Rachelle Grimmer was desperate after being rejected for food stamps. more ›

• A Japanese TV personality who has lived in Austin wants SXSW attendees to help with Japanese disaster relief.
• Takeway from SXSWi: social media is revolutionary…just like rock ‘n’ roll in 1968.
• An infographic of what SXSW brings to the Austin economy.

• The supporters of the ban against gay marriage question Judge Walker's impartiality.
• Hey, guess what? There is still unemployment in America.
• Do you think $600 million is enough to fix border security?

China's Yingli Green Energy hasn't committed to bringing its solar plant to Austin, but the city will still get 300 new jobs from a web hosting company's move to town. This as Gov. Rick Perry's office quietly admitted to the Associated Press that it has revised three more Texas Enterprise Fund contracts for companies that haven't met their job-creation deadlines. more ›

• South Korean ship sinking, North attack suspected.
• Personal income drops across the country.
• California voters could legalize pot in November election.

As the economy continues to flounder, and folks continue to lose their homes and to fail to find work, and the news continues to report overcrowded food banks and the mess that is Wall Street and the other mess that is the bullshit “health care system,” I sometimes get this visual in my head of Obama. It’s late at night, and he’s just walked into the First Bedroom. Michelle is lifting her little weights, toning her lovely arms. Here, in this private space, Obama lets go of the Joe Cool façade that on good days he is admired for and, of late, nets him accusations of being a compassionless animatronic incapable of actual change. Obama looks at Michelle, balls up his hands, stomps his feet, and screams, “I FUCKING HATE GEORGE W. BUSH. I HATE HIM I HATE HIM I HATE HIM!!! THIS IS ALL HIS FAULT!!” more ›

• Big 12 preparations underway at Cowboys Stadium.
• Marines launch large offensive in Afghanistan.
• US and Russia pledge nuclear missile treaty soon.

• Toyota recalls nearly 4 million cars because of gas pedals that can get stuck in the floor mats
• More than 2 million Stork Craft cribs - some with the Fisher-Price logo - have been recalled
• The number of jobless claims sinks to its lowest level in more than a year

• World economies grow, but surprisingly, China's economy poised to kick everyone's ass.
• FAA says our state-of-the-art air traffic control system is running smoothly (after a large blip earlier this morning).
• South African runner whose gender was questioned will keep medal.

"[Lippincott] stormed into the salon in the middle of business hours, yelling, 'Get out!' at salon employees, and shouting, 'You are trespassing! This business is closed!' Employees were then told to gather their personal belongings and vacate the salon immediately, at which point the doors were locked for good." more ›

Customers hoping to get dolled up were instead greeted by a darkened storefront outside Ann Kelso Salon on Monday, as the shop was locked by property owners for failing to pay rent. more ›

Home furnishings store west elm, one of the subsidiaries of the Williams-Sonoma Inc. empire, is opening its first Austin location at 5th and Lamar this Wednesday. more ›

Two independent local fashion-related launches on Thursday are daring to buck the dismal trend of retail closures we've seen lately. more ›

After failing to negotiate an affordable lease, Second Street's modern design shop Kirk Gallery will be closing in October. more ›

• City creates grace period after confusion over new parking meters.
• Water break shuts off service for 500 in W. Travis County.
• Midland deputy fired over Twin Peaks photo.

After nearly a year on the market, the Statesman is no longer for sale. Parent company Cox Enterprises announced today that they will retain ownership of the paper. more ›

Mad gymnastic skills help a San Marcos man land in jail for stealing copper. Even the oil companies are "suffering" in this recession. "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" amendment removed from Congress. Like a scene from a movie set: craziness on I-35 yesterday included guns, bank robberies and hostages. Texas librarians are wild & crazy! For $15M, you too could own a piece of architecture history. Bud Light, really, Mr. President? more ›

• Texas continues to ignore that whole "separation of church and state" thing.
• Ohio politician seems to think abortion should be decided by men.
• Obama: police who arrested Henry Louis Gates, Jr. "acted stupidly."

Ritz-Carlton and Marriott hotels targeted in Jakarta bombings; eight people killed. Things looking up in the West Bank. Hot climates lead to slower economic growth? Obama spoke at the NAACP conference last night. ICYMI: Former Pres. Jimmy Carter, "The words of God do not justify cruelty to women." Senate Republicans say they won't block a vote on Sotomayor. Emmy nominations announced yesterday; lots of love for "30 Rock" and "Mad Men", with a little "Flight of the Conchords" and "How I Met Your Mother" thrown in. more ›

Bettysport, the locally-owned women's fitness apparel store, has given up on its Domain store after two years of operation. more ›

• Pandemic! Run!
• The Holocaust Museum shooting yesterday has us wondering, what is wrong with people!?
• Seriously. "The responsible white separatist community condemns this"?

Kit Adams may not know the five point palm exploding heart technique, but she is still a metaphorical kung fu master. That's because Adams, founder and owner of local pottery shop ClayWays, can wrestle a 25 pound block of solid earth into the shape of giant urn before you can say "Shaolin". She is not, however, invincible: ClayWays is having trouble in these lean economic times. This Saturday, Adams and the sweet-souled ceramics community she supports (and lovingly teaches) need you to throw dollar bills their way, so the store and studio can remain open. more ›

Downtown Austin is getting a little dose of international flair next month with the opening of Annies, a new cafe/bistro restaurant that aims to recreate the zinc bar atmosphere of old Paris. more ›

• Obama to order $100 mil in budget cuts, also look for change in couch cushions
• The Hugo Chávez effect: book gift to Obama creates overnight bestseller
• Iran's Ahmadinejad makes unusual intervention in jailed reporter's trial

• Over 90 dead in Italy earthquake, thousands homeless
• Disaster economics: Milan shares fall after quake
• North Korea launches rocket, world becomes highly nervous

• @NYTimes writes about the annual nerd pilgrimage! @sxsw #sxsw #sxswi
• Doh! Massive downtown iFail prompts AT&T to scrape egg off their iface and boost their inetwork.
• Local peeps hoping music festival brings some serious scratch to the ATX.

Angela Merkel calls Pope. Obama up for big hairy week? Did US troops shoot Shiite pilgrims? Media Matters says Hannity, Rush big source of misinformation. Oh, whoops. This is supposed to be news. All My Children: All your Prego Heart Smart Sauces are belong to us. Whitney back? Oh, A-Roid. more ›

StimulusWatch.org is a volunteer-compiled wiki that lists all of the proposed "shovel-ready" projects that each city has proposed. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, as the stimulus package is officially called, won't directly fund any of these projects, but if passed will allocate the money necessary to enable some of these. more ›

Stick some more $$ in there - who's counting? 1 million Iraqis. Seriously. Iran has its own Sputnik. Not so sure about Daschle anymore... Want to hear about some entitled whining? Click here! Turning poo into gold? Leave it to Japan. Indian court dismisses criminal proceedings held against a couple caught kissing publicly in Delhi. more ›

Steelers.Taken steals top movie spot. Nadal wins, Federer cries. Iceland seats world's first openly gay leader. Phelps hits the pipe. McCaskill gets medieval on CEOs. SHOCK: Americans do more of the saving, less of the spending. more ›