TxDOT has decided to eliminate funding for trail, beautification and tourist projects, including federal funds distributed by the department. These projects only constituted approximately 2% of the TxDOT budget, but they have now been removed completely, despite the fact that they are mandated by the Transportation Enhancement Program, established by Congress in 1991. TxDOT will spend its entire budget on highway repair and expansion (including ad campaigns). Local projects that will not be receiving......

A convicted drug dealer quoted Janet Jackson, Miss Jackson if you're nasty, as his final words before dying of lethal injection in Huntsville. Georgia wants to sue the Corps of Engineers for stealing their water. Georgia fears a drought and wants the water back...or something. Some employees of the Brushy Creek water treatment plant kept celebrating after an Open House and were fired for drinking in the parking lot and swimming in a retention......

While, for some, the Texas heat of these coming months provides the ideal excuse to stay indoors or plant oneself next to the nearest swimming pool, for other, more masochistic (and fitter, we suppose) types, it's as good of a reason as any to get out and run. Which is why an organized weekly race like the Sunstroke Summer Stampede exists. Now entering its third year, the chip-timed 5k series takes place at 7pm,......

MONDAY [15] [music] The Wood Brothers Featuring Chris Wood of Medeski Martin & Wood at Stubb's (link) [music] Wood Brothers at Waterloo Records (Free, 5pm) (link) [music] El Ten Eleven at Cactus Café (Free, 8:30pm) (link) [film] Taxi Driver at Austin Java (8pm, FREE) (link) [film] Soma at Café Mundi (8pm, FREE) (link) [film] Anime Monday at Ventana del Sol (7:30pm) (link) [film] American Beer with Amazing Beer Sampling (Sold Out) at Alamo Downtown (7pm)......

We've given the IST list a fab makeover - now with pictures, music links, and more! exclamation! marks! Whether you love it or hate it, let us know - we do this for you, after all. And we apologize for the delay in posting this; one word: meetings. Another word: narcolepsy. We're bummed that We Are Scientists decided to bail on their Austin show, but nevertheless there's a full week ahead of us. Pace yourselves,......

Awesome, Awesome, Awesome. Here's to your livers and wallets making it through this week. MONDAY [books] Will Clarke talks crazy with his latest novel, Lord Vishnu's Love Handles @ Bookpeople, 7pm [film] Starchaser in 3-D! @ Alamo Drafthouse Downtown, 7pm, $1 + $1 Glasses Rental [music] 54 Seconds @ Lucky Lounge [music] Paris 49 @ Continental Club TUESDAY [music] Cafe Tacvba with Grupo Fantasmo @ Stubb's BBQ, Doors at 7 pm [music] Alkaline Trio with......

Call us masochists, but in the peak of summer Austinist finds that nothing lets you appreciate the dog days quite like a run around Town Lake. Sure, it always seem to leave us a slop of sweat and tears, but there's plenty of eyecandy keeping your mind distracted while the rest of your body threatens to mutiny. In other words, good times! This is why we're sun-stoked about the second annual Sunstroke Summer Stampede......