Next time you’re flying from Houston to Amsterdam, KLM will have an extra incentive for you. Starting next year, the airline will give passengers the option to use Facebook and LinkedIn to choose seatmates. Combined with complimentary wine at each meal and digestifs after each meal, this could be an easy ticket into that exclusive mile high club. Obvious perks such as choosing a seat next to that Ryan Gosling or Adriana Lima lookalike aside, we can think of other ways this can work advantageously. more ›

The Texas Department of Public Safety stated Monday that they indeed have records tracking the cost of security for Gov. Rick Perry before 2008, after originally claiming the documents had been "purged." The department still refuses to release these records, citing security reasons. more ›

Add to the list: he sure travels like a candidate. According to the Texas Tribune, Rick Perry's hefty traveling schedule has raised some eyebrows recently, especially as the governor has been unofficially roped into the running for the 2012 presidential election. more ›

• You might be aware that President Barack Obama was in Austin yesterday. If you didn’t make it to any of his events, you can read what he had to say during his visit.
• There’s a Frank Lloyd Wright house for sale in Houston. For only $3,290,000 bucks it can be yours! (Luckily, it has an addition you can actually live in!)
• The truth about what it’s like to really spend a weekend in Austin. (Shocker: It seems some of our cheap hotels have crappy wifi!)

• Census results released yesterday; Texas to gain four seats in the House!
• Texas: one of the few places you can visit a 65 foot tall version of Sam Houston.
• Opiate overdoses are on the rise in Travis County.

Snow in the Dallas area began to taper off Friday, though a winter storm warning remains in effect. The moderately chaotic winter weather comes at a time when the east coast is returning to normal after its own stormy conditions. more ›

• Are you ready for the cold-pocalypse? People are so worried about this cold front that Continental Airlines is letting you change your Thursday flight (in or out of Houston) without a fee.
• A good sow-maritan replaced one Corpus Christi resident’s stolen pig.
• Ewww! When you meet people on the Internet, you might want to remember that the age of consent in Texas is 17.

The Statesman has the skinny on newly-announced special nonstop flights between Austin and Southern California for the BCS National Championship game. more ›

JetBlue, perhaps hoping to lure more customers its way in these dismal times, is trying out a new All-You-Can-Jet program from September 8 to October 8. For $599 (taxes and fees included), they'll allow travel to and from any of the 50+ U.S. cities that they service. more ›

Discount airliner VivaAerobus, which launched last year amidst a splashy ad campaign touting flights to Cancun for less than ten bucks, announced today that it is axing all flights to and from Austin at the end of the month and abandoning the city altogether. more ›

• As if flying isn't bad enough these days, pilots are now having in-flight mental breakdowns.
• Huckabee = FAIL. Again.
• Cabinet talk.

Jetblue, our personal favorite airliner—the only one, as far as we know, that made it possible for us to watch the presidential debates while 30,000 feet in the air—has some kind of insane deal on last-minute tickets out of Austin for "pocket money prices." To get in on it, you'll need to stop by their "Happy Jetting" happy hour at Chuy's Hula Hut from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m., where they're setting up an "impromptu ticket bar." Good luck, and let us know if you manage to snag a sweet deal. Update from our friend, Matt Swinney, editor of magazine: "I'm in line now. Relatively limited number of tickets but maybe only 40 people in line. Travel by Nov 15, $29 each way to Orlando and Ft Lauderdale. $49 each way to LA and SFO. $69 each way to NYC and Boston. Get on it, post haste! more ›

Both Reps Doggett (D) and McCaul (R) part of the majority who voted against the bailout bill. Montopolis-area residents form a neighborhood association. Four State Board of Education members plugging the Bible curriculum for Texas public schools. The French Ambassador to the US spoke at UT about nuclear power today. Some good news after today's shaky financial events: starting in January, you can fly straight to Puerta Vallarta from ABIA on Viva Aerobus. more ›

KBH has told Rep. McCaul that she's running for governor in 2010. Truck stopped in Southeast Austin late this morning thought to be involved in human smuggling. AISD approves 3% pay increase for teachers. Hidalgo County Jail can't hold an almost 1,000 pound Edinburg woman charged in the death of her nephew. more ›

GOOD is asking readers to create a video tour promoting their hometown. GOOD asks that in your video you answer the question, "What is it that would make someone want to travel to where you are?" The creator of the best entry nets two round-trip domestic tickets to anywhere JetBlue flies. more ›

Fire department lieutenant fired after he told a co-worker in September on the 9/11 anniversary that "he would have wanted to rape a female passenger had he been on a plane used in the attack." Southwest flight from Austin lands in Phoenix with flames coming out of one of the wheel areas. Investigators say that the Governor's mansion fire was likely politically motivated. (Insert sarcastic comment here.) Two state troopers should have been working the night of the fire, but only one was on duty. Rep. Lloyd Doggett proposing a global warming bill. more ›

Fire Chief J.J. Adame resigned today. Some non-stop flights from ABIA to be discontinued. Man charged in yesterday afternoon's shooting off Decker Lane. Dr. Pepper shares debuted at the NYSE today to tepid reception. Prospective juror for Houston marijuana possession trial caught smoking a joint by the courthouse. more ›

Body found this afternoon at Lady Bird Lake. Man drives the wrong way on IH35 near Jarrell, two are killed. Lawyer Adam Reposa jailed for making obscene gesture at Travis County judge. Supreme Court rules death by lethal injection constitutional; executions very likely to be back on in Texas. more ›

• The South Texas Project - a nuclear energy facility containing two nuclear reactors - may be expanding soon.
• Why New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson chose to endorse Obama over Hillary.
• Interesting little expose piece on the polygamist farm out in West Texas.

• Marine suspected of killing a pregnant woman caught in Mexico.
• American Airlines cancels more flights.
• Is that really a naked woman in Dick Cheney's sunglasses?

• Wanna get away? American cancels 900 more flights, nearly 200,000 stranded across the nation.
• Someone broke the first rule of La Vernia High School Fight Club.
• That Olympic torch that is causing all that fuss--a new study shows it emits 5,500 tons of CO2.

First female Travis County DA will be Rosemary Lehmberg. Two Zilker Elementary teachers named as finalists for HEB's educator awards. The 27-year-old teacher who wanted to marry his student has resigned from Akins High School. American Airlines ends up cancelling 1,000 flights nationwide today. more ›

Two arrests so far in the investigation into the polygamist compound near Eldorado. Local cyclists spoke out at City Council candidates forum last night. Akins High School teacher accused of improper relationship with student applied to marry the 17-year-old girl. Farewell, Pinkdome! San Antonio airport flooded with NCAA basketball fans flying out after last night's game. more ›

14-year-old girl assaulted in the wee hours of Tuesday morning in Southeast Austin; police are looking for the suspect (who may be wounded from when the girl fought back). Federal jury will decide if police used excessive force on Ramon Hernandez in 2005. UT system raising tuition fees. Tejano star Emilio in medically-induced coma, but showing some improvement. more ›

145 pounds of marijuana found in truck bed after driver was pulled over on 183 near Lake Creek Parkway. Williamson County woman sentenced to 35 years in jail for her "serial" drug dealing. Austin couple donates $55 million to the music school at UT. Almost all flights cancelled at Dallas Love and DFW today because of the weather. And it wasn't much better for travelers at the Houston airport. more ›

Image from Clap!Clap!’s MySpace Clap!Clap! final showSaturday, December 8Emos (603 Red River St)$5 | Doors 8 p.m. | Outside[info]Local act Clap!Clap! has furnished enough dance parties around town with their brand of energetic electro-pop to command endearment and respect alike. However, last month they surprised a good amount of us with news of their demise. Needless to say we were fairly intrigued about the reasons for this culmination and also their plans for the future.... more ›

Photo from AsiaTravelTips.comAccording to today's Statesman, an Austin man has filed suit against his former employer, JetBlue Airways, alleging that he was fired over his religion. Over dinner last October, 41-year-old Jerry A. Ojedis told his fellow flight attendants that he was Muslim. A little over a week later, he was terminated. The series of events that unfolded after Ojedis' declaration have led him to suspect that illegal discrimination was behind the firing. It began,... more ›

Image via misterjingo on Flickr. Azul (1808 East Caesar Chavez)Now Closed[info]Last week, popular East Side coffee and food spot Azul closed down for good on the day before Thanksgiving. The converted house at E. Cesar Chavez and Chicon had been serving the neighborhood since 2000 with a mix of coffee, sandwiches, and breakfast items. It had been featured as one of Austin's best coffees in both Zagat's Texas restaurant guide and hipster travel guide eat.shop.austin.... more ›

Still from The District! The DistrictNovember 16-222110 South Lamar (2110 S. Lamar)Various Showtimes, $8.25[info]We heard a lot of good things about Áron Gauder's one-of-a-kind animated gem The District! during Fantastic Fest last year, but we hadn't had a chance to see it until recently. It's a Hungarian Hip-Hop / time travel / gangster odyssey set in Budapest's notorious 8th district, where rival crime families feud like Montagues and Capulets. That is, until their kids fall... more ›

It's official! A California boy playing with matches started a 38,000 acre fire. Victoria's Secret in hot water over releasing scantily-clad dolls. Sex is a no-no in the cabins inside the new jumbo airliner, The Airbus A380. The State of Texas and Travis County are both suing the developer who polluted Hamilton Pool. Remember that military contractor that killed innocent people in Iraq, your government is reportedly granting them immunity. The House passes legislation... more ›