On last night's Colbert Report, Stephen Colbert kicked off an update on Super PACs with a quote from the Houston Chronicle, which recently reported that Colbert's Super PAC, Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow, had more donors with a Texas address than Mitt Romney's (Restore Our Future). “Apparently, more Texans respond to my message, ‘corporations are people,’ than Romney’s message, ‘Mitt is a person,’ Colbert joked. more ›

The recent outcry over Texas women's access to healthcare is preceded by a long, sad history of de-prioritization and ignorance. Sadly, last week's news regarding the complete halt of federal funding for women's health programs in Texas was over-shadowed by SXSW, the ongoing race for the GOP candidate and a handful of other big noise news items. So what exactly happened? more ›

Abortion opponents marked the 39th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade this past Saturday with a march on the Capitol. Many of the attendees had something to celebrate: namely, the recent decision by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals that Texas’ controversial mandatory sonogram law must be enforced even as it continues to be appealed. more ›

On January 12th, the APD investigated a deceased persons call at the 3000 block of Guadalupe. James Loren Brown was found dead by his roommate after coming back from the holidays, and APD linked the composite sketch of the Barerra suspect with Brown while also taking into account the proximity of Brown's residence and the attacks that took place on New Year's. FOX is reporting that DNA taken from a New Year's Day attack matched Brown's, and that it also matches four other unsolved cases. No word on whether DNA has been matched to Esme Barrera's case, though police are confirming Brown is the prime suspect in her case as well. Brown was considered a suspect in attacks in "South Austin early July 1, on joggers on July 8, and an attack on Sept. 11 around 8:30 a.m. at Comal and Haskell streets in East Austin," according to the Statesman. more ›

At the Apple live education event today, the tech giant announced three major items: iBooks2, iBooks Author, and iTunes U. Here's a quick rundown. iTunes U offers full courses with video, documents, apps and book. Users can see a syllabus and follow assignments while teachers create posts and update tasks. Its integrated with iBooks notes. iBooks 2 (free) is Apple's attempt at "reinventing the textbook". Citing the iPad's already astounding impact on teachers and students (1.5 iPads in schools, over 20,000 apps used), the app enables you to "read in a text-heavy portrait or picture-biased landscape mode and there's also the option to have random pop-quizzes appear to keep you on your toes. Annotations is an integral part of the system: you can add stickies to individual pages and aggregate them into virtual 3 x 5-inch note-cards for revision during finals. You'll also get the same purchase, download and re-download rights you enjoy in the company's other stores." iBooks Author (free) allows you to start with a simple template and create an iBook with minimal tech know-how. Users will combine their templates, photos, presentations, widgets and videos using HTML5, JavaScript and publish to the iBookstore. Follow the conversation about Apple's announcements this morning and learn more about the new education-focused applications at Macworld, Slashgear, TechCrunch and Engadget. more ›

Police are asking the community to help identify the man that was found Saturday afternoon in Barton Creek. There is no evidence to suggest foul play so far, but for now the homicide team continues to investigate the case. According to police, the body is a 25-35 year-old man with short dark hair and a receding hairline. The release noted that he was approximately 170 pounds, 5'9" and had brown eyes. He was discovered wearing brown Gap jeans, a black t-shirt, and a tan nylon "tactical belt". He had two distinctive tattoos: eyes tattooed across his shoulders, and a small symbol on his left outer forearm. If you have any information about this man, please call the Homicide Tip Line at 477-3588 or Crime Stoppers at 472-TIPS, or text "Tip 103" and your message to CRIMES (274-637). more ›

Thomas Dolby has been busy: his latest album, Map of the Floating City and its accompanying game, FloatingCity.com have inspired a new tour which will kick off at this year's SXSW Festival. On March 16 (no word on venue yet), Dolby will roll into town to perform, but he'll have a unique contraption in tow: his time capsule. Fans at the show will have an opportunity to “make their own fully produced and effected digital 30-second video clip”, a message to the future, which will be uploaded to Dolby's YouTube channel. Prizes will be given for the clips with the most views. The capsule itself is a "chrome- and brass-plated road trailer that seats three. With handcrafted leather and wood fittings, and complex electrical wiring that could have been designed by Nikola Tesla, it resembles a Jules Verne/HG Wells-inspired time-travel machine." Inside, however, it's nothing but modern technology, hosting a "high-tech" video recording suite. The clips will be combined at the end of the tour to create an over-arching montage of messages to the future. Sounds fun, and as Dolby says, "Our species may not be around on this planet much longer, so you might as well leave a welcome message for the next guys!” Read more here. more ›

Walking down Guadalupe past Madam Mam's in the last several months, it may not have been noticeable with the incremental daily changes. But when all that construction is compiled into a time-lapse video, the results are startling. more ›

KVUE tipped us off to the upcoming launch of the Kenguru, a small car designed specifically for people in wheelchairs. Stacy Zoern, the CEO of the Pflugerville branch for production, has worked tirelessly with the Hungarian developers to bring the game-changing vehicle to the U.S. Next Thursday, she'll have a grand opening at Community Cars. more ›

This entry is a perhaps overdue explanation and follow-up to our story last week about the alleged incident at Barbarella. In the time that has passed, the editor has attempted to reach out to staff there, and hasn't been able to get in touch. Regardless of our ability (or deservingness) to get a statement or follow up from them, we felt it important to follow up with a bit more thought. What follows are two personal notes breaking from our standard first person plural voice. more ›

Great news KLRU fans! You can now take a piece of KLRU with you wherever you go with their recently released iPhone and iPad application. Watch over 1,000 videos, including full episodes, and a schedule updated daily. Yes, you can watch full episodes of some of your favorite locally produced programs like Austin City Limits, The Daytripper, Arts In Context, Central Texas Gardener and Overheard with Evan Smith. Grab the app here (no word on Android availability yet). more ›

According to census data, more than half the residents in Austin are single. Using this data, as well as dating costs, mental and physical health reports, and Google Trends gathering information on popular dating sites, The Daily Beast reported on 2012's most promising cities for dating. Austin ranked #4 (we're ranked higher than Houston and Dallas, which might not be a surprise), defeated by Lincoln, Gainesville and Atlanta. According to the report, we've got equal parts single men and women at 57%, and our well-being score was pretty high at 69.8. Our average median salary (for a single person) was $38,457. The mix here (along with input from Google Trends taken from dating sites) apparently indicates we're a pretty fertile ground when it comes to meeting people and landing dates. more ›

Snoop Dogg (aka Calvin Broadus, Jr.) was arrested at the West Texas Border Patrol checkpoint for having .13 pounds of marijuana in his tour bus, reports The Texas Tribune. He was given a citation after his arrest by Hudspeth County sheriff’s deputies. CNN reports that Broadus has a prescription for medical marijuana in his home state of California. You're probably reminded of Snoop's notable collaboration with Willie Nelson, "My Medicine", and it's a funny story: Willie was arrested in late 2010 at the same place with 6 ounces of weed. more ›

KXAN reports that three reports have been made regarding attempted enticement of a child in the Cedar Park area. The first took place on the 27th in in this block of Cedar Park proper. The suspect, described as a brunette white man (or "possibly hispanic"?) in his mid-thirties, has a "thin beard," a mustache, and was reportedly driving a blue pickup and stopped a child to ask if he wanted any candy. more ›

The Statesman is reporting that Andrew Wakefield, the autism researcher from the UK based in Austin, is filing a defamation suit in response to criticism of an article he published in The Lancet in 1998 and the resulting chaos in the autism and scientific research communities. The claim states that "The Defamatory Statements were and are false and written and published with actual malice and intended to cause damage to Dr. Wakefield's reputation and to permanently impair his reputation and livelihood." You can read the entire complaint from Wakefield's attorneys here. more ›

The Austin Chamber of Commerce plowed through all the local startups and picked a 2012 A-List. Check out the slideshare above with their choices, or grab the PDF here. Inspired by Leonardo DiCaprio's "Black List" for hot film ideas, the chamber hopes that their A-List will become a similar guide for investors. Some standouts we know of from this list include TabbedOut, Invodo, Adlucent and FanTrail. For more information on Texas startups, visit Startup Texas. more ›

KXAN is reporting that a home in north Austin was demolished early this morning, likely due to a gas leak. At least two people were injured (one from the house next door went to the hospital), one person was found deceased inside the home after the blast at around 8:30 this morning. Witnesses claim the boom was felt up to a quarter mile away, and one neighbor said, "It looks like a bomb went off," when surveying the damage. The gas leak is contained, and five trucks are working the fire, which is at 1704 Payne Ave. Follow the jump to watch the video report from KXAN. more ›

Antonio Buehler, 34, was stopping for gas on his way home early Sunday morning when he and his friend heard a woman scream. “We look over, and we see the cop violently yanking the female out of the car,” Buehler told KVUE. As seen on the video -- taken by a cell phone from across the street -- the woman had her hands pulled straight out behind her back. Buehler said, “It just looked extremely painful.” Buehler began taking pictures of the scene, which caught the attention of the officers. Officer Oborski approached Buehler and accused him of interfering with the investigation before pushing him into the white truck seen on the video. Buehler was then taken to the BAT (Breath Alcohol Test) bus and asked to take a breathalyzer. Buehler was the designated driver that morning and had not been drinking. more ›

Just when it seemed assured that local video bar Barbarella was “'bout the hottest bitch in heels right here” it seems the homo-hipster haven is really no more welcoming to the LGBTQ community than Michele Bachmann's tour bus. On Friday night, Michael Grammar and friends visited Barbarella. Michael, who lives in Grand Prairie and doesn't identify as male, visits Austin often and usually feels comfortable running around in make-up and fabulous heels. Apparently, the staff at Barbarella had a problem with a boy in heels. As described on tumblr, Michael kicked over an empty cup when a bouncer grabbed Michael by the throat and demanded the cup be put in the trash can. When Michael's friend assisted in throwing the cup away, the bouncer threw the cup on the floor and demanded that Michael throw it away. Once the mess was taken care of, Michael was led out of the bar by the throat while bar staff imitated a gay lisp, made homophobic remarks, pushed Michael's friend Katie and called her a “trashy cunt.” more ›

Earlier today, we reported on the west campus murder of Esme Barrera, a 29-year-old staple of Austin's creative community. This evening, we have a couple updates, including the featured composite sketch provided by Austin PD.

Though KXAN reported earlier today that one woman was followed and then attacked by what is likely the same suspect, the Statesman confirms tonight that there were actually three victims on New Year's morning. One woman was followed and attacked outside shortly after 2 a.m. (she screamed and the suspect fled), and another woman was attacked inside her home around 5 a.m. (she sustained mild injuries and the suspect fled). Barrera was discovered by a friend around 2:45 a.m. seriously injured, and 911 was called. This is slightly different than the original report which stated that a general "welfare check" was called in to police, resulting in the discovery of Barrera's body. This news also makes the murderer's timeline very tight: he likely fled the attack at 31st and King Street and went directly to Barrera's King Street residence, or hid nearby.

The composite sketch is based on the description given to the police regarding the first attack (about 30 minutes before the King Street murder). That victim describes the culprit as a black male between 30-40 years old, approximately 6' with a muscular build, and having large dark brown eyes. He was last seen in a gray hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans. Anyone with information about the identity of the suspect in the composite or about any of the three incidents occurring in the area of W. 31st and King Street during the early morning hours of January 1, 2012 is asked to call the Homicide Tip Line at 477-3588 or Crimestoppers at 472-TIPS. more ›

We've only just begun to recover from the shocking news of Austin's first homicide of 2012, and noted that another attack was linked to it, but this afternoon we are aware of yet another body found in north Austin. Weareaustin.com is reporting that another body has been found in a dumpster at 9009 North Lamar Blvd. That's six miles or so north of where Sunday's body was found, and indicates a different M.O. (body dumped instead of left at the scene), but it still raises eyebrows for residents not used to so much homicide in so few days here in Austin. No word on if the victim in this case was male or female, but we'll follow up when we have more information. more ›

We're truly sad to hear that our beloved Laurie Gallardo was arrested early Sunday morning for DWI. According to the Statesman's Blotter, Gallardo drove the wrong way on two one-way streets, and also had an open container in her car's center console. Her breathalyzer (never take one!) showed a .159 - nearly twice the legal limit. Here's hoping she's ok, and that she's secured a good attorney, and is safe at home. Another bleak reminder to be safe when you're out, to have a designated driver or at the very least, someone who knows when you need to call a cab on hand. KUT has declined to comment. more ›

Houston prosecutors are reporting that six men have pleaded guilty to a plot that involved smuggling over a ton and a half of marijuana inside of watermelons. The pot was transported over time to a warehouse in Houston from McAllen, which is apparently a weed paradise that no one ever knew about. Party in McAllen? more ›

Local brewerys like Jester King Craft have triumphed over the TABC. A federal judge agreed with the lawsuit brought against the state around some unconstitutional regulations, and indicated he was 'shocked and dismayed' about the 'half-hearted' attempt on the state's part to defend their antiquated rules. Two major wins come out of the decision for breweries: they can now tell their customers where their products are sold, and they can call the products what they are (beer). Jeff Stuffings, owner of Jester King, told weareuastin.com, "We can now call beer what it actually is. Our pale ale we had to call a pale beer and our wild ale had to be called malt liquor." Next step? Fighting laws that ban breweries from directly selling their beer (skipping a distributor). Despite the fact that local wineries are able to do so, breweries haven't been able to, and the TABC is probably preparing for the next lawsuit which will bring that issue before a judge. more ›

Police are looking for a female bank robber in south Austin today, following the robbery of A+ Credit Union (1402 W Stassney Lane) on Saturday afternoon. The suspect entered the bank on foot, demanded cash, and left on foot as well, with an undisclosed amount of cash. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Robbery tip line at 512-974-5092, Crime Stoppers at 472-TIPS or text "Tip 103" + your message to CRIMES. You may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000 if your tip leads to an arrest or charges being filed. more ›