Laura Figi
Laura Figi is a news and lifestyle writer with a passion for representing all voices. She is a proud Texas State University alumna. Twitter: @figlet__
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(Andrew Dismukes/Instagram)
Andrew Dismukes, UT alum, goes from SNL screen writer to cast member this season.
The Saturday Night Live cast is getting a little bit of Texas flair with its new addition, UT Austin alumnus Andrew Dismukes.
Dismukes is entering his fourth year as a writer for the show and will now be featured as a cast member for season 46, along with new cast members Lauren Holt and Punkie Johnson, SNL announced on social media.
<p><br/></p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="039927e1c38c457f75f1f5cf9403f711" id="0daee"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0;
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</div></blockquote></div><p><br/></p><p>A Port Neches native, Dismukes started his comedy career at an East Austin coffee shop Cenote. He performed his first set as a freshman and went on to host the weekly "Chortle Portal" comedy showcase in the Taos co-op. He was also the runner-up for Cap City Comedy's Funniest Person in Austin in 2016.</p><p>He performed around Austin until his last semester of college when he traveled to Los Angeles with the <a href="https://moody.utexas.edu/academics/travel-programs/utla" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Wofford Denius UTLA Center for Media and Entertainment Studies</a>. </p><p>Dismukes, a 2017 radio-television-film graduate, was discovered by his manager while performing a set at the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Canada. After he was signed as a client, Dismukes continued to work various standup jobs in California until he got a call from his manager asking him to fly to New York.</p><p>Then, he found himself standing on a stage in front of famous SNL producer Lorne Michaels.</p><p>"It's intimidating," Dismukes said. "You can hear the lack of laughter in your head."</p><p>But Michaels, among others in the room, must've found Dismukes funny because after a second audition, he was offered a contract from September to May on the show.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>More on comedy:</strong></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 lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQyMTI0NC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MjM1NTAzMn0.9MUdKq2GShIv8lrTy7nlpb76zzxaOaQ-0JABx7Y5BjY/img.png?width=980" id="5d19f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f24b2d26c31fd508a60979c6c57119ec" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
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(Texas Book Festival)
A family looks through a festival guide at the 2017 Texas Book Festival.
The Texas Book Festival is kicking off virtually for its 25th anniversary, featuring more than 125 guests including none other than actor, UT professor, Austin resident and now author, Matthew McConaughey.
<p>The Texas Book Festival will take place entirely online from Oct. 31 to Nov. 15. All events will be available to the public for free, featuring content for readers of all ages.</p><p>"The 25th Anniversary Texas Book Festival will be one for the record books, and not only because we will be all virtual," said TBF executive director Lois Kim in a press release. "The authors we are hosting are so talented, and we can't wait to share dozens of unforgettable conversations with everyone, everywhere." </p><p>This year the event will feature plenty of prominent figures in addition to McConaughey, including chef David Chang presenting his book "Eat a Peach: A Memoir;" Kevin Kwan, who is famously known for the novel-turned-movie "Crazy Rich Asians," presenting his new book, "Sex and Vanity;" Pulitzer Prize winner Isabel Wilkerson presenting "Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents;" and National Book Award winner Sigrid Nunez with her new novel "What Are You Going Through," among many other authors, poets, journalists artists and illustrators.</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="616d0bc85cb088465b0c8a97b3ac58da" id="1694a"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1306246969862619138"><div style="margin:1em 0">We're so excited to share the lineup for the 2020 Virtual Texas Book Festival featuring @McConaughey, @davidchang,… https://t.co/jKls0YTrpQ</div> — Texas Book Festival (@Texas Book Festival)<a href="https://twitter.com/texasbookfest/statuses/1306246969862619138">1600268521.0</a></blockquote></div><p>McConaughey will discuss <a href="https://austonia.com/city/matthew-mcconaughey-book-greenlights" target="_self">his new memoir "Greenlights,"</a> which he describes as his "sights and scenes, nices and means, successes and failures," and was derived from a lifetime of the actor's own journals.<br/></p><p>The festival was originally started in 1995 by former First Lady Laura W. Bush and Mary Margaret Farabee with the goal of connecting readers and authors to one another and promoting a lifetime love of reading.</p><p>The nonprofit event helps bring authors to elementary schools, gifts thousands of books to students and has awarded more than $3 million worth of grants to more than 600 libraries.</p><p>This year The Texas Teen Book Festival will take place from Oct. 31 to Nov. 1, followed by children's programming from Nov. 2-6, with adult programming for the remainder of the festival.</p><p>A full schedule of events can be found <a href="https://www.texasbookfestival.org/2020-festival-author-lineup/" target="_blank">here.</a></p>
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School in a pandemic: the struggle between wanting a return to school and student safety
16 September
(Stock photo)
As some children gear up to head back to school, many parents are wondering what to expect next with their child's learning.
For Ashley McGuire, mother of 6-year-old Mason, in-person schooling can't come quickly enough. The online process, she said, is lonely and has been frustrating for everyone in the family.
<p>"I'm not equipped to be a school teacher," McGuire said. "I never wanted to be a school teacher. My kid is struggling. He needs structure, and he needs better advice than I can give him."</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9593711b795ee54bdf9f711d2789e9df" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="94285" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDM4MDEyMy9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxNjI1NTcxMH0.-HlRoAAK98swUJUclsY8BDcRAEqP9RPcWOkp6Jti7MU/img.png?width=980"/>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption..." spellcheck="false">Mason working on his e-learning assignments from home. </small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">(Photo courtesy of Ashley McGuire)</small></p><p>Mason will attend first grade online through the first nine-week grading period of the year, returning to his Lake Travis elementary school during the second nine weeks, a choice the family made because McGuire has concerns about him getting sick at school.<br/></p><p>"Your kids are not always as good as teachers say they are," McGuire said. "It's very difficult to have them keep (their mask) on, especially properly, you know, over the nose and all that stuff. I mean, they're kids. They pick their noses, for goodness sakes."</p><p>As some schools and districts are opening their doors for the fall semester, health professionals are nervous about COVID-19 cases in classrooms.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6c327a36717bf288c9d165522389b508" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="a87c5" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDM4MDIyNy9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxMzU5NDIzNH0.AGq2ZT8CiDObVbZsyuFihNHDbJ2PERxQoyfId5UWly0/img.png?width=980"/>
</p><p>Dr. Stanley Spinner, vice president and chief medical officer at Texas Children's Pediatrics and Texas Children's Urgent Care, said there is no practical way to test every student returning to school and many doctors expect rates to spike in October as a result.<br/></p><p>"Those that may be asymptomatic are certainly going to have the capacity to infect those around them," Spinner said. "We know that someone is just as likely to infect another person whether they are asymptomatic or symptomatic if they have COVID, so that's one of the reasons we expect rates to go up again as we get kids into class."</p><p>Detecting whether or not someone has the flu or COVID-19 is going to be more difficult as flu season approaches, as the two viruses have similar symptoms.</p><p>Spinner said very few children require hospitalization for COVID-19. In fact, many more children are hospitalized for the flu, but getting a flu shot can greatly decrease the need for medical care. </p><p>"What most people don't understand is... that vaccine works exceedingly well to prevent the vast majority of those infected individuals from getting sick enough to be in the hospital," Spinner said. "The vaccine is critical when it comes to minimizing the severity of the illness of influenza."</p><p>Spinner said getting a flu vaccine is uniquely important this year to help reduce the strain on hospitals and healthcare workers.</p><p>"If we start seeing a lot of flu in the community and we're starting to see more COVID because of school starting, we would really worry that we're going to see a lot more adults and children hospitalized, which would put a much bigger strain on hospitals (and) medical care personnel," Spinner said. "(COVID-19 and the flu) together could cause a lot of problems."</p><p>Spinner said the best way to prevent spreading and becoming infected with COVID-19 or the flu is to wear a mask and maintain social distancing.</p><p>"Wear a mask anytime you're around other people, especially when you're inside," Spinner said. "When you're around groups of people, you should be wearing a mask. Period. That's the number one best preventative."</p><p>In the meantime, McGuire said she and her son are adjusting to new habits to protect others around them, such as wearing masks and frequently sanitizing their hands anytime they go out.</p><p>"We're all navigating this together," McGuire said. "I think everybody's doing the best they can with what they have." </p><p><br/></p><p><strong>More on schools:</strong></p>
<h2><a href="https://austonia.com/eanes-and-del-valle-schools-reopen" target="_self">Two very different area school districts approach the same challenge: Educating in a pandemic</a></h2>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDM4NDU3Mi9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxNDAzMjA5MH0.EZ_569_wM3MRyzdGP52DuKD2jsxnhJ-5YymJrHgEBz0/img.png?width=980" id="1f66c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ce75037acd24e3b8a922449de14b8039" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
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(C3 Presents)
Austin City Limits normally takes place in Zilker Park in October but was canceled this year due to the pandemic. However, it will be putting on a virtual festival.
For those still mourning the loss of Austin City Limits 2020, fear not, as the festival goes digital this year.
Though no dates or lineups have been announced, Emmett Beliveau, a spokesperson for Austin-based company C3 Presents, announced Tuesday, ACL will take a virtual form this year during a livestream for HAAM day, an annual fundraiser benefiting the Health Alliance of Austin Musicians.
<p>"We are working on a very special virtual festival weekend for all of you," Beliveau said on the livestream.</p><p>While Beliveau instructed the audience to keep an eye on the <a href="https://www.aclfestival.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ACL website</a> for further information, no update has been posted as of 2 p.m. today.</p><p>Sandee Fenton, director of publicity for Fresh and Clean Media and C3, said there is no news as of yet but "details are coming soon."</p><p>Although a virtual festival of this size seems like a tall order, C3 already helped put on a virtual Lollapalooza from July 30 to Aug. 2. The event featured big names like Alabama Shakes, Chance the Rapper, Brockhampton, Lorde, Paul McCartney and Austin's own Gary Clark Jr.</p><p>While an in-person ACL is out of the question this year, ACL still plans to return in-person in 2021.</p>
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(Courtesy of Pet Paradise)
Pets live exhausting lives—all the sleeping, playing and endless affection doesn't come easy and they need a break. Pet Paradise seeks to solve that problem, with the added benefit of giving owners peace of mind while they take their own vacation.
<p>Pet Paradise is a comprehensive pet care provider that offers anything your pet might need while you're away. It is set to open its first hill country location on Sept. 30 at 716 S. I-35 in Georgetown.</p><p>While this is Pet Paradise's first location in the Austin area, the chain has seven locations in Texas and over 50 across the U.S.</p><p>In addition to on-site veterinary care, boarding and grooming, the 20,000 square foot location also boasts a bone-shaped swimming pool, a "Tiny Town" area for small dogs, misting stations so your furry friend can escape the blistering Texas heat, VIP amenities, webcams for pet viewing and plenty of room to romp and play.</p>
<p>Although the location is geared more toward dog-lovers, Pet Paradise features a cattery with private cat condos for your finicky feline friend.</p><p>The new location offers a <a href="https://www.petparadise.com/get-acquainted-day.htm." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">free day of camp</a> and a <a href="https://www.petparadise.com/free-veterinary-care-exam.htm." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">free wellness exam</a> to new customers. Click <a href="https://www.petparadise.com/georgetown.htm." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a> for more information.</p><p>Your pet will thank you. </p>
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzk4NDY5My9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MzExNzMzOH0.fKNWVEHrM1p9Pj2tmQQW03ZN7UkZGpaQsuo_F-f2KWU/img.jpg?width=980" id="ee9e9" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6d9f62cd8002f213dbc28c908681005b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
(Photo Courtesy of Pet Paradise)
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(Hartmann Studios)
Michael Dell remains the wealthiest man in Austin.
The Forbes 400 is out and once again, Austin boasts a considerable amount of America's richest with eight local residents—five of which have jumped to higher spots on the list. Combined, the eight self-made billionaires enjoy a staggering $58.9 billion.
<p>Coming in with over half of the Austin billionaires' share, Michael Dell, chairman and CEO of Dell Technologies, <a href="https://austonia.com/Trending/the-new-list-of-austin-billionaires-and-the-impact-of-coronavirus" target="_blank">still tops the list</a> for the richest man in Austin at $35.6 billion. Overall, he is ranked 18th richest in the country and has amassed $12.7 billion since March.<br/></p><p>Robert F. Smith, co-founder, chairman and CEO of private equity and venture capital firm Vista Equity Partners, came in at 125th place overall with $5.2 billion to his name. Smith is the first Black man to sign a Giving Pledge, a campaign that encourages the ultra-rich to pledge the majority of their money to philanthropic causes. He is also reportedly under a <a href="https://austonia.com/robert-f-smith-tax-crimes" target="_blank">federal tax investigation</a>.</p><p>Bert "Tito" Beveridge, founder of the popular Tito's Handmade Vodka, is worth $4.6 billion and ranks 154th overall. The Tito's founder started the business in 1997 with 19 credit cards, which gave him $90,000, and slept on couches and floors in the process. </p><p>At 268th place on the list, Thai Lee, CEO of IT provider SHI International, is worth $3.1 billion and is the only Austin woman on the list. Lee was born in Bangkok but lived in South Korea until high school, when she moved to the U.S. Lee also ranked #5 on Forbes' <a href="https://www.forbes.com/self-made-women/#7125cb496d96" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">America's Self-Made Women</a> list in 2019.</p><p>Joseph Liemandt, founder of investment firm ESW Capital, came in 278th on the list with $3 billion to his name. Liemandt is no stranger to The Forbes 400, as he was the youngest self-made member of the list in 1996 with just $500 million to his name.</p><p>John Paul DeJoria, founder of tequila company Patrón Spirits Co and co-founder of hair care brand John Paul Mitchell Systems, currently ranks 319th on the list. DeJoria is worth $2.7 billion, which is $400 million less than last year, but about the same as his value in 2018.</p><p>At 353rd place, Jim Breyer, founder and CEO of Breyer Capital, made much of his $2.4 billion fortune by being one of the early venture investors in Facebook. Breyer has invested in over 40 successful companies, including Etsy and Marvel Entertainment but is down from his $2.5 billion spot on the list last year. </p><p>Finally, ranked 359th, Brian Sheth, the other co-founder of Vista Equity Partners, is worth $2.3 billion. Sheth has had relatively steady growth of his fortune, only breaking $2 billion total since March 2018. Sheth is chairman of Global Wildlife Conservation, an environmental foundation based in Austin.</p><p>Despite the pandemic, many of America's richest have benefitted from the volatility of the stock market. In fact, these 400 billionaires have <a href="https://www.forbes.com/forbes-400/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_axiosam&stream=top" target="_blank">increased their total net worth</a> by $240 billion from last year, totaling a record $3.2 trillion.</p><p>The annual Forbes 400 list calculates net worths using stock prices from July 24, 2020.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>More:</strong></p>
<h2><a href="https://austonia.com/elon-musk-3rd-richest-in-world" target="_self">Tesla's Elon Musk becomes 3rd richest person in the world</a></h2>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzYwMTM4MS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxODM5OTQ4NH0.UKKWGigO7ugUNNbzqHFnWQaWxw6LDAkd_JJ_lI8tCJw/img.jpg?width=1200&coordinates=0%2C354%2C0%2C1806&height=800" id="1b70b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9adbb000cc96a92103462e60ef9ba631" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
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(Laura Figi)
SFC employee Koko Call greeting customers at the market entrance and sanitizing the hand washing station.
Ben Hasan is the market manager for the Sustainable Food Center, a local nonprofit that operates two area farmers' markets—one in downtown Austin and the other in Sunset Valley.
<p>Even though foot traffic at both markets is down by as much as 70% and pandemic precautions continue to be necessary, Hasan is optimistic. </p><p>"Come on down, shop the markets," he said. "We are open, we have been open. We used to say 'rain or shine' and now we've got to add 'global pandemic' but we are here for y'all."</p><p><strong>'Better than zero'</strong> </p><p>Since the onset of COVID-19, the SFC markets have had to make large-scale changes to accommodate customers in a safe way. </p><p>Regulations include capping capacity at 150 for the downtown market and 90 for the Sunset Valley market and requiring customers to wash their hands before entering and wearing a face mask while at the market. Vendors are also no longer permitted to offer food samples, must keep hand sanitizer at their station and are encouraged to minimize interactions. </p><p><br/></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="53f461ab075e5d39821235ab30e69c6f" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="522ab" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzc0NzMyOC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxODk5MTEwOH0.enEK2-qnaI224-x2tpc1QW7elx0GI_1LuxDwvscR_Kc/img.png?width=980"/>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Kris Olsen, owner of Milagro Family Farm, has been doing the downtown SFC market for 12 years and always looks forward to seeing his customers.</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">(Laura Figi)</small></p><p><br/></p><p>This is rough for some vendors, like Milagro Farms owner Kris Olsen, who said he misses being able to interact with his regular customers. "Before [COVID-19], I was hugging and kissing my customers," he said. "That's not going on now."</p><p>Olsen's sales are down 40% to 50% and he has lost over half of his contracts due to restaurant closures, some of which are permanent. "Before [COVID-19], it was pretty much I could sell eggs, many eggs, to whoever I wanted," he said. "Now I've got to work to make sure I sell them all."</p><p>But Olsen has been working at the market for 12 years and said he doesn't plan to stop anytime soon. "It's better than zero," he said. "The demand for eggs is still there so I'm selling my eggs. I'm thankful for that."</p><p><strong>'Shifting to change'</strong> </p><p>SFC is a nonprofit and relies on weekly booth fees from vendors to pay staff and cover market costs. With a decrease in the number of vendors and customers, there is less money to go around.</p><p>The organization has also had to expand the monthly budget by thousands of dollars to accommodate COVID-19 precautions.</p><p>"There's a huge amount of uncertainty across the board," Hasan said. "There's a lot of shifting we're going to have to do to keep our market model sustainable and, yeah, that's nervous-making, but we've still got customer numbers and vendor numbers that are at a new, stable normal for COVID. In that sense, it's about shifting to change."</p><p>Not all farmers and ranchers have seen their sales decrease, however, especially if they offer products that were hard to come by at the beginning of the pandemic.</p><p>"At the beginning of the pandemic, we saw across the board our markets were stocked," Hasan said. "We had food at a time in which you could not get things like eggs, bread and produce. We had that here because of the resiliency of local producers." </p><p><strong>Long game </strong></p><p>The boom at the beginning of the pandemic was short-lived for most vendors.</p><p>As customers are no longer permitted to eat in the market, prepared food vendors have seen better days. </p><p><br/></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5299c8ecd8f7c71dea8b378bfbffa443" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="012c4" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzc0NzI3MS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MjE3NjI0MH0.QeAv60sfVvtYpxgqiuNr2qFW84WFUgAWeIdIqrHOnyE/img.png?width=980"/>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Tamale Addiction manager Julio Toledano sells tamales both hot and frozen at the market.</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">(Laura Figi)</small></p><p><br/></p><p>But Julio Toldano, manager of Tamale Addiction, said he has been able to sell more frozen tamales to make up for the loss of catering opportunities and decrease in sales. </p><p>"I think [the farmer's market] is a very secure way to invest your money because if they do not stop in this situation, they will never stop for anything," he said. </p><p>Although the market is still adjusting to the new normal, many vendors are just happy to be there.</p><p>Cake and Spoon owner Melissa Brinckmann has been working at the market for 11 years. For now, her sales are consistent. </p><p>"We've been very fortunate," Brinckmann said. "Our customers have been very supportive and people seem to keep coming back."</p>
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In an effort to help create a safe space for LGBTQIA+ youth, two soccer support groups—Los Verdes and The Plastics—are collaborating on limited-edition merch.
<p>Austin FC support group <a href="https://www.losverdesatx.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Los Verdes</a> and inclusive women and queer Major League Soccer support group <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sitwiththeplastics/?ref=page_internal" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Plastics</a> have designed a summer scarf that combines their love of soccer, Tejano culture and inclusivity. </p>
<p>The scarf features each group's logo and the phrase "Y'all means all" over stripes that were inspired by <a href="https://quasar.digital/shop/progress-initiative/?v=a284e24d5f46" target="_blank">Daniel Quasar's Progress Pride flag</a>. All proceeds from the merch will be donated to <a href="https://outyouth.kindful.com/" target="_blank">Out Youth</a>, an organization that provides a safe space and resources to LGBTQ youth and their families.<br/></p>
<p>According to Los Verdes' website, the new scarf "represents the solidarity and exchange between communities: LGBTQ+, womxn, non-binary, Latinx, Tejan@s, Chicanos, Hispanics, and all fellow FÚTBOL LOVERS."</p><p>Last month, Los Verdes collaborated with Austin Coalition on bandanas that showed their support for combating racial injustice.</p>
<p>The Los Verdes x The Plastics SG summer scarf is available <a href="https://www.losverdesatx.org/lv-store/los-verdes-the-plastics-sg-summer-scarf" target="_blank">here</a> on pre-order until Sept. 11.</p>
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