In The News Today: Burn Ban Continues, Fires Sprout Up Around Town As we’re sure you’ve noticed, it hasn’t rained for over a month. The grass is parched and the air is smoldering. This Independence day could have been a hell of a lot worse - drunk people, fireworks and a drought are a bad combination. As it was, there was one major fire in East Austin and a host of smaller ones. [Source]......

In The News Today: 10 Commandments OK in Texas The Supreme Court ruled that the monument to the Ten Commandments at the Texas State Capitol can stay, despite previously ruling that displays in two Kentucky courthouses have to be removed. Why? Because, apparently, the Christian God has a better lawyer in the state of Texas. The state Attorney General argued that the particular monument in question was for historical purposes not religious purposes. Silly!......

In The News Today: Lance Mania At Central Market The North Lamar Central Market will become Tour de France central on July 2nd. The festivities will include not one but two big TVs displaying Lance and Lance-related stuff. Interesting that the grocery store’s coverage will include “live podcasting”. Ahh Austin, how we love you.[Source] Rick Perry’s Notoriety Explodes Rick Perry’s recent faux pas is getting productized and punditized all over the country[Source]. You can......

In The News Today: Leisure Tax? Governor Rick Perry has announced his idea of how to resolve the school finance problem that brought Texas legislators back for a special session. His idea: raise sales tax from 6.25% to nearly 7%, tax cigarettes ($1 extra a pack), cosmetic surgery (huh?), car maintenance and repairs (who told him that was fun??), and porn (just kidding). The plan would also lower property tax. Dems are skeptical and......

In The News Today: State Legislature Goes To Special Session Governor Rick “Drive Gays Out Of Texas” Perry vetoed the education budget and called a special session giving legislators 30 days to figure out a new plan.[Source] This is not the first time the state lege has tried to resolve the education budget [Source], and with their track record on this one, it probably won't be the last. And In National News CIA Has......

In The News Today: Feds Investigate Rocha Shooting: The FBI and the DOJ’s civil rights division are getting involved in the case of Daniel Rocha. Looks like the relations between Austin authorities and Austin minorities just got worse, if that's possible. Downing Street Memo: On May 1st, the UK Times published a memo that made President Bush just look, well, bad. There will be a forum today on Capital Hill regarding the memo and......

In The News Today: Austin Gets More Park Space: By the end of the year, Riverside near Auditorium Shores will be reduced to 2 lanes, and the area near Palmer Events Center will finally be made into a park.[Source] Jackson Verdict: "That's not to say he's an innocent man," [Jackson juror Raymond Hultman] said late Monday in an interview with The Associated Press, standing on the front porch of his Santa Maria home. "He's......