• China highlights 'fierce' military competition
• C.I.A operations in Libya may or may not be happening
• Microsoft cries antitrust at Google, or pot calling kettle...

You can call it Countdown to Casapocalypse. A digital clock now sits in the dining room of Casa de Luz, Austin's beloved macrobiotic restaurant, marking the number of days till relocation or closure. That's because the 20-year-old Austin institution, located just off Barton Springs Road, is locked in a legal battle with the City of Austin over parking. more ›

First the Austin City Council passed a measure to boycott Arizona, prohibiting its members from expensing trips there. Now it looks as though the city may reap the whirlwind—or at least some strong breezes. more ›

• UT starts on plan to cut $14.6 million from their budget.
• Wastewater leak closes Barton Springs temporarily, means Sunset Valley residents need to boil water.
• Austin City Council to vote on Arizona travel ban this week.

Sponsored by Council Member Mike Martinez with support from Council Members Laura Morrison and Randi Shade, the ordinance states that "confusion regarding the operational requirements, permitting procedures, and enforcement mechanisms applicable to outdoor music venues has caused problems for neighborhood residents, venue operators, and city staff," and while a resolution is worked out, "imposes a temporary 'time out' on the issuance or renewal of outdoor music permits." If approved, new permits and renewals wouldn't be issued until February 27, the day after the City Council is expected to reach a resolution on the matter. more ›

While the city denied their request for jurisdictional release last week, city officials have made offers to continue negotiations and "work out some sort of deal," but it looks like Villa Muse is playing hardball and refusing to go a step further with Austin unless the release issue is revisited by a new City Council vote. Which is something the City has stated it will not do. more ›

• Scientologists' lawyers are threatening a huge lawsuit against the author of this week's controversial new biography of Tom Cruise, which also exposes many of the sect's most embarrassing secrets.
• Facebook has been asked to remove the Scrabulous game from its website by the makers of Scrabble.
• Although there's been quite a bit of hype about all the changes this year, which promise singers playing real! live! instruments! and fewer guest coaches, the first Idol episode offered only business as usual.

Austin City Council proposed a resolution to reduce the use of plastic bags back in May, but Whole Foods is taking matters into their own hands and no longer offering plastic bags at check out. They are upping the ante from 5 cents to 10 cents for those who bring reusable bags, or customers can conveniently purchase the new 99 cent "better bag" made of 80% post-consumer waste. more ›

Photo by pisti on stock.xchngAustin City Council will discuss a resolution today that calls for expanding services for the local homeless population. Councilmember Jennifer Kim, citing the need for a "comprehensive and compassionate" strategy in dealing with Austin's estimated 6,000 indigents, sponsored the proposal. From what we've seen, the measure mostly calls for re-prioritizing and increasing social services funding, providing more beds at local shelters, and collecting more data on the homeless. Critics of the... more ›

Photo by *clairity* on flickrA public hearing is scheduled for tonight to discuss a proposed city-wide ban on panhandling. The ban would outlaw panhandling on roadsides and within 1,000 feet of all schools. The current solicitation ordinance prohibits panhandling in three zones of downtown, including the area around the University of Texas, a section of North Austin near the 51st Street day-laborer site and the Second Street District down to Lady Bird Lake. APD reported... more ›

• Apparently everyone thinks Clinton shined in last nights presidential debate, but the best sound bite came from Rep. Dennis Kucinich who said, "Impeach now!"
• U.S. envoy arrives to pressure Pakistani president into admitting defeat.
• A cyclone that slammed into Bangladesh's coast has killed at least 426 people.

Photo by debaird on flickr Austin City Council met today; they passed the LCRA water deal and unanimously approved the red-light camera contract. Councilmember Leffingwell wants to lighten the SOS ordinance to allow for redevelopment of older buildings. Two women are dead after a church van drove off IH35 in Round Rock this morning. Travis County sheriffs are keeping an eye out for shoulder-passers on Loop 360. Round Rock cops pepper-sprayed a student for taking... more ›

Photo by hamron on flickr Austin City Council is pretty much ready to sign a contract setting up red-light cameras at 15 intersections (to start with). Big Brother - er, APD - is watching your energy usage. And Austin Energy is cool with that! Southeast Austin standoff this morning ends with cop shooting the suspect. Round Rock police on the lookout for a suspected stalker. Local company under Neil Bush (Dubya's bro) is being investigated... more ›

Austin City Council looking into single member districts (again), but can't get Austinites interested enough. Boutique hotel to be built at Concordia site (after the university moves in 2008). Young boy dies after being hit by a truck early this morning in Bastrop. TxDOT says their funds are running low . . . very low. Houston-based ConocoPhillips enters deal with ADM to research turning biomass into biofuels. Pedernales Co-op is buying into wind energy. San... more ›

Tomorrow night at 7pm, Austin firefighters will be training (and using theatrical smoke!) at 4th and Guadalupe. Gov. Perry trying to get disaster declaration for counties seriously affected by Humberto. Buffalo Bills player whose spine was seriously injured in a game earlier this month is now in Houston for rehab. LBJ football player hits off-duty cop after a game last month; is charged with assault on a public servant. Today the State Board of... more ›

Residents of Colony Park, just east of Austin off of U.S. 183, are fighting what looks to be a losing battle against what they see as a dangerous development in their neighborhood: a series of gas-filled, explosive tanks that are planned for installation across the street from a middle school. The proponent of what is being referred to as a "tank farm," if the developmental plan goes through, is one Houston-based Sun Coast Resources Inc.,... more ›

Town Lake will be officially renamed to "Lady Bird Lake" after the Austin City Council meets this morning. Sponsored by Mayor Will Wynn, the proposed ordinance comes in response to massive public requests that the City honor Lady Bird Johnson's legacy of environmental advocacy. "Numerous citizens have contacted my office suggesting ways that the City should honor her memory, including the most obvious of renaming Town Lake," wrote the Mayor in a statement issued after... more ›

A group of East Austin residents are protesting the location of a thirty-nine year old metal foundry, which they say emits noxious fumes and presents a general health hazard. The residents would like to see the foundry, Pure Castings Co. at 2110 East 4th Street, relocated to a spot further away from schools (Zavala Elementary is across the street) and homes. Local environmental organization PODER (People Organized in Defense of Earth and Her Resources) is... more ›

Hot on the heels of the Austin City Council rolling out the incentive red carpet to keep Friday Night Lights turned on, the Texas Legislature passed House Bill 1634 this weekend, also known as the Texas Film Incentive Program. The bill, authored by Rep. Dawnna Dukes (Austin, represent!) and spearheaded by Sen. Bob Deuell (R-Greenville) along side our very own Governor Rick Perry, will set aside $20 million worth of incentives to entice future productions... more ›

Looking for a place for the summer? How about a pre-lease for the fall? If you thought the housing market has been bad lately, you may want to start considering that move to Round Rock right about now. The Daily Texan reported yesterday on a few numbers that seem to keep getting bigger, the prices of your average apartment in Austin. 94% - The occupancy rate in Austin by the end of 2006. 88%... more ›

When Laurie Limbacher (pictured above right) of Limbacher & Godfrey Architects stood in front of a skeptical crowd at last Monday's Town Hall Meeting to discuss her firm's renovation plans for Barton Springs, she told a brief story of an old, wooden bathhouse that once sat atop the north hill next to the pool. The bathhouse at Barton Springs Pool was a romantic building, built of iron and wood and outfitted with a bar... more ›

Last year, Microsoft came to central Texas looking for a spot to build a new $550 million data center. Austin lost out to San Antonio mostly because the City of San Antonio offered the company a better break on electricity rates for the new project. Since then, Mayor Will Wynn and the Austin City Council have been pursuing a new proposal to cut electric rates for certain types of large high-tech companies in order to... more ›

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House Democrats have unveiled legislation requiring the withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Iraq by the fall of next year. We are pretty sure this will be as powerful as their non-binding resolution against the war in Iraq. Republican Sen. John Carona of Dallas and Democratic Sen. Rodney Ellis of Houston want to legalize casino gambling in Texas. Austin City Council is expected to give the green light to the $2.5 million project for... more ›

Bush's approval ratings have hit a new low, but Paula Abdul's star rating is still rising. A local Senate bill is asking that the revenue from red light cameras be transferred into a state fund to support trauma and emergency medical care. This is better than not knowing where the added revenue will go, but we still do not like the idea. Austin City Council members have approved a resolution to get $30 million... more ›

Pending a vote by the Austin City Council tomorrow, Congress Avenue Bridge is to be renamed in honor of Ann Richards, Texas' 45th Governor who passed away in September. [Excerpted from our previous post] From humble beginnings in Waco, Texas, Richards went on to attend Baylor University on a debate scholarship, later marrying high school sweetheart David Richards and settling in Austin. She began her political career by campaigning for such respected Texas Democrats... more ›

Next time you run that red light, you might want to take the latte/cell phone away from your grill and smile big, cause you could be on not-so-candid camera. Actually, it’s only your license plate that gets photo’d, but you get the idea. more ›

City Council Members Leffingwell, Martinez and McCracken have written a letter to J. Willard Marriott, Jr. stating that "Las Manitas, Escuelita del Alma, and Tesoros are revered local institutions which have significant cultural and historic value to our community ... [l]osing them is simply a losing proposition for everyone involved." They note that the development as it is now envisioned would appear to require several approvals by the Austin City Council and ask Marriott... more ›

Taxi cab drivers and riders spoke and the city listened. Roy's Taxi has been hoping to sell its family business that has been around for over 70 years to Yellow Cab of Houston for several months, but last night the Urban Transportation Commission put an end to that hope. The UTC voted unanimously to block the sell of Roy's to Yellow, fearing that the sell, which would give Yellow Cab 77% of the taxi business in Austin, would create a monopoly. more ›