austin Board of Realtors, <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2019/05/04/reca-austin-chamber-react-to-citycouncils-big-leap.html" target="_blank"><u>Austin Chamber, Real Estate Council of Austin</u></a>; and, arguably, a majority of local voters who, in the 2018 midterm elections, re-elected Austin Mayor Steve Adler over a preservationist opponent and narrowly defeated an anti-CodeNEXT proposition. </p><p>They argue that a new code is necessary to increase the city's limited housing stock, adapt to a rapidly growing population and prevent the continued development of <a href="https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/codenext-could-limit-mcmansions-to-boost-affordability/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>extra-large single-family homes</u></a> where multi-family properties could be built to serve more residents. </p><p>Jeni Williams, ABoR's deputy director of government affairs, said the current code has exacerbated the city's housing inventory crisis. "It has made development of new housing extremely difficult," she said. </p><p>Williams and ABoR advocate for a code that balances increased density with the preservation of Austin's single-family neighborhoods. The most recent draft, she said, "definitely made a lot of progress" toward this goal. </p><p>But not every supporter feels this way. </p><p>Jake Wegmann, an assistant professor at the University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture, said single-family zoning that excludes other forms of housing is outdated and "abhorrent." </p><p>"You'll hear the same thing over and over again," he told Austonia. "'When I bought my house, I was buying into a neighborhood, and I basically have the right to expect my neighborhood wouldn't change.'"</p><p>But Austin has changed. Since 1984, the city's population has more than doubled. In August, the median home price was $423,000, up more than 11% year-over-year despite the pandemic.</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="aa23fe8e293c17cbeaaa3209f37bb539" id="73736"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1289613217392553985"><div style="margin:1em 0">A “be afraid, CodeNEXT is Back” sign in Travis Heights. Any irony it stands in front of a $2,438,248* single famil… https://t.co/osYNNrSYQp</div> — Greg Anderson (@Greg Anderson)<a href="https://twitter.com/WalkableAustin/statuses/1289613217392553985">1596302725.0</a></blockquote></div><p>On top of that, Wegmann disputes opponents' claims that a rewrite would adversely affect <a href="https://www.texasobserver.org/gentrification-architecture/" target="_blank">the neighborhood character</a> that some homeowners seek to protect or disproportionately benefit developers.<br/></p><p>"How is it preserving neighborhood character to replace a small, old, rundown house with [a] very large, very expensive, brand-new house that no one earning under $200,000 can ever dream of affording?" he asked. </p><p>Opponents often identify as David against "the big bad developer" Goliath, Wegmann said, but in his eyes the reverse is true. </p><p>"I'm not going to say that developers don't have lots of influence at City Hall," he said. "But by and large in terms of defending single-family zoning specifically, the homeowners have been very successful in doing that." </p><p>Fayez Kazi recently resigned as vice-chair of the city's planning commission. In his announcement, he lamented the limitations of the current code and the "constant bad-faith attacks from the likes of Fred Lewis" directed at those in favor of a rewrite. "If we continue to poison the well of civic discourse in Austin, we'll pay a big price for it long-term," he said.</p><p class="pdf-loader"><a class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6eafb09072940233ccb0f4049e4f91a5" href="https://roar-assets-auto.rbl.ms/documents/7144/Map of proposed transition areas .pdf">Map of proposed transition areas .pdf</a></p><p><strong>At loggerheads</strong> </p><p>The city's planners have worked to balance the preservationist and urbanist viewpoints, Beaudet said. Before the lawsuit halted work on a third draft, her team was updating their proposal to implement <a href="https://austintexas.gov/department/what-are-transition-areas" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>transition zones</u></a>—areas along corridors and in the urban core earmarked for increased density—based on concerns that they would encroach into residential neighborhoods. </p><p>"We did listen to the community," she said. "We did propose changes. But we never got that opportunity between second and third reading to discuss those and see how the mayor and council felt about them."</p><p><br/></p>
<p><em></em><strong><em>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.</em></strong></p><!-- Begin Mailchimp Signup Form -->
<link href="//cdn-images.mailchimp.com/embedcode/classic-10_7.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css">
<style type="text/css">
#mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; }<br />
/* Add your own Mailchimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block.<br />
We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */<br />
</style>
<div id="mc_embed_signup">
<form action="https://austonia.us19.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=4d0e7a7bb7e797f1d00b45a6b&id=ad2a1dda78" method="post" id="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" name="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" class="validate" target="_blank" novalidate="">
<div id="mc_embed_signup_scroll">
<div class="mc-field-group">
<label for="mce-EMAIL">Email Address </label>
<input type="email" value="" name="EMAIL" placeholder="️✉️ Enter your email address" class="required email" id="mce-EMAIL"></div>
<div class="mc-field-group input-group" style="display:none"> <strong>Austonia </strong>
<ul>
<li><input checked="checked" value="1" name="group[11998][1]" id="mce-group[11998]-11998-0"></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div id="mce-responses" class="clear">
<div class="response" id="mce-error-response" style="display:none"></div>
<div class="response" id="mce-success-response" style="display:none"></div>
</div>
<!-- real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups-->
<div style="position: absolute; left: -5000px;" aria-hidden="true"><input type="text" name="b_4d0e7a7bb7e797f1d00b45a6b_ad2a1dda78" tabindex="-1" value=""></div>
<div class="clear"><input type="submit" value="Sign up now" name="subscribe" id="mc-embedded-subscribe" class="button"></div>
</div>
</form></div>
<!--End mc_embed_signup-->
From Your Site Articles
- Austin City Council, CapMetro approve Project Connect - austonia ›
- 20 candidates will vie for five Austin City Council seats this November ›
- Zoning laws, long a concern of Austin politics, go national - austonia ›
Related Articles Around the Web
Keep Reading
Show less
Dramatic downtown Austin drone flight reveals scope of Project Connect's massive underground rail tunnel
08 September
(Video by Steven Joyner)
A massive underground light rail system running through downtown Austin could be in the city's future. The downtown transit tunnel would separate the light rail lines proposed under Project Connect—Capital Metro's 20-year, $7.1 billion overhaul of the city's transit system—from street traffic in an attempt to make public transit safer and more reliable.
<p>Last month, Austin City Council <a href="https://austonia.com/transportation-austin-project-connect?share_id=5699284" target="_self">unanimously approved</a> a measure to add Project Connect to the Nov. 3 ballot, where it will be up to voters to decide whether to approve and fund the plan with an increased city property tax rate.</p><p>The proposed tunnel is still being developed, but preliminary maps show its rough pathway is south from 11th and Guadalupe streets to Republic Square; east along 4th Street to the Downtown Station, which is between Trinity and Red River streets; and north along Trinity to 12th Street. The tunnel would also continue south from the Downtown Station to the Mexican-American Cultural Center on Rainey Street, where <a href="https://capmetro.org/uploadedFiles/New2016/ProjectConnect/Maps/Project-Connect-Initial-Investment-ServiceLevelMap-JUN2020-06.pdf" target="_blank">one of the proposed light rail lines</a> would then progress above ground across Lady Bird Lake to the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. </p><p>Capital Metro will determine the estimated specifications and costs of the proposed tunnel during the next phase of engineering later this year. The tunnels coincide with the downtown portions of two proposed light rail lines where "maximum conflicts exist and can be avoided," an agency spokesperson said in an email to Austonia.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1a47c8925d2c6a1cef09482dbbff4b8e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="aa8cb" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzc5NjIyNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwODEyMzIyMH0.iTePK0BBS8u5vCJd4dLTQiT_dqwvO8_g2zOomkaXzHs/img.jpg?width=980"/>
</p><p>While the Austin Chalk—dense, hard, native limestone found beneath the city—could be seen as an obstacle for the tunnel, it is actually not, according to the city spokesperson.</p><p>"The Austin chalk and limestone are very good materials for tunneling," she said. "The engineering phase will identify any potential geological issues."<br/></p><p>The main barrier remains the <a href="https://stateimpact.npr.org/texas/2012/11/21/why-texas-doesnt-have-subways/" target="_blank">cost</a> for such a project.</p><p>Council members approved <a href="https://austonia.com/transportation/project-connect-austin" target="_self">a scaled-down version</a> of the Project Connect plan due to economic uncertainty brought about by the pandemic. An earlier version, approved by council in June, would have included three light rail lines and cost $10 billion.</p><p>If approved by voters, the $7.1 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><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.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>More drone footage here:</strong></p>
<h2><a href="https://austonia.com/drone-construction-austin" target="_self">DRONE: Nestled out of sight on Lake Austin, a massive $90M campus funded by H-E-B's CEO barrels toward completion</a></h2>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzc5NzM4Ny9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxMjIyMDkzOH0.Ab8UH6EC6ZQznjvOCVTM_H-JtNmoX7dgAvqM9pnpr7I/img.png?width=980" id="e3533" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6123163ca12f03a2e8bac43d03f6d48e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
From Your Site Articles
- Austin City Council will put $7.1 billion Project Connect transit plan ... ›
- Paying for Project Connect—and only Project Connect - austonia ›
- This was the year for Project Connect in Austin. Then came ... ›
- CapMetro cuts $3 billion from Project Connect due to COVID ... ›
- CapMetro targets Austin FC fans about Project Connect stop - austonia ›
- scenic austin from sunrise to sunset - austonia ›
- The light rail guide to Austin's Project Connect transit plan - austonia ›
- scenic Austin nature and skyline from sunrise to sunset - austonia ›
- Project Connect in Austin proposes two light rail lines - austonia ›
- Austin voters ask: How much with Project Connect raise my taxes? - austonia ›
- Austin voters ask: How feasible is Project Connect's $7.1B price tag? - austonia ›
- Austin voters ask: How much has CapMetro spent on Project Connect ads? - austonia ›
- Austin voters ask: How will Project Connect affect transit ridership? - austonia ›
- Austin voters ask: How does the pandemic affect Project Connect? - austonia ›
- Austin voters' guide to Proposition A and Project Connect - austonia ›
- The pros and cons of Austin's $7.1B transit plan Project Connect - austonia ›
Keep Reading
Show less
Joey Diaz on Joe Rogan Leaving LA for Austin Texas Next Month
Joe Rogan is reportedly moving to Austin, comedian and friend Joey Diaz said on his podcast.
UPDATE (8/9): Locals say new studio is in a home on Lake Austin in West Austin, Texas.
<p>Rogan has mentioned on his own podcast the <a href="https://austonia.com/city/joe-rogan-austin" target="_blank">possible move to Austin</a> before but has yet to confirm any decision. </p><p>On Diaz's July 15 podcast episode, "The Church #804," Diaz himself said he is thinking about leaving California, citing taxes, a <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/14/us/police-violence-defund-debate-trnd/index.html" target="_blank">reported rise in crime</a> and <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-07-01/lapd-budget-cuts-protesters-police-brutality" target="_blank">cuts to police budgets</a>. He went on to say that he received a call from Rogan last week that he is moving next month. </p>
<p>Rogan last mentioned a possible move to Austin in June, saying he would fly guests out to be part of his podcast. The "Joe Rogan Experience" podcast <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/25/opinion/joe-rogan-spotify-podcast.html" target="_blank">landed a deal with Spotify</a> this year reportedly worth $100 million.</p><span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="88b6d9eb939fa5ff861549f7b3fd48aa"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NKl5PyGUbQc?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<p>Rogan was <a href="https://twitter.com/ShannonBSweeney/status/1274851787527393281?s=20" target="_blank">rumored to be looking for real estate</a> in Austin.</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><!-- Begin Mailchimp Signup Form -->
<link href="//cdn-images.mailchimp.com/embedcode/classic-10_7.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css">
<style type="text/css">
#mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; }<br />
/* Add your own Mailchimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block.<br />
We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */<br />
</style>
<div id="mc_embed_signup">
<form action="https://austonia.us19.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=4d0e7a7bb7e797f1d00b45a6b&id=ad2a1dda78" method="post" id="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" name="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" class="validate" target="_blank" novalidate="">
<div id="mc_embed_signup_scroll">
<div class="mc-field-group">
<label for="mce-EMAIL">Email Address </label>
<input type="email" value="" name="EMAIL" placeholder="️✉️ Enter your email address" class="required email" id="mce-EMAIL"></div>
<div class="mc-field-group input-group" style="display:none"> <strong>Austonia </strong>
<ul>
<li><input checked="checked" value="1" name="group[11998][1]" id="mce-group[11998]-11998-0"></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div id="mce-responses" class="clear">
<div class="response" id="mce-error-response" style="display:none"></div>
<div class="response" id="mce-success-response" style="display:none"></div>
</div>
<!-- real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups-->
<div style="position: absolute; left: -5000px;" aria-hidden="true"><input type="text" name="b_4d0e7a7bb7e797f1d00b45a6b_ad2a1dda78" tabindex="-1" value=""></div>
<div class="clear"><input type="submit" value="Sign up now" name="subscribe" id="mc-embedded-subscribe" class="button"></div>
</div>
</form></div>
<!--End mc_embed_signup-->
From Your Site Articles
- Austin's Hodgepodge Media rethinks its plan for a new kids podcast ... ›
- 12 Austin podcasts you can't miss - austonia ›
- Will Joe Rogan move his $100 million podcast to Austin? - austonia ›
- Joe Rogan says he's moving to Texas 'soon' - austonia ›
- Joe Rogan buys Lake Austin home for new studio, HQ in Austin, Texas - austonia ›
- Dreaming about becoming an Austinite? Here are 8 Things You'll Love About the City - austonia ›
- The names behind the Joe Rogan podcast studio - austonia ›
- Joe Rogan's new home is a $14 million mansion on Lake Austin - austonia ›
- 'Iconoclast' Joe Rogan is in Austin, political views hard to define - austonia ›
Related Articles Around the Web
Keep Reading
Show less
(Syda Productions/Adobe)
Fighting over child custody and visitation is painful under even the best of circumstances, but attorneys and parents say the coronavirus pandemic has brought more stress, more fear, and more "live ammunition" to the battlefield.
<p>That has certainly been true for divorced Austin dad, "M," who asked that his real name not be used to protect his son's privacy.</p><p>M dropped his preteen off at the boy's mother's house after a regularly scheduled visit in March. Then M didn't get to see his son again until Independence Day.</p><p>Instead of returning the son to his dad two weeks later, as agreed in a hard-fought custody order, M's ex-wife refused to release the child, who has a medical condition that puts him at risk if he catches COVID.</p><p>"She said, 'You can't see your kid because of COVID. I'm not going to let you have him at all," said M. "The pandemic helped her use his health against me."</p>
A high level of fear
<p>Austin family attorney Robert Luther said situations like M's have become a regular occurrence.<br></p><p>"There's a lot of acrimony out there, caused by the philosophical and political positions relative to the pandemic," said Luther. "Everybody's fear level is super high, or their defensiveness is super high. It's one or the other."</p><p>And if it was bad in the beginning, when canceled schools in March threw custody agreements into chaos, then it's even worse now with the latest surge in numbers, Luther said.</p><p>Arrangements between parents who disagree on how to handle the pandemic—or who just don't trust each other—were uncomfortable, but the parents had resigned themselves to it for a few months, he said.</p><p>Now trust is eroding, he said.</p><p>"This new level of long-term fear has affected a whole different round of people, I think, who thought they were being optimistic," he said. "And now being optimistic is really hard to do."</p>Help from the courts
<p>In April, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that— without hearings—custody agreements must be honored, regardless of pandemic orders or school calendars.<br></p><p>It helped M, whose relationship with his son had been relegated to texting and Zoom. In June, a judge threatened to hold his ex-wife in contempt if she tried it again, and said M could make up the lost time, according to court records.</p><p>The judge also directed him to have a COVID-19 test before another overnight visit with his son.</p>An uneasy arrangement
<p>Austin mom Jodi has been uncomfortable for months about sending her two young kids to spend time with her estranged husband, who she believes is too cavalier about the virus.<br></p><p>As the numbers have spiked, so have her fears. But there is no written visitation agreement, and the uneasy cooperation that allows them fairly equal time with the kids is precarious. A custody agreement is likely in the future, when a divorce gets filed, and it's vital to her that they stay on good terms.</p><p>"I don't agree with how he's handling it, but I don't want to fight," said Jodi, who also asked that her full name not be used to protect her children.</p>New lines of communication
<p>Some divorced parents have found a way through years of anger and hurt, finding that the pandemic has opened up new lines of communication that benefit the kids.<br></p><p>Anthony and My-Cherie Haley have worked hard to make things easy during this uncertain time, they said. A birthday party and a Pre-K graduation spent together with the kids during lockdown would have been unheard of in the five years since the divorce.</p><p>"It's not been bad for us, interestingly," Anthony Haley said. "All that's just been put aside, and we're just working together on all of it. It's the only way to make it through this."</p><p>Said My-Cherie Haley with a laugh: "Was it always hunky-dory? No. But we've been really flexible with each other because of this pandemic."</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><!-- Begin Mailchimp Signup Form -->
<link href="//cdn-images.mailchimp.com/embedcode/classic-10_7.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css">
<style type="text/css">
#mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; }<br />
/* Add your own Mailchimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block.<br />
We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */<br />
</style>
<div id="mc_embed_signup">
<form action="https://austonia.us19.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=4d0e7a7bb7e797f1d00b45a6b&id=ad2a1dda78" method="post" id="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" name="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" class="validate" target="_blank" novalidate="">
<div id="mc_embed_signup_scroll">
<div class="mc-field-group">
<label for="mce-EMAIL">Email Address </label>
<input type="email" value="" name="EMAIL" placeholder="️✉️ Enter your email address" class="required email" id="mce-EMAIL"></div>
<div class="mc-field-group input-group" style="display:none"> <strong>Austonia </strong>
<ul>
<li><input checked="checked" value="1" name="group[11998][1]" id="mce-group[11998]-11998-0"></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div id="mce-responses" class="clear">
<div class="response" id="mce-error-response" style="display:none"></div>
<div class="response" id="mce-success-response" style="display:none"></div>
</div>
<!-- real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups-->
<div style="position: absolute; left: -5000px;" aria-hidden="true"><input type="text" name="b_4d0e7a7bb7e797f1d00b45a6b_ad2a1dda78" tabindex="-1" value=""></div>
<div class="clear"><input type="submit" value="Sign up now" name="subscribe" id="mc-embedded-subscribe" class="button"></div>
</div>
</form></div>
<!--End mc_embed_signup-->
From Your Site Articles
- Texas releases limited plans for reopening schools - austonia ›
- Austin public school teachers, staff union pushes for delay - austonia ›
- Texas students will return to public schools this fall, governor says ... ›
- Austin Chef Page Pressley on next of season 'The Bachelorette' - austonia ›
- Mayor Adler to address pandemic, economy in 'State of the City' address tonight - austonia ›
- Divorces down in Austin area during pandemic - austonia ›
Related Articles Around the Web
- Coronavirus gives parents excuse to keep kids amid custody battles ›
- New Battle for Those on Coronavirus Front Lines: Child Custody ... ›
- Alex Jones' ex-wife rebuffed in bid to gain daughters' custody after ... ›
- The Common Law: Child custody & COVID-19 - The Austin Chronicle ›
- Navigating child custody in the time of coronavirus - CNN ›
Keep Reading
Show less
(Felix Mizioznikov/Shutterstock)
Travis County commissioners approved a 20-year economic incentive agreement with the electric carmaker Tesla to bring a billion-dollar "Gigafactory" to a site in Southeast Austin.
<p>The deal would, at minimum, provide a 70% tax rebate in exchange for a $1.1 billion investment from the company. The proposed factory, according to the agreement, would provide at least 5,000 jobs and produce both<a href="https://austonia.com/future/tesla-cybertruck/cybertruck" target="_blank"> the Tesla Cybertruck</a> and its Model Y.</p><p>The county's vote, which follows an agreement with <a href="https://austonia.com/technology/tesla-factory-austin-2646383822" target="_self">the Del Valle ISD school board</a>, brings the Tesla project one step closer to Austin, though the company has not yet said where its next factory will be. At least one<a href="https://austonia.com/future/tesla-tulsa" target="_blank"> other city is still under discussion</a>.</p><p><strong>New terms</strong> </p><p>The terms of the deal changed since commissioners last discussed it publicly and now tie tax rebates to increased investment. </p><p>Originally, Tesla applied for an 80% property tax rebate on its factory property for the first decade and a 65% rebate for the next. The approved deal provides a 70% rebate for the first $1.1 billion invested over five years. Further investment triggers a higher rebate rate: 75% for $1.1-$2 billion and 80% for anything over $2 billion.</p><p>"The structure of the baseline incentive has been reworked to encourage greater overall investment," Travis County Executive Jessica Rio wrote in a summary. </p><p>Assuming a $1.1 billion investment over 10 years—and the current operations and maintenance tax rate—Tesla would get rebates of more than $24 million and Travis County would reap around $10.3 million in property tax revenue. </p><p>The proposed site of the factory is currently a sand and gravel mining operation. It generates around $6,400 in annual property tax revenue for Travis County.</p><p><strong>What Tesla offers</strong></p><p>The approved deal also requires Tesla to create a certain number of jobs annually and hire Travis County employees for at least 50% of them under penalty of reduced rebates. The company must also pay a minimum wage of $15 an hour, including to janitorial and food service staff as well as construction workers, even if they are employed by contractors and subcontractors. </p><p>If Tesla does not reach at least 75% of the job creation or investment target for a given year, the rebate will be scrapped entirely. If Tesla breaches the contract, it is required to return the last two years' of rebate dollars. </p><p>County staff and supporters of the deal argue the rebates are worthwhile not only because of the additional tax revenue that will result from such a sizeable investment but also because of the factory jobs that will be created.</p><p>There could also be long-term benefits. </p><p>Norris Sebastian, coordinator of DVISD's career and technical education program, called into the Commissioners Court to express his support for the deal. "Tesla … will drive interest and participation in STEM careers for underrepresented student groups," he said. "Remember, Tesla has the cool factor."</p><p><strong>Other considerations</strong> </p><p>But opponents of the deal said it doesn't do enough to protect workers and chastised the county for presenting new terms at the last minute.</p><p>Juan Pedro Munoz, a construction worker, said there are no provisions for independent on-site monitoring to protect construction workers against wage theft and other abuses. He also questioned why the county didn't require Tesla to adhere to its own Better Builder standards.</p><p><em>This article has been updated from the original.</em></p>
<h5><br></h5><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><!-- Begin Mailchimp Signup Form -->
<link href="//cdn-images.mailchimp.com/embedcode/classic-10_7.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css">
<style type="text/css">
#mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; }<br />
/* Add your own Mailchimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block.<br />
We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */<br />
</style>
<div id="mc_embed_signup">
<form action="https://austonia.us19.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=4d0e7a7bb7e797f1d00b45a6b&id=ad2a1dda78" method="post" id="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" name="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" class="validate" target="_blank" novalidate="">
<div id="mc_embed_signup_scroll">
<div class="mc-field-group">
<label for="mce-EMAIL">Email Address </label>
<input type="email" value="" name="EMAIL" placeholder="️✉️ Enter your email address" class="required email" id="mce-EMAIL"></div>
<div class="mc-field-group input-group" style="display:none"> <strong>Austonia </strong>
<ul>
<li><input checked="checked" value="1" name="group[11998][1]" id="mce-group[11998]-11998-0"></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div id="mce-responses" class="clear">
<div class="response" id="mce-error-response" style="display:none"></div>
<div class="response" id="mce-success-response" style="display:none"></div>
</div>
<!-- real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups-->
<div style="position: absolute; left: -5000px;" aria-hidden="true"><input type="text" name="b_4d0e7a7bb7e797f1d00b45a6b_ad2a1dda78" tabindex="-1" value=""></div>
<div class="clear"><input type="submit" value="Sign up now" name="subscribe" id="mc-embedded-subscribe" class="button"></div>
</div>
</form></div>
<!--End mc_embed_signup-->
From Your Site Articles
- Elon Musk seeks to fast-track $1.1 billion Tesla factory in Austin ... ›
- Del Valle ISD OKs Tesla tax deal for Austin factory - austonia ›
- Travis County delays vote on Tesla's proposed Austin factory ... ›
- What Tulsa offers Elon Musk for Tesla's next 'Gigafactory' - austonia ›
- Tesla asks Travis County for 20-year property tax rebate deal ... ›
- Five reasons why Elon Musk and Grimes should choose Austin ... ›
- Elon Musk says $1.1 billion Tesla factory will be in Austin - austonia ›
- Elon Musk says $1.1 billion Tesla factory will be in Austin - austonia ›
- Tesla Gigafactory will accelerate growth in southeast Austin - austonia ›
- Tesla files site plan for Austin Gigafactory - austonia ›
- Tesla announces plans for affordable vehicle - austonia ›
- Austin-area electric freight parts manufacturer Hyliion rings the NYSE bell this week after going public - austonia ›
Related Articles Around the Web
Keep Reading
Show less
