The Austin Daily Drop

A rush of activity from the Governor's office yesterday sees the signing into law of the controversial "Constitutional Carry" bill, the announcement of a huge "down payment" on border wall construction from the Texas state budget, and praise from Governor Abbott for the state's beleaguered power grid . Austin officials and APD discuss police staffing and distribution in the wake of last weekend's...

Democrats in the Texas Legislature implore Governor Greg Abbott and majority Republicans to consider dialing back gun access in light of the mass shooting last weekend on Sixth Street, while Mayor Steve Adler joins the mayors of 26 other major U.S. cities to press the Biden Administration for Federal gun reform . Mayor Adler also criticizes Governor Greg Abbott's silence on ERCOT's recent power wo...

Loathsome flashbacks to the winter freeze as ERCOT marks the first 100-degree day of the summer with a request for conservation from the public, as the Texas power grid begins to struggle against demand, much earlier than expected . A second suspect in Friday's mass-casualty shooting on Sixth Street is arrested at Harker Heights High School. A KVUE study finds crime in Austin rising much faster th...

The horrific mass shooting on East Sixth Street on Friday night has claimed one fatality, while one of the two suspected gunmen has been arrested - the other remains at large. We Are Blood needs a wave of donors to offset demands upon its supplies related to the shooting event. Sunday marks a go-ahead for Austin police to ticket people found camping illegally . New fears of the Delta Variant - a n...

Prior to a six week break, the Austin City Council approves both a doubling of Austin's homestead exemption for City property taxes, and commits $100 million of Austin's share of the federal American Rescue Plan Act to homelessness relief . The production company behind "Live PD" sues the Williamson County Sheriff's Office, while a woman whose partner was killed in a car accident with an off duty...

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton finds himself under yet another microscope - this time, that of the Texas Bar Association . AISD staff will undergo new supplemental training on handling reports of sexual assault from students. Former Austin City Council Member Ellen Troxclair announces a run for the Texas Senate. H-E-B makes masks optional for fully-vaccinated customers and employees. A New Brau...

Extraordinarily high humidity is combining with mid-90's temps to result in dangerous heat this week in Austin. Governor Greg Abbott signs two bills aimed at power grid reform for Texas, but they don't kick in until after this summer. Travis County delays a vote on a new women's jail facility amidst activist opposition. Austin's Black community is lagging behind other groups in vaccination rates -...

Governor Greg Abbott signs a new law forbidding Texas businesses from asking their customers to prove they've been vaccinated against COVID-19. Experts speculate that upcoming redistricting could result in the de-gerrymandering of Austin . Several Austin City Council members want more details on pending plans to spend eight figures of Federal money on homeless services. Activist groups want Travis...

After a major reorganization, the first new Austin Police Academy class in months begins study. The Austin City Council begins planning for a return to in-person meetings , likely next month. Mayor Steve Adler weighs in on an Austin Business Journal survey of Austin's land development code . Austin Public Health says they're ready for Federal orders on COVID vaccine booster shots . Traffic is back...

Rain chances - and the risk of flooding - will remain high through most of the weekend. Barton Springs Pool is closed due to high water for now. A new national report says Texas is under "elevated risk" for power failures during the upcoming hot summer months. Austin City Council waives $4 million in city fees for the expansion of homes for people experiencing homelessness, and also votes to bring...

Austin Energy recovers from yet another storm impact to power customers . Former WilCo Sheriff Robert Chody and Assistant County Attorney Jason Nassour will face trial in Travis County . Federal financial help looks to be on the way for new transit lines in Austin . Democratic state lawmakers detail the attacks on Austin they've come to expect from the rest of the Lege. A shooting at a local live...

A pedestrian-involved fatality on IH-35 this morning creates huge backups, just as the highway is included on a report on the worst urban roadways in the U.S. A Georgetown teen is arrested in Houston for the murder of a Round Rock teen earlier this year. Austin City Council struggles to locate sites that meet stringent criteria for temporary homeless encampments . A Texas State track star dies in...

Governor Greg Abbott threatens to veto funding for the Legislature - and all of its support staff - in retaliation for the Democratic walkout over SB7 on Sunday . A Kerrville man is arrested under suspicion of preparing a terroristic mass shooting . Austin Regional Clinic is set to begin trials of the Pfizer vaccine in kids under 12 . May is typically Austin's wettest month, and May 2021 was one o...

The closing days of the 2021 Texas legislative session are marked by apparent tension between the House and the Senate , as well as between Governor Greg Abbott, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan. A new initiative to interfere with the City of Austin's redistribution of Austin Police Department funds is underway by the same political action group that produced Prop B . Memoria...

As the Texas legislative session winds down - for now - bills supporting pregnant women with Medicaid help, requiring police officers to keep body cameras on , and stopping police agencies from partnering with television productions make progress, while attempts to expand medical marijuana appear to have largely failed . The date-rape drugging scandal at the Lege has turned out to have been faked...

The "drop dead" moment at the Texas Legislature for Senate bills arrives with measures related to transgender athletes and the prohibition of the limiting of political expression by Texans on social media platforms dropping dead. The Lege did pass a bill raising the minimum age of stripping in sexually oriented businesses in Texas to 21. Teachers express confusion and concern over new proposed lim...

Contentious bills continue winding their way through the Texas Legislature towards the desk of Governor Greg Abbott: an abortion "trigger bill" that will allow Texas to immediately adopt new restrictions dictated by the U.S. Supreme Court, the permitless open carrying of handguns , punitive measures against cities that reduce police budgets , and new requirements for Texas schools to display "In G...

Welcome progress towards reform for the Texas power grid winds through the Legislature, while more divisive bills limiting the teaching of race issues in schools, allowing the permitless carry ing of handguns and the criminalization of protestors presses forward as well. NASCAR's debut in Austin ends early due to wet track conditions that caused a fiery crash. Austin FC drops its third consecutive...

The Austin City Limits Music Festival sold out of three-day passes for both weekends mere hours after its lineup announcement yesterday - single-day passes are on sale next Tuesday, and for those who'd just like to see George Strait , tickets are on sale next Thursday for his March 2022 Houston Rodeo appearance. A statewide ban on public camping passes the Texas Senate, with an addendum that under...

U.S. Congressman Chip Roy, who represents a piece of Austin in D.C., is reprimanded for failing to wear a mask inside the House of Representatives, while he and all the other Republicans representing other gerrymandered slices of our city fail to vote in favor of a commission to investigate the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. UT declares masking optional on campus , in line with orders...

More wet weather threatens flooding across Central Texas again today and for the rest of the week. As Austin drops to Stage 2 pandemic precautions for the first time in over a year, Governor Greg Abbott issues a ban on state-run facilities - including public schools - from requiring masks of employees, students and visitors. The City of Austin releases a list of potential city-run camping sites fo...

Rain ! And flooding likely in Austin over this week - please pay attention to weather and road conditions, and Turn Around Don't Drown. Governor Greg Abbott pulls the plug on federal unemployment assistance for Texans as of late June. AISD ends the practice of funding special school staff with PTA m oney . A former Smithville mayor faces child sex assault charges, and a former Williamson County Sh...

New CDC masking guidelines , while welcome news, are causing conflict for Austin businesses who are left navigating uncertain waters . AISD will keep current masking rules through the rest of the Spring semester, while Texas reports an all-time low set of COVID numbers on Sunday. The drowning death of a kayaker on the Colorado River in East Austin serves as a reminder that water recreation is haza...

As the CDC lifts masking requirements for vaccinated people, Austin-area businesses struggle to navigate their own policies . Deadlines arrive at the Texas Legislature for House passage of new bills - a contentious abortion bill and a ban on wholesale energy deals for residential and small business service continue to advance. U.S. Rep Chip Roy fails to gain an important endorsement in his bid for...

Our weekly rundown of the weekend's live music offerings, plus a heads up on shows that will go on sale tomorrow, Friday May 14! Be sure and shuffle our Incoming! Spotify playlist which includes music from all of the acts featured on this week's bonus. Thanks for listening and enjoy!